Mark your calendars for the January luncheon meeting of the Rocky Mountain States Section of the Air & Waste Management Association, which will be held in the conference room at Tri-State Generation and Transmission, 1100 W 116th Avenue, Denver 80204. Our guest speaker, Bob Iwanchuk of AECOM will provide an update on the SO2 Data Requirements Rule.
Time: 11:30 lunch (no cost); 11:50 welcome and introductions; noon presentation
Directions:
Bob Iwanchuk, CCM, is an American Meteorological Society-designated CCM and a Technical Director in AECOM’s air quality practice. Mr. Iwanchuk has 42 years of experience in addressing issues related to air quality permitting, dispersion modeling and compliance issues for clients in a variety of industrial sectors, principally in the electric utility, oil and gas, and manufacturing sectors. He has carried out numerous air quality assignments, including PSD permit application preparation, Title V operating permit applications, and air toxics compliance evaluation for his clients.. He is currently managing several modeling and monitoring projects to assess compliance strategies for clients impacted by the SO2 Data Requirements Rule. Mr. Iwanchuk is located in AECOM’s Fort Collins, Colorado, office.
Presentation abstract: The U.S. EPA has finalized a “Data Requirements Rule” for characterizing 1-hour SO2 concentration levels near “priority sources” in areas without representative monitoring data. EPA regards SO2 as a unique pollutant with significant concentration gradients near isolated sources that require localized assessment approaches. By the date of this presentation, all states are due to identify the sources for which SO2 concentrations are to be characterized. The sources named, plus those caught up in the assessment because they are nearby (within up to 50 km away) need to consider a modeling analysis or, as an alternative, a monitoring program. States appear to be inclined to conduct modeling because it is quicker and cheaper, but this is often not favorable to regulated sources.
While the rule is directed at states, each state will likely be asking the affected sources to be stakeholders and likely take an active part in deciding whether to proceed with a modeling versus a monitoring approach. For each identified source, states will need to specify which approach it plans to use to characterize air quality by July 1, 2016. If a modeling approach is selected, a technical protocol for conducting such modeling must be submitted to the appropriate EPA Regional Office for review by July 1, 2016. If a monitoring approach is selected, the state must submit relevant information about monitors in their Annual Monitoring Network Plan due July 1, 2016. Several states are accelerating the decision on modeling vs. monitoring because the lead time for monitoring is realistically more than 6 months. In fact, such decisions have already been requested by some of the earliest states. This presentation will provide details on the SO2 Data Requirements Rule and provide strategic advice to affected sources as to how to deal with this requirement.
If you plan to attend this meeting, please contact Bethany Moffatt (bmoffat@tristategt.org) by COB Tuesday January 19th. Make sure to have your ID handy and check in with Security at the Front Desk.