Introduction to Minnesota s plan to reduce mercury

Transcription

1 Introduction to Minnesota s plan to reduce mercury wq-iw4-02g2 Rebecca Place Mercury Program Coordinator September 26, 2017

2 Mercury in Minnesota

3 Minnesota Department of Health Fish Consumption Advisories Children 15 and under: one walleye under 20 inches or Northern pike under 30 inches per month Site specific meal advice 3

4 2/3 of all water bodies tested were impaired for mercury Year ,239 impairments for mercury Year ,670 impairments for mercury 78 new water bodies listed last year Impaired waters Minnesota has 14,000 lakes and 92,000 river and stream miles 4

5 Mercury Exposure pathway 5

6 Mercury in Newborns in the Lake Superior Basin 1,465 newborn babies Most babies had low or undetected levels 8% had above US EPA s safe dose In Minnesota 10% of newborns had above safe level Babies born in summer months had elevated mercury levels 6

7 Total maximum daily load study Assess Waters for impairments Complete pollutant load allocation calculations Develop restoration strategy Submit to EPA for Approval LA(s) + WLA(s) + Margin of Safety + Reserve Capacity = Total Maximum Daily Load Where: LA = Load allocations from nonpoint sources WLA = Waste load allocations from point sources Margin of Safety = to account for potential scientific error Develop Implementation Plan Mercury TMDL Implementation State of the Knowledge 2017 Reserve capacity = set aside for future development

8 Hg TMDL Creates No New Regulatory Authority Water Point Sources addressed in Water Quality Permits Air Emission Sources agree to meet commitments, without new permit authority Stakeholder Group

9 Main Objectives of the Implementation Plan Water Total Point Source Discharge Goal remains below 24 lb/yr Air - Strategies for meeting MN share of air emission goal (789 lb/yr) Approximately 76% reduction in air emissions from 2005 levels Sector targets and timeframes How to address new air sources Acknowledgement that Hg emissions would fluctuate through 2025

10 Sources of Atmospheric Deposition to Minnesota and Minnesota s 2016 emission estimates Natural Emissions 30% Regional Emissions 40% Mining 32% Energy Production 25% Global Emissions 30% Minnesota 10% Product sector 43%

11 What is being done to reduce mercury? Global reductions Regional reductions State reductions

12 Regional, National Reductions States with Statewide Mercury Reduction Plans Minnesota (March 2007) Northeast Regional - Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont (December 2007) New Jersey (June 1010) North Carolina ( October 2012) Florida (October 2013) Michigan (2013) South Dakota (2016) Rules from the EPA Gold mining Lime kilns Chlor-alkali plants Mercury amalgam separators

13 MN Hg Rule Defines a mercury emission source Actual Hg emissions of 3 lbs a year or more Hg emissions inventory reporting and testing Reduction plans for some sources Incorporate federal performance standards for mercury 13

14 Mercury reduction plans Industrial Sector Reduction Required Plan Due Reduction Due Metal Melting * June Industrial Boilers gt 5 lbs 70% June Other Sources 70% June Ferrous Mining 72% December * Rule proposed an emissions rate of 35mg/ton of metal melted; comparable to a reduction of about 50% from today s emissions rate. 14

15 Estimated Mercury Emissions in MN Largely resulting from the purposeful use of mercury 3, Incidental to material processing (mostly mining) 3, Incidental to energy production (mostly coal) Mercury Emissions (pounds) 2,500 2,000 1,500 1, Projected emissions TMDL goal of 789 lb 500 By Year

16 Group Charge Group Charge

17 Sources of Atmospheric Deposition to Minnesota and Minnesota s 2016 emission estimates Natural Emissions 30% Regional Emissions 40% Mining 32% Energy Production 25% Global Emissions 30% Minnesota 10% Product sector 43%

18 MPCA Mercury Emission Categories, 2016 Energy Production (358 lb...): coal burning (222 lb...) Material Processing (450 lb...): mining (441 lb...) petroleum production (89 lb...) wood combustion (30 lb...) Purposeful use / Mercury in Products (567 lb...): solid waste collection and transport (290 lb...) burn barrels (33 lb...) electric arc furnace, melting of iron scrap (64 lb...) dental preparations (15 lb...) cremation (95 lb...) municipal solid waste incineration (32 lb...) Mercury in Products sector

19 Minnesota s mercury reductions Product labeling Disposal bans: Fluorescent lamps Mercury switches Demolition debris Product sales bans: Mercury in cosmetics Toys and apparel thermometers Take back programs: Measuring devices; Manometers Mercury amalgam separators Dental Offices MOU Mercury Free Zone: Clancy the mercury sniffing dog Laboratory waste: Minnesota s hospitals