|
May is Clean Air Month, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) celebrates the accomplishments of the last year, including the improvement in overall air quality in Wisconsin.
The DNR’s 2021 Wisconsin Air Quality Trends Report shows that air quality in Wisconsin continues to improve, including a 35% drop in fine particle concentrations, a dramatic reduction in emissions from industrial sources and motor vehicles and a 39% drop in industrial source emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
These improvements are due in part to implementing a variety of federal and state pollution control programs, and cleaner burning and more efficient fuel combustion from both highway vehicles and electric utilities. Because of these programs, the entire state is meeting federal air standards for pollutants including particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and lead.
Other ongoing efforts to enhance customer service and provide environmental protection across Wisconsin include:
-
Increase Public Involvement – The Air Management Program’s Public Notice webpage has new resources to improve public access to DNR permit actions and increase awareness of public participation opportunities during the permitting process. Additional information is available on the following DNR webpages: Air Permit Applications Received, Air Public Notices and Air Permit Final Decisions.
-
Promote Emissions Reduction Credits – The DNR recently launched the Emissions Reduction Credit webpage to promote economic growth and development in nonattainment areas, which have more restrictive permitting requirements and may be subject to more stringent regulations while ensuring continued improvement in air quality for Wisconsin residents. Currently, the Emissions Reduction Credit registry can be used in ozone nonattainment areas and connects entities interested in buying, selling or generating Emissions Reduction Credits to meet Nonattainment New Source Review permitting requirements.
-
Meet Federal Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Standards – On Jan. 12, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved a request by the DNR to redesignate the area around Rhinelander as attainment for the 2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO2) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). This designation officially recognized that the air quality in the Rhinelander area is meeting this health-based air quality standard. The EPA’s announcement also means that all of Wisconsin is now meeting the 2010 SO2 standard. Statewide emissions of SO2 from sources are about 90% lower than 2002 levels, with most of this decline attributable to the use of cleaner-burning fuels at power plants and industrial facilities, along with the introduction of low-sulfur diesel fuels.
-
Conduct Enhanced Ozone Monitoring (EOM) – In addition to the DNR’s 30 stationary air quality monitors across the state, the Air Management Program continues to use several other cutting-edge techniques to tackle the long-standing ground-level ozone challenges impacting areas along Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan shoreline. Using Raspberry Pi micro-computers, a mobile air monitoring lab and vertical air column monitoring techniques, the DNR’s Air Management Program is paving the way nationally for new ozone monitoring techniques and tools.
The DNR offers a variety of ways to stay up to date on the current air quality. Download the free WisconsinAQM mobile app to receive air quality updates from anywhere using their mobile device. The app includes an interactive map of near real-time data from the state’s air monitoring network, individual monitoring station reports, weather information and more. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Stay up-to-date by subscribing to the DNR's air quality news and notices newsletter and visit the DNR’s Clean Air Month webpage for links to resources and more information.
DNR and the printing industry, represented by state and national associations, have been working together since 2015 to implement the Wisconsin Printing Industry Superior Environmental Performance Charter under Green Tier. The Charter was a natural outcome of a long-standing partnership between the DNR and industry representatives working to help Wisconsin printing facilities improve their environmental compliance.
To support the efforts of small printing operations to comply with environmental requirements, industry representatives have often stated that owners and operators need a straightforward guide to explain which permits, reports and notifications to file and when they are due. DNR’s Small Business Environmental Assistance Program (SBEAP) compiled resources from multiple DNR programs with reports, notifications and permit actions that likely apply to printers and added them to the “Permits and Reports” tab on the Printer Portal webpage.
 Excerpt from DNR Reports and Notifications Table on Printer Portal
The Permits and Reports tab also includes information on reports to Wisconsin Emergency Management and EPA, as well as brief instructions on how to gain access to the online reporting/notification and permit systems from each agency.
Printing operations differ so facility owners or operators need to evaluate each requirement to be sure it applies to their operation. For more information, contact the SBEAP at DNRsmallbusiness@wisconsin.gov or the toll-free helpline 855-889-3021.
Changing Regulatory Landscape Workshop for the Printing Industry
Great Lakes Graphics Association, in partnership with DNR, PRINTING United Alliance, Flexographic Technical Association, and Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute, is hosting an in-person meeting for the printing industry that will address critical environmental, health & safety, and sustainability updates. The program features speakers from industry, US Department of Agriculture, and the DNR.
The program is scheduled on June 22, 2022, from 10 am to 3 pm, at the Waukesha County Technical College. Register at Great Lakes Graphics Association. A nominal registration fee includes lunch.
WISCON Weekly Webinars
WisCon provides presentations, seminars, and workshops on Occupational Health and Safety topics to the Wisconsin small business community. Every Monday at 1:00 p.m., a weekly webinar is scheduled. Program information, COVID assistance, and other training and promotional presentations will be included. Sign up for weekly reminder emails HERE.
Join the webinars on the UW Madison ZOOM website:
Upcoming Programs:
- May 9 – Fall Protection
- May 16 – Lyme Disease and Prevention
- May 23 – No Webinar This Week
- May 30 – No Webinar This Week
- June 6 – COVID-19 Update
Recordings of previous webinars are available on-demand.
|
