The Ozone Transport Assessment Group, representing 37 eastern U.S. states and the District of Columbia, has submitted a package of ground-level ozone control recommendations to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The OTAG policy group, consisting of environmental commissioners from the state governments, approved 12 recommendations during their final meeting June 19 in Washington, D.C.
Some of the findings involved auto fuels, but primarily they urged coal-burning utilities to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 55-85% from 1990 levels by the year 2007.
OTAG said its 2-year effort marked the first time that states and private sector stakeholders have taken the lead in shaping federal environmental policy (OGJ, Jan. 6, 1997, p. 18).
Mary Gade, chairman of the policy group, said, "OTAG is a unique experiment that has established a new role model for environmental policymaking. It has shown that federal and state governments and a broad spectrum of private stakeholders can collaborate to address a problem that impacts the health and daily lives of millions of Americans."
Main findings
The group said on the basis of its modeling efforts, it has concluded that regional nitrogen oxide reductions are effective in producing ozone benefits. It said volatile organic compound controls are effective in reducing ozone locally and are most advantageous to urban nonattainment areas.
"Air quality data indicate that ozone is pervasive, that ozone is transported, and that ozone aloft is carried over and transported from one day to the next."
The OTAG states urged the continued use of reformulated gasoline (RFG) in mandated and opt-in areas. They also support state flexibility and encourage opting in to the RFG program or other fuel strategies consistent with the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments, including those in attainment areas that contribute to downwind nonattainment situations or that choose to implement strategies to assist in preventing violations of National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone.
The states also recommended that EPA adopt a rule setting an appropriate sulfur standard that would cut emissions further while helping vehicle technology/fuel systems achieve maximum long-term performance.
The group recommended that EPA evaluate emission benefits and other effects of cetane adjustments on current diesel fuel engines and consider setting standards by 1999.
It said the agency should use an existing collaborative process to determine whether new diesel fuel standards are needed, and if so, set them no later than 2004.
Other recommendations
OTAG recommended utility nitrogen oxide controls for states with the worst problems.
It said if EPA allows nitrogen oxide emissions trading, 10% of each state's tonnage budget should be allocated to energy efficiency and renewable projects.
It said states and EPA should build on OTAG's modeling and air quality analyses to draft state implementation plans.
It encouraged development of a national-standard low-emission automobile. And it said states with ozone problems should adopt enhanced auto inspection and maintenance programs in urban areas.
API view
The American Petroleum Institute noted that under the Clean Air Act, the states have made significant progress toward their ozone problems with readily available, cost effective controls.
API said, "OTAG has produced new data that show control of nitrogen oxide emissions from utilities would not bring the (eastern) region into attainment. And if the EPA goes ahead with a more stringent ozone standard, then the goal of achieving the standard would be farther from reach and require even more expensive controls.
"OTAG estimates controls on utilities would result in capital costs of between $2.9 billion and $3.7 billion, if applied throughout the region. And if other programs involving other industries were applied to the region, the cost would balloon to billions of dollars more annually."
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