ATMO.5230 Air Pollution Control Spring Mini-Project Assignment In-class Presentations and Papers Due at End of Term (April 24 th Class)

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1 Mini-Project Assignment In-class Presentations and Papers Due at End of Term (April 24 th Class) The purpose of the mini-project is to provide an in-depth examination of the air pollution problems associated with a specific industry and the methods by which those problems are addressed. The mini-project will involve learning about the industry and the key federal, state and local regulatory requirements that have evolved to control its air pollution emissions. The assignment will focus on recent applications of air pollution control technologies in the industry and the compliance history/experience of specific facilities. Students can work in teams of one or possibly two (based on prior agreement) and choose one of the industries summarized on page 3. Topic preference sheets (last page of this handout) are due at the February 21st class. Students or teams who express no preference will be assigned an industry before our March 6 th class. Any student or teams who wish to switch to one of the open topics may request to do so by notifying the instructor by (pending instructor confirmation, first request, first served basis). Students selecting the same topic previously researched in the Phenomenology course are expected to expand the scope of their topic to include additional research into recent applications of APC technologies in the industry. This would include technology as well as regulatory and detailed compliance issues. This could be a unique learning opportunity for the entire class. Industry Summary and Characterization The mini-project will entail a general examination of the industry, and will require two deliverables. Based on your choice of industries, you are to develop a short, succinct paper on the order of 5 10 pages of text; citations and references must be included (not in page count); tables and illustrations are encouraged and not included in the page total; A 10 minute presentation that describes the industry and interesting aspects about its air pollution control technology, regulatory and compliance issues. The paper and presentation should include five elements: A description of the industry and the processes that lead to air pollutant emissions. Interesting anecdotal and related information is encouraged for inclusion. Do not limit the description to air pollution or control aspects alone provide contextual content as well. Items that could be included are a characterization of the industry (number of facilities, locations of facilities, etc.) and how the industry evolved. If possible, information should be provided about the historic emergence of air pollution control issues in the industry and solutions that evolved to mitigate emissions/impacts. References such as the Air

2 Pollution Engineering Manuals may be helpful, as well as other industry-specific sources and anecdotal information from trade sources as well as information from EPA s website and other Internet sources including the Air & Waste Management Association. A description of the major pollutants emitted by the industry and data available to characterize those emissions. This information is likely available in the AP42 section (if it is not, please contact the instructor). Information from Air Pollution Engineering Manuals may also be helpful, as well as information from operating permit for existing facilities (which may be available on-line). A summary of the New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) requirements for the industry. The summary should describe the essence of the standards, both in terms of their form and the pollutants they cover, the requirements demanded to demonstrate compliance with the standard, and known or demonstrated control technologies for the industry. Applicable Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants may also be included (optional). Examination of recent activity in the industry. This could include identification and examination of recent permit approvals received by facilities in the industrial category. It could alternatively focus on case study examination of a specific source/member of the industry. If facility-specific information is difficult to find, this aspect could explore recent advances in air pollution equipment used by the industry. Characterization of a typical facility. The goal is to describe a representative (hypothetical) facility using data from existing facilities and other information and develop potential-to-emit calculations. Typical air pollution control technologies should be described, consistent with NSPS requirements. Students may choose to assume a state where the facility is likely to be located, and investigate the air pollution regulations of that state to determine whether the facility is a major air pollution source with respect to permitting and U.S. EPA Title V regulations. Any regulatory requirements specific to the facility/industry should also be noted. The examination of recent activity in the industry is open-ended, and approaches will depend both on personal preference/interest and on access to facilities and information. For example, it would be easier to conduct a detailed case study if you are located close to a source (e.g., could be visited), information is readily available, and/or one can identify a cooperative contact at the facility. For those selecting the same topic as chosen for the Phenomenology course, bulleted points 4 and 5 above are to be expanded.. (Please feel free to discuss with instructor.) If you choose to focus on recent permit approvals, a great deal of information may be available from searching the Internet. Many states make operating permits available on-line. Information about recent permits may also be available in the RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse (RBLC). The RBLC is a searchable (though quirky) on-line database available at: When using the RBLC, make searches more general if limited or no information is provided. Using the Process Name

3 Contains: option may be more effective than the Process type: option. Also, invoke the New Search button when changing a search as the options do not always reset correctly. This portion of the assignment could involve contacting individuals associated with specific emissions sources according to your brief research plan. This effort may or may not be fruitful, depending on numerous factors. As such, be prepared to shift the focus of your presentation if necessary. The primary goal remains to identify and share source-specific information from interviews (as described in the project assignment). However, you fail to identify sufficient relevant and interesting information for presentation, it may be useful to emphasize comparisons of the RBLC information with other EPA databases, the course text and notes, and other sources. Some themes/questions (some inter-related) that could be addressed in cases where information is found through the RBLC or in permits posted on-line could include: Are the control technologies used recently at new or modified facilities the same as those described in AP42 emission factors and/or the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)? Has state-of-the-art control technology changed, based on AP42/NSPS information? What are the latest control technologies employed in the industry? How do recent permit limits compared with applicable NSPS or other emission standards? What monitoring requirements must facilities employ, and are they consistent with and/or more or less stringent that required in NSPS? What types and levels of compliance testing are required, and how do these compare with NSPS requirements? Are fugitive emission sources covered in the evaluation, or is the focus only on stack sources? Are there any unusual permit requirements? Are there specific control efficiencies required, and how do these compare with NSPS requirements, AP42 information, typical values provided in the text and course notes, etc.? Grading Plan A sample presentation for the primary copper smelting industry was provided in class as an example. This format need not be followed exactly, but is provided to illustrate the desired level of detail in the presentation. Per the course syllabus, the mini-project accounts for 20% of the total course grade. The paper and presentation will count for 10 points each. A copy of the presentation should be turned in as part of the assignment for grading. Homework problems will be included as part of the homework grade. Presentations need not be polished, but should be designed to effectively communicate material in a concise manner. Controlled creativity and enthusiasm, with a focus

4 on interesting topic-related material, and going beyond the basics, will be rewarded. Students seeking ideas or sources for their topics should contact the instructor if they are having trouble identifying material. Industrial Source Categories The following web references provide reference/access to New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) developed for the industry and to the U.S. EPA s AP42 section that describes emissions and emission factors. The goal of the assignment is to combine information from these and other sources to derive an integrated sense of the types of air pollutants generated by the industry, how these pollutants are created and released, the restrictions that have been developed to curb the releases, and the general methods used historically to accomplish air pollution control. Links to New Source Performance Standards as published in the Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR 60) can be found at: Links to AP-42 chapters are found at (follow links to individual sections):

5 Mini-Project Assignment Topic Assignments Source category Student Hospital/medical waste incinerators Municipal waste combustors Portland cement plants Nitric acid plants Sulfuric acid plants Hot-mix asphalt plants Petroleum refineries Secondary lead smelters Sewage sludge incinerators Primary lead smelters Primary aluminum reduction plants Kraft pulp mills Primary zinc smelters Grain elevators Lime manufacturing plants Glass manufacturing plants