Environmental Management and Compliance News, Tips and Tools

January 30, 2012

Global warming worries? Just, relax…

image: snowstorm

Perhaps we’ll be enjoying these scenes for a long time yet…

Are concerns over man-made global warming (i.e., anthropogenic global climate change) overblown? So says this January 27 opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal online, written by sixteen eminent physical scientists. They argue that predictive computer models have exaggerated the potential effects of continued emissions of carbon dioxide, and point to the documented halt (or pause, depending on your perspective) in rising global temperatures over the last decade or so as evidence supporting their position.

Not to be outdone, the UK Daily Mail waded into the global warming debate with two seemingly contradictory articles: First, theorizing that global cooling, not warming, may be a more immediate concern on the global temperature front, based on solar energy cycles – and then, on the same day, reporting that the British government’s national risk assessment on climate change warns that increasing temperatures will lead to “major increases in flooding, heatwaves and water shortages that could kill thousands of people a year.”

What should we make of the current state of anthropogenic climate change science?
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Filed under: Air Pollution,Climate Change,Greenhouse Gases — TCozzie @ 11:03 am

August 29, 2011

Emissions standards for existing boilers at area sources – It’s time to comply!

Photo of Emissions from Boilers and Other Sources

(A little snow in the picture to alleviate the Florida August heat…)

The initial notification date for the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) from boilers at area sources (40 CFR part 63 subpart JJJJJJ) is September 17, 2011. By that date, owners or operators of existing, regulated boilers must complete and submit the Initial Notification of Applicability to the appropriate authority (EPA or State environmental agency).

The rule applies to industrial, institutional and commercial boilers located at “area” sources that burn solid fossil fuels, biomass or liquid fuels – e.g., coal, wood, or oil – if not already regulated under another NESHAP standard. An area source is one with the potential to emit less than 10 tons per year of any one Hazardous Air Pollutant and less than 25 tons per year of total HAPs.

Requirements for work practices or the management standard practice of a tune-up must be met by March 21, 2012. Existing sources subject to emissions limits or an energy assessment requirement must comply by March 21, 2014. Emission standards, applicable to existing coal-fired boilers, include Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards for mercury and carbon monoxide and Generally Achievable Control Technology (GACT) limits for particulate matter.

Here’s a general guidance on how to comply:  http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/boiler/imptools/area_sm_biz_compli_guide_appx.pdf

Here’s more on the boiler MACT rules: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/boiler/boilerpg.html. A copy of the area source rule can be found at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/boiler/fr21mr11a.pdf.

Filed under: Air Pollution,Compliance,MACT,NESHAPs,Rules and Regulations,Uncategorized,USEPA — TCozzie @ 9:07 am

March 18, 2011

Not ready to report greenhouse gas emissions? No worries…

The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized its rule to extend the deadline for reporting 2010 emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to September 30, 2011. (Reports had been due by the end of this month.)

Those facilities required to report their GHG emissions must first register with the EPA’s electronic greenhouse gas reporting tool (“e-GGRT”). Registration will now be due 60 days prior to the reporting deadline, or by August 1.

For information on the GHG reporting requirements, visit www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgrulemaking.html. The e-GGRT reporting tool can be accessed at ghgreporting.epa.gov/ghg/login.do.  And come back to this site soon for upcoming posts on GHG rules.

Filed under: Air Pollution,Climate Change,Compliance,Greenhouse Gases,Rules and Regulations,USEPA — TCozzie @ 3:26 pm

March 9, 2011

Finally! Air emissions standards for boilers and incinerators

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued final Clean Air Act standards for boilers and certain incinerators to reduce toxic air emissions, including mercury and soot. The rule establishes hazardous air pollutant emission standards for new and existing industrial, commercial and institutional boilers and process heaters located at major and area (minor) sources of toxic air pollutants, as well as commercial and industrial solid waste incinerators.  The final rule was signed on February 21.

EPA proposed these rules in April 2010, after a rulemaking period that began in 2007 when a federal court vacated a previous proposal for industry specific standards. Based on substantial public input that was received after the April 2010 proposal, EPA has made extensive revisions to the rules proposed at that time.

EPA estimates that the boiler rules will affect about 200,000 units located at large (major) and small (area) sources of hazardous air pollutant emissions across the country. The types of boilers covered by the new standards include:

  • Boilers and process heaters at major sources of hazardous or toxic air pollutants, such as refineries, chemical plants, and other industrial facilities, that burn natural gas, fuel oil, coal, biomass or other gases. EPA has further identified some 15 (!) subcategories of regulated boilers and process heaters at major sources.
  • Boilers located at area sources of toxic air emissions, including other industrial facilities, universities, hospitals, hotels and commercial buildings that burn fuel oil, coal or biomass. While these units constitute the far greater number of sources, they are responsible for a relatively small amount of the toxic air emissions addressed by the rule.

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Filed under: Air Pollution,Compliance,USEPA — TCozzie @ 5:22 pm

August 9, 2010

Scoffing at skeptics…

On July 29, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied 10 petitions challenging its 2009 determination that

  • climate change is real,
  • it is occurring due to emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities, and
  • it threatens human health and the environment.

EPA’s decision rejected claims that climate science cannot be trusted and that collusion (dare we say, a “conspiracy”?) among members of leading research bodies to suppress conflicting data and hide errors or gaps in their own research invalidates the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Having given “months of serious consideration” to the petitions and to the state of climate change science, EPA found no evidence to support these claims. In fact, EPA has determined that climate science is credible, compelling, and growing stronger!

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson blamed the petitions on “defenders of the status quo [who] will try to slow our efforts to get America running on clean energy,” and called on petitioners “to join the vast majority of the American people who want to see more green jobs, more clean energy innovation and an end to the oil addiction that pollutes our planet and jeopardizes our national security.”

The basic assertions by the petitioners and EPA responses follow.
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Filed under: Air Pollution,Climate Change,Greenhouse Gases,USEPA — TCozzie @ 2:36 pm

May 13, 2010

Thresholds for greenhouse gas permitting announced

On May 13, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its final “GHG Tailoring” rule to address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from stationary sources. The phased-in approach will initially address large facilities like power plants and oil refineries that emit most of the greenhouse gases from stationary sources. The regulated GHGs include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride.

(image of clouds)Starting in January 2011, Clean Air Act permitting requirements for GHGs will apply to large facilities that are already obtaining Clean Air Act permits for other pollutants. Those facilities will be required to include GHGs in their permit if they increase their GHG emissions by 75,000 tons per year (tpy). In July 2011, permitting requirements will expand to cover all new facilities with GHG emissions of at least 100,000 tpy and modifications at existing facilities that would increase GHG emissions by at least 75,000 tpy. The permits must demonstrate the use of best available control technologies to minimize GHG emission increases when facilities are constructed or significantly modified. EPA estimates approximately 900 additional permitting actions covering new sources and modifications to existing sources would be subject to review each year. In addition, 550 sources will need to obtain operating permits for the first time because of their GHG emissions.

Permitting requirements for smaller sources will await the findings of a 5-year study of the effects of GHG permitting of these sources, slated for completion in 2015.

According to the EPA press release announcing the final rule, the agency received about 450,000 (!) comments within the 60-day public comment period that followed issuance of the proposed rule in October 2009.

More information on the GHG Tailoring Rule and its implementation schedule can be found at http://www.epa.gov/nsr/actions.html.

What do you think? Has EPA struck the proper balance between regulating a significant threat to health and the environment and providing relief to small businesses and farms?

Filed under: Air Pollution,Compliance,Greenhouse Gases,Permits,USEPA — TCozzie @ 5:01 pm
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