Civic Exchange 2009 The Air We Breathe Conference - Experts Symposium 9 January 2009 U.S. Politics and Laws as Drivers for Air Quality Management (AQM) presented by John G Watson (Desert Research Institute) http://air.dialogue.org.hk

1. U.S. Politics and Laws as Drivers for Air
Quality Management (AQM)
John G. Watson (johnw@dri.edu)
Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, USA
Presented at
THE AIR WE BREATHE: a public health dialogue
January 10, 2009
Wan Chai, Hong Kong, SAR China

2. Main Points
• Basic human needs must be met before citizens care
about air pollution
• People respond first to what they can see and smell
• Basing emission reduction strategies on healthful
ambient concentrations (NAAQS) has driven pollution
control technology
• Single pollutant control strategies have been effective for
most directly-emitted pollutants
• Multi-pollutant control strategies are needed for pollutants
that form after emission (ozone, sulfate, nitrate, organic
carbon)
• The piecemeal development and lack of accountability of
the U.S. AQM system has resulted in inefficiencies,
excessive litigation, implementation delays, and
rentention of older assessment technologies

3. Citizens were upset with poor visibility in major cities
9:20am in downtown Pittsburgh, 1946 Afternoon in Los Angeles, early 1960s

4. Citizens were also concerned about poor
visibility in treasured national parks
Grand Canyon, 6/21/1985, 9 AM Four Corners coal-fired power station, east
of Grand Canyon, 1970s

5. U.S. Air Quality Management is an Iterative Process
Establish
Goals
Determine Monitoring
Inventories
NAAQS Emissions Analysis & Modeling
Visibility Goals
PSD increments
Reductions PAMS network
Photochemical Grid Modeling
Acid Rain SOx Cap
Track and Develop
Evaluate Programs to
Scientific
Results achieve
Research
Tools: SIPs, Local &Tribal plans
Monitoring (air quality, Legislative Mobile Reductions
visibility, deposition, emissions). Federal Fuel additive Rules
Attain 3-5 years NSPS
NESHAP (risk)
Attain 3, 5-10 years
Attain 3, 5-10(+2) years
Implement “Subpart D” in Nonattainment Areas
or 3, 6, 9, 15-17, 20 years (O3) and Enforce - RACT and New Source Review
- Reasonable progress
Rule Effectiveness
CEMs
Strategies -Mobile I/M
Utility NSPS % Reduction
Sources comply
Federal Acid Rain Program
Permits
Federal MACT plus risk
1970 Clean Air Act Amendments Enforcement
Tier 2, toxics mobile standards
1977 Clean Air Act Amendments NSR Permits
O3/PM area classification,
1990 Clean Air Act Amendments Title V permit programs
Requirements:
VOC, NOx RACT; Federal CTG, I/M,
from Bachmann, 2007 3%/yr progress, New source offsets,
O3 Transport Commission

6. Multiple Emission Reduction Laws and Regulations
have Been Promulgated for U.S. AQM
• Ambient air quality standards (NAAQS)
• Emissions caps and trading
• Demonstrated reasonable progress
• Emission fees and fines
• Emission limits (NSPS, Tiers 1,2,3,4,5)
• Effluent treatment requirements (RACT, BACT,
MACT, LAER)
• Retrofit Requirements (NSR, BACT)
• Product design specifications
• Forced shutdowns
• Fuel specifications
• Inspection and Maintenance programs
• Energy efficiency requirements

7. U.S. AQM has been Successful for Individual Pollutants

8. Future Challenges for U.S. Air Quality
Management
• Simplify overlapping rules and regulations
• Regulate pollutant combinations rather than
individual pollutants
• Re-design source characterization and
ambient networks for data uses beyond
compliance and phase-in new measurement
technologies
• Expand spatial domains for AQM beyond
local, state, and national boundaries

9. Source Material
• Simplify overlapping rules and regulations
• Regulate pollutant combinations rather than
individual pollutants
• Re-design source characterization and
ambient networks for data uses beyond
compliance and phase-in new measurement
technologies
• Expand spatial domains for AQM beyond
local, state, and national boundaries

10. Source Material
• Bachmann, J.D. (2007). Will the circle be unbroken: A history of the US national ambient air quality standards-2007 Critical Review. J. Air Waste
of standards-
Manage. Assoc., 57(6):652-697.
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Loh, Lev-
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54(10), 1226-
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River
Hong Kong, 2004.
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Mcghee, Chau, Chau, Thach, Loh,
solution in Hong Kong - Understanding the connections among visibility, air pollution, and health costs in pursuit of accountability,
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