Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Particulate Hot-Spot Analyses

Transportation Conformity Guidance for Quantitative Hot-spot Analyses in PM2.5 and PM10 Nonattainment and Maintenance Areas (143 page pdf, Transportation and Regional Programs Division, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Dec. 2010)

Also discussed here: Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin, CA 2006 PM2.5 Nonattainment Area Map

And here: The Green Book Nonattainment Areas for Criteria Pollutants (EPA, Aug. 30, 2010)

Today’s focus is on a guide to analyse PM hotspots in order to assess non-compliance with federal air quality standards for emissions from roads and highways in the USA.



Key Quotes:

“describes how to complete quantitative hot-spot analyses for certain highway and transit projects in PM2.5 and PM10 (PM) nonattainment and maintenance areas.. transportation conformity requirements for hot-spot analyses, and provides technical guidance on estimating project emissions ..how to apply air quality models for PM hotspot analyses”

“A hot-spot analysis is defined in 40 CFR 93.101 as an estimation of likely future localized pollutant concentrations and a comparison of those concentrations to the relevant NAAQS… required for projects of local air quality concern, which include certain highway and transit projects that involve significant levels of diesel vehicle traffic and any other project identified in the PM SIP as a localized air quality concern”

“a PM hot-spot analysis..must be based on the total emissions burden which may result from the implementation of the project, summed together with future background concentrations”
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