Presentation to Indiana Sustainable Natural Resources Task Force

Richard M. Van Frank

January 25, 2012

Managing Indiana’s Air Resources

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About Improving Kids’ Environment

IKE is a non-profit advocacy organization that works to

reduce and remove environmental threats to children’s

health so they can succeed

Our mission is to:

identify environmental threats to children

ensure parents and others have access to accurate information about threats & how to prevent them

work with others to remove, reduce and communicate recognized, serious threats

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Air Pollution Sources in Indiana

Electric generating plants

Coal-fired

Gas & other fuels

Industrial facilities

Coal- & gas-fired boilers

Manufacturing processes

Steel mills

Coke plants

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Air Pollution Sources in Indiana

Industrial facilities cont.

Refineries

Chemical and pharmaceutical plants

Mobile sources

Cars, trucks, buses, locomotives

Other, fireplaces, wood boilers, trash burning,

lawnmowers, etc. etc.

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Pollution Emitted As…

Vapor or gas

Particulates

Some vapors form particulates after leaving

the stack

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Significant Public Health Risks

Particulates : aggravated asthma, reduced lung growth, allergies, Cardiac

arrest.

Ozone: inflammation of linking of lungs, reduced lung function, cough,

wheezing, chest pain, shortness of breath, difficulty exercising

Sulfur Dioxide: wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath

Nitrogen Dioxide: Increased respiratory illnesses, more severe asthma, plus

irritation of eyes, nose and throat

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Pollutants

Criteria pollutants

Particulate matter, ground-level ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur

oxides, carbon monoxide, and lead

hazardous air pollutants are linked to respiratory,

cardiovascular disease and cancer

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Traffic-related Pollution Health Effects

Traffic creates a mix of hazardous air pollutants, such as

benzene, and criteria air pollutants: fine particulate

matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and volatile

organic compounds (VOCs)

Living near busy roads is a

risk factor for the onset of

childhood asthma

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Pregnant Women & Unborn Children

A child’s brain & nervous system is vulnerable because of long

developmental process: just after conception through adolescence

Prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke may increase risk of asthma in the

child, or lead to reduced lung function

Mercury exposure found to cause lower intelligence in children and

problems with language, attention and memory

Exposure to lead is associated with impaired memory, lower IQ and

difficulty following directions, planning, and processing speech

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Damages to Other Natural Resources

Crops and Trees

Soybeans

Evergreens

The use of additional resources brings a global economic

loss of 10-12 percent of the total value of crop production

The U.S. soybean crop suffers nearly $2 billion in

damage a year due to rising surface ozone

concentrations

Source: USDA.gov

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Effects of Ozone on Crop Yields

Source: USDA.gov

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The Clean Air Act Control effort was originally driven by increasing signs

of environmental damage in the northeastern US.

Acidified lakes

Leaching minerals, some toxic from soil and rock

Health effects from air pollution began to be recognized

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Clean Air Act-Indiana Experience

State had no SO2 SIP.

Complete denial of problem

Claimed economic effect

2x or more increase in utility rates

Coal mines close

Industry leave state

Acid rain did not exist!

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Clean Air Act Protection of Public Health and the Environment

Sets standards for air pollution

EPA sets regulations based on advice from the Science Advisory

Committee. There is no “bright line”

The standard is based on the best scientific judgment of the committee

The standard continues to be lowered as more is learned about health risks

Effects of non-attainment

Economic consequences

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Particulate Matter (PM2.5)

Source: U.S. EPA

Fine Particulate

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Fine Particulate & Our Lungs

Fine Particulate

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Current & Proposed Standards for Fine Particulate

Current:

Annual standard: 15.0 ug/m3

24-Hour standard: 35 ug/m3

New Recommended Standard:

Annual: 24 to 14 ug/m3

24-Hour: 25 to 35 ug/m3

Indiana could have trouble meeting new standard

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PM 2.5 24 HR HIGHS FOR INDIANAPOLIS

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

ug

/m3

Site 2 Southw est Street

Site 11 English Ave.

Site 41 Washington Park

Site 43 W. 18th St.

Site 44 E. Michigan

Fine Particulate 24-Hour Highs for Indianapolis

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Fine Particle Health Effects

Fine Particles Linked to Daily Mortality

Positive associations were observed with all-cause mortality,

as well as mortality from respiratory disease, cardiovascular

disease, and diabetes, and deaths in persons over age 65

Ischemic Strokes increase as PM levels increase

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Fine Particle Health Effects

Low Levels of PM Trigger Hospital Admissions for Congestive

Heart Failure

Children’s Hospital Admissions Spike with Increases in

Outdoor Air Pollution

Children living near interstate highways have lower lung

function than those living farther away.

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U.S. satellite-derived map of PM2.5 averaged over 2001-2006. Credit: Dalhousie University, Aaron van Donkelaar

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Ozone and Smog Formation

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Ozone

Very complex reaction that is yet to be completely

understood

Transport problem

Emissions in Indianapolis, ozone in Noblesville

Transported long distances.

Regional solution needed

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Ozone

Short-term exposure to ground-level ozone can cause inflammation of the

lining of the lungs, reduced lung function, and respiratory symptoms such

as cough, wheezing, chest pain, burning in the chest, and shortness of

breath

Exposure to ozone can increase susceptibility to respiratory infection; long-

term exposure can permanently damage lung tissue, and short-term

exposure is associated with increased mortality

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Ozone Monitoring Data – Indpls. 8 HR Ozone July 2011

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Date

conc

.

Fairland

Washington PK INDY

Harding St. Indy

Monrovia

70

60

Ozone Standard 75 ppb 8-hour average. Recommended new standard

is between 60 and 70 ppb

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Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Industrial sources

Volatile solvents

Mobile sources

Gasoline combustion

Lawn mowers, weed trimmers, jet skies

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Nitrogen Oxides Health Effects

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is an odorless gas that can irritate the

eyes, nose, and throat, and can cause shortness of breath

NO2 can lead to increased respiratory illnesses and symptoms,

more severe asthma symptoms, and an increase in the number

of emergency department visits and hospital admissions for

respiratory causes, especially asthma

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Nitrogen Oxides

In people with asthma, exposure to low levels of NO2 may cause

increased bronchial reactivity and make young children more

susceptible to respiratory infections

NOx can also produce many of the same symptoms in adults

especially those with preexisting respiratory or cardiovascular

conditions.

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Sulfur Dioxide

Short-term Health Effects

Breathing difficulties and asthma-related hospitalizations,

particularly for children

Short-term exposures to SO2 have also been associated with

respiratory-related emergency department visits and hospital

admissions, particularly for children

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Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

Nine Indiana counties don’t

meet the new federal 1-hour

sulfur dioxide standard

73 percent of SO2 emissions

come from power plants

that burn fossil fuels, such

as coal.

Another 20 percent comes

from other industries.

Source: IDEM

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Mercury

Major Source: Coal combustion from power plants

Deposited near source

Much deposited near power plant source

Elemental mercury in soil and water converted to highly

toxic methyl mercury

Persists in environment for 100s of years

Accumulates in food chain

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IPL Harding Street Station

102 kg Hg emitted/yr

Source: Dr. Gabriel Filippelli, Director, Center for Urban Health, IUPUI

Mercury in Indianapolis Area Soils

I-465

I-70

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Health Affects of Mercury

Proven link between levels of mercury in women’s bodies and

neurological effects on their children

Studies have found associations between neurodevelopment

effects and mercury body burdens in U.S. women that are within

the range of typical U.S. exposures

Mercury causes heart attacks in adults

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Number of Unhealthy Air Days - 2010Indiana, Illinois & Michigan Counties >2 Unhealthy Days

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

3

3

3

3

3

4

4

4

4

5

6

6

6

7

10

11

14

16

16

16

20

23

36

49

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

IL-Hamilton

IL-Sangamon

IL-Wabash

IN-Allen

IN-Perry

MI-Allegan

MI-Kent

IL-Saint Clair

IN-Gibson

IN-LaPorte

IN-Warrick

MI-Schoolcraft

IL-Lake

IN-Clark

IN-Porter

MI-Muskegon

IN-St. Joseph

IN-Morgan

MI-Macomb

MI-St. Clair

IN-Lake

IN-Marion

IN-Wayne

IN-Vigo

IL-Madison

IN-Daviess

IN-Floyd

MI-Wayne

IL-Cook

IL-Tazewell

IN-Pike

How We Compare - 2010 Illinois, Indiana and Michigan Counties with >3 Unhealthy Air Days

Indiana 154

Illinois 92

Michigan 51

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How Can Indiana Improve Air Quality?

Support public transit to reduce traffic congestion and

mobile source pollution

Reduce power plant emissions through energy efficiency

Encourage shift to cleaner energy sources

Need for improved compliance monitoring and

enforcement by IDEM

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How Can Indiana Improve Air Quality?

Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR)

This rule, known as the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule

(CSAPR), requires states to significantly improve air quality

by reducing power plant emissions that cross state lines and

contribute to ozone and fine particle pollution in other states

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How Can Indiana Improve Air Quality?

MATS--the mercury rule

The final rule establishes power plant emission standards for mercury,

acid gases, and non‐mercury

metallic toxic pollutants that will: prevent 90 percent of the mercury in

coal burned in power plants from being emitted to the air; reduce 88

percent of acid gas emissions from power plants; and cut 41 percent

of sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants beyond the reductions

expected from the Cross State Air Pollution Rule. State has three years

to comply

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How Can Indiana Improve Air Quality?

Global warming

EPA has released a Greenhouse Gas Database. The database

shows known emissions and data from states that have done

greenhouse gas inventories.

Indiana is one of six states that have done nothing.

Bloomington has done a greenhouse gas inventory

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Contact Information

Richard M. Van Frank, IKE Board of Directors

(317) 442-2531

vanfrank@iquest.net

IKE website:

www.ikecoalition.org