tonawanda community air quality study...tonawanda community air quality study new york state...

NYS Department of Environmental ConservationNYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Tonawanda Community Air Quality Study

New York State Department ofEnvironmental Conservation

National Air Monitoring ConferenceNovember 4, 2009

Gaylord Opryland Hotel - Nashville, TN


Purpose of the Study• Participate in the National Ambient Air

Toxics Monitoring Strategy• Characterize the degree and extent of

local-scale air toxics concerns• Provide information for the community

and State and Local government to identify the need for implementing risk reduction strategies


Why Was Tonawanda Selected ?

• Community concerns about ambient concentrations of benzene and other compounds

• EPA’s 1999 National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) for Erie County

• Coke Oven Residual Risk Assessment prepared by EPA


Tonawanda Study Plan

• Collect monitoring data from 4 sites for 1 year• Analyze pollutant specific data

– Evaluate influence of wind direction on monitored concentrations

– Compare annual average concentrations to health- based guidelines and characterize risk

– Assess emissions and potential contribution to monitored concentrations

• Mobile sources, large (major) and small (area) industrial, and manufacturing sources


Tonawanda Study Plan

• Enhance emission inventory for large and small sources

• Model these emissions to:– Allow for comparison to monitored values– Allow for analysis of previously modeled air toxics

(EPA’s NATA)– Evaluate a new multi-facility modeling tool

developed by EPA– Evaluate previous Coke Oven modeling results,

conducted for Residual Risk Assessment


Air Toxics Measured

• 44 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and 12 Carbonyls

• 1 in 6 day sampling schedule (24 hour samples)

• 15 of the chemicals are high priority urban air toxics targeted for reductions by the 1990 Clean Air Act


Monitoring Report

• Air monitors and meteorological station operated for one year successfully

• Data capture greater than 90% for all sites• The comparison of monitored data to:

– Annual Guideline Concentration (AGC)


Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5 )

• New York State and the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), 15 g/m3

– Brookside Terrace Yearly average, 12.6 g/m3

• New York State and NAAQS 24-hour standard, 35 g/m3 (98th percentile)– 24-hour measured concentration at

Brookside Terrace, 32.1 g/m3


Sulfur Dioxide (SO2 )• New York State and the National Ambient Air

Quality Standard (NAAQS), 0.03 ppm– Tonawanda Yearly average, 0.003 ppm

• New York State and NAAQS 24-hour standard, 0.14 ppm– Sampling days

• Minimum 24 hour value, < 0.0003 ppm• Maximum 24 hour value, 0.008 ppm


Air Toxics Results

• Presenting results for 6 compounds– Five had annual results above the AGC– One was of concern to the community

• 9 additional compounds had results with consistent detectable concentrations but below the AGC


Conclusion (given at start of last public meeting)

The results of the community air quality monitoring study and data analysis indicates there is a need for a focused effort to reduce the burden of air toxics in the Tonawanda area.


Compounds greater than the AGC

• Volatile Organic Compounds– Benzene– Acrolein– Carbon tetrachloride

• Carbonyls

– Formaldehyde– Acetaldehyde


• Manmade sources include: • Tobacco smoke• Motor vehicle• Oil and natural gas production• Petroleum refining & distribution• Burning coal, oil and gas• Gasoline service stations• Coke ovens and coal chemical manufacturing• Rubber tire manufacturing• Storage or transport of benzene

• Natural sources• Emissions from wildfires

Benzene Sources


Benzene Sources in Tonawanda• Point Sources

– Indeck Yerkes Energy Services – Goodyear Dunlop Tires – NOCO Energy Corp.– NRG Huntley Electric Generating– Sunoco Tonawanda Terminal– Tonawanda Coke Corp.

• Area Sources– Gasoline stations, truck terminals– Commercial and Industrial Boilers

• Mobile Sources– Car and truck exhaust/evaporative

Benzene 12 month average

0.00

3.00

6.00

9.00

12.00

Beaver IslandState Park

BrooksideTerrace Drive

Grand IslandBlvd

Sheridan ParkWater Tower

Con

cent

ratio

n g

/m3

2007 State annual averageAGC - 0.13 g/m3


NYS Benzene Monitoring Data 2005-2007Benzene Cancer Risk

02468

1012141618

BTRSWTBISPLA

CK NFRCHTROY

WFPS-59NY-B

GPS-27

4FWFKGIS-52

Monitoring Sites

risk/

mill

ion


Next StepsBenzene-Log Scale

0.1

1

10

100

7/5/

077/

11/0

77/

17/0

77/

23/0

77/

29/0

78/

4/07

8/10

/07

8/16

/07

8/22

/07

8/28

/07

9/3/

079/

9/07

9/15

/07

9/21

/07

9/27

/07

10/3

/07

10/9

/07

10/1

5/07

10/2

1/07

10/2

7/07

11/2

/07

11/8

/07

11/1

4/07

11/2

0/07

11/2

6/07

12/2

/07

12/8

/07

12/1

4/07

12/2

0/07

12/2

6/07

1/1/

081/

7/08

1/13

/08

1/19

/08

1/25

/08

1/31

/08

2/6/

082/

12/0

82/

18/0

82/

24/0

83/

1/08

3/7/

083/

13/0

83/

19/0

83/

25/0

83/

31/0

84/

6/08

4/12

/08

4/18

/08

4/24

/08

4/30

/08

5/6/

085/

12/0

85/

18/0

85/

24/0

85/

30/0

86/

5/08

6/11

/08

6/17

/08

6/23

/08

6/29

/08

7/5/

087/

11/0

8

Date

Con

cent

ratio

n (u

g/m

3)

BISPGIBIBTRSSPWT


Benzene Conc.Beaver Island SP

0.56 ug/m3

Grand Island Blvd

45 ug/m3

Brookside Terrace

10 ug/m3

October 3, 2007

Next Steps


–Scale Max. ≈

60 µg/m3


–Scale Max. ≈

10–Scale Max. ≈

60 µg/m3


–Scale Max. ≈

1–Scale Max. ≈

60 µg/m3


– Benzene Pollution Roses


Acrolein• Manmade sources

• Tobacco smoke• Chemical manufacturing (acrylic acid)• Combustion of petrochemical fuels and coal• Mobile source exhaust (cars, trucks, airplanes)• Formed when cooking fats are overheated• Breakdown by sunlight of various hydrocarbon pollutants

(such as 1,3-butadiene)• Used as an herbicide and algicide

• Natural sources• Product of fermentation and ripening processes• Released when organic matter such as trees and other

plants, including tobacco, are burned


Acrolein Sources in Tonawanda• Point Sources

– 3M Tonawanda– Indeck Yerkes Energy Services– NRG Huntley Electric Generating – Tonawanda Coke Corp.

• Area Sources– Commercial and Industrial Boilers

• Mobile Sources– Car and truck exhaust

Acrolein 12 month average

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50



Grand IslandBlvd


Con

cent

ratio

n g

/m3

AGC - 0.018 g/m3


– Acrolein Pollution Roses


Formaldehyde• Manmade Sources

– Predominantly used as a chemical intermediate– Manufacturing of urea-formaldehyde resins, used

in particleboard products– Combustion sources, smoking– Mobile exhaust emissions– Breakdown of other compounds

• Natural Sources– Wildfires, animal wastes, plant volatiles


Formaldehyde Sources in Tonawanda

• Point Sources• Indeck Yerkes Energy Services• NRG Huntley Electric Generating• Tonawanda Coke

• Area Sources– Industrial Boilers

• 3M Tonawanda• FMC Corp.• Goodyear Dunlop Tires


Formaldehyde 12 month average

0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00



Grand IslandBlvd


Con

cent

ratio

n g

/m3

2007 State annual average

AGC - 0.06g/m3


– Formaldehyde Pollution Roses


Acetaldehyde• Manmade

– intermediate in the synthesis of other chemicals, perfumes, polyester resins, and basic dyes.

– solvent in the rubber, tanning, and paper industries

– product of incomplete combustion• Natural Sources

– Wildfires


Acetaldehyde Sources in Tonawanda

• Point Sources– 3M Tonawanda– Goodyear Dunlop– Indeck Yerkes Energy Services

• Area Sources– Commercial and Industrial Boilers


Acetaldehyde 12 month average

0.00

0.40

0.80

1.20

1.60



Grand IslandBlvd


Con

cent

ratio

n g

/m3

2007 State annual averageAGC - 0.45g/m3


Carbon tetrachloride• Manmade sources

– Manufacturing agent for refrigerants and propellants for aerosol cans

– Solvent for oils, fats, lacquers, varnishes, and resins– Grain fumigant– Dry cleaning agent– Consumer and fumigant uses have been discontinued– Production and consumption phased out in U.S in 1999

• Natural Sources– No natural sources

Carbon tetrachloride 12 month average

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00



Grand IslandBlvd


Con

cent

ratio

n g

/m3

2007 State annual averageAGC - 0.063 g/m3


– Carbon Tetrachloride Pollution Roses

Carbon disulfide 12 month average

0.00

0.40

0.80

1.20

1.60

2.00



Grand IslandBlvd


Con

cent

ratio

n g

/m3

AGC - 700 g/m3


Commitment to the Public• Keep public informed by holding

public meetings to discuss project and results

• Continue to work on air pollution reduction strategies

• Collaborate with the Clean Air Coalition of Western N.Y.


Questions• About Tonawanda facilities and emissions

Larry Sitzman (716) 851-7130• About Tonawanda study

Toxics Analysis - Tom Gentile (518) 402-8402Monitoring - Paul Sierzenga (518) 402-8508

[email protected]

Final report available at:

www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/55471.html


Risk Assessment Terminology• What is an Annual Guideline

Concentration (AGC)?• What is non-cancer risk?• What is cancer risk?


Non-Cancer RiskThe risk associated with health effects

other than cancer that have AGCs based on animal or human toxicity studies. The AGC represents a value that is likely to be without appreciable risk of harmful effects during a lifetime.


Cancer RiskOne in one million – the AGC represents

the likelihood that up to one person, out of one million equally exposed people would contract cancer if exposed continuously (24 hrs/day) to that concentration over a lifetime.


Framework for Risk Management


Measured to Modeled NATAMonitor to NATA 2002 - Benzene

0.000

2.000

4.000

6.000

8.000

10.000

12.000

Beaver Island Park 007302

Brookside Terrace 007800

Grand Island Blvd. 008300

Sheridan Water Tower008300

Monitoring Sites

ug/m

3 MonitorNATA


Monitor to RAIMI Model - Benzene

0.000

2.000

4.000

6.000

8.000

10.000

12.000

Beaver Island StatePark

Brookside Terrace Grand Island Blvd. Sheridan Ave WaterTower

Monitoring Locations

ug/m

3 MonitorModel

Measured to Modeled - RAIMI


Monitor to HEM3 model - Benzene

0.000

2.000

4.000

6.000

8.000

10.000

12.000


Brookside Terrace Grand Island Blvd. Sheridan AveWater Tower

Monitoring Sites

ug/m

3 MonitorModel - HEM3

Measured to Modeled – HEM3


Monitor to RAIMI Model - Carbon disulfide

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2


Brookside Terrace Grand Island Blvd. Sheridan AveWater Tower

Monitoring Sites

ug/m

3 MonitorRAIMI

Measured to Modeled - RAIMI

tonawanda community air quality study...tonawanda community air quality study new york state...

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