Translating Science into Standard and Policy Setting

1
Translating Science into Standard and Policy
Setting

• Nigel Routh
• Director Air Policy
• Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW)

2
Overview of presentation

• National process
• Ambient Air Quality NEPM
• Case study
• National Standards for Motor Vehicle Emissions
  and Fuel Quality
• Draft Air Toxics NEPM
• Policy Response to PAHs
• Industrial Emissions

3
Overview of National Environment Protection
Measures (NEPMs)

• National objectives for protecting or managing
  the environment.
• May relate to ambient air quality, but not indoor
  air.
• May consist of goals, standards, protocols and
  guidelines.
• Commonwealth NEPC Act and mirror State
  legislation administered by Environment
  Ministers.
• NEPC Ref www.ephc.gov.au

4
Development of NEPM (NEPC Act)

• Requirement for two month public consultation on
  draft NEPM and Impacts Statement.
• The Impacts Statement must include
• desired environmental outcomes
• reasons for the NEPM
• environmental impacts of not making the NEPM
• assessment of economic and social impacts of the
  NEPM

5
Development of NEPMs (The Project Team)

• Project Team with representatives from several
  States.
• A State sponsors the NEPM and brings it to
  Ministerial Council.
• Expert reference groups established to advise
  Project Team.
• Key tasks often undertaken by consultants eg HRA.

6
Ambient Air Quality NEPM 1998

• During development of the AAQ NEPM the project
  team was guided by six consultancies
• health effects review
• air quality data collection
• exposure assessment
• health risk assessment
• social impacts assessment
• measuring and reporting protocols.
• Ref Tom Beer, Environmetrics 2000 11499-510

7
Consultation in practice

• Other opportunities for public comment, for
  instance at the time of release of
• issue papers, and
• discussion papers.
• Input and consultation with health sector can
  occur
• via state consultation and subsequent input into
  the NEPM development process
• though consultancies, expert groups and technical
  review panels
• at time of public consultation on Discussion
  Papers or the draft NEPM.

8
Ambient Air Quality AAQ NEPM 1998

• Sets standards for the six criteria pollutants
• Ozone
• Nitrogen dioxide
• Sulfur dioxide
• Carbon monoxide
• Lead
• PM10
• Standards are health based and set to protect
  vulnerable groups
• Expressed as a goal to be met by 2008

9
AAQ NEPM

• Measurement at sites that represent average
  population exposure.
• Goals not applicable directly as licence
  conditions or stack emission limits.
• However, AAQ NEPM goals are taken into account,
  so that average levels of pollutants are
  protected.
• Health based Goals, but takes into account the
  level of pollution reduction achievable by
  jurisdictions ie
• allowable exceedences for each monitoring
  station and
• 10 yr goal.

10
Ambient Air Quality Standards
11
PM2.5 Variation 2003

• AAQ NEPM expanded to include monitoring and
  reporting of PM2.5.
• The advisory reporting standards for PM2.5 are
• 25 µg/m3 (24-hour av.) and
• 8 µg/m3 (annual av.)
• The PM 2.5 variation is strict compared with
  other countries.
• The UK chose not to set a PM2.5 standard on the
  basis that the PM10 standard provided appropriate
  protection for PM2.5.
• Exceed background levels.
• Doesnt distinguish particle composition ie
  crustal vs combustion.

12
Performance against AAQ NEPM Goals

• NSW shows general compliance with the 2008 AAQ
  NEPM goals for
• carbon monoxide
• sulfur dioxide
• nitrogen dioxide, and
• lead.
• However, annual exceedences of the national ozone
  and particle standard.

13
Ozone levels

• In Sydney in 2002
• the 2008 1-hour ozone standard was exceeded on 9
  days
• the 2008 4-hour ozone standard was exceeded on 15
  days.

14
Annual max one-hour ozone concentration
15
Days exceeding one-hour ozone goal
16
Annual max four-hour ozone concentration
17
Days exceeding the 2008 four-hour ozone goal
18
PM10 levels

• the PM10 goal was not met at all monitoring sites
  in during 2002.
• 5 allowable exceedences were recorded at each
  station.

19
Days exceeding 2008 PM10 Goal
20
24-hr PM10 Monitoring Data Sydney Region
21
PM2.5 exceedences

• Levels in the Sydney region for the last three
  years were above the annual average advisory
  reporting standard.
• Recorded levels were above the 24-hour level in
  Sydney on eleven occasions between 1999 and 2001,
  seven of which involved extreme fire events.
• The annual levels are caused by a combination of
  bushfires with smoke from solid fuel heaters and
  vehicles.

22
PM2.5 monitoring data 1999-2001
23
Trends in Emission growth

• Sydneys forecast population growth from 4.1M in
  2001 to 5.1M in 2021.
• Vehicle emissions to decrease.
• Magnitude of gains eroded by growth in transport
  activity and other source sectors.

24
Source attribution of NOx, VOCs and TSP
25
Case Study Motor Vehicles Emission Controls
Fuel Standards

• Relative contributions from source sectors differ
  by scale (GMR Vs Sydney Region).
• Motor vehicles are the primary source of smog
  precursors in the Sydney Region.
• Vehicle emission standards and fuel quality
  improvements will lead to lower emissions per
  (VKT).
• As vehicle emission and fuel quality standards
  take effect the relative contribution of other
  source sectors will increase.
• Importance of a suite of control strategies that
  cover all sources.
• Making of new fuel quality standards tied to
  political opportunity.

26
Australian Vehicle Emission Standards
27
Vehicle emission reductions relative to 2002
(Sydney GMR)
28
Emission reductions from National Fuel Quality
Standards (National)
29
Projected Sydney Vehicle VOC Emissions 2002-07
30
Projected Sydney Vehicle NOx Emissions 2002-07
31
Projected Sydney Vehicle CO Emissions 2002-07
32
Australian Diesel Characteristics 2001 and 2006
33
Australian petrol characteristics for 2001 and
2005
34
Policy and standard setting in context of NEPM
goals, monitoring and inventory data

• Meeting NEPM goals will be very challenging.
• The AAQ NEPM goals, monitoring and inventory data
  informs and drives policy development.
• NSWs ozone management framework covers the key
  source sectors and includes
• motor vehicle and fuel related strategies.
• licensed Industry strategies Clean Air
  Regulations and Load Based Licensing
• increasing focus on small industrial, commercial
  and domestic sources.

35
Air Toxics towards a NEPM

• NSW air toxics monitoring program from 1996 to
  2001.
• Dioxins, organic compounds, Polycyclic Aromatic
  Hydrocarbons (PAH) and heavy metals.
• Most air toxics in NSW are low and well below
  current international standards and benchmarks.
• Benzene, 1,3 butadiene and PAHs require ongoing
  vigilance.
• National BTX Study found exposure strongly
  associated with activity and indoor emissions, ie
  smoking, solvent use, home vehicle maintenance

36
Highest Annual Average Levels of Benzene in NSW
(1996-2001)
37
Highest Annual Averages of1,3-Butadiene in NSW
(1996-2001)
38
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH)
concentrations - winter averages (1996-2001)
EC proposed B(a)P annual average (1ng/m3)
39
Air Toxics cont

• PAH levels in regional centres associated with
  high usage of solid fuel heaters.
• Expected gains from fuel quality regulations,
  especially in relation to benzene concentrations
  (1 by 2006).
• Further investigation of air toxics hot-spots
  warranted.
• Consistent with framework proposed by Air Toxics
  NEPM.

40
PAH Policy Response Woodsmoke Reduction Program

• Action informed by preliminary monitoring data,
  without standards.
• Winter levels in Lithgow were nine times the
  average Sydney winter level.
• The levels in Tumut, Cooma and Armidale can be
  attributed to largely to woodsmoke.
• The level in Lithgow can be attributed to
  substantial use of coal.
• The program includes subsidies to switch to
  cleaner forms of heating, education re woodheater
  operation and smoky chimney checks.

41
TSP in Sydney (winter)
42
How we heat our homes
43
Review of the NSW Clean Air Plant and Equipment
Regulation (CAPER).

• CAPER is a key legislative tool to implement the
  objectives of the Protection of the Environment
  Operations Act 1997.
• Used to protect local air quality through control
  of emissions at the point of discharge.
• The limits are technology and health driven.
• Provide a minimum performance standard that is
  required at the planning stage.
• Review is informed by monitoring data and
  emissions inventory, National Pollutant Inventory
  and Load Based Licensing.

44
Air Quality
f Meteorology, Natural Emissions, Extreme
Events, Human Emissions
45
Stack Emissions

• f Production rate, Technology

All of these factors can be controlled
46
Whats the Link?
Local Air Quality
Stack Emissions
?
47
How do we set Emission Limits?
Y/N? Limits?
48
Emission Limits and Impact Assessment
Dispersion
49
When Do We Control Stack Emissions?

• Before they emit
• Integrated Development Assessment
• When they emit
• Licensing
• Licence Limits
• Pollution Reduction Programs (PRPs)
• Load Based Licensing (LBL)
• Clean Air (Plant Equipment) Regulation
• Audits/Enforcement

50
Standard Development Process
Public Involvement
Issues Identification
Public Involvement
Adopt O/S standard Expert Panel Background
Levels Analytical limits of detection
Ecological Risk Assessment
Health Risk Assessment
Economic Impact Assessment
Social Impact Assessment
Public Consultation
Political Decision
No
Yes
Reevaluate process and/or use of models
Standard Setting