Air Quality Regulations, Evotherm, and You
Apr 05, 2011
New air quality standards introduced by the EPA in 2010 were reviewed by David S. Knollhoff, certified consulting meteorologist, in the Spring 2011 edition of Texas Asphalt Magazine. The focus was on Texas but the national issues apply to every other state as well.
First, the EPA has made the particulate matter and the NOx standards significantly more strict. EPA has repealed the PM10 surrogacy policy for PM2.5, meaning that all existing permit applications as well as new ones need to comply with the 2006 PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). He points to truck loading operations as typical culpable emission sources.
Second, the new 1-hour NO2 and SO2 NAAQS’s became effective and are significantly more strict. They must also take nearby off-property emission sources into account as background concentrations. Says Knollhoff, “(These sources can leave) little wiggle room for inclusion of the applicant’s proposed operations.”
Existing permits in Texas will eventually need to be revised to incorporate the new standards. Here’s where Evotherm can help. A snapshot of the Evotherm difference can be seen in the graph below. For further information, check out the compilation of studies available here or contact us at mailto://[email protected].
