In this issue:
New air
permitting e-Services coming soon
In late summer, the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency (MPCA) plans to launch new electronic services (e-Services) that
will allow facilities to submit individual air permit reissuance applications
and all individual air permit administrative amendment applications online. Currently, for
individual air permits, only administrative amendment applications for deadline
extensions up to 120 days and changes in ownership, facility name, and owner or
operator names can be submitted online. At present, the MPCA encourages,
but does not require facilities to use online services.
Benefits The new online submission services
will make permitting reviews faster by streamlining processes and decreasing
data entry. The e-Service portal will help populate the database of
permitting data that reduces the time required to issue air quality permits.
Getting started When the two new services go live,
first-time users of air quality e-Services should go to the MPCA’s Air
permit forms and online submittals webpage for help
getting started. The forms page has links to all available air e-Services,
instructions on setting up an account and getting facility access, and a list
of information needed for each page in the e-Service. The page currently lists
available e-Services and help content. Additional links will be added for the
new services prior to going live. Once in the e-Service, users will have access
to help files for every page and field. If the help pages do not provide the
information needed, users should contact the MPCA at onlineservices.pca@state.mn.us.
An e-Services account can be created
before the new e-Services go live. Existing air e-Services users will be able
to use the same account they already created to submit individual air permit
administrative amendment applications.
Air permit forms updates
The MPCA website often updates air permit forms and
documents. To ensure that an application is complete, it is important that the
most current forms are used in permit applications. The following air permit
forms have been updated since January 1, 2017:
- CH-04 - Determination
of New Source Review Status - aq-f2-ch04 (revised 2/21/17)
- CH-04a - Determination
of NSR Increases at Major Sources - aq-f2-ch04a (revised 2/21/17)
- CH-04b - Determination
of Increases at Minor Sources - aq-f2-ch04b
(revised 6/12/17)
- CH-04c - Determination
of Greenhouse Gas Status under New Source Review - aq-f2-ch04c (revised
2/21/17)
- Electronic Reissuance
Application Review - aq-f0-ecc02 (revised 2/9/17)
- GI-03-R - Building and
Structure Information and Stack/Vent Diagram for Title V Reissuance -
aq-f12-gi03r (revised 6/12/17)
- GI-04-R - Facility
Description - Stack/Vent (SV) Supplemental Information for Title V Reissuance
- aq-f12-gi04r (revised 1/9/17)
- GI-05A-R - Facility
Description - Control Equipment (CE) Supplemental Information for Title V
Reissuance - aq-f12-gi05ar (revised 1/9/17)
- GI-05B-R - Facility
Description - Emission Unit (EU) Supplemental Information for Title V
Reissuance - aq-f12-gi05br (revised 1/9/17)
- GI-05C-R - Facility
Description - Storage Tanks (TK) Supplemental Information for Title V
Reissuance - aq-f12-gi05cr (revised 1/9/17)
- GI-05D-R - Facility
Description - Fugitive Sources (FS) Supplemental Information for Title V
Reissuance - aq-f12-gi05dr (revised 1/9/17)
- GI-05E-R - Facility
Description - Groups (GP) Supplemental Information for Title V Reissuance -
aq-f12-gi05er (revised 1/9/17)
- GI-05E - Group
Information - aq-f1-gi05e (revised 3/28/17)
- GI-05F - Emission
Source Associations - aq-f1-gi05f (Revised 6/12/17)
- GI-07-R - Potential To
Emit - Supplemental Information for Title V Reissuance - aq-f12-gi07r
(revised 1/9/17)
- GI-09C - New Source
Review Requirements - aq-f1-gi09c (revised 2/21/17)
- ME-01 - Continuous
Monitoring System Information - aq-f1-me01
(revised 6/12/17)
- ME-01-R - Continuous Monitors
(MR), Data Acquisition Systems (DA) and Continuous Monitor Systems (CM)
- Supplemental
Information for Title V Reissuance - aq-f12-me01r (revised 6/12/17)
- ME-02 - Monitor
Associations - aq-f1-me02 (revised 1/9/17)
- TM-01 - Testing and
Modeling Information for Title V Reissuance - aq-f12-tm01 (revised 1/9/17)
Please ensure that you are using the most recent forms when
completing permit applications. The forms can be found on the Air
permit forms and online submittals webpage.
New Aviation Facility
Part 70 General Permit
It’s official! A new Aviation Facility Part 70 General
Permit will be available on August 31, 2017, from the MPCA. Facilities
eligible for the general permit are those engaged in painting and/or
refinishing aircraft or aerospace vehicles and are a major source as defined in
Minn. R. 7007.0200. Application forms for this general permit will be
available on the MPCA website after August 31, 2017. For questions on the
general permit or application forms, please contact either Toni Volkmeier
(651-757-2802 or toni.volkmeier@state.mn.us)
or Amrill Okonkwo (651-757-2623 or amrill.okonkwo@state.mn.us).
The MPCA successfully launched its redesigned and expanded
air quality index (AQI) forecast and alert program on June 1. MPCA’s
meteorologists were off and running as the summer ozone season began in
earnest. While hot and dry conditions produced the busiest 10-day stretch of
yellow (moderate) ozone AQIs since 2012, no alerts were issued. Forecasters
accurately predicted that air quality would stay below alert levels. Along with
the launch of the forecast program, the agency’s means to display and communicate
the information underwent improvements including the MPCA website and the Minnesota
Air app for mobile devices. With the app, air quality alerts will trigger an
automatic notification to your smartphone.
|
In July, the Humphrey School of Public Affairs’ Public and
Nonprofit Leadership Center gave the MPCA air quality forecast team a Minnesota
State Government Innovation Award. The
award cited the team’s innovative use of artificial intelligence, automated
weather prediction, and meteorological expertise to create statewide forecasts
while saving the agency considerable costs. To view a video about the
innovation behind MPCA’s new AQI forecasting program visit the center’s website.
As a reminder, if you or people you know are sensitive to air quality, the MPCA encourages you to
become “air aware” by signing up to receive air quality forecasts and alerts, or
download the mobile app (Apple iOS or Android). You can find additional information about health and
Minnesota’s indoor and outdoor air quality at www.BeAirAwareMN.org.
|
The MPCA will soon
start a two-year project to help us understand more about how air quality may
differ across urban neighborhoods. Learning
more about small-scale differences in air pollution in urban areas is important
for minimizing exposure to harmful air pollutants, particularly for vulnerable
communities.
This project will operate
a network of 50 air quality monitoring sensors that are smaller and less
expensive to operate than traditional air monitors. The sensors will monitor fine
particles, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide. There will be one monitor in each ZIP code in
Minneapolis and St. Paul, and larger ZIP code areas may have more than one
monitoring location. The MPCA is placing special emphasis on sharing the data
with the public.
The project’s goals are to determine if there are significant
differences in pollutant concentrations between ZIP codes in the urban core,
and if there are areas with unusually high concentrations.
The MPCA and the two cities will be seeking public input on
locations for the monitors in September, and hope to start placing the monitors
in the fall. Location criteria include:
-
Proximity to daycares/schools/playgrounds/senior
housing
- Proximity to residential areas
- Proximity to traffic
- Ideal locations for the sensors are on easily
accessible street poles 10-15 ft. above ground, with minimal tree cover or
obstruction, allowing for free flow of air.
To follow developments in this project and track the
monitoring data, check out the project website.
|
On July 27, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
decided to raise the values of “externality costs” of air pollution emissions
from Minnesota power plants – the first update in over 20 years. The ruling represents a dramatic change from
the status quo, increasing the likelihood that cleaner energy sources,
including renewables, will be selected in Minnesota’s electricity resource
planning process. The decision
culminated a nearly three-year journey that started in 2014 when the Minnesota
Center for Environmental Advocacy and other clean energy organizations
petitioned the commission to update the values for what’s often called the
“social cost of emissions.”
Externality costs of emissions are the costs not paid by the
producer, but instead borne by society as a whole through effects on our
health, climate, and ecosystems.
Minnesota law requires utilities to consider these costs in their
resource plans to help with selecting fuel resources to meet Minnesota’s electricity
demand. The ruling affects carbon
dioxide, the primary contributor to global climate change, as well as criteria
pollutants—fine particulates, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides—that
predominantly have local and regional health impacts.
The large increases to the externality costs reflect the
tremendous scientific advances over the past 20 years in our understanding of
impacts of these pollutants and development of tools to model the damage they
cause. The following table shows the
externality values per ton of emissions before and after the commission’s
decision.
The new carbon dioxide values in the table are for emissions
in 2020, but will gradually increase each year thereafter as damages from
climate change rise due to the increasing stock of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. The process for updating the
criteria pollutant values will come later.
Minnesota is one of only a few states to try to quantify
these damages and incorporate them into energy planning decisions, and the
commission’s decision to increase these values further elevates Minnesota as a
leader among states and other countries in taking responsibility for its
contribution to global climate change and the resulting societal impacts.
The MPCA is developing Minnesota’s plan to spend $47 million
for nitrogen oxide mitigation from its share of the Volkswagen emissions
cheating scandal. VW diesel vehicles
were found to be emitting 40 times as much nitrogen oxides as allowed under
federal law. To make up for this excess
pollution, states are receiving funds to reduce diesel emissions and install
electric vehicle charging stations.
The MPCA has been hearing from Minnesotans on what they feel
are the most important issues the state should consider when using the
funds. We have received over 200 comment
letters and over 400 people have participated in our “dotmocracy” survey. MPCA
is hearing about the importance of environmental justice, health outcomes, and
cost effectiveness, along with other issues, including the benefits of
alternative fuels. Check out comment and
survey summaries on our website.
Sign up to receive updates about the VW settlement in Minnesota
here. Learn more about the settlement and what it
means for Minnesota, explore some data, and learn how to get involved by
visiting our website.
Wow,
school supplies are already on sale!
What happened to summer? Come
close out summer with a visit to the Eco Experience at the State Fair. Among a full slate of air quality displays,
featured exhibits this year include:
Air quality forecasting live MPCA staff will demonstrate how they create the daily air
quality index (AQI) forecasts with a live and interactive display using the
latest techniques and technologies. Meteorologists will explain the various
pieces of the puzzle that go into AQI forecasting, including monitoring
measurements, satellite and radar imagery, forecast models, and how pollutants
such as particulate matter and ground-level ozone are affected by weather.
Fair-goers can ask questions of the experts
and even make and analyze their own weather/air quality maps. The meteorologists will be there from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m. on Thursdays, August 24 and 31. The display, however, will be available
throughout the fair.
Busy roads and air quality The Busy Roads exhibit is back
this year, with new and improved features. Learn how vehicle emissions can
affect people who live, work, or recreate near roadways. The exhibit emphasizes
the potential role of climate change in increasing health risks due to those
vehicle emissions: if climate trends continue, hotter Minnesota summers may
worsen the risks. Emissions from busy roadways can increase your risk of
respiratory or cardiovascular health issues, especially with prolonged
exposure.
|
The MPCA, along with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, tribal and local government employees, and community partners, is
planning a training on how citizens can provide effective comments on air
permits. The training is tentatively scheduled for Fall 2017 in the Twin Cities.
We hope this training will help demystify the permitting process, and create
more transparency and accountability for everyone involved. While it’s focused
on air permits, many of the principles presented in the training would be
applicable to other types of permits, projects, or policies that go on public notice.
We also hope to cover citizen concerns after permits are issued: where to
direct concerns, what information to include, and how to work with the state,
cities, and permittees to resolve concerns.
Contact Cassandra Meyer (cassandra.meyer@state.mn.us or
651-757-2619) with any questions, to be notified when more details are
confirmed, or if your facility is interested in presenting the perspective of
regulated parties during the training.
With the MPCA recording rising complaints about vehicle
emissions system tampering, the agency’s compliance and enforcement program has
joined forces with our mobile source and business assistance staff and will
soon launch an outreach campaign about the problem.
Transportation is responsible for about a third of the air
pollution in Minnesota. That means
catalytic converters, diesel particulate filters, proper use of diesel exhaust
fluid, and several other vehicle emission control components are front-line
defenses for Minnesota’s clean air.
Tampering with these systems affects our air quality and is both a
federal and state offense.
Today’s vehicles are designed for the best possible balance
between performance, mileage, and low emissions. But tampering or disabling the emissions
control system can void warranties, reduce fuel economy, and throw off the
engine’s optimal design performance while increasing harmful emissions by more
than 800 percent in some cases.
Not only is tampering with emissions control systems
illegal, it’s also unlawful to sell a car with a non-intact emissions
system. Minnesota Rule 7023.0120
prohibits the sale, rent, lease, or transfer of a vehicle title unless the
emission controls are in place and working properly.
The outreach campaign will use direct mail letters, news
releases, updated fact sheets, and new web content to help get the word out to
vehicle owners, technicians, and dealers that tampering with vehicle emission
control systems, or selling vehicles that have been tampered with, is not only
illegal, it’s harmful to human health and the environment.
|
If you like the Eco
Experience at the State Fair, chances are you’ll also enjoy a new event in St.
Paul the weekend after the fair ends. After a successful 28-year run in Wisconsin
drawing an average of 13,000 visitors annually, the Energy Fair now comes to
the Twin Cities with an appearance on Harriet Island over the second weekend in
September.
The Energy Fair provides
workshops and displays on sustainable living, renewable energy, and energy
efficiency in a festival setting. More than 80 workshops and 60
exhibits, along with local food and family-friendly activities, will
be available to the public free of charge. A bonus All Access Pass gets
you into live music, keynote speakers, and 20 hours of professional
solar programming.
Explore the connection between air
quality and health at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s booth.
While there you can sign up for Minnesota air quality forecasts and alerts, or
download the mobile app.
Free workshop topics will include
clean energy basics, community solar, gardening, clean transportation,
environmental justice, “energy democracy,” community resilience, and others,
presented by topic experts from the Twin Cities and around the Midwest. Some
examples of workshops include Backyard Composting Basics, Intro to Solar for
Your Home or Business, How to Save Money with Energy Efficiency, and Youth
Organizing in the Climate Movement.
You’ll find a preliminary schedule of workshops at TheEnergyFair.org.
The Energy Fair is organized by
the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, in partnership with an advisory
committee that includes the MPCA and a variety of energy- and
sustainability-minded nonprofits. The
Energy Fair will be held at Harriet Island Park in St. Paul, September 9-10,
with a Solar Professional Day on September 8.
|
Learn more about air quality and opportunities for reducing
pollution in northern Minnesota! The
MPCA, Blandin Foundation, Environmental Initiative, and other partners are
hosting a Clean Air Collaborative event in Grand Rapids on August 15th.
Most of the air pollution in Minnesota comes not from
smokestacks, but instead from our everyday activities, including cars and
trucks, wood burning, and some small businesses. These sources are of particular concern for
our health because they are often located near where we live, work, and
play. This can even be the case in the
wide-open spaces of northern Minnesota.
The event will bring participants a chance to explore new
opportunities for voluntary emissions reductions, including grant opportunities
and other project funding, and to learn about the economic benefits of clean
and healthy air in northern Minnesota. For more information and to register for this
event, visit the Clean Air
Collaborative website.
|
Nonpoint source is a term
we at the MPCA and many of our partners have used for years to describe any
source that isn’t a large, smokestack-type source. But to others, does “nonpoint source” even
mean anything?
“This is an example of
how we get so used to our own jargon,” said MPCA Commissioner John Linc
Stine. “Its meaning is perfectly clear
to us, but the average person has no idea.
Under Governor Dayton’s leadership, state agencies are committing to
using ‘plain language.’ The way we talk
about air pollution was a good place to apply that principle.”
So, in an effort to come
up with a more plain-language way to convey the “not a smokestack” nature of
these sources, we did some checking around. We benchmarked other states,
solicited feedback internally, and kicked it around with some creative
types. As part of this effort, you may
recall we surveyed Air Mail readers
(about 2,000 subscribers) on their preference.
The survey described what we were
looking for and asked you to choose between “everyday” and “neighborhood.”
Fifty-three of you
weighed in. About 60% preferred
“everyday” pollution. So “everyday”
pollution is the preferred term to replace “nonpoint source.” However, since “neighborhood” wasn’t far
behind, it may be best in some circumstances.
We suggest that the first time you
use these terms, whether in print or verbally, pair it with examples, like this:
“Everyday (or neighborhood) pollution, such as the cars we drive, the housing
we live in, and the backyard fires we burn.”
Then, in subsequent references, just call them “everyday” or
“neighborhood” sources. The goal
is simply to communicate more clearly about air quality.
The final version
of the 2018 Air Monitoring Network Plan for Minnesota is now available on the MPCA website. If you’re worried
about air quality in your area or are curious about how the MPCA monitors air
quality across the state, this document is for you.
The MPCA operates
air quality monitors across the state that test for a wide variety of air
pollutants. Some of these monitors allow
us to compare Minnesota’s air quality to national standards in order to ensure
that we continue to comply with those health-based requirements. Others allow us to better understand air
pollutants that do not have federal standards, but nonetheless can affect the
health of Minnesotans.
The purpose of
this annual report is to demonstrate compliance with air monitoring network
regulations, describe changes for the
upcoming year, and provide specific information on each of Minnesota's existing
and proposed air quality monitoring sites. The plan also summarizes monitoring
data for several pollutants to show current conditions relative to state and
federal air quality standards.
Comments from the
public regarding this plan and the Minnesota Air Monitoring Network are
welcomed throughout the year. For more
information, please contact Rick Strassman, MPCA
Air Monitoring Unit Supervisor at 651-757-2760.
|
Fixes approved for
most Volkswagen diesel vehicles
U.S. EPA and the California Air Resources Board recently
approved fixes for most of the VW diesel cars that were found to be violating
federal emissions standards. The fix
will bring the vehicles into compliance with those standards, but will reduce
the fuel economy of the vehicles. Learn
more at Reuters.
Britain and France
plan to ban new gas and diesel cars by 2040
To improve air quality and reduce air pollution, including
greenhouse gases, both Britain and France have announced they plan to ban the
sale of new gas and diesel cars by 2040.
Several large cities, including Paris, Madrid, Mexico City, and Athens
have announced they will ban diesel vehicles by 2025 to reduce air
pollution. Read more at Reuters.
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.
|