Citizen Complaints of Air Pollution In Northeastern Illinois

In 1964, as part of the Northeastern Illinois Metropolitan Planning Commission's Air Resource Management Study, an examination was made of citizen complaints of air pollution registered with air pollution control agencies representing the City of Chicago, outlying Cook County, and the State of Illinois. The complaint files of the City of Chicago were found to contain the addresses of some 9500 air pollution sources specified by complainants in complaints covering the time period from approximately 1954 to 1964. A statistical sample of these sources showed more than 70% to be of a nonindustrial nature, with domestic fuel burning or incineration by neighbors most often specified. There were 1119 industrial process source snamed in the Chicago files; 588 nonmanufacturing and 531 manufacturing. Fabricated metal industries, primary metal industries, chemical manufacturers, and food processing plants were cited more often than other industrial categories. Complaint sources named in complaints filed by citizens with the State of Illinois, and with Cook County, differed with those of Chicago in that industrial sources were specified more often than nonindustrial ones. The reason for this is believed to lie in the reduced residential densities and the relatively great use of pollution-free fuels in the metropolitan area outside of the City of Chicago.     

A Dynamic Air Resource Management Program,City of Chicago

A review of air pollution control activities since 1881, and the current needs to change from a smoke abatement to an air resource management program are presented. The rapid and dynamic transition made by the City of Chicago since 1962 in its air pollution control activities are explored in terms of organizational changes, training of professional and nonprofessional personnel, ambient air quality measurements, emission inventory of commercial and industrial operations directed toward issuance of certificates of operation, evaluation of health effects and materials damage, modifications to the municipal code, and the interrelationship of air pollution control activities with urban planning and the regional complex. The multidiscipline Public Health Service, Division of Air Pollution, Technical Assistance program initiated in October 1962, and planned for a period of five years, is discussed. The achievements, particularly since 1962, in the many faceted Chicago air resource management program together with some of its longrange plans are delineated.     

Public Awareness and Concern with Air Pollution in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area

The public attitudes survey involving St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and Madison and St. Clair Counties, Illinois, was completed and published in the fall of 1964. A total of 1002 respondents gave needed information for the development of an acceptable abatement program. Substantial proportions from the study area expressed the view that they have had some negative reaction to the quality of the air. These respondents indicated that air pollution meant, primarily, odor and smoke with residents of some localities indicating other significant elements. The interviewed persons felt that factories and businesses were the prime causal agents in the existence of air pollution. Over 90 percent of all respondents felt that some governmental agency should do something about air pollution in the St. Louis area, with some bi-state metropolitan agency being the principal choice. The residents also expressed a willingness to pay minimal tax support for such a program. Indications as to the significance of air pollution in a general problems context, difference in attitudes between sub-sections of the study area, and more detailed analysis of the problem, its causes, and possible cures are contained in the study r     

The Air Resource Management Concept

The air resource management concept is defined and delineated. Existing successful urban air resource management programs are described. The federal role in this development is briefly noted. The broad or essential keys to a successful program involve the development of an active public policy on air conservation, a dynamic organization with active support by top management, and the use of long-range planning by the program director to attain the community’s realistic goals for air quality.     

Resource allocation for mitigating regional air pollution–related mortality: A summertime case study for five cities in the United States

An important issue of regional air quality management is to allocate air quality management funds to maximize environmental and human health benefits. In this study, we use an innovative approach to tackle this air quality management issue. We develop an innovative resource allocation model that allows identification of air pollutant emission control strategies that maximize mortality avoidances subject to a resource constraint. We first present the development of the resource allocation model and then a case study to show how the model can be used to identify resource allocation strategies that maximize mortality avoidances for top five Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) (i.e., New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Philadelphia) in the continental United States collectively. Given budget constraints in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Air Act assessment, the results of the case study suggest that controls of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and primary carbon (PC) emissions from EPA Regions 2, 3, 5, 6, and 9 would have significant health benefits for the five selected cities collectively. Around 30,800 air pollution–related mortalities could be avoided during the selected 2-week summertime episode for the five cities collectively if the budget could be allocated based on the results of the resource allocation model. Although only five U.S. cities during a 2-week episode are considered in the case study, the resource allocation model can be used by decision-makers to plan air pollution mitigation strategies to achieve the most significant health benefits for other seasons and more cities over a region or the continental U.S.Implications: Effective allocations of air quality management resources are challenging and complicated, and it is desired to have a tool that can help decision-makers better allocate the funds to maximize health benefits of air pollution mitigation. An innovative resource allocation model developed in this study can help decision-makers identify the best resource allocation strategies for multiple cities collectively. The results of a case study suggest that controls of primary carbon and sulfur dioxides emissions would achieve the most significant health benefits for five selected cities collectively.     

A Specialty Conference Summary

The Lake Michigan States Section hosted an International Specialty Conference in Chicago during March 22-24, 1983. Jointly sponsored by APCA's TP-6, TP-7, TP-9 and TT-5 Technical Committees, the technical program consisted of 49 presentations over 10 separate technical sessions. Covering a diverse range of air toxicant measurement issues, and superbly supported by the excellent instrumentation exhibit, the conference was enthusiastically received by nearly 200 attendees. General Chairmen of the conference were Frank Werderitsch, Material Service Corporation, Lyons, Illinois, and Jay Norco, ETA Engineering, Inc., Westmont Illinois.

This overview contains a selection of the highlights from the technical presentations. Of particular interest were the invited presentations of key government and industry representatives who outlined their respective activities and approaches related to toxic air contaminants. A synopsis of those government and industry remarks are also contained herein.     

Inventory of Emission for the City of Chicago

A review of the methodology used in the development and implementation of a comprehensive emission inventory survey with emphasis on manufacturing plants. This inventory, a major goal in the Dynamic Air Resource Management Program for the City of Chicago, is a principal objective of a Five-Year Technical Assistance Agreement with the United States Public Health Service, Division of Air Pollution and Chicago’s Department of Air Pollution Control. Information obtained through a 75 percent response from a questionnaire mailed to 7312 manufacturing firms provided the basis for this inventory. Data on the delinquent firms was obtained from on-site evaluation by department engineers. This report will also cover computer processing and tabulation of survey data.     

An air pollution modeling study using three surface coverings near the New International Airport of Mexico City

The dry lakebed of what once was the lake of Texcoco is the location selected for the New International Airport of Mexico City. This project will generate an important urban development near the airport with regional implications on air quality. Using a prognostic air quality model, the consequences of photochemical air pollution in the metropolitan area of Mexico City resulting from three possible coverings for the areas of the lakebed that are not occupied by the runway and terminal building are investigated. These coverings are desert, grassland, and water and occupy an area of 63 km2. This study is based on a representative high pollution episode. In addition to reducing the emission of primary natural particles, the water covering generates a land-water breeze capable of maintaining enough ventilation to reduce pollutant concentrations over a localized region of the metropolitan area and may enhance the wind speed on the coasts of the proposed lake.     

An Air Pollution Modeling Study Using Three Surface Coverings Near the New International Airport of Mexico City

Abstract

The dry lakebed of what once was the lake of Texcoco is the location selected for the New International Airport of Mexico City. This project will generate an important urban development near the airport with regional implications on air quality. Using a prognostic air quality model, the consequences of photochemical air pollution in the metropolitan area of Mexico City resulting from three possible coverings for the areas of the lakebed that are not occupied by the runway and terminal building are investigated. These coverings are desert, grassland, and water and occupy an area of 63 km². This study is based on a representative high pollution episode. In addition to reducing the emission of primary natural particles, the water covering generates a land-water breeze capable of maintaining enough ventilation to reduce pollutant concentrations over a localized region of the metropolitan area and may enhance the wind speed on the coasts of the proposed lake.     

Air Pollution Patterns In New York City

Some preliminary analyses of data selected from three years of smoke shade and sulfur dioxide measurements from the forty air monitoring stations in New York City are presented. The purpose of these analyses is to investigate the spatial-temporal variation in concentration of these pollutants throughout the five boroughs of the city. Air pollution health effects studies in New York City have often used city-wide daily morbidity or mortality statistics and related them to air pollution levels obtained from a single monitoring station. The question of whether readings at one station in New York City can adequately represent the air pollution exposure for the population in the five boroughs is examined in this paper. Some samples of correlation matrices of daily pollution averages obtained from the forty air monitoring stations are presented to illustrate the day-to-day variation in pollution in various sections of New York City. It was found that interstation correlations are not high enough to justify the use of one central pollution measuring station as representative of a large metropolitan area. Sulfur dioxide correlates better between stations than smoke shade; this may reflect the different nature and spatial distribution of sources of the two pollutants. Close proximity of stations, or the fact that they were at similar heights above street or sea level did not necessarily lead to higher correlation coefficients.     

Report from the Symposium on Air Quality Criteria

Neither time nor space permitted full reporting of the Symposium on Air Quality Criteria, held June 4-5, 1968, in New York City. The Symposium was sponsored by the Air Pollution Control Association, the American Industrial Hygiene Association, the American Petroleum Institute, and the Industrial Medical Association and its educational affiliate, The Occupational Health Institute.

Published here are excerpts from, or author’s abstracts of, the eight principal papers presented at the Symposium.

Not included are the prepared discussions which followed the delivery of the papers.

A full proceedings, including prepared discussions, general discussions, and summation, will be published in the September issue of the Journal of Occupational Medicine, 55 E. Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois 60602.     

Evaluating Sources of Indoor Air Pollution

Evaluation of Indoor air pollution problems requires an understanding of the relationship between sources, air movement, and outdoor air exchange. Research is underway to investigate these relationships. A three-phase program is being implemented: 1) Environmental chambers are used to provide source emission factors for specific indoor pollutants; 2) An IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) model has been developed to calculate indoor pollutant concentrations based on chamber emissions data and the air exchange and air movement within the indoor environment; and 3) An IAQ test house is used to conduct experiments to evaluate the model results. Examples are provided to show how this coordinated approach can be used to evaluate specific sources of indoor air pollution. Two sources are examined: 1) para-dichlorobenzene emissions from solid moth repellant; and 2) particle emissions from unvented kerosene heaters.

The evaluation process for both sources followed the three-phase approach discussed above. Para-dichlorobenzene emission factors were determined by small chamber testing at EPA’s Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory. Particle emission factors for the kerosene heaters were developed In large chambers at the J. B. Pierce Foundation Laboratory. Both sources were subsequently evaluated in EPA’s IAQ test house. The IAQ model predictions showed good agreement with the test house measurements when appropriate values were provided for source emissions, outside air exchange, in-house air movement, and deposition on “sink” surfaces.     

Air Quality Impact of Aircraft at Ten U.S. Air Force Bases

Data on visits to New York City metropolitan area hospital emergency rooms for asthmatic attacks were analyzed to identify asthma “events”: days when the number of such visits was unusually high. In the fall season such days tended to occur simultaneously at all hospitals of the study, and thus can be plausibly associated with some environmental agent acting simultaneously throughout the city. Data on sulfur dioxide and particulate concentrations from the 40-station New York City Aerometric Network were used as pollution measures, and a search for a relationship between asthma “events” and air pollution levels on the same day and on the preceding day was made using standard statistical techniques. No relationship was found.     

SWO-NK’s Air Quality Criteria and Emission Regulations

The bi-state area around Cincinnati has more than a million people in 70 political jurisdictions located in four counties. An air pollution survey was organized to prepare a plan for an air resource management program for the area. The author chaired the air quality subcommittee which recommended air quality criteria and emission regulations to the Technical Committee of SWO-NK. This paper outlines the recommendations which were subsequently adopted by the Technical Committee and the basis for them.     

The Effects of Air Pollution on Exposed Cotton Fabrics

This report covers the results of one-year exposure studies of cotton fabrics exposed at different environmental sites in the metropolitan St. Louis, Mo., and Chicago, III. areas. The 12 sites range from heavy industrial to essentially rural. The data presented definitely establish a relationship between air pollution and accelerated degradation of cotton fabrics. The data include strength retention of several cotton fabrics and air pollution data, as determined by periodic measurement of dustfall, suspended particulate matter, sulfation, and sulfur dioxide.     

Estimating Innovative Technology Costs for the SITE Program

Among the objectives of the EPA’s Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program are two which pertain to the issue of economics: 1. That the program will provide a projected cost for each treatment technology demonstrated.

2. That the program will attempt to identify and remove impediments to the development and commercial use of alternative technologies.¹

The SITE Program has fostered a special relationship between elements of the public and private sector. In turn, this has created a unique set of problems. These problems are most apparent where objectives of the public and private sector conflict, as in the area of cost economics. One concern of the SITE Program is to provide the public with an impartial analysis of each technology’s cost. Just as important is the need to be sensitive to the demands of the competitive economic environment which face every firm selling innovative technology (especially when the goal is to promote the commercial use of new technologies).

An early concern of the SITE Program was to design a methodology for projecting and reporting costs which tried to balance the needs of these two groups. Toward this end, four issues were identified which were thought to have a significant impact on the SITE Program's ability to generate useful cost projections. An analysis of these issues led to the creation of a simple five-part cost methodology. This paper will review the nature of these problems and will describe the methodology which addresses them. Finally, a review of cost data gathered from the first nine demonstrations will be presented.     

A river is reborn--Use Attainability Analysis for the Lower Des Plaines River, Illinois.

The goal of the Use Attainability Analysis (UAA) of the Lower Des Plaines River was to upgrade the designated "Secondary Contact Recreation and Indigenous Aquatic Life Use" to a higher use that would be commensurate with the goals of the Clean Water Act (CWA). In Illinois, the water body use in compliance with the goals of the CWA is named "General Use". The river has been extensively modified and receives most point-source and urban runoff discharges from the Chicago metropolitan area (9.5 million inhabitants). The study included an extensive assessment of the physical, chemical, biological, and bacteriological integrity status of the water body and sediments. The UAA found that the water quality situation of the river has improved significantly since the 1970s, when the Illinois Pollution Control Board defined and assigned the Secondary Contact Recreation and Indigenous Aquatic Life Use designation to the Lower Des Plaines River. The study defined and suggested a "Modified Impounded Use" for one highly modified reach, with adjusted standards for dissolved oxygen and recreation. The study also recommended adoption of the General Use standards, some of them in a modified form, for other water quality parameters. Standards for limited recreation were also developed. The UAA also outlines a suggested action plan that will bring UAA segments of the Lower Des Plaines River in compliance with UAA goals.     

A socio-economic method for estimating future air pollutant emissions—Chicago case study

This paper presents the development of an econometric-emission model to formulate future anthropogenic emission inventories for different societal and climate change scenarios. Our approach is to formulate the emission projections for a given scenario into growth factors that can be used to project forward the 1999 National Emission Inventory (NEI99). The process involves (1) mapping NEI99 source classification code (SCC)-based emissions into the sector or standard industrial classification (SIC)-based representation used by the econometric model, (2) developing a sectoral emission intensity (EMI) defined as the sector emissions per unit of sector economic output and the mechanism to consider EMI variations over time, (3) using the resulting EMI with econometric models and future emission activities to project future emissions, (4) and then mapping the emissions back to the original NEI99 format. As a case study, we apply the model to project emissions in the Chicago metropolitan area. The results show that the model is a fast, flexible, yet reasonable tool to produce a wide range of emission scenarios that are specific to regions, and would prove valuable for future air quality and other impact studies.