Photographs and design provided by:

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Photographs and design provided by Mr. Gerald
Milligan, Environmental Investigator Technical
Services Section City of Houston, Bureau of Air
Quality Control Additional information provided
by Ms. Jacqueline Lentz, Staff Analyst City of
Houston, Bureau of Air Quality Control
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Bureau of Air Quality Control Addresses air
quality issues within the Houston city
limitsEnforces federal and state air pollution
regulationsOperates and maintains a City-wide
air monitoring networkEnforces Houstons Air
Pollution Registration OrdinanceProvides
engineering review of air permits being evaluated
by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
(TCEQ)
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Activity of the Bureau of Air Quality Control is
governed by two contracts between the City of
Houston and the Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality, which receives funding from the
Environmental Protection Agency.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) City
of Houston (COH) Houston Department of Health
and Human Services (HDHHS) Bureau of Air
Quality Control (BAQC)
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BUREAU OF AIR QUALITY CONTROL (BAQC) 7411 Park
Place Blvd. Houston, TX 77087-4441 Phone (713)
640-4200 Fax [phone]
Enforcement Engineering Technical Services
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HDHHS MISSION To work in partnership with the
community to promote andprotect the health and
social well being of Houstonians. HDHHS
VISION Self-sufficient families and individuals
in safe and healthy communities.  
BAQC MISSION To protect public health by
improving the quality of ambient air in
Houston. BAQC VISION Clean air meet the
milestones of the Clean Air Act and the State
Implementation Plan.  
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• HDHHS/BAQC CORE VALUES
•  Accountability
• Quality
• Integrity
• Teamwork/Cooperation
• Innovation
• Proaction
• Compassion
• Competency
• Diversity
• Efficiency
• Non-Judgmental
•  

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Enforcement
Investigation Inspects small facilities such as
used car lots, paint and body shops and dry
cleaners, in addition to small industrial sites
for compliance with State and Federal regulations
and procedures. Responds to and investigates air
pollution related complaints including those
related to volatile organics and particulate
matter. Stage Two (II) Recovery Inspects and
tests gasoline dispensing facilities to determine
compliance with State and Federal regulations and
procedures as they relate to the process of
dispensing fuel from the storage tank to the
vehicle.
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Enforcement
Call [phone] or 311 to file a
complaint Nuisance Rule 30 TAC 101.4 No person
shall discharge from any source whatsoever one or
more air contaminants or combinations thereof, in
such concentration and of such duration as are or
may tend to be injurious to or to adversely
affect human health or welfare, animal life,
vegetation, or property, or as to interfere with
the normal use and enjoyment of animal life,
vegetation, or property.
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Enforcement

• You can provide us with information for use in an
  enforcement case
• Tex. Water Code 7.0025 30 Tex. Admin. Code
  70.4
• You must follow procedures and guidance provided
  by TCEQ to ensure that the information or
  evidence is scientifically reliable and legally
  defensible.
• If you want the information you provide to be
  used as evidence in an enforcement case, you
  cannot remain anonymous.
• TCEQ rules do not authorize you to enter the
  property of another person for purposes of
  gathering information to document a violation.
• Reference www.tceq.state.tx.us/compliance/complai
  nts/protocols/evi_proto.html

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Enforcement
Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality Photographic Documentation Procedures A
photograph includes pictures taken with film,
electronic, or digital technology, as well as
videotape or moving pictures. The photographs
should have the following information written in
ink on the back of the photograph 1. Date 2.
Location (include site name, registration,
permit, account and/or regulated entity number,
if applicable) 3. Name of Person Taking
Photograph 4. Number Sequence (e.g., 1 of 5) 5.
Brief Description of the photograph (e.g.,
Picture of discharge on north end of property
Photograph taken facing north.) Reference
www.tceq.state.tx.us/compliance/complaints/protoco
ls/photo_proto_411657.pdf
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Enforcement

• www.tceq.state.tx.us/compliance/complaints/protoco
  ls/evi_proto.html
• Microscopy Tapelift Sampling Procedure
• Odor Complaint Investigation Procedures
• Sampling ambient air using Summa Canisters
• Surface soil sampling
• Measurement of stack opacity using EPA Method 9
• Chain of custody document

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Engineering
Major Sources Section Conducts comprehensive
compliance investigations at major sources and
other sources of interest. Conducts compliance
reviews of Title V Permit compliance
certifications and other periodic
reports. Emissions Events Section Conducts
emissions event investigations at selected sites
and in response to reported events. Leak Ops
Section Surveys and assesses emissions sources
to find and address unauthorized and
under-reported sources of emissions. Permits
Section Conducts site assessments to give TCEQ
permit staff site specific information relating
receptor locations, provides comments to TCEQ on
proposed permit modifications and new permits and
conducts compliance investigations involving
requirements associated with emissions source
authorizations.
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Engineering

• Recent Significant Findings
• Facilities
• Tanks, wastewater systems, loading/unloading,
  leak detection and repair (LDAR) components and
  cooling towers
• Violations
• Unsealed or open ended lines in Hazardous Air
  Pollutant Service
• Loading VOC material at a loading rack that is
  not achieving leak- free performance
• Leaks from tanks
• Operating a facility without authorization
• Emissions exceed authorization limits
  (demonstrations criteria of 30 TAC 101.222 were
  not satisfied)
• LDAR component leaks not fixed in a timely manner

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Investigation Process Investigations originate
from the contractual agreement that specifies how
many should occur within a year, and in response
to complaints Investigations are carried out
according to EPA and TCEQ guidelines. Viola
tors are issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) or a
Notice of Enforcement (NOE). An NOE is issued for
more serious violations and for certain repeat
violations. The company is referred for formal
enforcement as the result of an NOE, and
enforcement is handled either by the City of
Houston Legal Department or TCEQ. The companys
corrective plans in response to an NOV must be
put in writing. Violators are given a specified
time to correct the problem for an NOV depending
on the violation (not to exceed 6 months). If
not in compliance within the specified time after
an NOV, the company is issued an NOE and referred
for formal enforcement.
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Investigation Process (cont)
The Stage II (Two) investigations inspect fuel
distribution facilities for compliance with EPA
and TCEQ regulations that relate to vapor
recovery and the process of dispensing gasoline
from the storage tank to the vehicle.
Definition Stage I (One) relates to the vapor
recovery system and the process of dispensing
fuel from the delivery tanker to the storage
tank. If the facility is found to not be in
compliance a Notice of Violation (NOV) or Notice
of Enforcement (NOE) is issued (the same
enforcement process is followed for Stage II
violations that is followed for air violations).

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Technical Services
Maintains a city-wide network that monitors air
pollutants and meteorological parameters on a
continuous basis. Follows EPA quality assurance
guidelines to ensure that the data collected is
reliable. Provides public information on ozone
forecasts and actual air quality index ratings.
Provides current levels of criteria pollutants to
citizens on the TCEQ website.
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INTERMITTANT AIR MONITORING (IAMS)
CONTINUOUS AIR MONITORING (CAMS)

Criteria Pollutants Ozone
(O3) Carbon Dioxide (CO) Lead (Pb) Sulfur
Dioxide (SO2) Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
Particulate Matter
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Technical Services Section

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Common Pollutants in Urban Air

• National Ambient Air Quality Standards were
  required to be established for six common
  pollutants called criteria pollutants
• ozone (O3) - sulfur dioxide (SO2)
• particulates (PM) - nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
• lead (Pb) - carbon monoxide (CO)
• Reference www.epa.gov/air/urbanair/6poll.html

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Common Pollutants in Urban Air

• Houston-Galveston (HG) Area complies with current
  standards for all criteria pollutants except
  ozone.
• HG Area has had days above the particle matter
  standard, but is not yet non-attainment.
• Recent monitoring data indicates that there are
  air toxics hot spots in the East End of Houston
  and near the Houston Ship Channel.

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Common Pollutants in Urban Air

• Urban air is a complex mixture including varying
  proportions of air, pollutants, humidity and
  allergens.
• Exposure to multiple pollutants, generally, but
  not always, amplifies the effects of individual
  pollutants and may cause effects different from
  exposure to the same pollutants individually.
• Reference 2002 Air Quality Reference Guide for
  the Houston-Galveston Area

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Ozone

• What does ozone do to us when we breath it?
• Causes or aggravates respiratory symptoms,
  including decreased lung capacity, exacerbation
  of asthma, inflammation and swelling in lung
  tissue, secretion of mucus in respiratory
  passages.
• High levels can lead to difficulty breathing and
  are linked to increased hospital admissions and
  emergency room visits during or a few days after
  high ozone levels.
• Reference 2002 Air Quality Reference Guide for
  the Houston-Galveston Area

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Ozone

• What does ozone do to us when we breath it?
• Impairs immune system defenses, increasing
  susceptibility to respiratory infections,
  including colds, bronchitis and pneumonia.
• Regular or prolonged exposure may lead to
  scarring and premature aging of the respiratory
  system.
• Exposure in conjunction with other air pollutants
  or allergens may contribute to asthma deaths.
• Reference 2002 Air Quality Reference Guide for
  the Houston-Galveston Area

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• What is ozone and how is ozone formed?
• Oxygen (O2) reacts with oxides of nitrogen (NOx)
  and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the
  presence of sunlight to produce ozone (O3).
• Ozone is from the Greek "ozein" meaning "to
  smell.
• Ozone is a colorless gas.
• There is good ozone (the ozone layer in the
  stratosphere that protects us from harmful UV
  radiation) and bad ozone (ground level ozone).
• Reference www.cabq.gov/airquality/ozone1.html

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Sunlight Energy
Industry VOC and NOx
Transportation NOx and VOC
Trees VOC
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Oxygen Molecule (O2) NOx VOC
Sunlight
Ozone Molecule (O3)
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Particulates

• What do particulates do to us when we breath
  them?
• Associated with increased respiratory hospital
  admissions and emergency room visits, asthma,
  acute respiratory symptoms, chronic bronchitis,
  decreased lung function, and work and school
  absences.
• Very high levels are linked with death from
  respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Some
  particulates (diesel exhaust) are carcinogenic.
• Reference 2002 Air Quality Reference Guide for
  the Houston-Galveston Area

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Particulates

• What do particulates do to us when we breath
  them?
• Those most at risk include the elderly, children,
  asthmatics and adults with preexisting heart or
  lung disease.
• Particles of concern can include both fine (less
  than or equal to 2.5 µm in diameter) and coarse
  (less than or equal to 10 µm in diameter)
  fraction particles, although fine particles have
  been more clearly linked to the most serious
  health effects.
• Reference 2002 Air Quality Reference Guide for
  the Houston-Galveston Area

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Particulates

• What is particulate matter and where does it come
  from?
• Particulate matter is the general term used for a
  mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets
  found in the air.
• Primary particles, such as dust from roads or
  elemental carbon (soot) from combustion, are
  emitted directly into the atmosphere.
• Secondary particles are formed in the
  atmosphere from primary gaseous emissions.
  Examples include sulfates and nitrates, formed
  from SO2 and NOx emissions from power plants and
  industrial facilities and other types of
  combustion sources.
• Reference www.epa.gov/air/airtrends/aqtrnd01/pmat
  ter.html

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Air Toxics

• What do Air Toxics do to us when we breath them?
• Air Toxics are known or suspected to cause cancer
  or other serious health effects, such as
  reproductive effects or birth defects.
• People exposed to toxic air pollutants at
  sufficient concentrations and durations may have
  an increased chance of getting cancer or
  experiencing other serious health effects.
• Reference www.epa.gov/air/airtrends/aqtrnd01/toxi
  c.html

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Air Toxics

• Where do toxic air pollutants come from?
• Most are from human-made sources, including
  mobile sources (e.g., cars, trucks, buses) and
  stationary sources (e.g., factories, refineries,
  power plants).
• Some are from indoor sources (e.g., some building
  materials and cleaning solvents).
• Some are from natural sources such as volcanic
  eruptions and forest fires.
• Reference www.epa.gov/air/airtrends/aqtrnd01/toxi
  c.html

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Air Toxics

• How are air toxics regulated?
• The Clean Air Act designates 188 hazardous air
  pollutants (HAPs), and regulates the known
  sources of these HAPs by requiring maximum
  achievable control technologies.
• EPA conducted a national-scale assessment of 33
  air pollutants (a subset of 32 air toxics on the
  Clean Air Act's list of 188 air toxics plus
  diesel particulate matter (diesel PM)).
• The goal of the national-scale assessment is to
  identify those air toxics which are of greatest
  potential concern, in terms of contribution to
  population risk.
• Reference www.epa.gov/air/airtrends/aqtrnd01/toxi
  c.html

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33 air pollutants
Reference www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/nata/34poll.html
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Air Toxics

• Benzene is found in the air from emissions from
  oil and natural gas production, petroleum
  refining, burning coal and oil, gasoline service
  stations, pulp and paper production, coke ovens,
  and motor vehicle exhaust. Benzene is used as a
  constituent in motor fuels as a solvent for
  fats, waxes, resins, oils, inks, paints,
  plastics, and rubber in the extraction of oils
  from seeds and nuts and in photogravure
  printing. It is also used as a chemical
  intermediate. Benzene is also used in the
  manufacture of detergents, explosives,
  pharmaceuticals, and dyestuffs.
• Reference www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/nata/pollinf2.html

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Air Toxics

• 1,3-Butadiene is found in ambient air from motor
  vehicle exhaust as well as manufacturing and
  processing facilities, gasoline distribution,
  production of synthetic plastics and rubber,
  wastewater processing, forest and wildfires, or
  other combustion.
• Diesel Particulate Matter (PM) is a mixture of
  particles and gases that is a component of diesel
  exhaust. Diesel exhaust is listed as a mobile
  source air toxic due to the cancer and noncancer
  health effects associated with exposure to whole
  diesel exhaust.
• Reference www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/nata/pollinf2.html

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Prevention

• Be informed. Sign up for Ozone Watches and
  warnings. Go to www.hcoem.org and click on
  subscribe to ozone alerts
• Know who is most vulnerable and be prepared to
  take action.

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More Information
City of Houston Bureau of Air Quality
Control [phone] Harris County Pollution
Control [phone] TCEQ - Smoking Vehicle
Hotline [phone]-SMOG Clean Air Action -
www.cleanairaction.org TCEQ - www.tceq.state.tx.us
US EPA - www.epa.gov