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St. Louis RegionAir Quality Report

EWGCOG Staff Report

August 12, 2008

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St. Louis Air Quality History

Clean air act amendments of 1990

Moderate ozone non-attainment area

2002 – attained 1-hour ozone standard

2004 – designated as moderate 8-hour ozone non-attainment area

2005 – designated as fine particle (PM2.5) non-attainment area

2008 – revised 8-hour ozone standard enacted

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Ozone and Transportation Facts

People in St. Louis drive over 77 million miles per day

Carpooling saves 320 lbs of emissions and $1,000 – per person/year

Two MetroLink tracks = 16 lanes

A full MetroBus at rush hour removes 40 cars from the highway

St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership

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How Ozone Is Formed

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Four Sources of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)

St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership

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Health Effects of Ozone

Headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing

Irritates eyes, nose and respiratory track

Aggravates chronic heart disease and chronic respiratory ailments

Decreases resistance to infection

Triggers asthma attacks

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1997 8-Hour Ozone Standard

Set in 1997, went into effect in 2004

Standard is 80 parts per billion (ppb) averaged over an 8 hour period

Rounding allows for values up to 84 ppb

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Review of Ozone Standard

More recent science shows 1997 standard is not adequate to protect public healthUSEPA staff and Clean Air Science Advisory Committee reviewed information and made recommendations to USEPA AdministratorMarch 12, 2008 Final Rule signed

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2008 Ozone Standard

Primary health-based standard set at 75 ppb

No rounding

Form of standard remains the same

Violation is when 3 year average is > 76 ppb

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Revised Standard Milestones

Actions Dates

USEPA Administrator signs final rule March 12, 2008

Effective date of final rule (60 days after publication in the Federal Register)

~ June 2008

States provide recommendations on designations to USEPA

March 2009

(using 2006-2008 data)

Final designations by USEPA ~ March 2010

Effective date of designations ~ 2010

SIPS due ~ 2013

Attainment dates 2013-2030 depending upon the severity of the problem

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Fine Particles or PM2.5

PM is a mix of solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air

Fine PM is less than or equal to 2.5 microns in diameter (1/30 the width of a human hair)

Made up of a number of components

Can be emitted directly

Can be chemically formed

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Fine Particles or PM2.5 Sources

Smoke from fires

Power plants

Industrial activities

Vehicle exhaust

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Important Dates

June 15, 2007 – 8-hour ozone SIPs submitted to USEPA

April 5, 2008 – PM2.5 SIPs were to be submitted to USEPA

June 15, 2010 – area to attain 8-hour ozone standard

April 5, 2010 – area to attain PM2.5 standard

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Gateway’s Air Quality Planning Activities

Facilitate SIP process for ozone and PM2.5

Coordinate the AQAC

Prepare air quality conformity determinationCoordinate the IACG

Ozone data sharing project

Special projects

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Ozone Data Sharing Project

Ozone season is April 1 – October 31

EWGCOG acts as clearinghouse for 1-hour and 8-hour data provided by MoDNR and IEPA

Initial quality assurance screening

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2008 Ozone Season

7 ozone days

1 in June

5 in July

1 in August

18 exceedances in all

Exceedance at a monitor is when an 8-hour average of values is calculated to be > 76 ppb on any day

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Monitors in Violation of 8-hr Ozone Standard (2006 – August 11, 2008)

West Alton

Orchard Farm

Maryland Heights

Sunset Hills

Pacific

Blair St. (City)

Margaretta (City)

Wood River

Maryville

Alton

Data still to be validated by States

Violation is determined by taking a 3 year average of the 4 th highest annual maximum average by monitor and having average be > 76 ppb.

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July 2008 AQI Calendar - OzoneAQI AQI Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Weds

Categories Value 7-1 7-2 7-3 7-4 7-5 7-6 7-7 7-8 7-9 7-10 7-11 7-12 7-13 7-14 7-15 7-16Hazardous 301 to 500Very Unhealthy 201 to 300Unhealthy 151 to 200

141 to 150Unhealthy for 131 to 140Sensitive Groups 121 to 130

111 to 120101 to 11091 to 10081 to 90

Moderate 71 to 8061 to 7051 to 6041 to 5031 to 40

Good 21 to 3011 to 200 to 10

Thurs Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Weds Thurs7-17 7-18 7-19 7-20 7-21 7-22 7-23 7-24 7-25 7-26 7-27 7-28 7-29 7-30 7-31

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1-Hour Exceedances & MO Air Activities

010203040506070

84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 '00

'02

'04

Years

# o

f Exce

edance

s

1984 – Basic I/M Test 1993 – Low RVP Gasoline (7.2 psi)

1988 – Stage II Vapor Recovery 1995 – Low RVP Gasoline (7.0 psi)

1990 – Computerized I/M Testing 1999 – Federal Reformulated Gasoline Program

1991 – Low RVP Gasoline (7.8 psi) 2000 – Centralized I/M Program

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Things to Do to Reduce Ozone Levels

Set air conditioner no lower than 78o to conserve energyShare a ride or use mass transit; Bicycle or walk errands when possibleAvoid using oil- and solvent-based paints, degreasers or lighter fluidDefer use of gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipmentRefuel cars and trucks after dusk to reduce daytime pollution releasesCombine errands and reduce tripsLimit vehicle idling when possible

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For Additional Information

On-line Air Quality Resource Center

www.ewgateway.org/environmental.aq/aq.htm