In this issue:
Exempt Source
Rulemaking
The MPCA is requesting comment on possible amendments to the Minn. R. chapter
7008 rules for conditionally exempt stationary sources and conditionally
insignificant activities. The Request for Comments was published in the January
9, 2017, State Register (41 SR 862), and
the public comment period is open through 4:30 p.m. on February 23, 2017.
The notice of Request for Comments is available by visiting the MPCA Public Notice Webpage. Information about the MPCA’s proposed concepts for amending the rules is
available on the rulemaking webpage and
includes a January 19th webcast that further explains the proposed
changes.
What the rule amendments are about:
The main purpose of this rulemaking is to clarify how small emitting
activities at a facility are addressed in permits. Chapter 7008 describes these
activities as “conditionally exempt stationary sources” and “conditionally
insignificant activities.” The MPCA is
also considering exempting more categories of low-emitting facilities, such as
auto body finishing shops and woodworking manufacturers.
The planned rule amendments will continue to streamline the administrative
requirements for the lower-emitting small source facilities while complying
with applicable state and federal requirements. The main benefit of the rule
amendments will be administrative, but they will also ensure that the rules
limiting air emissions are federally enforceable. As part of this effort, the
MPCA is also considering changes to the insignificant activities list in
chapter 7007.
The MPCA may make additional minor amendments to other
air-related rules, including chapters 7002, 7005, 7007, 7008, 7009, 7011, 7017,
and 7019. Amendments that fall within
the scope of this rulemaking will be identified and considered during the
rulemaking process.
Requesting air permit
reissuance materials – no more “colored sheets”
Due to the MPCA’s transition to its new data system, Tempo,
whenever a permittee requests their reissuance materials, the MPCA will now
provide them with their information from Tempo. Permittees will receive a PDF of
reports called AQ Subject Item Details. Anything referencing the
facility description information from the MPCA’s old system, Delta, (sometimes
referred to as “colored sheets” on permit forms) is now outdated and you should
instead refer to the AQSI details reports. All reissuance permit forms will reference
these reports in place of the facility description information as well. Please
note that you should still print the reports on colored paper.
The MPCA invites you to weigh in on a new term to describe
air and water pollution. While everyone
is familiar with the types of pollution that come from regulated pipes or
smokestacks, that’s not where most pollution comes from. Instead, most of the pollutants in our air
and water come from other sources – cars, wood burning, farm runoff, to name
just a few. The MPCA has called this
“nonpoint source” pollution, but that doesn’t help most people understand what
we’re talking about.
We need a better term that helps convey the wide variety of
these “other” sources, and reminds people that all of our choices have
pollution impacts. So we’ve thought
about what terms might help Minnesotans make that connection. We’ve narrowed it down to two. Please help us pick by indicating what makes
the most sense to you using the link below.
Note: To improve understanding, the first time in any
context when this term is used, whether in print or verbally, we would provide
examples: “…such as the cars we drive, our agricultural practices, and the
backyard fires we burn.”
Find the survey here. Please respond by February 23rd. We’re looking forward to seeing what works
best for you. Thanks much for your help!
The MPCA recently released its biennial
report on greenhouse gas emissions from activities throughout the
state. Overall, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
in Minnesota have decreased slightly – about 4%, from 2005 to 2014. The Next
Generation Energy Act set a goal for Minnesota to achieve a 15%reduction from
2005 to 2015. Although 2015 data is not
yet available, at this pace we will not have met the 2015 emissions reduction
goal. Minnesota has achieved significant reductions in some areas, especially
in the electricity generation sector where emissions decreased 17% from 2005 to
2014, but emissions have increased in other areas.
Although emissions have only decreased slightly, our actions
have prevented the increase in emissions that would have occurred if we had
continued on the path we were on in 2005. However, without significant
additional effort, Minnesota will not achieve the second Next Generation Energy
Act goal — a 30% reduction in GHG emissions by 2025. To learn more about what could be done to
achieve our Next Gen goals, check out the state’s 2016 Climate
Solutions and Economic Opportunities report.
Learn more about GHG emissions in Minnesota by visiting the
MPCA’s interactive website.
Minnesota will receive $47 million over a 10-year period to
mitigate the excess, illegal nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution created by
Volkswagen 2.0- and 3.0-liter diesel engines manufactured between 2009 and
2015. The MPCA is seeking input to guide
the use of this funding: tell us what matters most to you.
Tell us what you
think!
To help guide the development of Minnesota’s plan for
selecting projects to fund with settlement money, the MPCA is seeking public
and technical stakeholder input. We
encourage you to submit written comments to vwsettlement.pca@state.mn.us
and attend one of our stakeholder meetings:
- St. Paul: February 23, 1-2:30 p.m., MPCA office
at 520 Lafayette Rd. N.
- Minneapolis: March 6, 6:00-8:30 p.m., Plymouth
Congregational Church, 1900 Nicollet Av. S.
- Brainerd: March 15, 6:30-8 p.m., MPCA office at
7678 College Rd., Suite 105, Baxter
To submit comments, learn about upcoming public meetings,
and find out more about the VW settlement and what it means for Minnesota,
visit the MPCA’s VW
settlement webpage. And sign up to
get email updates on the settlement here.
What the settlement is
about
VW cheated vehicle emissions standards by using software to
turn off emission controls during normal driving and turn them back on only
during EPA emission testing. The federal
government successfully sued the automaker. Part of the settlement goes to
states to clean up the excess NOx emissions and part goes to owners of VW
vehicles to compensate them for their defective vehicles. The $47 million is Minnesota’s share of the mitigation
funding. (Payment to vehicle owners will
be handled separately.)
The violating engines exceeded NOx pollution standards by
30-40 times. This means that the 9,300
offending VWs in Minnesota emitted the same amount of NOx as 300,000 normal
cars over a period of roughly seven years.
NOx contributes to fine particle pollution, and combines
with volatile organic compounds to create ground-level ozone. Both can trigger
respiratory attacks such as asthma and bronchitis. NOx on its own causes
inflammation of the airways, decreased lung function, and increased response to
allergens.
The VW mitigation settlement has strict process guidelines
and a specific list of eligible project categories. For the most part, projects must replace or
retrofit older heavy-duty diesel engines with cleaner technology. These projects are similar to the work MPCA
has been doing through its clean diesel grant program since 2008. The settlement also allows Minnesota to use
up to 15% of the funding for developing electric vehicle infrastructure.
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A reminder to check out our recently released report on all
things air quality in Minnesota, called The
Air We Breathe. Learn about:
-
The state of Minnesota’s air quality
- How air
quality affects our health
- Who is affected by poor air quality Inequities in exposure and health outcomes
related to air quality
- What the MPCA and our partners are doing to
improve air quality around the state
Explore a new webpage summarizing
the report and download full report from there,
too.
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Minneapolis’s Green Business Cost Sharing
Program provides funds that help businesses improve their processes while
reducing emissions. The program invests
in local businesses that reduce pollution in Minneapolis to help create a
healthier place to live, work, and play.
The Green Business
Cost Sharing Program is currently
accepting applications for funding.
Grants are available up to $100,000 for each selected business to help
switch to greener processes. There are also $2,500-$20,000 cost share
awards available for energy efficiency projects that go beyond utility rebates.
Minneapolis has partnered with 30 businesses since 2012, saving them thousands
of dollars and tons of pollution. Applications are due by April 21.
The MPCA
Small Business Environmental Improvement Loan is
available to small businesses throughout the state interested in purchasing
equipment to reduce emissions and meet or exceed environmental
regulations. Businesses can use the loan to provide the match needed to
participate in the Minneapolis Green Business Cost Sharing Program. Loans
range from $1,000 to $50,000. Additional information is available on the
website link above.
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On
January 31st, Environmental Initiative and Minnesota Power launched
Project Stove Swap at Duluth Stove and
Fireplace. Project Stove Swap is a wood stove change-out program
that provides financial incentives for residents and organizations who heat with wood in 17 northeastern
Minnesota counties to replace outdated technology with cleaner options. Upgrading
outdated appliances is a cost effective way to proactively and voluntarily
reduce air pollution, improve health outcomes, and help local businesses. The program also
educates consumers on the importance of burning clean dry wood to reduce
pollution from wood smoke.
Today,
most of our air pollution comes from smaller, dispersed sources, so efforts
like Project Stove Swap help us address the challenges of cleaning up this wide
variety of sources. Project Stove Swap is just one of several efforts underway
to help achieve Clean Air
Minnesota’s goal
of reducing emissions from human-caused sources of fine particulate matter
(soot) and ground-level ozone precursors (smog) by 10%.
Learn
more about Project Stove Swap here.
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The MPCA’s web tool for point-source air emissions data has
now been updated with 2015 data. Dynamic maps, charts, and tables help users
explore emissions of criteria air pollutants, air toxics, and greenhouse gases
released by facilities across Minnesota.
Use this tool to:
-
Explore
types and volumes of air pollutants emitted by permitted facilities
-
Identify
highest-ranked emitters for specific pollutants
-
Investigate
changes in quantity of pollutants emitted over time
- Compare
emission trends by industry type.
Click here to view the web tool.
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The MPCA
will soon be accepting applications from organizations interested in
participating as host sites for the 2017-2018 year of the Minnesota GreenCorps
program. Applications from eligible organizations interested in hosting
Minnesota GreenCorps members are anticipated to open in February. When
the application period opens, all subscribers to the agency’s GreenCorps
contact list (subscribe here) will be notified and receive instructions on how to
apply. Visit the Minnesota GreenCorps website to learn more about this
program and opportunity!
Preview of the upcoming program
year
The MPCA plans to place up to 40 full-time GreenCorps
members with various host sites for the 2017-2018 program year. Members serve
approximately 40 hours a week for 11 months beginning in September 2017 through
August 2018. Eligible host organizations include public entities (local,
regional, state, tribal), school districts, not-for-profit institutions of
higher education, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Organizations may
apply for Minnesota GreenCorps members who will serve on projects in the areas
of:
- Air quality (including energy conservation and
green transportation)
- Waste prevention and
recycling
- Green infrastructure
(including local foods, stormwater management, and urban forestry)
- “Living green” outreach
Operation of the 2017-2018 program year is contingent on the
MPCA’s receiving funds. Confirmation of funding may not be available prior to
the application deadline.
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The Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) recently
reached out to the Duluth-area automotive repair industry to encourage shops to
switch to brake cleaners with lower volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and
containing no hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).
MnTAP first secured commitments from three major local retailers to
carry the safer products. They then
visited 50 auto repair shops, where the team discussed the hazards of
degreasing products and alerted them to a grant opportunity to purchase
water-based parts washers. The team
left free samples of brake cleaners that were safer than those currently in use
at the shops, along with a voucher for another free case. Thirty shops agreed to test the alternatives
in their operations and 13 have redeemed the vouchers to date. If all the shops that received samples
continued to use them, toxic air emissions into the surrounding community could
be reduced by up to 5,000 lbs. The
project was funded through a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant focused
on improving indoor air quality. Learn
more about choosing alternative degreasing and cleaning products on the MnTAP
website.
This month, MnTAP launched a new air quality campaign in the
Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis, also aimed at encouraging adoption of
cleaning products with lower VOCs and HAPs.
Auto repair shops, janitorial services, and healthcare facilities are
among the businesses MnTAP will be approaching to take part in the project. For
more information, contact Jane Paulson: 612-624-1826 or janep2@umn.edu.
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Did you know that maintaining recommended tire pressure in
your car can save you 3% on fuel consumption? Fill up those tires to save money
and prevent air pollution. For more
tips, check out BeAirAwareMN.org.
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Northern Metal Recycling operates a metal shredder on the
west bank of the Mississippi near the Lowry Avenue Bridge in North
Minneapolis. Ambient air monitors
operated by the MPCA near the facility have documented exceedances of air
quality standards since 2014. The
monitors show elevated levels of airborne particulate and heavy metals
including lead. MPCA has been working to
address this situation, first by adding a second monitor in 2015, and then in
2016 asking the district court to issue an injunction against the facility and
taking administrative steps to revoke the company’s air quality permit.
In August, the district court
ordered the company to temporarily shutdown part of the operation. Later, the judge in the separate revocation
matter required the MPCA and the company to mediate as part of the court
process. The company had vigorously
opposed both legal processes, but in an apparent about-face when they came into
mediation, they indicated a willingness to settle. Discussions between the MPCA, City of
Minneapolis, and the company have been ongoing since then.
A settlement is not final yet, but the broad outlines
include:
-
Closing
the shredder in Minneapolis and moving it to a new, non-metro location
- A
civil penalty and reimbursement of MPCA costs
-
Directing
money to the communities most affected by the company’s emissions to mitigate
potential health impacts (e.g., pollution reduction or community health
projects)
The city held two public meetings in January to gather input
on how to use any community benefit funds the company may provide. The city and MPCA hope to finalize a
settlement in February. To learn more about air quality in the area, visit the MPCA's website.
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On January 25, the Twin Cities Metropolitan Council
finalized the list of transportation projects selected to receive funding
through its Regional Solicitation, a process for selecting local transportation
projects to receive federal transportation funds. The solicitation typically
occurs every two years and projects are selected using criteria and a process
approved by the Transportation Advisory Board to reflect regional needs and
priorities.
Ten project application categories fund a wide range of
projects from highways and bridges to technology improvements and bike and
pedestrian trails. Transportation is one
of the largest sources of air pollution in Minnesota and the Regional
Solicitation provides an opportunity to fund projects that encourage multimodal
transportation, reduce congestion, and improve our air quality. In particular, the categories of travel
demand management and transit system modernization target projects that have
the explicit aim of improving air quality, typically through reducing
congestion. Other projects emphasize reducing single-occupancy vehicle travel,
overall vehicle miles traveled, idling time, and other innovative measures.
A full
list of selected projects as well as a map
are available on the Met Council website.
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The MPCA wants to get kids
excited about science and the environment!
On January 19, MPCA staff attended the Little Earth School Choice &
Resource Fair to show kids how their interests can become a career. MPCA staff
shared information on Minnesota’s air quality and how the state collects air
data. The kids were interested to learn
what the MPCA does, how our work effects them, and how they can get involved. If your school is interested in having MPCA
staff come share information about our work, contact Melanie Preczewski at melanie.preczewski@state.mn.us.
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The Minnesota Department of Transportation
(MnDOT) recently released its Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan. The
SMTP is Minnesota’s broad policy plan for transportation, including all types
of transportation and transportation partners. It includes current focus areas
such as preserving the existing system while considering strategic improvements
with a high return on investment, advancing safety through the Toward Zero
Deaths initiative, and considering social, environmental, and economic impacts.
New emphasis areas include:
-
Strengthening the relationship between transportation planning and
land-use decisions. The plan emphasizes the importance of considering the full
context for transportation decisions, including the effects on built and
natural environments.
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Advancing equity. The plan emphasizes the need to increase the
diversity of the transportation industry as well as provide for a more open and
inclusive decision-making process that advances equity for low-income
communities, communities of color, and persons with disabilities.
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Making a clearer commitment to environmental issues. The plan calls
for increased efforts to reduce the negative environmental impacts of
transportation, such as setting a target for greenhouse gas emissions
consistent with the Minnesota Next Generation Energy Act.
MnDOT also recently approved its 20-year State
Highway Investment Plan. Both final
plans are available online at www.MinnesotaGO.org.
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2016 was the warmest
year on record
New data from the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show that in
2016 Earth’s surface temperatures were the warmest since modern recordkeeping
began in 1880. 2016 is the third year in
a row to set a new record for global average surface temperatures. Sixteen of the 17 warmest years on record
have occurred since 2001. To read more
about temperature trends and to explore the data, visit NASA’s
website.
New study links
living near busy roadways with increased risk of dementia
Living close to a major roadway is associated with an
increased risk of dementia, according to a study published in January in The Lancet. Researchers at Public Health
Ontario evaluated data on three neurological health outcomes in adults and
housing distance from roads with heavy traffic in the province of Ontario,
Canada. Baseline year (1996) health data were compared to the years from 2001
to 2012. The analysis indicates people living within 50 meters of a major road
were 7-11% more likely receive a diagnosis of dementia during the study period.
Major roads include highways and congested city roads. Risks declined with
greater distance from the major roads. People who lived over 200 meters away
had a similar risk to those who did not live near a road with heavy traffic.
For more details, see the full
report.
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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