In this issue:
Clean Power Plan
On August 3, 2015, the US Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) released its final Clean Power Plan rule to reduce carbon pollution from
power plants. You can find the final rule and additional information about
the plan here. We are
pleased that EPA appears to have heard many of Minnesota’s
concerns about certain aspects of the proposal from last year and has
adjusted the final rule accordingly. The final rule recognizes the progress of
clean energy leaders like Minnesota and better shares responsibility for carbon
reductions across all states, while maintaining and even strengthening the
overall environmental integrity of the plan. Minnesota’s clean energy
policies and leadership by its utilities make us well-prepared to meet the
requirements of the Clean Power Plan.
To begin Minnesota’s formal process for responding to the
Clean Power Plan’s requirements, MPCA announced the same day of the plan’s
release its request for comments on possible rule amendments to help Minnesota
comply with the new rule. The request for comments was published in the State Register and can be viewed here.
The MPCA started a process to solicit stakeholder input in response to the
proposed rule and will re-start this process again soon, once we’ve had time to
digest the information in the final rule. For more information on the
Minnesota stakeholder process and efforts related to the Clean Power Plan,
please visit the MPCA website.
If you would like to be kept updated on the Clean Power Plan and the related
stakeholder engagement, please sign up for GovDelivery alerts here.
Controlling fugitive
dust emissions
With rainfall diminishing and the heat index going up, it’s
time for a reminder about the importance of controlling dust emissions. Blowing dust from industrial activities is
regulated under the Minnesota standard for Total Suspended Particulates (TSP). The
secondary annual TSP standard is 60 micrograms per cubic meter and the
secondary 24-hour standard is 150 micrograms per cubic meter.
Sources of TSP include natural
(dirt and dust) as well as industrial sources with large-particle emissions or
activities that stir up dust. “These emissions can result from wind-blown
particulate matter from industrial activities, disturbing dry soil, and
material-handling operations. TSP levels
can become a problem during times of high wind or at facilities that have large
sources of fugitive emissions. Two
monitored exceedances of the TSP 24-hour standard in a year constitute a
violation and will be investigated by the MPCA.
If a source is found to cause or contribute to a violation, then it will
be required to take steps to reduce emissions.
A number of industrial facilities
in Minnesota are required to have dust management plans as part of their
air-quality permits. MPCA reminds permittees that they are responsible for
meeting the requirements of their dust management plans. Under Minnesota Rules, no one is allowed to
cause avoidable amounts of dust to become airborne. This applies to all facilities, regardless of
their permitting status.
You can reduce fugitive dust
through a combination of pollution prevention measures and control
measures. Limit your work on dry, windy,
hot days. Pave frequently-used surfaces,
and then maintain them by sweeping or applying water. Slow down when traveling
on unpaved surfaces, and maintain them by applying water. Shield bulk material storage areas from the
wind. Clean up spilled material right
away. For questions about management of
fugitive emissions or the TSP standard, contact the MPCA at 651-296-6300.
MPCA proposed approach
to updating the Title V NAAQS modeling strategy now available for review
Over the next year, the MPCA will review and expects to update its
Title V modeling strategy to assure that facilities in Minnesota demonstrate
compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). This update
focuses on questions of when to model. The agency’s current strategy for
Part 70 permits modeling was last updated in 2001 and is based on pollutant-specific
annual emission thresholds, not necessarily ideal for the newer NAAQS with
shorter averaging times that have been finalized in the past several years. An
updated strategy will help the agency prioritize permitted facilities for
modeling review and enhance transparency for interested stakeholders.
Click here to view the MPCA’s initial proposal. We
are seeking input on all aspects of the proposal, including but not limited to:
- Are there any key steps or considerations
missing from the proposed strategy update process?
- How do we make sure all interested parties have
the opportunity to participate in the update process and provide feedback?
-
Are we considering the right criteria for
reviewing our modeling strategy? Which are more important than others?
- Are there additional approaches to prioritizing
modeling we should consider?
-
If we do revise our Title V modeling strategy,
what kinds of implementation details do we need to address?
The MPCA is not developing a rule. However, the MPCA will work with
the regulated community and all interested stakeholders throughout this process
and will be accepting feedback on our initial proposal until October 15, 2015.
BeAirAwareMN.org is a new website that distills and simplifies information about
major air pollutants in Minnesota, both outdoor and indoor. It includes:
- links to data on air quality and health outcomes in
Minnesota
- who’s most affected
- tips to protect viewers and their families
-
actions for communities and employers
The website features real-time data about air quality conditions
in Minnesota for common pollutants including fine particles and ozone, and is
jointly maintained by the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency, and their partners.
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Life and breath: How air pollution affects public
health in the Twin Cities (2015) is a collaborative report just
released by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department
of Health that provides an in-depth look at air quality and health. It presents estimates of the public health
impacts of air pollution in the Twin Cities metro area. Key findings include that 6-13 percent of all
metro residents who died in 2008 and 2-5 percent of all metro residents who went
to the hospital or emergency room for heart and lung conditions did so partly
because of exposure to fine particles and ground-level ozone. Moreover, some groups within the population
are more affected by air pollution, including the elderly, children with
asthma, people living below the poverty line, and people of color. This is partly due to differences in exposure
to these harmful pollutants, but also due to underlying health disparities
across the population. Reducing health
impacts of air pollution will require a two-pronged approach of both improving
air quality and improving overall health equity. The full report can be found on BeAirAwareMN.org.
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Clean Air Minnesota (CAM) is a public-private partnership
that brings together businesses, various levels of government, and non-profit
organizations to work to improve air quality in Minnesota through voluntary
emissions reductions from sources that have not traditionally been regulated by
the MPCA. Although Minnesota currently
meets all federal air quality standards, as scientists come to better understand
the health impacts of air pollution, federal standards become more
stringent. CAM strives to be proactive
to help Minnesota continue to comply with these federal standards.
In June, CAM wrapped up a two-year phase and the various
project teams reported on their pilot projects and education programs and the
emissions reductions they achieved. A
few of the projects included:
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Air alert education and outreach team: Developed
the BeAirAwareMN.org website as a
source for Minnesotans to learn about air quality, its effects on our health,
and what we can do to protect ourselves and reduce our emissions (see article
above).
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Gas-can exchange team: Exchanged 1,500
spill-proof gas cans in Washington and Ramsey Counties. These cans release up to 75% less harmful
vapors into the air.
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Mobile source team: Retrofitted all eligible
school buses and supported 21 heavy-duty diesel engine improvement projects to
reduce diesel particle emissions.
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Community forestry team: Installed a gravel-bed
nursery to grow trees to replace those impacted by the emerald ash borer.
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Wood smoke team: Raised awareness about burning untreated,
dry wood at the Minnesota State Fair Eco-Experience.
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Area source team: Provided grants for small businesses
to improve their processes and equipment while reducing emissions that impact
both their employees’ health and the environment (see article below).
Part of CAM’s mission is to track and quantify emissions
reductions due to projects implemented by its team members. Initial analyses show the following emissions
reductions achieved by the projects above and others for the two-year timeframe
of the projects, plus the emissions that will be avoided over the next ten
years by the work accomplished by these projects:
- Volatile Organic Compounds: 2-yr: 297
tons; 10-yr: 1,500 tons
- Fine Particulate Matter (PM 2.5): 2-yr: 155
tons; 10-yr: 905 tons
- Nitrogen Oxides: 2-yr: 38 tons; 10-yr: 192 tons
CAM convener, Environmental
Initiative, provides an initial summary of projects and results on its
website. A more detailed report is being developed and
will be released in coming months. CAM
is now moving into its next stage and has received funding from the Legislature
to continue work going forward. To learn
more about CAM and the work of its project teams, visit the Clean
Air Minnesota website.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that
are typically found in solvents used in paint, metal finishing, printing, and
other industrial processes. If you’ve
ever walked past an auto body shop and smelled the paint fumes, that’s
VOCs. Released into the air, they
combine with small particles to form harmful smog. They can also affect
the health of employees and customers at a business, as well as that of the
surrounding community.
While VOCs are a significant air pollution problem, many of
their sources are not regulated in the traditional sense. Clean Air Minnesota
(CAM), a coalition of government and private partners working to reduce
nonpoint-source air pollution, has taken on the challenge of reducing VOCs
emissions from small businesses. The
MPCA is a founding member of CAM.
There are many ways small businesses can reduce VOCs, but
often they need help with the upfront costs.
The MPCA recently awarded over $500,000 in grant funding to 13 small
businesses for projects such as converting to water-based paint at an auto body
shop or switching to powder-coat paint in a manufacturing plant. Together, these projects will reduce almost
seven tons of VOCs every year for years to come. You can learn more about these projects and
CAM’s efforts here. There’s
also a video about one grant award winner, Oscar Auto Body in South
Minneapolis, here.
Together, these businesses and other CAM partners have
reduced VOCs by more than 68 tons per year -- equivalent to about 136,000 cans
of spray paint.
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Find out what it means when there’s an air quality alert,
how it affects your health, and what to do about it. The Pollution
Control Agency and Department of Health are reaching out to communities who
speak English as a second language to raise awareness of air quality in
Minnesota. We live in a culturally diverse state with many immigrant
communities. Over 10 % of the state’s population, totaling more than half a
million Minnesotans, speak another language at home according to the last
census. MPCA partnered with Twin Cities-based ECHO Minnesota (Emergency,
Community, Health, and Outreach), a leader in multi-language education and outreach,
to create videos about air quality and health. The programming is available in Spanish,
Hmong, Somali, and English. It
highlights the health effects of exposure to poor air quality and encourages
people to take action to minimize risks and reduce air pollution. The
videos were first broadcast on TPT television on August 3rd. The videos are available through the BeAirAwareMN.org website and MPCA’s
YouTube Channel.
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For two months ending July 15, the MPCA held informational
meetings and sought comments on a draft plan for ensuring that all Minnesotans
benefit from the same level of environmental protection, especially people of
color and lower-income Minnesotans. This plan, MPCA’s draft
Environmental Justice Framework, identifies strategies for many
of the MPCA’s program areas. The plan will be revised to address comments
received during the comment period and the final plan will be available this
fall. For more information, contact Ned Brooks, MPCA’s
Environmental Justice Coordinator at ned.brooks@state.mn.us or 651-757-2557.
Monday, July 6 was a day of interesting air quality changes in
Minnesota, when we got a double whammy in the form of an incoming front and
smoke from Canadian wildfires. In the early morning, heavy rainfall across
central and eastern Minnesota helped clean the air of smoke and hazy debris
from the fires. But that respite was short-lived, as the air behind the frontal
system from the northwest brought high-level smoke to the surface across
northwestern and western Minnesota.
Hourly air quality index (AQI) values began to climb into the range
of 100 to 150, or Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. By mid-morning,
values had reached the Unhealthy range, exceeding the critical 150 index value.
Visibility dropped to 1-2 miles in many locations including Detroit Lakes,
Brainerd, Marshall, and St. Cloud.
MPCA staff meteorologists noted not only the rising AQI values and
visibility issues but also a distinct milky white area on visible satellite
imagery. With the frontal system moving off to the east-southeast, the winds
coming behind the system along with the sun emerging helped to make the air
more unstable which allowed the smoke to mix down to ground levels. Heavy smoke moved east across the state,
reaching the Twin Cities metro by the afternoon.
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MPCA called an Air Quality Alert for the Twin Cities as well as
Rochester, but that wasn’t news to Minnesotans in the north and west whose
lungs and itchy eyes had already told them of the bad air. The plume made its
way across the metro like an oozing blob and amazingly made a fairly quick exit
by the early evening hours into western Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota
including the Rochester area. Hourly AQI values reached 187 in the Twin Cities,
a value not seen in over a decade. However, because of the way air quality
values are calculated and averaged, the final AQI value was 115 for the full
day.
Despite the short duration, July 6 was one
intense air-quality day that definitely made an impact across the state of
Minnesota. For more details on the event
and the ongoing threat of smoke and air quality issues due to Canadian
wildfires, see the MnDNR
State Climate Office story. To keep abreast of current air quality and what
to do to protect yourself and your health, visit BeAirAwareMN.org.
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Many people wax nostalgic when they smell burning wood. Wood smoke may remind them of summer evenings
around a campfire with s’mores or cozy nights in front of the fireplace. Pleasant as the memories are, breathing wood
smoke comes with health impacts. The
particles released when wood burns are so tiny that they can work their way
through the lungs into the circulatory system, contributing to increased instances
of asthma, heart attacks, and strokes.
Health impacts can be detected even below the level of federal standards
for particles.
To address these concerns, the American Lung Association has
created an advertising campaign visible around Minnesota called “Learn Before You Burn.” The goal is
to lessen the impact of burning wood in recreational fires, outdoor furnaces,
wood stoves, and fireplaces. Here are
the six steps suggested for citizens:
- Use only dry, aged wood
- Burn only firewood
-
Never let a fire smolder
- Talk with your neighbors before a fire
-
Don't burn on air alert days
- Consider alternatives to burning wood.
For further information on impacts of wood smoke, visit BeAirAwareMN.org.
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Do you remember a person or experience that influenced your
choices about college, work, or volunteerism? Each of us is on a life-long
journey to discover work that is meaningful and valued. Exposure to possible careers and real-life
work places can be an important part of that journey. Even during high school,
students need to make choices about course work, college, and summer jobs,
which will influence the skills and knowledge they develop.
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That’s why the MPCA invited 14 high school students from
Minneapolis Public Schools to learn over three days about the types of jobs
offered at the MPCA and how the work might connect with their interests. Here they learned about many areas of work,
including monitoring and protecting air quality. MPCA air quality staff worked
hard to expose students to their careers in air quality and give them
real-world and hands-on experiences. Students received an introduction to fine
particles and learned about some of the health issues they present. They also
got to learn about the Air Quality Index (AQI) while exploring MPCA’s website.
More
activities included the chance to experiment with air quality monitoring
equipment. AirBeam monitors were used in an outdoor activity to test air
quality where they experimented with candles, incense, a “dragon puffer,” and
vehicle emissions. MPCA staff also gave the students a tour of the air lab,
showing them the equipment they use on a daily basis. To learn about other activities that
occurred throughout the exploration, visit the MPCA website.
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Supreme Court
decision on Mercury and Air Toxics Standards
The Supreme Court decided Michigan et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency et al. on June
29, 2015. The Court held that, according
to the Clean Air Act, the EPA should have considered costs differently in
developing its Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) to regulate electric
power plants. The ruling is unlikely to
have much impact in Minnesota. Most
facilities here that were covered under the MATS have already either added
mercury controls to their permits and are thus required to operate them or have
shut down. Additionally, state statute
already required mercury controls on some facilities in Minnesota and those
controls will remain in effect. For more
information on the ruling and to read the opinion, visit SCOTUSblog.
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.
If you have questions or comments about Air Mail, please feel free to
contact Amanda Jarrett Smith at amanda.smith@state.mn.us.
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