air quality and the dmrb

Air Quality and the DMRBMark Chapman, Air Quality and Odour Discipline Manager

mark.chapman@mouchel.com

01483 731378

07976 344 311

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Aim of Today’s Presentation

1. Provide a brief overview of air quality assessment in the context of Highways Schemes and the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges.

2. Identify assessment requirements and raise awareness of when best to engage with Mouchel’s Air Quality and Odour Team

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Introduction

• Mouchel’s Air Quality & Odour Team

• Setting the Scene – Limit Values and Objectives

• Stages of DMRB Assessment Process

– Scoping

– Simple and Detailed

– Mitigation/Enhancement and Monitoring

• Topics Not Discussed!

• Take Home Messages

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Mouchel’s Air Quality Team

• Operating as a Team for over 4 Years

• Grown to 11 Staff

– One of largest consultancies in UK

• Based in London, Woking and Manchester

• Private and Public Sectors

– Highways

– Industrial

– Odour (Water and Waste Water)

– Dust

– Expert Witness / Public Inquiry

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Mouchel’s Air Quality Team

Highways Agency

• Managed Motorway Schemes

– M60 Manchester

– M3/M4

– M42 Birmingham Box

• HA Subject Matter Expert Forum on Air Quality

• Develop and Test HA Air Quality Assessment Tools

– DMRB Screening Model v1.5

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Setting the Scene

What Is Air Quality?

• Determined by the presence or absence of atmospheric pollutants in the air. Poor air quality is characterised by high concentrations of air pollution.

Pollutants of Most Concern for Highways Schemes

• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) – Human Health

• Particulate Matter (PM10) – Human Health

• Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) – Ecosystems

• Total Carbon (C) – Regional Emissions

– Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

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Setting the Scene

Limit Values, Standards, and Objectives

• CAFE Directive

– Mandatory for Member States

• UK Air Quality Strategy

– Standards and Objectives (Non-Legally Binding)

• Air Quality (England) Regulations

– Objectives (Legally Binding)

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Setting the Scene

Exposure Periods

• Long-Term– Annual Mean

• Short-Term– PM10 – 24 Hour Mean– NO2 – 1 Hour Mean

Air Quality Management Area• Where Objectives/Limit Values are not being met• Local Authorities have a duty to set out actions in

pursuit of achieving the objective/Limit Value (Air Quality Action Plan)

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Setting the Scene

Highways Agency Policy Objectives

“The Highways Agency will not progress a major scheme which would worsen the situation overall

regarding compliance with the EU limit value.”

HA Business Plan (2007-08)

“If at any stage of the assessment process, it becomes apparent that there is likely to be a new

exceedence or a worsening of an existing exceedence of a mandatory EU Limit Value, then

the Overseeing Organisation must be notified immediately”

HA 207/07 Air Quality 3/1 para.3.3

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Setting the Scene

Agents involved when notification is required:

1. Air Quality Team

2. Enterprise Mouchel Project Manager

3. Regional Environmental Advisor (Caution)

4. Highways Agency Sponsor

5. Highways NetServe Specialists

6. Air Quality Team

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DMRB Vol. 11, Section 3, Part 1 HA 207/07

• Scoping– Local Air Quality

• Human Health• Ecosystems

– Regional Emissions

• Simple– Local Air Quality

• Human Health• Ecosystems

– Regional Emissions

• Detailed– Local Air Quality

• Human Health

• Mitigation/Enhancement and Monitoring– Local Air Quality

• Human Health

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Scoping Level Assessment

• Seeks to decide which environmental topics are to be examined in EIAs and EAs and how much effort should be expended.

• Ongoing activity that is re-activated at key stages in the project planning process as new information or available alternatives are narrowed to a preferred approach to the project.

• Should be carried out for ALL road schemes in order to determine the level of assessment required

– Simple

– Detailed

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Scoping Level Assessment

• Determine whether monitoring is required (any modelling undertaken must be verified using monitored data).

• Human Health– Relevant Receptors

• Exposure Periods– Susceptible Populations

• Elderly, Unwell and the Young

• Ecosystems– Designated Sites that should be considered are

those for which the designated features are sensitive to air pollutants, either directly or indirectly and are one of the following: SACs (SCIs or cSACs), SPAs, pSPAs, SSSIs, and Ramsar sites.

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Traffic Data Requirements

• Flow

– Annual Average Daily Flow (AADT)

• Speed

– Average Daily Speed (kph)

• HGVs

– Percentage > 3.5 tonnes gross

• Level of detail required dependent on Scheme purpose, design, location

– Peak Hour

– Congestion Alleviation

– Queuing

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Vehicle Emissions

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Traffic Data Requirements

• Early Engagement

– Input to Traffic Survey Design

• 24 hour 7 Day Count Surveys

• Speed Data

• Vehicle Classification (Manual?)

– Input to Traffic Model Design

• Optimise model setup for minimal data processing upon receipt

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Simple and/or Detailed Level Assessment

• Simple– Application of DMRB Screening Method Spreadsheet

v1.03– Alternative methodology may be required and applied

through agreement with REA/NetServe Specialists

– Inputs• Traffic Data - Averages• Background Concentrations

• Detailed– Application of advanced dispersion modelling (ADMS-

Roads)

– Inputs• Traffic Data - Profiling• Background Concentrations• Meteorological Data• Monin-Ubukhov Length• Surface Roughness• …….. Etc.

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Simple and/or Detailed Level Assessment

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Simple and/or Detailed Level Assessment

• Monitoring– Annual Mean Objective/Limit Value

– 12 Months

– 9 Months• LAQM.TG(09) – 75% Data capture ‘acceptable’

– 6 Months – with suitable factoring (subject to available data)

• 3 Winter Months• 3 Summer Months

– < 6 Months• Limited confidence

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Simple and/or Detailed Level Assessment

Model Validation/Verification

• Validation

– Model is fit for purpose, demonstrated by model developers, HA/CERC

• Verification

– Comparison of model predictions with local monitoring

– Model adjustment• Large adjustment factors magnify the positive

and negative effects of a scheme

• Aim to reduce the adjustment required by improving model setup / input data quality

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Mitigation/Enhancement and Monitoring

• Iterative design, assessment and identification

• Measures that could be taken to

– avoid or reduce adverse impacts; or

– enhance the positive environmental performance of the Scheme

• In terms of both human health and ecological impacts

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Topics Not Covered in Presentation

• Economics Appraisals

– Project Appraisal Report (PAR)

– Transport Analysis Guidance (webTAG)

– New Approach to Assessment (NATA)

• Consistent Assessment Approach Required

– Assessment Criteria Different

• Different Study Area

• Different Definitions of Scheme Effects

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Summary – Take Home Messages

• Early Engagement

– Monitoring

– Traffic Modelling Design

• Don’t fear air quality being a ‘problem’

– Plan and Programme

• Talk to us – we can help

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Contact Details

Mark Chapman

Air Quality and Odour Discipline Manager

mark.chapman@mouchel.com

01483 731 378

07976 344 311

Ana Grossinho

Air Quality and Odour Technical Manager

ana.grossinho@mouchel.com

01483 731 510

07791 643 987