Environmental Considerations for a

Sustainable Emerald CoastDarryl Boudreau

Assistant Director, Northwest District

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Darryl.boudreau@dep.state.fl.us232-0276

Agenda

• Air Quality• Water Quality• Waste Disposal• FDEP Initiatives

Environmental Condition of the Emerald Coast –

Air Quality

• Currently all four counties are in attainment for ambient air quality standards (CO, Lead, NO2, PM10, PM2.5, SOx)

– Escambia County (5 locations measuring ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrous dioxide and particulate matter• NAS – started in 1980 measures Ozone• Warrington Elementary School – started in 1997 measures Ozone• Ellyson Industrial Park – started in 1975 measures Ozone, Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrous Oxide, PM10, and PM2.5,

Oakcrest Elementary School – collected 2 years of data for PM2.5 , but this monitor is being removed from the network and the data collected will not be used in evaluating attainment status.

• Frank Reeder Road – collected 2 years of data for PM2.5 , but this monitor is being removed from the network and the data collected will not be used in evaluating attainment status.

– Santa Rosa County• Woodlawn Beach Middle School – started in 2005 measures Ozone (will be adding PM2.5 in 2007)

• Besides the impact on human health, the net effect of going nonattainment for an air quality standard is the need to develop and implement a “State Implementation Plan” (SIP) for returning the area to attainment which will include stricter regulations and use of more effective pollution control technology.

• Nonattainment designations are negotiated between the FDEP and EPA but typically range from the county where the violation exits to the MSA of the county where the violation exists. If a standard is lowered to the point where all of the monitors in an area result in violations, then counties/MSAs that do not have monitors would be most likely be included.

Environmental Condition of the Emerald Coast –

Air Quality

• Major pollutants of concern in the Emerald Coast area are Ozone and PM2.5:– Ozone – primary causes are NOx, VOCs, Sunlight.– PM2.5 – primary causes are NOx, SOx

• Annual PM2.5 Standard is 15.0 and our 3 year average ending in 2005 is 11.7 and has been relatively stable. (see attachment for more detail)

• Ozone Design Value is 83 and has remained relatively stable at that level. The Ozone Standard is 85. (see attachment for more detail)

• The Clean Air Science Advisory Committee is seeking to revise the Ozone standard and if they have their way, Florida as a whole could be non attainment for Ozone depending on what level is actually set. We don’t anticipate the standard being revised for several years.

• Ozone and PM2.5 appear to be closely related so the solutions will most likely be the same for both

Environmental Condition of the Emerald Coast –

Air Quality

• Effective solutions to each must focus on both the supply and demand side of the equation:– Benefit of reducing emissions / kilowatts generated is reduced if at the same time demand for kilowatts

increases– Can’t reduce the average vehicle miles traveled if public transportation or walking/biking infrastructure

is unavailable

Gulf Power TotalSO2 & NOx Vs Customer Demand

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

To

ns

0

2000000

4000000

6000000

8000000

10000000

12000000

MW

h

NOx (Tons) 33275 29907 25465 25405 18021 18716 21098 22240 20464 16709 16892 20672 18503 14122

SO2 (Tons) 20702 14157 89824 73544 77536 84295 97614 89366 68672 53662 51574 50577 55461 49859

Generation (MWh) 81809 71259 61617 62956 60800 63615 83062 86115 84613 70424 88816 10493 10767 97952

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Environmental Condition of the Emerald Coast –

Air Quality

• Other successes and further information:– Industry emissions

• Arizona Chemical – Performance Track participant – between 2002 and 2006 hazardous waste was reduced 75%, solid waste reduced 22%, air emissions reduced 67 % and toxic materials in the waste water discharged were reduced 91%.

– Education – Gulf Coast Ozone Study, Ozone Prediction, Air Now

• www.dep.state.fl.us/air/publications/techrpt.htm - monitoring network description, annually reported pollutant levels, quick look report, etc.

• www.dep.state.fl.us/air/airquality.htm - AQI & Forecast, Single Site data, etc.

Environmental Condition of the Emerald Coast –

Water Quality

• *% of total water bodies in the County • **Some waters delisted on 303(d) Impaired Waters List with others listed for the first time.• *** Habitat Loss due to noted pollution sources and coastal growth is of major concern in all the counties addressed

County % Water Bodies

Assessed*

% Assessed Waters

Impaired

Standards that are not being

met

Typical Sources

Escambia

 17     60    Bacteria, Dissolved Oxygen, Nutrients, Biology, Mercury (Fish)

Agriculture and Silvaculture non-point source sedimentation, Stormwater run-off (urban, industrial, and recreational areas), Sediment pollution from pre-regulatory times, Domestic and Industrial surface water discharges

Santa Rosa

16 25 Bacteria, Nutrients, Biology, Mercury (Fish)

Agriculture and Silvaculture non-point source sedimentation, Stormwater run-off (urban, industrial, and recreational areas), Limited Infrastructure with limited land availability combined with rapid growth

Okaloosa

6 100** Bacteria and Biology

Agriculture and Silvaculture non-point source sedimentation, Stormwater run-off (urban, industrial, and recreational areas), Inshore toxic algae noted in recent years

Walton 4 37 Bacteria, Nutrients, Biology, Mercury (Fish)

Agriculture and Silvaculture non-point source sedimentation, Stormwater run-off (urban, industrial, and recreational areas), Encroachment and urbanization of unique coastal dune lakes may result in future impairment ***

Environmental Condition of the Emerald Coast –

Water Quality

FDEP Actions to address water quality issues• Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program (http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/tmdl/index.htm)

– .Identify what standards (nutrients, dissolved oxygen, etc.) water bodies are not meeting (impaired),

– identify how much pollution can the water body absorb and maintain its designated use,

– through regulatory and non regulatory actions, ensure that the carrying capacity is not exceeded (will likely include both regulated and unregulated sources) – through the implementation of a Basis Management Action Plan (B-MAP).

• Permitting Innovation. – Regional Offsite Mitigation Areas (ROMA)– NWD implementing ERP phased over 2 years. Year 1 (2007) stormwater quantity as well as quality (previously

was only quality) and year 2 (2008) wetland including isolated wetlands.  Responsibilities will be split between NWFWMD and FDEP depending on type. 

– Universal Mitigation Assessment Method (UMAM) designed to ensure “functional value” is maintained. – Ecosystem Management Agreement – holistic permitting approach that focuses on sustainable development –

balancing development plans with environmental needs (St. Joe Development Ecosystem Management Agreement and Bay County Airport relocation)

– Beneficial Reuse of effluent (IP, Main Street Plant)• Habitat Restoration. Developing community partnerships to restore our communities’ natural habitats

through our “living shoreline” (restoring saltmarsh, seagrass and oyster reef systems) and riverine/wetland programs – (Project Greenshores, Glynn Key Stormwater Project)

Environmental Condition of the Emerald Coast –

Waste Management

• Clash between waste management facilities (Construction and Demolition and Land Clearing Debris) and residential development.

• DEP permitting limitations– Unable to consider local government zoning– Limited to requirements in rule, but push the envelope

when able (e.g., cover requirements)• Next steps:

– Solid Waste Rule is currently being modified – continuous 3:1 slopes and some help to require frequent cover C&Ds

– Evaluate results on H2S assessments – County Ordinances to further control siting etc.

Environmental Condition of the Emerald Coast –

Other related DEP Initiatives

• Programs focusing on sustainable development– Clean Marina– Clean Lodging– Pollution Prevention

• 2007 County Outreach Program