Public Meeting to Receive Public Meeting to Receive Comments on NC’s Comments on NC’s

Potential RecommendationPotential Recommendation

Designations for PMDesignations for PM2.5 2.5 in North Carolinain North CarolinaDesignations for PMDesignations for PM2.5 2.5 in North Carolinain North Carolina

What are Designations?

• Federal Action under the Clean Air Act• In Code of Federal Regulations, CFR• Based on Measured Air Quality Levels;

Non-Attainment - Areas Exceeding Federal Ambient Air Quality Standards

Which Air Pollutants are Involved?

• Ground Level Ozone, 8 - Hour Average–Designation Recommendations Due

July 15, 2003

• Fine Particle, PM 2.5

–Designation Recommendations Due February 15, 2004

• Today’s meeting is focused on PM2.5

Human Hair (70 µm diameter)

Hair cross section (70 m)

PM2.5

(2.5 µm)PM10

(10µm)

M. Lipsett, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

A complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets

Particulate Matter: What is It?

Fine Particles: Why You Should Care

Public Health Risks Are Significant

Particles are linked to:• Premature death from heart and lung disease

• Aggravation of heart and lung diseases– Hospital admissions – Doctor and ER visits – Medication use– School and work absences

• And possibly to– Lung cancer deaths– Infant mortality– Developmental problems in children, such as low

birth weight

Particles Affect the Lungs and Heart

• Respiratory system effects– Chronic bronchitis– Asthma attacks– Respiratory symptoms (cough, wheezing, etc.)– Decreased lung function– Airway inflammation

• Cardiovascular system effects– Heart attacks– Cardiac arrhythmias– Changes in heart rate and heart rate variability– Blood component changes

Some Groups Are More at Risk

• People with heart or lung disease– Conditions make them

vulnerable

• Older adults – Greater prevalence of heart

and lung disease

• Children– More likely to be active

– Breathe more air per pound

– Bodies still developing

We Must Move Ahead

• Implementation of the fine particle standards is estimated to prevent:

– Thousands of premature deaths from heart and lung disease every year

– Tens of thousands of hospital admissions and emergency room visits

– Millions of school and work absences due to aggravated asthma and other lung and heart diseases

Primary Particles(Directly Emitted)

Secondary Particles(From Precursor Gases)

Elemental Carbon

OtherCrustal Ammonium

Nitrate

NOx

AmmoniumSulfate

SO2

SecondaryOrganics

VOC

Ammonia

Crustal

June 2000 / tgp

Condensed Organics

PM 2.5 In Ambient Air: A Complex Mixture

EPA’s Role: Protecting and Improving Air Quality

• EPA set national air quality standards for fine particles in 1997

– Annual std: 15 micrograms per cubic meter, averaged over 3 years

– 24-hour std: 65 micrograms per cubic meter, 98th percentile averaged over 3 years

• New standards withstood all legal challenges

• Moving forward now to implement standards

PM2.5 Standards Under Review

• Ongoing work to evaluate current standards

• Potential lowering of both annual and 24 hour average standard

• Potential new PM coarse standard

• Not likely to be issued for two years

• Today’s meeting is to focus on current standards

Average Annual PM2.5 ConcentrationsJuly 2000 – June 2003

Hickory Area Design Values

Charlotte Area Design Values

Triad Area Design Values

HickoryAIRS Code 370350004 POC 5 (ROUTINE)

Date(s): 1/3/2003 - 8/13/2003Average Concentration (16.3µg/m ³)

Nitrate

8%

S ulf ate

31%

Ammonium

10%

Organic carbon

29%

Elemental carbon

4%

C rustal component

3%

Other

15%

     

MillbrookAIRS Code 371830014 POC 5 (ROUTINE)

Date(s): 1/3/2003 - 8/13/2003Average Concentration (15.1µg/m ³)

Nitrate

7%

S ulf ate

28%

Ammonium

10%

Organic carbon

32%

Elemental carbon

4%

C rustal component

5%

Other

14%

 

NORTH CAROLINA PM 2.5 SPECIATION

Statewide Avg. Concentration 17.3 ug/m3 (224 samples)

1/3/2003 - 8/13/2003

7%

26%

9%

29%

3%

7%

19%

Nitrate

Sulfate

Ammonium

Organic carbon

Elemental carbon

Crustal component

Other

What is EPA’s Guidance?

• Any county with a violating PM2.5 monitor and nearby contributing areas need to be designated as non-attainment

• EPA recommends the full Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) or CMSA serve as the presumptive boundary for PM2.5 non-attainment areas

• Whole counties• Match 8-Hour Ozone Boundaries

Factors to be Considered for Larger or Smaller than MSA

• Emissions and AQ in Adjacent Areas• Population Density • Monitoring Data• Location of Emissions Sources• Traffic and Commuting Patterns• Expected Growth• Meteorology

Factors to be Considered for Area Larger or Smaller than MSA

• Geography/Topography

• Jurisdictional Boundaries

• Level of Control of Emission Sources

• Regional Emission Reductions

Option E: Consideration of Spatial Averaging

• EPA allows establishment of Community Monitoring Zones (CMZ’s)

• NC has three CMZ’s – Buncombe County, Forsyth County, Mecklenburg County

• NC can use a spatial averaging technique in these CMZ’s

• If spatial averaging is used, then the monitors in Forsyth and Mecklenburg attain the PM2.5 annual NAAQS

Option E: Continued

• NC is taking comment on whether spatial averaging should be used

• The monitors in Forsyth and Mecklenburg Counties may attain by the end of the fourth quarter of 2003 without spatial averaging

• If they do not, however, spatial averaging is allowed and could show compliance with the standard

Reducing Fine Particles

• Approach must include national, regional and local strategies

• National efforts under way:– Existing programs such as Acid Rain program

and fuel sulfur limits– Rules not yet in effect, such as rule to control

emissions from non-road vehicles & equipment

• The Clear Skies Act• NOx/SO2 Transport Rule

What is NC doing to solve the air quality problems?

• Participation in the Southern Appalachian Mountain Initiative

• Adoption of Clean Air Bill of 1999• Adoption of NOx SIP Call Rule• Adoption of Clean Smokestacks Act

– Encouraging neighboring States to adopt similar legislation

• Participation in Southeast’s Regional Haze Planning Organization (VISTAS)

Some Local Reduction Programs

• Opportunities to address PM-2.5 nonattainment

• Making vehicles cleaner

• Diesel engine retrofit programs

• Clean vehicle fleet programs

• Diesel idling, smoking cars reduction programs

• Reducing the impact of burning

• Wood stove retrofit incentives

• Open burning impact reduction

Review: Next Steps

• Public Meetings – December 2-4, 2003• Public Comment Period – December 31,

2003• Consider Comments• Consult with Other Departments• Send Draft Recommendation to Governor

– January 23, 2004• State Sends Recommendation to EPA –

February 15, 2004

How Do I Comment?

• E-mail:– Daq.publiccomments@ncmail.net– Send e-mails by December 31, 2003

• Mail:– Sheila Holman– NC Division of Air Quality– 1641 Mail Service Center– Raleigh, NC 27699-1641– Send comments so that they are received

by December 31, 2003

2003:•Dec. Propose implementation rule

2004:•Feb. States/Tribes submit nonattainment

area recommendations•Spring Propose PM-2.5 transport rule•Dec. Finalize implementation rule•Dec. EPA designates nonattainment areas

2005:•Spring EPA finalizes PM2.5 transport rule

2007:•Dec. States/Tribes submit implementation

plans 2009:

•Dec. Attain standards

PM2.5 Implementation Timeline

For More Information:

• Visit our website:– Division of Air Quality – www.ncair.org

• e-mail; phone:– brock.nicholson@ncmail.net; (919) 715-0587– Sheila.holman@ncmail.net; (919) 715-0971– Michael.Landis@ncmail.net; (704) 663-1699– Paul.muller@ncmail.net; (828) 251-6208– Myron.whitley@ncmail.net; (336) 771-4600– Don Willard, willadr@co.mecklenburg.nc.us; (704) 336-

5500– Bob Fulp, fulprr@hathor.co.forsyth.nc.us; (336) 727-8060