Transcript Colorado Perspective

Colorado Perspective on
Nitrogen Oxides
Paul Tourangeau
Director
Colorado APCD
November 11, 2009
Multiple issues with NOx
• Colorado and other western States face new challenges
with nitrogen oxides
• Issues overlap in multiple pollutant arenas
• Sources range from major stationary sources to
automobiles and minor sources related to oil and gas
extraction and processing
• Impacts range from health to welfare including new issues
with nitrogen deposition
– NOx is a key component of Colorado’s ozone planning
efforts
– NOx is a focal point of Colorado’s RMNP nitrogen
deposition issue
– NOx is integral to NO2, RH and PM2.5
Nitrogen Oxides
Ozone
NAAQS
RMNP
Nitrogen
Deposition
New NO2
Standard
Regional
Haze
NOx Impacts
• Health impacts are direct from NO2 and indirect
from nitrate particles
• Aggravation of heart and lung diseases, with increased
hospitalizations, doctor visits, and use of medication
• Heart beat irregularities and heart attacks
• Coughing, wheezing, and chronic bronchitis
• Premature death from heart and lung disease
• Nitrates also impact acid deposition, regional haze
• Ozone formation is also tied to NOx emissions
New NO2 Standard will
Spotlight the West
• 3 of 5 likely Non-Attainment areas are in the
West
– Denver, Phoenix, and LA
– Chicago and New York
• Denver is 5th on the list, Phoenix 4th, both
cities with much smaller populations but both
with ozone challenges
– Denver’s terrain and propensity for temperature
inversions results in elevated NO2
Nitrogen Dioxide Levels Versus Proposed New
NAAQS Range for Urban Sites in Colorado
Nitrogen dioxide
3-year average of 4th maximum 1-hour values
0.140
0.130
Green lines = range of
proposed new standard
Parts per million
0.120
0.110
0.100
CAMP
0.090
Welby
0.080
0.070
0.060
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
NOTE: Nitrogen dioxide levels at rural sites are much lower.
Western NOx Emissions – 33% reduction by 2018
Colorado’s Projected NOx Reductions (by 2018)
ALL Initiatives to Benefit:
NO2, O3, RH, N Dep, PM2.5
Eagles Nest Wilderness Area
Outlook
• Even with projected NOx reductions, more needs
to be done to improve visibility, reduce ozone,
PM2.5 and NO2, and improve ecosystems
• These efforts should not be compartmentalized
– A “one atmosphere approach” should be
utilized
– Planning for all issues needs to occur
simultaneously to ensure cost-effective
solutions
– Monitoring needs to be improved
Outlook
• Examples:
– Monitoring in Colorado has been increased
to address multiple needs
– Non-traditional, external drivers impacting
Colorado’s approaches to air quality
planning and management
Example: Oil and Gas Activities Drive
Different Policy Initiatives
• New regulatory framework:
– Colo. Statute: “…it is in the public’s interest to foster the
responsible, balanced development of Colorado’s oil and gas
resources consistent with the protection of public health,
safety, and welfare…”(HB07-1341 C.R.S. § 34-60-102(1))
– New rules promulgated under HB07-1341 are now part of
COGCC rules, requiring interagency coordination (2 CCR 805)
• Nuisance
• Condensate tanks, dehydrators….within ¼ mile of occupied
structure
• Produced water pits and tanks
• Pneumatic valves
• Green completions
Example: Oil and Gas Activities Drive
Different Policy Initiatives
• Cumulative impact analyses
– For effective air quality planning, COGCC rules
acknowledge the need to fill significant air quality
data gaps from oil and gas activities
• Air quality monitoring for different pollutants
• Air quality loading and airshed impacts,
typically evaluated via modeling
– COGCC and APCD to define air quality information
needs, methods and costs
• Colorado is exploring various local and regional
approaches to address cumulative impacts
Robust Databases and Analytical
Tools Must be Available to Address
Multiple Air Quality Needs
• Modeling and other analyses at regional scale and by States and Tribes
for more local air quality planning depend on the inventories and tools
developed by the WRAP
– Understanding transport and multi-pollutant interactions
– Undertaking localized initiatives, such as Denver 2020 future case
modeling and sensitivities for ozone planning
– Developing a modeling capability focused on the concentrated
energy development areas in west and northwest Colorado, and
eastern Utah and SW Wyoming
• Credible emissions/met data, updated on a regular basis, to support
ozone, PM, visibility, N modeling/analyses need to be readily available
– WRAP’s TSS and similar systems need to be maintained and
improved
What is NOx?
• NOx is the acronym for “Nitrogen Oxides”
• NOx is technically NO + NO2 + NO3 + ….
– NO = Nitric oxide
– NO2 = Nitrogen dioxide
• For monitoring, NOx is assumed to be essentially
NO + NO2
• NO2 is the pollutant with an associated NAAQS
• NOx analyzers:
–
–
–
–
1. Measure NO in a sample of air
2. Convert NO2 in a sample of air to NO
3. Measure NO again in the converted sample of air
4. Calculate NO2 as the difference