REPORT FOR CONSULTATION ON THE
BUFFALO
AIR QUALITY CONTROL REGION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
Public Health Service
Consumer Protection and Environmental Health Service
National Air Pollution Control Administration
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REPORT FOR CONSULTATION ON THE
BUFFALO
AIR QUALITY CONTROL REGION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
Public Health Service
Consumer Protection and Environmental Health Service
National Air "Pollution Control Administration
February, 1969
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
page
PREFACE 3
INTRODUCTION 4
EVALUATION OF URBAN FACTORS 12
SUMMARY 17
EVALUATION OF ENGINEERING FACTORS 18
SUMMARY 35
PROPOSAL 36
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PREFACE
The Secretary, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, is
directed by the Air Quality Act of 1967 to designate "air quality control
regions" to provide a basis for the establishment of air quality standards
and the implementation of air quality control programs. In addition to
listing the major factors to be considered in the development of region
boundaries, the Act stipulates that the designation of a region shall be
preceded by a consultation with appropriate State and local authorities.
The National Air Pollution Control Administration, DREW, has conducted
a study of the Metropolitan Buffalo Area, the results of which are
presented in this report. The Region* boundaries proposed in this report
reflect consideration of all available and pertinent data; however, the
boundaries remain subject to revisions suggested during consultation with
State and local authorities. Formal designation of a Region will follow
the consultation meeting. This report is intended to serve as background
material for the consultation.
The Administration appreciates assistance received either directly
during the course of this study or indirectly during previous activities
in the Buffalo Metropolitan Area from official air pollution control agencies
i
at the State and local level, and the Erie and Niagara Counties Regional
Planning Board.
*For the purposes of this report, the word region, when capitalized,
will refer to the Buffalo Air Quality Control Region. When not capitalized,
unless otherwise noted, it will refer to air quality control regions in
genera1.
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INTRODUCTION
"For the purpose of establishing ambient air quality
standards pursuant to section 108, and for administrative and
other purposes, the Secretary, after consultation with appropriate
State and local authorities shall, to the extent feasible, within
18 months after the date of enactment of the Air Quality Act of
1967 designate air quality control regions based on jurisdictional
boundaries, urban-industrial concentrations, and other factors
including atmospheric areas necessary to provide adequate imple-
mentation of air quality standards. The Secretary may from time
to time thereafter, as he determines necessary to protect the public
health and welfare and after consultation with appropriate State
and local authorities, revise the designation of such regions and
designate additional air quality control regions. The Secretary
shall immediately notify the Governor or Governors of the affected
State or States of such designation."
Section 107(a)(2), Air Quality Act of 1967
THE AIR QUALITY ACT
Air Pollution in most of the Nation's urban areas is a regional
problem. This regional problem demands a regional solution, consisting of
coordinated planning, data gathering, standard setting, and enforcement.
Yet, with few exceptions, such coordinated efforts are notably absent among
the Nation's urban complexes.
Beginning with the Section quoted above, in which the Secretary is
required to designate air quality control regions, the Air Quality Act
presents an approach to air pollution control involving coordinated efforts
by Federal, State, and local governments, as shown in Figure 1. After the
Secretary has (1) designated regions, (2) published air quality criteria,
and (3) published corresponding documents on control technology and
associated costs, the Governor(s) of the State(s) must file with the
Secretary within 90 days a letter of intent, indicating that the State(s)
will adopt within 180 days ambient air quality standards for the pollutants
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HEW designates
air quality
control regions.
HEW develops and
publishes air
quality criteria
based on scientific
evidence of air
pollution effects.
HEW prepares
and publishes
information on
available control
techniques.
States hold
hearings and
set air quality
standards in the
air quality
control regions.
HEW
reviews
State
standards.
States establish plans for implementation,
considering factors such as: |
Existing pollutant levels in the region
Number, location, and types of sources
Meteorology
Control technology
Air pollution growth trends
Implementation plans would set forth
abatement procedures, outlining factors
such as:
Emission standards for the categories of
sources in the region.
How enforcement will be employed to
insure uniform and coordinated control '
action involving State, local, and regional
authorities.
Abatement schedules for the sources to
insure that air quality standards wil! be
achieved within a reasonable time.
HEW reviews ]
State implementation plans, j
I
States act to control air
pollution in accordance with
air quality standards and plans
for implementation.
Figure i Flow diagram for State action to control air pollution on a regional basis.
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covered by the published criteria and control technology documents and
adopt within an additional 180 days plans for the implementation,
maintenance, and enforcement of those standards in the designated air
quality control regions.
The new Federal legislation provides for a regional attack on air
pollution and, at the same time, allows latitude in the form which regional
efforts may take. While the Secretary retains approval authority, the
State(s) involved in a designated region assumes the responsibility for
developing standards and an implementation plan which includes admini-
strative procedures for abatement and control. Informal cooperative
arrangements with proper safeguards may be adequate in some regions,
whereas in others, more formal arrangements, such as interstate compacts,
may be selected. The objective in each instance will be to provide
effective mechanisms for control on a regional basis.
THE SIZE OF A REGION
Several objectives are important in determining how large an air
quality control region should be. Basically, these objectives can be
divided into three separate categories. First a region should be self-
contained with respect to air pollution sources and receptors. In other
words, a region should include most of the important sources in the area as
well as most of the people and property affected by those sources. In this
way, all the major elements of the regional problem will lie within one
unified administrative jurisdiction. Unfortunately, since air pollutants
can travel long distances, it is impractical if not impossible to delineate
regions which are completely self-contained. The air over a region will
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usually have at least trace amounts of pollutants from external sources.
During episodic conditions, such contributions from external sources may
even reach significant levels. Conversely, air pollution generated within
a region and transported out of it can affect external receptors to some
degree. It would be impractical and inefficient to make all air quality
control regions large enough to encompass these low-level trace effects.
The geographic extent of trace effects overestimates the true problem area
which should be the focus of air pollution control efforts. Thus, the first
objective, that a region be self-contained, becomes a question of relative
magnitude and frequency. The dividing line between "important influence"
and "trace effect" will be a matter of judgment. The judgment should be
based on estimates of the impact a source has upon a region, and the
level of pollution to which receptors are subjected. In this respect,
annual and seasonal data on pollutant emissions and ambient air concentrations
are a better measure of relative influence than short term data on episodic
conditions.
The second general objective requires that region boundaries be
designed to meet not only present conditions but also future conditions.
In other words, the region should include areas where industrial and
.residential expansion are likely to create air pollution problems in the
foreseeable future. This objective requires careful consideration of
existing metropolitan development plans, expected population growth, and
projected industrial expansion. Such considerations should result in the
designation of regions which will contain the sources and receptors of
regional air pollution for a number of years to come. Of course, region
boundaries need not be permanently fixed, once designated. Boundaries
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8
should be reviewed periodically and altered when changing conditions
warrent readjustment.
The third objective is that region boundaries should be compatible
with and even foster unified and cooperative governmental administration
of the air resource throughout the region. Air pollution is a regional
problem which often extends across several municipal, county, and even
state boundaries. Clearly, the collaboration of several governmental
jurisdictions is prerequisite to the solution of the problem. Therefore,
the region should be delineated in a way which encourages regional
cooperation among the various governmental bodies involved in air pollution
control. In this regard, the existing pattern of governmental cooperation
on the whole range of urban problems may become an important consideration.
Certainly the pattern of cooperation among existing air pollution control
programs is a relevant factor. In general, administrative considerations
dictate that governmental jurisdictions should not be divided. Although
it would be impractical to preserve State jurisdictions undivided, usually
it is possible to preserve the unity of county governments by including or
excluding them in their entirety. Occasionally, even this would be
impractical due to a county's large size, wide variation in level of
development, or striking topographical features.
To the extent that any two of the above three objectives lead to
incompatible conclusions concerning region boundaries, the region must
represent a reasonable compromise. A region should represent the best
way of satisfying the three objectives simultaneously.
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PROCEDURE FOR DESIGNATION OF REGIONS
Figure 2 illustrates the procedures used by the National Air
Pollution Control Administration for designating air quality control
regions.
A preliminary delineation of the region is developed by bringing
together two essentially separate studiesthe "Evaluation of Engineering
Factors," and the "Evaluation of Urban Factors."
The study of "Engineering Factors" indicates the location of
pollution sources and the geographic extent of serious pollutant con-
centrations in the ambient air. Pollution sources are located by taking
an inventory of emissions from automobiles, industrial activities, space
heating, waste disposal, and other pollution generators. Pollution
concentrations in the ambient air are estimated from both air quality
sampling data and a theoretical diffusion model. When it exists, air
quality sampling data is more reliable than the theoretical diffusion
model results since the data is directly recorded by pollution measuring
instruments. Unfortunately, in many cases air quality sampling data is
available for only one or two pollutants measured at an insufficient
number of locations. The theoretical model is used to supplement
inadequate air quality sampling data. As a whole, the engineering study
indicates how large the air1 quality control region must be in order to
encompass most pollution sources and most people and property affected
by those sources.
The study of "Urban Factors" encompasses non-engineering considerations,
It reviews existing governmental jurisdictions, current air pollution
control programs, present concentrations of population and industry,
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ENGINEERING EVALUATION
input
Emissions
Meteorology
Physical Dim.
Computer
Pollutant
Diffusion
Model
Output
Iso-lntensity
Graphs
Existing Air
Quality
Sampling
Data
URBAN FACTORS
Jurisdictional Boundaries
Urban-Industrial Concentrations
Cooperative Regional Arrangements
Pattern and Rate of Growth
Existing State and Local Air
Pollution Control Legislation & Programs
Preliminary
Delineation
of
Regions
Consultation
with State
and Local
Officials
Formal
Designation
by
Secretary-HEW
Figure 2. Flow diagram for the designation of air quality control regions.
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11
and expected patterns of urban growth. Other non-engineering factors
are discussed when they are relevant. As a whole, the study of urban
factors indicates how large an air quality control region must be in
order to encompass expected growth of the pollution problem in the
future. It also considers which group of governmental jurisdictions will
most effectively administer a strong regional air quality control program.
The conclusions of the engineering study are combined with the
results of the urban factors study to form the basis of an initial
proposal for an air quality control region- As shown in figure 2, the
proposal is then submitted for consultation with State and local officials.
After reviewing the suggestions raised during the consultation, the
Secretary formally designates the region with a notice in the Federal
Register and notifies the governors of the States affected by the
designation.
The body of this report contains a proposal for the boundaries of
the Buffalo Air Quality Control Region and supporting studies on
engineering and urban factors. The report itself is intended to serve as
the background document for the formal consultation with appropriate State
and local authorities.
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12
EVALUATION OF URBAN FACTORS
INTRODUCTION
A number of urban factors are relevant to the problem Of defining
air quality control region boundaries. First, the location of population
is an important consideration, since human activity is the ultimate cause
of air pollution, and humans are the ultimate victims. The population
growth pattern is another important consideration, since an air quality
control region should be designed not only for the present but also for
the future. The location of Industrial activity and the industrial
growth pattern are relevant considerations for similar reasons. Political
and jurisdictional considerations are important, since the 1967 Air
Quality Act envisions regional air pollution programs based on cooperative
efforts among many political jurisdictions. The following discussion of
urban factors will present these considerations as they apply to the
Buffalo area.
Population
Figure 3 displays present population densities in the metropolitan
Buffalo area. Approximately 1,700,000 people reside in the seven-county
area surrounding the City of Buffalo (Niagara, Erie, Orleans, Genesee,
Wyoming, Chautauqua, and Cattaraugus Counties). About two thirds of these
people reside within the County of Erie alone. A large part of the
remainder lives in Niagara County. Thus, among the seven counties considered,
these two have by far the heaviest population densities.
Figure 4 displays expected population growth during the next twelve
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Figure 3:
POPULATION DENSITY, (1968)
Residents per Square Mile
H| more than 800;
H| 400 to 800;
!l_J less than 400;
20
Miles
Lake Ontario
CATTARAUGUS
COUNTY
NEW YORK
PENNSYLVANIA
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Figure 4:
POPULATION GROWTH, 1968 to 1980
Additional Residents Per
Square. Mile:
more than 100;
HD 50 to 100;
! J less than 50;
20
Miles
Lake Ontario
CHAUTAUQUA
COUNTY
CATTARAUGUS
COUNTY
NEW YORK
NEW YORK
PENNSYLVANIA
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15
years in the Buffalo area. From 1968 to 1980, Erie County is expected
to grow by 110 additional residents per square mile, and Niagara County
by 53. In contrast, the other counties in the area are expected to
have 24 or fewer additional residents per square mile. Thus, population
is concentrated in Erie and Niagara Counties not only for the present,
but also for the foreseeable future.
Industry
One method for determining the location of manufacturing activity
is based on the density of people employed in manufacturing firms, as
shown in Figure 5. During 1963, Erie and Niagara had 118 and 73 employees
in manufacturing firms per square mile. Adjacent counties had 18 or fewer.
Clearly, industrial activity in the Buffalo area is concentrated in Erie
and Niagara.
Existing Air Pollution Control Programs
The air pollution control program of the State of New York has an
annual budget of approximately $3,500,000. The state statutes authorize
local air pollution control programs to exercise joint jurisdiction at
the local level. The air pollution control program of Erie County has an
annual budget of about 340,000 dollars and Niagara County about 80,000
dollars. None of the other counties in the area has a program of comparable
I
size. The Erie and Niagara programs have not established any joint activities
such as joint air quality measurement, joint technical facilities, or joint
enforcement of air pollution regulations. However, the two programs do
maintain informal contact. Furthermore, the programs maintain informal
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Figure 5:
MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT
DENSITY, 1963
Manufacturing Employees
Per Square Mile:
H| more than 100;
HHI 50 to 100;
less than 50;
20
Miles
Lake Ontario
CHAUTAUQUA
COUNTY
CATTARAUGUS
COUNTY
ORLEANS
COUNTY
GENESEE
COUNTY
WYOMING
COUNTY
NEW YORK
NEW YORK
PENNSYLVANIA
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17
contact with their counterpart in Canada, the air pollution control
program of Ontario.
Regional Planning in the Buffalo Area
The Erie and Niagara Counties Regional Planning Board conducts
regional planning functions for the two-county area. It has a budget of
about 400,000 dollars, including operating expenses and grants, and
produces plans related to land use, transportation, and other urban
services.
SUMMARY
The evaluation of urban factors indicates that an air quality control
region composed of Erie and Niagara Counties would satisfy the objectives
outlined above for region boundaries. Population, industry, and current
air pollution control efforts are centered in Erie and Niagara Counties.
Surrounding counties are not closely linked to the Buffalo area in terms
of population, employment, or planning activities. Growth in the Buffalo
area during the next decade is unlikely to extend beyond Erie and Niagara
Counties.
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18
EVALUATION OF ENGINEERING FACTORS
INTRODUCTION
The engineering evaluation for the Buffalo area was based on a
study of topography, pollutant emissions, estimated air quality levels
and available ambient air quality data. The emission inventory indicated
the location of point and area sources, the quantity of pollutants emitted
from these sources, and the resulting emission densities. This information
was combined with meteorological data and used in a diffusion model to
estimate air quality levels in the Buffalo area. The estimated air quality
information was supplemented by measured air quality data whenever
available.
TOPOGRAPHY
The City of Buffalo is located on the Huron Plain, about 600 feet
above sea level. This plain forms an east-west band of land along the
southern shoreline of Lake Ontario. To the south of this plain the land
rises as much as 1,000 feet more to the upland areas of the Erie Plain
and the foothills of the Allegheny Plateau.
METEOROLOGY
Lake Eries exerts a noticeable influence on the local meteorology
and climate of Buffalo. Winds from the southwest direction, which traverse
a long unobstructed path over the Lake before reaching Buffalo, are
generally stronger than winds from other directions. The Lake tends to
act as a moderating influence on temperature changes in the air mass above
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19
it. Especially during summer a land-sea breeze circulation of local
air occurs. Precipitation is also influenced by Lake Erie. Air traversing
the Lake acquires moisture which is then released on Buffalo due to
orographic lifting.
The Buffalo wind rose is shown in Figure 6. It reveals the predotn-
inence of southwesterly winds in the Buffalo area. In general, air pollution
is transported towards the northeast from emission sources in the urbanized
areas of Niagara Falls and Buffalo.
EMISSION INVENTORY
The National Air Pollution Control Administration conducted an
inventory of air pollutant emissions for the Buffalo area. Three major
pollutantssulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, and particulates--were con-
sidered since they provide a general measure of the extent of the air
pollution problem around Buffalo.
The Buffalo emissions inventory encompasses the counties of Erie and
Niagara. This area was divided into the grid coordinate system shown in
Figure 7. The estimated emissions of each of the three pollutants by grid
zone were expressed as average daily emissions for three different time
periods--annual, winter, and summer. Table I shows the annual-average daily
emissions.
Annual-average emission densities for each of the three pollutants
in tons per square mile per day were determined by relating the total
quantity of pollutants emitted in each of the grid zones to the land area
of each zone. Figures 8, 9, and 10 show the resulting densities on maps.
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20
Figure 6: BUFFALO WIND ROSE
SUMMER
WINTER
10% 5
10%
ANNUAL
10%
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Figure 7: BUFFALO GRID SYSTEM
21
\
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22
Table 1:
Emissions by Grid for the Buffalo Study Area
(tons per day)
Grid
Area
of
Grid
(Square
Miles)
Sulfur
Oxides
Particulates
Carbon Monoxide
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30**
31
32
33
34**
35
15
69
81
2
38
3
7
10
3
8
8
155
131
10
10
31
10
10
38
10
10
10
10
6
10
10
10
131
3
10
10
10
10
10
B
*
7
2
9
4.
93
20.
1.
16.
1.
79.
37.
12.
.
300.
21
27
24
10
38
.5*
.5*
17
0
.*
53
*
0
*
7
*
70
*
1.3
12.
12.
17.
26.
37.
24.
13.
27.
36.
12.
25
.25
.25
.30
.04
.30
30.*
7.4*
.23
.50
22.*
.37
4.2*
.60
10.*
.34
23.*
15.
5.1
.56
46.
1.2
5.4
5.2
7.6
13.
15.
9.5
5.4
14.
Disclosure
14.
.19
no data
Disclosure
5.0
5.0
18.
14.
.82
13.
19.*
12.
24.
7.2
25.
31.
45.
23.
8.1
14.
45.
33.
41.
4.8
70.
60.
38.
11.
66.
78.
41.
14.
43.
16.
36.
11.
29.
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23
Emissions by Grid for the Buffalo Study Area (tons/day) (con't)
Grid Area
of
Grid
(Square
Miles)
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
30 & 34
10
2
10
10
10
38
131
108
155
139
54
Sulfur
Oxides
24.
.02
.34
.08
12.
24.
.57
.39
.35
.40
.28
300.
Particulates
Carbon Monoxide
9.3
.06
.34
.15
4.7
9.6
.49
.81
.56
.54
.26
120.
8.1
1.5
21.
7.9
6.5
34.
34.
34.
31.
20.
7.9
130.
Total
1200. ***
410.***
1200.***
*Indicates that more than 50% of the emissions in the grid were due to point sources,
**Data for grids 30 and 34 were combined to prevent disclosure of the emissions
from a single source.
***Note that all numbers have been rounded off to two significant figures.
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24
\
< 0.01
0.01 - 0.099
V:'-l 0.1 -0.99
1.0 - 9.9
Tons Per
Square Mile
Per Day
* Indicates that
more than 50% of
the emissions in
the grid are due
to point Figure 8: Sulfur oxides emission density for average day
sources.
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25
\
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26
oni County
Counly
* Indicates that
more than 50% of
the emissions LAKE ERIE
in the grid
are due to point
sources.
Wyoming Counly
Tons Per
Square Mile
Per Day
Figure 10: Carbon monoxide emission density for average day.
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27
Where point sources are responsible for more than 50% of the emissions
in a grid zone, this fact is indicated in both Table 1 and the figures.
The 20 largest point sources alone are responsible for about 55% of sulfur
oxide emissions, 45% of particulate emissions, and 5% of carbon monoxide
emissions.
In general, all of the emission density maps show high emission rates
in the cities of Niagara Falls (N.Y.) and Buffalo. The densities are
moderate in the suburban areas south of Buffalo and are low in the rural
portions of both Erie and Niagara Counties. Since the scope of this report
does not encompass Canadian pollution sources, they do not appear in the
emissions inventory.
About 90% of the sulfur oxides emissions are caused by the combustion
of fuels, especially coal, coke, and residual oil. In turn, nearly all of
the combustion of coal, coke, and residual oil is accountable to industrial
energy requirements*. Thus, the sulfur oxides emission map reflects the
location of industrial activity in the Buffalo area.
About 90% of the particulate emissions are caused by industrial process
emissions and industrial fuel consumption. Therefore, the particulate emissions
map also reflects the location of industrial activity.
More than 90% of the carbon monoxide emissions are caused by auto-
motive transportation,. The map reveals the impact of the New York Thru-
way and the concentration of traffic in the downtown areas of Buffalo
and Niagara Falls.
*Steam-electric power generation by utilities consumes about 10% of the
coal required for the area.
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AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS
A study of air quality levels known or estimated to occur is useful
in determining the area affected by the pollution sources and thus subject
to inclusion in the air quality control region. Such analysis can be based
directly on air quality sampling data in those instances where the
sampling program covers a large enough area and has been in existence
long enough to provide reliable patterns of air quality throughout the
region under study. Measured air quality data can be supplemented by
estimated air quality data, derived from a theoretical diffusion model
using information on the location and quantity of pollutant emissions and
on meteorological conditions.
Measured Air Quality Data
Measured air quality data for the Buffalo area is available from more
than 30 locations. Suspended particulates, and sulfur oxides were measured
at most of the stations. Figures 11 and 13 show the data. Since most of
the stations were located in the urban centers, they did not indicate
clearly how far out into the rural areas the air pollution extends. Only
8 stations were located in non-urban areas. However, data from these few
stations indicate that the air pollutant concentrations decrease quickly
in rural areas, especially to the south of Buffalo.
Estimated Air Quality
The diffusion model was applied for carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides,
and particulates for three different time periods--summer, winter, and
annual. For each pollutant, the time period which yielded the most
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29
extensive air pollution problem is the appropriate period to consider.
Carbon monoxide and particulate air pollution are most widespread in the
summer period, whereas sulfur oxides pollution is most widespread in the
winter period. The theoretical results for these three combinations of
pollutant and time period are shown in the figures 12, 14, and 15.
Sulfur Oxides
The theoretical results for sulfur oxides pollution during the winter
period (figure 12) are slightly higher than the measured results for
an annual average (figure 11). Both results indicate that sulfur oxides
concentrations in the urbanized areas are substantially above those of
surrounding rural areas. Sulfur oxides pollution appears to extend to
portions of Erie and Niagara Counties and Canada.
Particulates
The theoretical results for suspended particulates pollution during
the summer period (figure 14) are lower than the measured results for
an annual average (figure 13) by a factor of approximately 2. Since only
eight measuring stations were located outside of the urbanized area,
comparison of the two results for outlying areas is tenuous. However,
both results indicate that the urbanized areas are subjected to suspended
particulate concentrations which are substantially above those of
/
surrounding rural areas. Suspended particulate pollution appears to encompass
large portions of Erie and Niagara Counties and a small area in Canada.
Carbon Monoxide
The theoretical results for carbon monoxide concentrations during
the summer period (figure 15) indicate that portions of Erie and Niagara
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Figure 11:
MEASURED SULFUR OXIDES
CONCENTRATIONS , Annual Average
Parts Per Million :
HH more than 0.050;
HU 0.020 to 0.050;
| < less than 0.020;
Lake Ontario
20
Miles
CHAUTAUQUA
COUNTY
CATTARAUGUS
COUNTY
NEW YORK
NEW YORK
PENNSYLVANIA
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Figure 12:
THEORETICAL SULFUR OXIDES
CONCENTRATIONS, Winter Average Lake Ontario
Parts Per Million:
more than 0.050;
0.020 to 0.050;
less than 0.020;
20
Miles
CHAUTAUQUA
COUNTY
CATTARAUGUS
COUNTY
NEW YORK
NEW YORK
PENNSYLVANIA
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Figure 13 :
MEASURED SUSPENDED PARTICULATES
CONCENTRATIONS
Annual Average
Micrograms Per Cubic
Meter:
more than 200;
100 to 200;
50 to 100;
i j less than 50;
20
Miles
Lake Ontario
CHAUTAUQUA
COUNTY
CATTARAUGUS
COUNTY
NEW YORK
Co
NEW YORK
PENNSYLVANIA
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Figure 14:
THEORETICAL SUSPENDED PARTICULATES
CONCENTRATIONS
Summer Average
Micrograms Per Cubic Meter:
more than 100;
60 to 100;
H 40 to 60;
[_ | less than 40;
Lake Ontario
20
Miles
CHAUTAUQUA
COUNTY
CATTARAUGUS
COUNTY
NEW YORK
NEW YORK
u>
PENNSYLVANIA
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Figure 15:
THEORETICAL CARBON MONOXIDE CONCENTRATIONS
Summer Average
Parts Per Million:
; more than 0.2;
Up 0.1 to 0.2;
[__ less than 0.1;
20
Miles
Lake Ontario
CHAUTAUQUA
COUNTY
CATTARAUGUS
COUNTY
NEW YORK
NEW YORK
PENNSYLVANIA
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35
Counties and Canada are subjected to levels which are above those in
surrounding rural areas.
SUMMARY
The emissions inventory and the air quality information are
important indicators of how large a region must be in order to contain all
of the major technical elements of the air pollution problem. From the
above analysis, it appears that Erie and Niagara Counties should be
included in the Buffalo Region, while surrounding counties in the United
States should be excluded since they are not closely linked to the Buffalo
air pollution problem. Since the scope of this report included only areas
under the jurisdiction of the United States, and since the emissions inventory
did not contain pollution sources in Canada, this analysis has not attempted
to evaluate the extent of pollution crossing the international boundary.
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36
THE PROPOSED REGION
PROPOSAL
Subject to the scheduled consultation, the Secretary, Department
of Health, Education, and Welfare, proposes to designate an air quality
control region for the Buffalo area, consisting of the area encompassed
by the following jurisdictions:
In the State of New York:
Erie County
Niagara County
The boundaries of the proposed Region are illustrated In Figure 16. Figure
17 locates the Region in relation to the rest of New York and surrounding
states.
DISCUSSION OF PROPOSAL
To be successful, an air quality control region should meet three
basic objectives, as discussed in the section entitled "The Size of a
Region", page 6. First, a region should be self-contained, with respect
to air pollution sources and receptors. Second, a region should be designed
to meet not only present conditions but also future conditions. Third,
region boundaries should foster unified and cooperative governmental admin-
istration of the air resource throughout the region. The proposed boundaries
of the Buffalo Air Quality Control Region satisfy these three objectives.
The first objective, that a region be self-contained with respect to
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Figure 16:
PROPOSED BUFFALO
AIR QUALITY CONTROL REGION
20
Miles
NEW YORK
PENNSYLVANIA
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Figure 17:
PROPOSED BUFFALO AIR QUALITY
CONTROL REGION
00
Proposed
Buffalo
Region
Philadelphia
Region
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39
pollution sources and receptors, appears to be satisfied by the two-
county proposal. The two-county Region contains all of the major sources
in the area, except for those in Canada. Furthermore, ambient air pollution
appears to extend no further than the boundaries of Erie and Niagara
Counties, except for parts of Canada. Thus, to the extent of the jurisdiction
of the United States, the air pollution problem of the proposed region
seems to be self-contained.
The second objective, that a region be designed for likely future
growth as well as present conditions, appears to be satisfied by the two-
county proposal also. There is a sufficient amount of rural land surround-
ing Buffalo and Niagara Falls (N.Y.) to absorb expected population growth
for at least a decade. Urbanization spreading out from Buffalo and
Niagara Falls is not likely to extend into the surrounding Counties of
Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Cattaraugus, or Chautauqua for several years.
Thus, it is unlikely that these counties will become closely linked to the
Buffalo air pollution problem in the near future.
The third objective, that a region should be compatible with unified
and cooperative governmental administration of an air pollution control
program, is also satisfied by the two-county proposal. Erie and Niagara
Counties presently conduct the only two important county air pollution
i
programs in the area. Erie and Niagara Counties have been linked through
the planning functions of the Regional Planning Board. Erie and Niagara
Counties form a natural economic and cultural unit.
Since the two-county area seems to satisfy the three major objectives
of air quality control region boundaries, it forms the proposal for a
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40
Buffalo Air Quality Control Region made in this report.
This proposal represents a starting point for discussion in the
consultation with appropriate State and local officials, which will be held
before the Buffalo Region is finally designated.
ft D. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 19693Ui-8lj2 (SOU)
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