In this issue:
Reissuance application completeness update
The MPCA is updating the completeness
checklist for Part 70 Permit Reissuance Applications. The biggest change
for permittees is that reissuance application forms need to be filled in more
thoroughly. Follow the instructions for each form to ensure your application is
complete. If any mandatory fields are
blank, the application will be considered incomplete and returned to the
permittee with a deadline to submit a revised application. The changes to the
checklist will help the MPCA process reissuances more efficiently. If you have any questions, please contact
Cassandra Meyer at cassandra.meyer@state.mn.us or 651-757-2619.
Mercury Emissions
Reporting and Reduction Rule finalized
The MPCA has amended its
air quality rules related to reducing and reporting mercury air emissions. The new rules
became effective September 29, 2014. Generally, the rules affect stationary
sources with actual air emissions
(total facility) of mercury over three lb/yr after controls.
The goal of this
rulemaking is to have fish we can safely eat. Minnesota’s Statewide Mercury
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study evaluated surface waters contaminated by
mercury. The study established pollution reduction goals for facilities within
Minnesota to help them do their share to restore surface waters to meet water quality
standards. The TMDL was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in
2007. The TMDL establishes a target of no more than 789 lb/yr of mercury air
emissions by 2025 for sources in Minnesota. These rules carry out the mercury reduction
activities identified in the TMDL Implementation Plan.
The rule requires a
few specific industries, including metal melting and iron mining, to define how
they can reduce mercury emissions from their processes. The rule
also sets forth a consistent reporting requirement for mercury-emitting
industrial facilities. Those facilities emitting at least three lb report
annually and those under three lb will report triennially. Beginning January
1st, these mercury emission sources need to begin recording data needed to
determine total mercury emissions for calendar year 2015.
If you have questions about the mercury rule, please contact
Rebecca Place at rebecca.place@state.mn.us
or 651-757-2807.
The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will reveal new federal air quality
standards for ground level ozone later this fall. What will this change mean
for our businesses, units of government, and communities disproportionately
affected by air pollution? Environmental Initiative is hosting a cross-sector
conversation about solutions to these economic, environmental, public health,
and environmental justice challenges. Confirmed speakers include:
- Doug Aburano, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Region V
- Ramin Hakimi, Oscar Auto Body
- Assistant Commissioner Aggie Leitheiser, Minnesota Department of
Health
- Commissioner John Linc Stine, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- Chris Nelson, 3M
- David Thornton, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- Scott Strand, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy
The event will be held at the Como Park
Zoo & Conservatory Visitor Center from 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday,
November 12th. Registration and continental breakfast begin at 8:00
a.m.
This event is free, but please
RSVP
online by
Wednesday, November 5th. Contact Gena Gerard at
612-334-3388 ext. 103 with questions.
MPCA recently started a pilot project to improve the air
quality in Minneapolis by working outside the regulatory box. The project aims to develop collaboration
among the local government, key air emission sources in the city, and the
communities around those facilities. The intent is to better understand
and quantify air pollution from sources in Minneapolis and integrate what we
know about air quality and human health with tools available for protecting
them.
The normal regulatory approach is to consider facilities and
their emissions individually, one at a time.
The pilot, however, will treat these facilities as a group, working with
them and neighboring residents to identify ways to reduce emissions and make
other changes to address community concerns. The following 12 facilities
have voluntarily agreed to participate in this initiative. These
facilities were selected based on levels of actual or potential emissions and
community recommendation.
- NRG Energy
- GAF
- Smith Foundry
- Prospect Foundry
- Covanta Hennepin Energy Resource Co.
- University of Minnesota (U of M)
- Hennepin Energy Recovery Center
- Metro Transit’s Heywood Garage
- Bituminous Roadways Inc.
- Nico Products
- Greatbatch - Globe Tool Inc.
- Owens Corning Roofing & Asphalt
The first step in the pilot is to make sure we have accurate
information about emissions from these facilities so that we can best assess
their contribution to Minneapolis’s ambient air quality. This may include
doing air monitoring at some facilities and in surrounding neighborhoods.
We also want to facilitate and improve communication between government
agencies, the facilities, and area residents. Once we better understand the
facilities’ contribution to the area’s air quality, we will identify options
for reducing emissions, including engaging technical assistance resources
available from government agencies, the U of M, and others.
Urban air pollution has complex sources and is influenced
significantly by factors outside of our region. Any improvements
resulting from this initiative may take some time. However, the MPCA is
looking forward to working with the facilities, the local government, and community
representatives to go beyond current requirements to improve air quality in
Minneapolis. For more information about
this project, contact Jeff Smith at jeff.j.smith@state.mn.us.
The Minnesota
Department of Health has released new interactive maps showing asthma outcomes by ZIP code
in the seven-county metropolitan area.
These maps provide data on
asthma hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits by age group,
population, and poverty rates for 2007 through 2011.
The maps show differences
in asthma ED visits and hospitalizations in the metro area. For example, some areas have rates of ED
visits that are seven times the statewide rate.
State and local officials can use these data to inform health and
environment initiatives to advance health equity and protect public
health.
View data on over
20 health and environment topics, including new county profiles, on the Minnesota Public Health Data Access Portal. The Data Access Portal is maintained by
the Environmental Public Health Tracking Program at the Minnesota Department of
Health.
There
are a number of upcoming efforts and events aimed at helping businesses
voluntarily reduce their volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Businesses
that reduce VOC emissions help protect the health of their employees and
improve the air quality in the state, which helps avoid the need for increased
permitting regulations. The MPCA’s request
for proposals to help fund low-VOC projects closed in August, but other opportunities
include:
The
City of Minneapolis is offering grants to businesses located in the city to
implement innovative ways to reduce air pollution. Applications close April 15, 2015. More information can be found on the city’s website.
The
Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) has a number of events focused
on decreasing VOC emissions for businesses:
November
2014
- Training
for fiberglass-reinforced-plastics shops covering lean tools and best practices
for improving environmental performance. (November 18)
-
Water-based
auto-body paint conversion workshop. (Mid-November
at a Shorview shop)
December
2014 – April 2015
- Painter
spray-transfer efficiency training to reduce unproductive paint losses. (Early
December and March 18-19 at the Paint and Powder Coating Expo, April session
dates to come)
-
Industrial
painting webinar series covering alternative coating and methods for improving
transfer efficiency with traditional coatings. (Session 1 in early December)
Ongoing
activity
-
Degreasing
pilot projects are starting to identify and demonstrate the technical and
economic feasibility of low-VOC products in industrial maintenance, product
cleaning in manufacturing, and automotive repair. See MnTAP’s website for contact information if you
would like to participate.
Visit MnTAP’s website for the most up-to-date
calendar of events and contact information.
As in
previous years, MPCA sponsored an air quality exhibit in the hugely popular Eco
Experience at the Minnesota State Fair. This year the Eco Experience drew
262,000 visitors, part of a record attendance year at the Fair.
The part of
the display featuring electric vehicles (EVs) was the biggest draw, with a
Tesla Model S and Nissan LEAF on display, info about public EV charging
stations, and details about the how and why of charging with renewable energy
such as solar. 35 EV owners from a local
enthusiasts group volunteered over 200 hours to staff the exhibit.
Also popular
was a section on how proper tire inflation cuts pollution while saving money. The exhibit gave away 9,600 free tire gauges,
courtesy of the American Lung Association of Minnesota, along with a chance to
win a $100 gas card donated by Holiday.
Visitors to
the exhibit learned about the pollution impacts of urban campfires as
well. An online sign-up to receive MPCA
Air Quality Alerts enrolled about 150 people.
Finally, a new exhibit on the connection between heavily trafficked
roadways and health impacts provided information as well as some “hands-on”
elements for kids to experiment with.
For photos of this
year’s Eco Experience air quality exhibit, visit our Flickr
page.
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In response to community requests, the MPCA began operating
air monitors atop the YMCA building in downtown Winona in January 2014. The monitors were placed to measure potential
community-level air quality impacts that may be associated with increased
diesel truck traffic from a number of silica sand mining-related activities in
or near town. The monitors have been
collecting hourly measurements of fine particles (PM2.5) and 24-hour
measurements of respirable crystalline silica (PM4-silica).
The majority of the data has been at non-detectable
levels for PM4-silica. One exceedance in PM2.5 was
recorded on March 7, 2014, but that was a day when fine particles were elevated
across a large region due to an inversion weather pattern. A summary report of the data gathered in the
first half of the year (through June 30, 2014) is now
available on the MPCA’s web site. The reporting period
is not yet sufficient for a true comparison to the ambient air quality
standards or the inhalation health benchmark for respirable crystalline silica.
Therefore, the data are still currently considered preliminary. Monitoring
will continue through at least December 2014.
The MPCA has
completed monitoring at four sites in Minneapolis and St. Paul for the
Community Air Monitoring Project (CAMP). The monitor is moved approximately
every three months, with monitoring results posted to the website after quality
assurance checks and data analyses, usually a couple of quarters later.
The final
monitoring report summaries and raw data from St. Paul’s Thomas-Dale
neighborhood, monitored January 1 to March 31, 2014, are now posted on the CAMP website.
Currently the monitor is in the Harrison neighborhood of Minneapolis
through December 2014.
The CAMP
project uses funding from the 2013 Minnesota Legislature to do short-term air
quality monitoring in selected neighborhoods of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The objective is to monitor air quality in
low-income neighborhoods and communities of color that might be
disproportionately impacted by air pollution emissions from highways, air
traffic, or industrial sources. For
questions about the project, contact Mary Williams at mary.williams@state.mn.us or 651-757-2478.
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Air Mail is
a quarterly, email-based newsletter featuring updates on air quality issues and
the work of the MPCA and our partners. Subscribers to this list also receive Air Mail Bulletins, which provide time-sensitive regulatory and technical updates.
To see past
issues, Air Mail Bulletins, or to subscribe, visit the MPCA's website.
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