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Air Quality in NRCS

Air Quality in NRCS. Susan O’Neill Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Team. The Air Quality and Atmospheric Change (AQAC) Team. Located at the West National Technology Service Center (WNTSC) in Portland, Oregon Purpose: Implement Air Quality Resource Concerns within the Agency

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Air Quality in NRCS

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  1. Air Quality in NRCS Susan O’Neill Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Team

  2. The Air Quality and Atmospheric Change (AQAC) Team • Located at the West National Technology Service Center (WNTSC) in Portland, Oregon • Purpose: Implement Air Quality Resource Concerns within the Agency • Air Quality is part of SWAPA and is an NRCS Venture Goal in the Strategic Plan

  3. National Technology Support Centers • East, Greensboro, North Carolina • Manure Management Team • Social Sciences Team • Soil Quality Team • Central, Fort Worth, Texas • Grazing Lands Team • Wetlands Team • Wildlife Team • West, Portland, Oregon • Water Quality and Quantity Team • Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Team • Energy Team

  4. Air Quality Personnel in NRCS • AQAC Team in Portland, Oregon • Greg Johnson – Team Leader • Susan O’Neill – Air Quality Scientist • Roel Vining – Air Quality Scientist • Greg Zwicke – Air Quality Engineer • Michele Laur, National Atmospheric Resource Specialist, Ecological Sciences Division • Ron Heavner, National Air Quality Specialist, Conservation Engineering Division • State Air Quality Contacts: • Rosalind Moore, Florida • No one identified for Georgia

  5. Proposal: Four Components to one Air Quality Resource Concern • Particulate Matter(PM2.5, PM10) • Ozone Precursors(VOC + NOx + sun = O3) • Greenhouse Gases (CO2, CH4, N2O) • Odors

  6. Photo Courtesy of: Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies, Penn State University

  7. Smoke Management: Tools and Information for Florida and the Southeastern US Natural Resources Conservation Service

  8. Overview • Why Manage Smoke? • How do I Manage Smoke? • Fire Weather and Smoke Management Tools • NOAA/NWS • Air Quality Index (AQI) • BlueSky & FCAMMS • How do Air Quality Regulations Impact the Fire Community?

  9. Section: Why Manage Smoke?

  10. … Fire Happens

  11. Emissions from Fire • Complete Combustion • Carbon Dioxide (CO2) • Water (H2O) • Incomplete Combustion • Carbon Monoxide (CO) • Particulate Matter (PM) • Hydrocarbons (HC) • Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) • Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) • Ammonia (NH3) Ozone (O3)

  12. Particulate Matter From Smoke Management Guide for Prescribed and Wildland Fire 2001.

  13. Smoke Management • Smoke Management is about managing the emissions from fire to reduce impacts on receptors of concern. • Smoke is unlike most other pollutant sources – a control can not be put on it to scrub the emissions.

  14. Why do we need tomanage smoke? • Health Impacts -> National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) • Public Safety and Nuisance • Economic and social issues (vacations, tourism). • Smoke across roads. • Visibility – Regional Haze Rule • Scenic vistas are a resource to preserve. • We are a Conservation Agency – Air Quality is a resource concern

  15. National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) • EPA establishes ambient air standards for certain “criteria” pollutants • Primary standards – designed to protect public health • Based on the most sensitive individuals • Secondary standards – designed to protect human welfare • Usually defined in terms of effects on vegetation, soil, and visibility

  16. Criteria Pollutants • Particulate matter (PM) • Tropospheric (ground-level) ozone (O3) • Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) • Sulfur dioxide (SO2) • Carbon monoxide (CO) • Lead

  17. NAAQS(cont.) • A pollutant-by-pollutant analysis must be made to determine how AQ in an area compares to the NAAQS • “Attainment” = better than or equal to NAAQS • “Nonattainment” = does not meet NAAQS • “Unclassifiable” = no representative data • Assumed to be “attainment” • “Maintenance” = used to be nonattainment, now attainment, with additional requirements

  18. What Does Nonattainment Mean? • Lower threshold for major source permitting (based on severity) • More stringent permitting and control requirements • State Implementation Plans (SIPs)

  19. Health Effects Related to Particulate Matter • Increased Premature Deaths • Aggravation of respiratory or cardiovascular illnesses • Changes in lung function / structure / natural defense • Increasing medical data on adverse effects

  20. We want to manage smoke to avoid contributing to this…..

  21. Nonattainment and Nuisance Smoke Wildland urban interface (WUI) is increasing. Urban Land = 3.1% (2000) Urban Land = 8.1% (2050 est) WUI almost tripling in size Complaints of nuisance smoke or smoke affecting monitors could increase, if the smoke disperses into populated areas.

  22. Regional Haze Perceptible Plume Particulate Matter & Visibility Impairment PM2.5 is very effective at scattering, reflecting and absorbing light.

  23. Section: How Do I Manage Smoke?

  24. Smoke Behavior in aStable Atmosphere Photo by Roger Ottmar.

  25. Smoke Behavior in anUnstable Atmosphere Photo by Roger Ottmar.

  26. Smoke Behavior in Valleys By Ray Peterson. Photo by Roger Ottmar.

  27. Managing Smoke – Tiered Approach • Level of regulation commensurate with level of impacts (current and future/anticipated) • 1) Basic Smoke Management Practices (BSMPs) • Basic line of defense against smoke problems • 2) Smoke Management Programs (SMPs) • Greater control on burning and coordination between burners • 3) Enhanced Smoke Management Programs (ESMPs) • Smoke is attributed to contributing to regional haze or nonattainment • One goal of the program is to reduce emissions

  28. Smoke Management • Reduce Smoke Impacts • Tools to help time burning – Is today a good day to burn? • Where are my sensitive receptors? • Monitor plume during the burn • Post burn considerations – smoldering, mop-up • Evaluate Reducing Smoke Emissions • Increase combustion efficiency • Burn smaller units and/or burn more frequently • Employ alternatives to burning

  29. Tools: The BlueSky Smoke Modeling Framework WEATHER FORECAST MODEL OUTPUT FIRE INFORMATION REPORTING SYSTEMS MM5 WRF Wildfire ICS 209 FASTRACS RAZU Manual Other FUEL LOADING MET INTERPRETER FCCS Hardy (West) NFDRS CONSUMPTION CALMM5 CONSUME 1.02 CONSUME 3 BURNUP EMISSIONS EPM FEPS BURNUP Idealized profile HYSPLIT TRAJECTORIES DISPERSION CALPUFF HYSPLIT SMOKE TRAJECTORY & CONCENTRATION PREDICTIONS

  30. BlueSky - Acknowledgements Sue Ferguson Narasimhan (Sim) Larkin larkin@fs.fed.us, 206-732-7849 AirFIRE Team Robert Solomon Miriam Rorig Candace Krull Chris Fredericks Mark Moore Brian Potter Tara Strand Sonoma Technology Inc. Sean Raffuse Daniel Pryden Dana Sullivan Lyle Chinkin Chris Ovard Ray Peterson + more… NASA ROSES National Fire Plan Joint Fire Science Program USFS F&AM Tom Pace, EPA Charlene Spells, EPA Rob Wilson, Don Matheny, EPA R10 EPA OAQPS EPA NERL / NOAA ARL USDOI Mark Ruminski, NOAA BlueSky Smoke Modeling Consortium FCAMMS centers Al Riebau Pete Lahm + many others

  31. Regional Sources for Smoke Management and Fire Weather Products (fcamms.org) • Fire Consortium for the Advanced Modeling of Meteorology and Smoke (FCAMMS)- Rocky Mountain Consortium (RMC)- Southern High Resolution Modeling Center (SHRMC)

  32. Section: Fire Weather and Smoke Management Tools • Weather • Florida: http://www.fl-dof.com/fire_weather/index.html • Weather Planner, BlueSky: www.fs.fed.us/rmc • Smoke Screening Tool (60 deg angle), BlueSky • http://shrmc.ggy.uga.edu/ • Select: Smoke Products -> Simple Smoke Screening (on right) • Florida (Plume) Smoke Screening Tool • http://flame.fl-dof.com/wildfire/tools_sst.html#SST • Select: Smoke Screening Tool • Satellite Data • http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/hms.html • http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/

  33. NOAA ARL – Forecast Meteorologyhttp://www.arl.noaa.gov/ready/cmet.html • Meteograms • Wind Roses • Soundings • Time Series

  34. Air Quality Index (AQI) The EPA has developed a system to inform people about air quality in their area. Current values and tomorrows forecast are displayed using the Air Quality Index. Link http://airnow.gov/

  35. Section: Air Quality Regulations • PM2.5, AQI • Ozone • Exceptional Events Rule (EER) • EPA Interim Air Quality Policy for Prescribed and Wildland Fire (Interim Policy) • General Conformity

  36. October 2003 – October 2006 Sites shown have at least 845 observations over three years New PM2.5 NAAQS • Promulgated 12/2006 • Previously: 65 µg/m3 • Now:35 µg/m3 • Nonattainment designations being determined now

  37. Due to fires Air Quality Index for PM2.5 • Proposing: lower the significant harm level (SHL) from 500 µg/m3to 350 µg/m3 • SHL: represents imminent and substantial endangerment • Occurrence of the SHL due to fire could increase

  38. New Ozone Std 0.075 ppm 345 Counties (est) exceed Old Ozone Std 0.08 ppm 85 Counties exceed

  39. Impacts of New Ozone Standard > 75 ppb > 84 ppb • % Total All Monitors 52% 12% • % TotalForest/RuralMonitors 46% 8% Review of 2004-2006 data

  40. Exceptional Events Rule (EER) • Promulgated 3/22/2007 • Monitoring data can be excluded from non-attainment designations if exceedance is due to an Exceptional Event. • Natural Events • High Wind Events • Natural Disasters and Associated Clean-up Activities • Stratospheric Ozone Intrusion • Volcanic & Seismic Activities • Wildland Fires • Prescribed Fires • Other: Structural Fires, Chemical Spills, Terrorist Attacks, Transported Pollution

  41. How can a prescribed fire be an exceptional event? • Prove that emissions from the event influenced the monitor • Unlikely to recur at a particular location • natural fire return interval • restoration of ecological role of fire • Not reasonably controllable or preventable • Are there “reasonable alternatives?” • High fuel loads vs. catastrophic fire/emissions • Ecosystem dependency on fire • Disease and pest outbreaks • Limits to non-burning treatments like Wilderness (mechanical limits) or access (topography, etc) • Burn conducted under a Smoke Management Program or with Basic Smoke Management Practices • State activities taken to protect public health

  42. What kind of documentation may be needed for a wildland fire EER demonstration? • Information about source (fire) on a daily basis: • Fire activity (blackened acres, location, date) • Emissions (fuels, loading, fuel moisture) • Important supporting information includes: • Information showing influence of the fire • Information about dispersion of smoke • Local fire weather information • Ecological information - for EPA recurrence and controllability tests where appropriate

  43. EER Current Status • States have measured PM2.5 exceedances from wildfires in 2007. • Prescribed fires also caused PM2.5 exceedances in 2007. • There is no central national repository for daily fire activity. • There is no process to discuss efficient ways to address multi-state exceptional events or documentation, cross boundary impacts, joint actions to protect public health during events, roles of regulators and land managers, etc.

  44. EER Procedures State, Tribe or Local air regulatory agency: • Must submit air quality monitoring data to EPA within 90 days • May flag specific data as affected by exceptional event for EPA within 6 months of measurement • May submit documentation of proof of exceptional event effects to EPA within 3 years of flagging • EPA concurs or rejects proof State and EPA Processes are Discretionary

  45. EER Strategies for Land Managers • Collaborate with State regulatory community • Promote development of state-by-state relationships prior to an exceedance • Develop joint strategies prior to an exceedance • Discuss data needs and seek consistency between regions, states, agencies for EER • Develop collection strategy for fire activity information (blackened acres, location, date) • Pre-define Basic Smoke Management Practices

  46. North Carolina example • Stonewall Prescribed Fire on March 27, 2007 Chattahoochee/Oconee National Forests • Basic information on the fire that will assist in showing the influence of prescribed fire emissions on air quality monitors • Document why prescribed burning was selected over other land management alternatives • Document the role of fire in restoring ecological processes and how prescribed fire is being used to mimic natural fire regimes • Document the Smoke Management Practices that were followed for the prescribed fire. • The primary goal of smoke management is to protect public health and safety, and your smoke management practices should demonstrate this

  47. EPA Interim Air Quality Policy on Prescribed and Wildland Fire • “Interim Policy” • Revision to be completed 7/2008 • Current Interim Policy out of sync with EER • Revision will address: • Agricultural Burning • Basic Smoke Management Practices (BSMPs)

  48. General Conformity (GC) • Draft Rule out for Comment until 4/14 • Goal of GC is to ensure that federal activities conform to SIPs/TIPs/FIPs. Applies to nonattainment and maintenance areas only • Also applies to federal funds provided to private lands • Ex. NRCS EQIP program funds • EPA is taking comments on whether Basic Smoke Management Practices will presume to conform

  49. Charted under the Fire (NWCG) and Air Directors of the Federal Land Management Agencies Members: USFS, FWS, NPS, BLM, BIA, NASF, NRCS Objectives: Improve understanding of Air Quality rules/regulations; Further the application of appropriate smoke management approaches (BSMP, SMP, ESMP); Coordinate/foster partnerships between fire management agencies and stakeholders; Advocate for new science and technology, training and outreach efforts. Fire Air Coordination Team (FACT) Photo courtesy Lorraine Vogt

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