AirMail Newsletter for August 2014
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency sent this bulletin at 08/06/2014 06:50 AM CDT
| EPA Proposes Clean Power Plan to Cut Carbon Pollution
On June 2, 2014, the EPA proposed the Clean Power Plan, a rule aiming to cut carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants – the single largest source of carbon pollution in the U.S. – by 30% from 2005 levels. The rule is also projected to reduce the pollutants that contribute to soot and smog more than 25% by 2030. The proposed rule sets state-specific carbon dioxide emission targets and requires each state to submit a plan for meeting its target. States have flexibility in developing plans and can consider conventional control strategies as well as renewable energy and energy efficiency approaches to achieve the necessary reductions.
The MPCA is currently reviewing the EPA’s proposal to ensure Minnesota’s targets are equitable and achievable and to assess potential pathways for compliance. Although considerable reductions will still be needed once the rule is finalized, Minnesota has been a leader in reducing carbon emissions and appears to be well situated to meet the proposal’s requirements while continuing to support reliable, affordable power for all Minnesotans. The MPCA is reaching out to stakeholders to ensure the opportunity for public participation as we develop our comments on the proposed rule and, eventually, compliance strategies. State plans are expected to be due by June 2016.
The EPA’s proposed plan has attracted considerable interest from news media, with many outlets contacting the MPCA to ask about how it would affect Minnesota. A reporter from the New York Times traveled to Minnesota in June to talk with the MPCA, utilities, and other sources involved in achieving the state’s standout reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The resulting story ran July 17 and is available here.
For additional information, please visit the EPA’s Clean Power Plan website. To stay informed of any MPCA Clean Power Plan rulemaking developments, sign up for email notices through Gov Delivery. Reminder: Small Business Grants to Clear the Air – Apply Soon
Small businesses in Minnesota can still apply for grants up to $100,000 to reduce use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), with only a 10% match required. Auto body shops, printers, dry cleaners, platers, and gas stations have a high potential for reducing emissions. You may recognize VOCs as fumes coming from coatings, inks, solvents, adhesives, gasoline, and other everyday products in your business. The deadline for grant applications is August 13, 2014.
Reducing VOCs in your business can save money by reducing hazardous waste disposal fees, lowering regulatory obligations, and using fewer chemicals. It also can provide a healthier environment for your employees and community. For more information, please visit our website or contact Eric David at 651-757-2218. MPCA Awards $200,000 for 11 Clean Diesel Projects
Update on Voluntary Efforts to Reduce Ozone and Fine Particles
The EPA periodically adjusts the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to reflect science’s improved understanding of the health impacts of air pollutants. Minnesota currently meets the national standards for fine particles and ozone pollution, but EPA is considering tightening both those standards. More stringent NAAQS may put Minnesota at risk of exceeding allowable levels of air pollution.
Therefore, in 2012 the MPCA enrolled in EPA’s Advance Program, which is a voluntary effort to reduce emissions in areas that currently meet ozone and fine particle standards. As part of this effort, in 2013 the MPCA submitted the Final Report: A Collaborative Plan to Reduce Emissions from Minnesota’s Clean Air Dialogue as our path forward. Clean Air Minnesota – a partnership between business, government, and nonprofit air quality leaders – now serves as the stakeholder group to implement projects to reduce emissions of particles and VOCs that lead to the formation of ozone.
The MPCA submitted an annual progress report to EPA in June about activities by the MPCA and its partners to reduce emissions. The letter and attachments can be found on the EPA’s website. Several highlights from the past year’s work include:
Measuring Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Air
EPA action on Minnesota’s 2008 Lead Infrastructure State Implementation Plan
EPA approved most of Minnesota’s Infrastructure State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the 2008 lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The Infrastructure SIP is intended to demonstrate the state’s ability to implement, maintain, and enforce the 2008 NAAQS for lead. The portions of the Infrastructure SIP that were disapproved are already addressed by a federally approved set of rules being administered by the state; therefore, Minnesota does not have any further obligations related to these disapprovals. The action can be found in the Federal Register. MPCA’s Community Air Monitoring Project moves back to Minneapolis for next quarter
The MPCA monitors pollutants in outdoor air at over 50 sites around the state. About half of these permanent monitors are located in the metro area. To get a better picture of air quality in neighborhoods that might be disproportionally impacted by air pollution, the 2013 State Legislature provided funding for the MPCA to monitor air quality for short periods of time in some of these areas.
So far the Community Air Monitoring Project has monitored one site in Minneapolis and two in St. Paul. The monitor has moved back to Minneapolis’s East Phillips neighborhood for the next quarter, where it will measure common air pollutants that can potentially have negative health impacts. Pollutants include fine particles (dust and soot), VOCs, and metals. The project will monitor a total of seven neighborhoods before it concludes in 2015. For more information about this project, visit the MPCA’s website. Regulatory updates
Do you purchase refrigerants, propellants, or other fluorinated chemicals?
If you purchase hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), or sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), you may need to report these purchases to the MPCA. These chemicals are most commonly used as refrigerants, fire extinguishants, foaming agents, insulators, aerosols, and in precision electronics manufacturing. Thresholds prompting reporting requirements vary depending on the chemical purchased. The thresholds are determined by the global warming potential (GWP) of each chemical. As little as 1,000 pounds of some high-GWP gases can have the same impact as 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide and can trigger reporting requirements. The reporting deadline for purchases made in 2013 is October 1, 2014. Visit our website for more information and a complete list of high-GWP chemicals and reporting thresholds. In the news
New York Times covers Minnesota’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from power plants
There has been significant public interest in the EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan. The New York Times reported on how Minnesota has collaborated with utilities to become a leader in reducing carbon emissions.
Series on the history of air pollution in the U.S. and China
American Public Media’s Marketplace did a series of radio pieces, called We Used to be China, on the history of air pollution in the U.S. and how China’s current air pollution problems are reflected in that history. |