FAQS final report briefing to Mid GA Clean Air Coa

Fall line Air Quality Study: 

Fall line Air Quality Study Final Report: An analysis of air quality and options for managing it in Middle Georgia Briefing to the Middle Georgia Clean Air Coalition January 13, 2005

About the FAQS: 

About the FAQS Goal: to provide all stakeholders with an objective and unbiased evaluation of air quality in Middle Georgia that they may use to develop an effective and efficient plan for improving it. Objectives: to assess urban and regional air pollution, identify the sources of pollutants and pollutant precursors, and evaluate potential solutions to realized and potential poor air quality in the Augusta, Macon, and Columbus metropolitan areas. Methodology: Field Studies, Modeling Studies, and Cost Studies Duration: 44 months (May 2000 – December 2004) Cost: $2.8 million sponsored by GA EPD and GA DOT

Slide3: 

Principal Investigator: Dr. Michael E. Chang Co-Principal Investigators: Dr. Armistead Russell Dr. Karsten Baumann Investigators: Dr. Yongtao Hu Dr. Dan Cohan Ms. Di Tian Ms. Rosa Chi Dr. Rodney Weber Dr. Michael Bergin Dr. Doug Worsnop Dr. Carlos Cardelino Senior Advisors: Dr. C. S. Kiang Dr. William Chameides FAQS: A Mammoth Team Effort! + many more!!

Slide5: 

Ground-level Ozone Formation Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Fuels, Paints, Solvents, & Vegetation Combustion Processes Ozone (O3) Smog +

Slide6: 

Summary of FAQS NOx and VOC emissions inventories for the year 2000: daily totals (in tons/day) a. Includes: Richmond, Columbia, & Mc Duffie counties of GA, and Aiken and Edgefield counties of SC. b. Includes: Muscogee, Chattahoochee, and Harris of GA and Russell county of AL. c. Includes: Bibb, Houston, Jones, Peach, and Twiggs counties of GA.

Slide7: 

Daily maximum ozone on August 17, 2000 in the 12-km grid (on the left) and in the 4-km grid (on the right)

Slide8: 

Summary of FAQS NOx and VOC emissions inventories for the year 2007: daily totals (in tons/day) a. Includes: Richmond, Columbia, & Mc Duffie counties of GA, and Aiken and Edgefield counties of SC. b. Includes: Muscogee, Chattahoochee, and Harris of GA and Russell county of AL. c. Includes: Bibb, Houston, Jones, Peach, and Twiggs counties of GA.

Slide9: 

Daily maximum ozone on August 17, 2000 in the 12-km grid (on the left) and in the 4-km grid (on the right) Daily maximum ozone concentrations in the 12-km grid (on the left) and in the 4-km grid (on the right) on August 17 when FAQS2007 emissions are used

Slide10: 

Year 2007 attainment modeling for 8-hour ozone in Macon aRelative reduction factor is the ratio of Year 2007 and Base Year modeled concentrations. bAnnual 4th highest 8-hour ozone observations, averaged over three years straddling the episode base year. cProduct of RRF and the observed design value. dMinimal reduction in Year 2007 modeled concentrations for which RRF*DesignValue < 85 ppb. eExcludes three days with modeled Base Year O3 < 70 ppb, in accordance with EPA methodology.

Slide11: 

Potential Controls for Point Sources in the Macon Area

Slide12: 

Potential Controls for Additional Sources in the Macon Area

Slide13: 

Taken together, the menu of measures represents the potential to control 20-35% of NOx and VOC in Georgia regions, but with marginal costs increasing rapidly beyond 15-20% reductions

Slide14: 

Emissions and Sensitivity of Ozone to those Emissions in Macon in 2007

Slide15: 

If Macon needs to reduce ozone concentrations by 2.7 ppb, the optimized annualized cost is estimated to be $750,000 primarily for low-cost NOx controls for industrial sources and local locomotives in the Macon region.

Why so cheap?: 

Why so cheap? Measures assumed to have zero net cost—continuation of lower-emitting Powder River Basin (PRB) coal at Scherer, a seasonal burning ban, parking pricing, replacement of water heaters, and the planned closure of Brown & Williamson Tobacco—achieve 2.1 ppb of the reduction, 1.8 ppb of which is due to the PRB coal.

Slide17: 

The least-cost approach to reduce Macon ozone by the necessary 6.4 ppb would be an ensemble of measures totaling $72.6 million annually. Participation from neighboring Georgia regions is essential, as full implementation of all considered control measures within the Macon region would not quite achieve the necessary reduction.

Slide18: 

Major components of least-cost Macon attainment strategy August 1999 episode

Fall line Air Quality Study: 

Fall line Air Quality Study Final Report: An analysis of air quality and options for managing it in Middle Georgia Complete Report and Executive Summary Available at: http://cure.eas.gatech.edu/faqs/finalreport Send Questions and Comments to: chang@eas.gatech.edu