Current Trends in Federal Interagency Relations Concerning Air Pollution

Under the first Federal Air Pollution Act of 1955, which assigned the responsibility for developing a national program to the Public Health Service, a significant phase of the program involved other federal agencies through a series of contractual relationships. These interdepartmental relationships were limited however, to the objective of capitalizing on the diverse research facilities and specialized competencies within the federal establishment, as a means of accelerating the research and technical assistance program authorized under the act. With the passage of the Clean Air Act of 1963, a major new emphasis has been added to the federal air pollution control program—application of technical knowledge, through broadly accelerated control programs. This emphasis is reflected in current trends in the nature and type of the Public Health Service’s developing relationships with other federal agencies. The emerging PHS programs to prevent and control air pollution from federal facilities, the PHS role in preventing pollution arising from transportation systems aided under the new Urban Mass Transportation Act, and other developing interagency relationships and problem areas are discussed in this context.     

Organizational and Operational Techniques for Relieving Manpower Shortages in Air Pollution Control Agencies

Many governmental air pollution control agencies are confronted with a shortage of manpower, both in terms of numbers of people and qualifications of available staff members. This paper discusses a number of techniques which may be used to relieve this manpower shortage. The techniques are discussed in terms of collaboration between state and local agencies; organizational structures which make maximum use of scarce categories of people; program policies which conserve the time of agency staff; operating schemes which save travel time and minimize skills required; and working tools that can be used to get the greatest production with available personnel.     

The Emissions and Dispersion Modeling System (EDMS): Its Development and Application at Airports and Airbases

A new complex source microcomputer model has been developed for use at civil airports and Air Force bases. This paper describes both the key features of this model and its application in evaluating the air quality impact of new construction projects at three airports: one in the United States and two in Canada.

The single EDMS model replaces the numerous models previously required to assess the air quality impact of pollution sources at airports. EDMS also employs a commercial data base to reduce the time and manpower required to accurately assess and document the air quality impact of airfield operations.

On July 20, 1993, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the final rule (Federal Register, 7/20/93, page 38816) to add new models to the Guideline on Air Quality Models. At that time EDMS was incorporated into the Guideline as an Appendix A model.     

The Province of Ontario’s Air Pollution Control Program

The Province passed an Air Pollution Control Act in 1958 which delegated control of all types of air pollution to the municipalities. This was amended in 1963 with the Province assuming control of industrial sources of air pollution and the municipalities retaining control of combustion sources. The paper outlines the comprehensive program adopted by the Province. It points out that while control is a primary function, other functions such as ambient air quality sampling, the collection of micro meteorological data, co-operation with other governmental agencies in agriculture, planning and zoning, economics and development, and water pollution are a vital part of the program. In light of the experience to date, an attempt is made to predict the organization necessary for the future.     

Air pollution and mortality: A history

Mortality is the most important health effect of ambient air pollution and has been studied the longest. The earliest evidence relates to fog episodes but with the development of more precise methods of investigation it is still possible to discern short-term temporal associations with daily mortality at the historically low levels of air pollution that now exist in most developed countries. Another early observation was that mortality was higher in more polluted areas. This has been confirmed by modern cohort studies that account for other potential explanations for such associations. There does not appear to be a threshold of effect within the ambient range of concentrations. Advances in the understanding of air pollution and mortality have been driven by the combined development of methods and biomedical concepts. The most influential methodological developments have been in time-series techniques and the establishment of large cohort studies, both of which are underpinned by advances in data processing and statistical analysis. On the biomedical side two important developments can be identified. One has been the application of the concept of multifactorial disease causation to explaining how air pollution may affect mortality at low levels and why thresholds are not obvious at the population level. The other has been an increasing understanding of how air pollution may plausibly have pathophysiological effects that are remote from the lung interface with ambient air. Together, these advances have had a profound influence on policies to protect public health. Throughout the history of air pollution epidemiology, mortality studies have been central and this will continue because of the widespread availability of mortality data on a large population scale and the weight that mortality carries in estimating impacts for policy development.     

Pennsylvania’s Compuiterized Air Monitoring System

The Pennsylvania Air Pollution Commission has developed a regulatory program based upon the control of local air pollution problems and reduction of pollutant levels in air basins. The geographical boundaries of 10 air basins have been established. The Commission’s air basin regulations will provide for the reduction of over-all pollutant levels and for emergency procedures in the event of adverse meteorological conditions. The paper discusses the format and objectives of the program.

In order to effectively enforce the air basin regulations and maintain the necessary surveillance of the state’s air quality, a "computerized real time on-line integrated air monitoring-data handling system" has been designed. The system will incorporate a network to constantly monitor the air in each air basin.The primary objectives of the system are: 1. Constant surveillance of air pollution in the air basins.

2. Provide information on air pollution potential alerts.

3. Aid in further development of air quality criteria and regulations.

The air monitoring network is estimated to include approximately 25 remote stations. Each remote will contain air pollution and meteorological sampling equipment and hardware to telemeter to a central station. The data will be transmitted over leased telephone lines. The central station in Harrisburg will contain the necessary hardware to receive and process data, calculate and display results and permit supervisory control of the network. Output options will include immediate display of edited data, command and alarm information, and presentation of statistical results.

Although the air monitoring system is one of the principle ingredients of the program, the air basin concept encompasses other component systems designed to knit together the entire air pollution control program in Pennsylvania.     

Legal and Regulatory Issues in Air Quality Management for the Electric Power Industry

A Conference on Air Quality Management in the Electric Power Industry was held at The University of Texas at Austin in Austin, TX, on January 28-30, 1976. The opening session of the Conference was devoted to legal and regulatory issues in air pollution control related to the electric power industry. The purpose of this session was to present the viewpoints of those Federal and state regulatory agencies most directly involved in air pollution control for the electric power industry. Emphasis was placed on those issues relating to the increasing need for coal and oil combustion to meet the Nation’s electrical energy requirements, concentrating on the five southwestern states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas in Federal Region VI.     

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     

Sulfate and Nitrate in Total Suspended Participate in Ontario

In order to make the information in the Federal Register more easily accessible, a summary has been prepared of Federal standards of performance for new stationary sources of air pollution. The standards of performance promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency in the period from December 1971 through June 1979 are presented in tabular form.     

State and Local Manpower Resources and Requirements for Air Pollution Control

A recent survey discloses that the total number of professional and technical personnel currently employed in state and local air pollution control agencies is small relative to the total employment of scientists, engineers, and technicians in state and local government generally. The data also indicate that very few positions in control agencies require specialized formal training in air pollution control prior to employment. In general, the future demand for qualified personnel to staff state and local programs depends fundamentally upon our national air quality objectives and the abatement strategy for achieving these objectives. Not until air quality objectives have been made operational and a comprehensive control strategy has been adopted will it be possible to make meaningful forecasts of future state and local manpower requirements. State and local control agencies could probably meet their present requirements by attracting qualified scientists, engineers, and technicians from other fields, if they had salary structures which were competitive with those of industry and the federal government.     

An investigation of distributed lag models in the context of air pollution and mortality time series analysis

In particulate air pollution mortality time series studies, the particulate air pollution exposure measure used is typically the current day's or the previous day's air pollution concentration or a multi-day moving average air pollution concentration. Distributed lag models (DLMs) that allow for differential air pollution effects that are spread over multiple days are seen as an improvement over using a single- or multi-day moving average air pollution exposure measure. However, at the current time, the statistical properties of DLMs as a measure of air pollution exposure have not been investigated. In this paper, a simulation study is used to investigate the performance of DLMs as a measure of air pollution exposure in comparison with single- and multi-day moving average air pollution exposure measures under various forms for the true effect of air pollution on mortality. The simulation study shows that DLMs offer a more robust measure of the effect of air pollution on mortality and avoid the potential for a large negative bias compared with single- or multi-day moving average air pollution exposure measures. This is important information. In many U.S. cities, particulate air pollution concentrations are observed only once every six days, meaning it is often only possible to use single-day particulate air pollution exposure measures. The results from this paper will help quantify the magnitude of the negative bias that can result from using single-day exposure measures. The implications of this work for future air pollution mortality time series studies are discussed. The data used in this paper are concurrent daily time series of mortality, weather, and particulate air pollution from Cook County, IL, for the period 1987-1994.     

State and Local Air Pollution Control Agency Salary Levels—1971

This paper is an examination of the range of salary levels of state, local, and multijurisdictional air pollution control agencies for specific occupational categories. It is based on a manpower and training survey of such agencies conducted by the Office of Air Programs of the Environmental Protection Agency during 1971. Since inadequate salaries have been identified as a primary obstacle in staffing air pollution control agencies, an analysis of salary levels was among the focal points for the survey.

Salaries were found to vary according to occupational category, type of agency, and size of agency. In most instances, salary levels increase as the size of the agency increases. Mean starting salaries have risen significantly since 1968, and salaries for chemists and engineers are becoming more competitive with salaries in private industry.     

The Regulation of Toxic Air Pollutants A Critical Review

ABSTRACT

Passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments launched the Acid Rain Program in the United States. This initiative, based on the market mechanism of a sulfur dioxide tradable “allowance” system, was a dramatic departure from traditional command and control strategies designed to reduce air pollution emissions. Power plant managers have flexibility under the program to select and implement a variety of options to reduce emissions below mandated levels. Federal agencies have collected annual performance data for affected facilities covered by the program for a number of years. Coal-burning plants are typically greater generators of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) than oil burners of equivalent size. This study examined the effect of fuel type as a significant factor influencing a plant's achievement in reducing pollution emissions. Achievement was measured by using a derived variable, delta (A), defined as the difference between pounds of SO₂ produced divided by the energy (in million Btu) generated, for the years 1990 and 1995. Rigorous nonparametric statistical analyses were used to compare the two populations of coal-fired and oil-fired plants. Results indicated that coal-burning facilities achieved greater program success, measured by the expected value of delta, than the oil combustors for the five-year period reviewed. Since utility managers must take steps to ensure all applicable requirements of the program are met, findings of the inquiry should prove to be useful in assessing achievable emissions reductions and aid in long-range facility planning.     

California Experience with Air Quality Standards

Air quality standards have existed in California for almost six years. They have become an important part of the State’s air pollution control program.

The two principal uses of the standards have been to establish the goals for controlling motor vehicle emissions and to provide a basis for evaluating air quality throughout the State. The standards have also proved to be valuable as a means of communicating on air pollution problems with legislators, administrators, the press, the public, and dischargers of pollutants.

Lack of adequate data on the effects of varying concentrations of contaminants of concern in air pollution is a serious limitation in any effort to establish air quality standards.It is important that this data be obtained.

The concept of employing air quality standards as administrative goals is not unique to the air pollution field but is part of a broad trend to utilize standards for insuring a satisfactory environment. Those engaged in the air pollution field can expect to see increasing emphasis on such standards.

Air quality standards do not provide a magic formula for eliminating air pollution; they are but one element in a comprehensive program. They have limitations and are no better than the data upon which they are based. The standards, however, can play an important role in preserving satisfactory air quality and protecting man’s health.

In using air quality standards, one should keep in mind the comments of H. W. Streeter⁵ on water quality standards—“Let us devise them, try them, revise them, and apply them, but also remember that they are but ’feeble instruments of the human will’ and like all other such tools are made to be discarded for better ones when they become worn out.“     

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.     

Epidemiological Aspects of Air Pollution

An urban air pollution incident, like a natural or man-made catastrophe, presents a crisis situation which can only be relieved if adequate contingency plans have been prepared in advance and an effective control organization is in a state of operational readiness to meet the threatened emergency. Although many air pollution incident control plans have been proposed in the past, most have remained in the conceptual or theoretical stages of preparation, because the relative infrequency of serious urban air pollution crises and the disruptive nature of major emission control operations tend to limit the opportunities available for field testing of these plans. In this respect, air pollution incident control planning is analogous to strategic planning for a military operation, where the only completely legitimate test of a strategy is applied on the battlefield. In order to accomplish the transition from conceptual planning to a practical, operational field strategy for air pollution incident control, a program of incident control tests has been initiated in Chicago. These field tests, which use the city as a laboratory for the development of control strategies, are analogous to a series of military war games in which communication systems, command and control organizational structures, personnel roles, surveillance and monitoring equipment, control resources and pollution source controllability are tested under conditions which approximate as closely as possible the situation which prevails during an actual air pollution incident. This paper discusses the evolution of an incident control strategy from an initial, fixed response emission control exercise, through a meteorologically initiated control test to a fairly realistic war game series which is still developing.     

Methodology for the Study of Public Attitudes Concerning Air Pollution

A significant element of a community's total air pollution picture is the “state of mind” of the people living in the area with respect to air pollution. The reasons why a study of public attitudes can be an important factor in planning an air pollution control program are briefly summarized. The methodology applied in one such study in the St. Louis Metropolitan area is described, and possible variations related to different scope, objectives and survey area characteristics are suggested.     

Impact of three interactive Texas state regulatory programs to decrease ambient air toxic levels

The Federal Clean Air Act (FCAA) framework envisions a federal-state partnership whereby the development of regulations may be at the federal level or state level with federal oversight. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes National Ambient Air Quality Standards to describe “safe” ambient levels of criteria pollutants. For air toxics, the EPA establishes control technology standards for the 187 listed hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) but does not establish ambient standards for HAPs or other air toxics. Thus, states must ensure that ambient concentrations are not at harmful levels. The Texas Clean Air Act authorizes the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the Texas state environmental agency, to control air pollution and protect public health and welfare. The TCEQ employs three interactive programs to ensure that concentrations of air toxics do not exceed levels of potential health concern (LOCs): air permitting, ambient air monitoring, and the Air Pollutant Watch List (APWL). Comprehensive air permit reviews involve the application of best available control technology for new and modified equipment and ensure that permits protect public health and welfare. Protectiveness may be demonstrated by a number of means, including a demonstration that the predicted ground-level concentrations for the permitted emissions, evaluated on a case-by-case and chemical-by-chemical basis, do not cause or contribute to a LOC. The TCEQ's ambient air monitoring program is extensive and provides data to help assess the potential for adverse effects from all operational equipment in an area. If air toxics are persistently monitored at a LOC, an APWL area is established. The purpose of the APWL is to reduce ambient air toxic concentrations below LOCs by focusing TCEQ resources and heightening awareness. This paper will discuss examples of decreases in air toxic levels in Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas, resulting from the interactive nature of these programs.

Implications: Texas recognized through the collection of ambient monitoring data that additional measures beyond federal regulations must be taken to ensure that public health is protected. Texas integrates comprehensive air permitting, extensive ambient air monitoring, and the Air Pollutant Watch List (APWL) to protect the public from hazardous air toxics. Texas issues air permits that are protective of public health and also assesses ambient air to verify that concentrations remain below levels of concern in heavily industrialized areas. Texas developed the APWL to improve air quality in those areas where monitoring indicates a potential concern. This paper illustrates how Texas engaged its three interactive programs to successfully address elevated air toxic levels in Houston and Corpus Christi.     

Results of the NATO-CCMS Pilot Study

The NATO Council has in November, 1979, on the occasion of its autumn session, consented to the final report of the Pilot Study “Air Pollution Assessment Methodology and Modeling” which had been proposed by the Federal Republic of Germany and approved by NATO/CCMS in May, 1976. The recommendations on measures for air pollution control in the NATO member countries contained in the Final Report were adopted unanimously.     

Air Resource Management in the Chicago Metropolitan Area

This paper discusses the approach used by the City of Chicago to encourage the implementation of an air resource management program in the metropolitan area. It explores the many facets that were helpful in designing and implementing the City of Chicago’s Five-Year Air Resource Management Program and the progress to date. Also highlighted is the social geography of the metropolitan area and the relationship of population growth and rapid industrial expansion to the area’s air pollution problem. Existing control programs in the Chicago Metropolitan Area are reviewed and are used to document the various elements essential for the success of an air resource management program. These include the Chicago Program, the Cook County Program, the State of Illinois Program and the Interstate Program between Illinois and Indiana. The authors devote considerable discussion to the methodology used to develop an air resource management program, including selection of goals, design of organization, technical development, definition of sources and effects, systems approach, and long- and short-range objectives. The importance of a public information and education program and its relationship to various segments of community leadership are also covered in this paper