NATICH
NEWSIOTER
&ERA 453N92010
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711
n
State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators
Association of Local Air Pollution Control Officials
Produced by the National Air Toxics Information Clearinghouse March 1992
Clean Air Act Activities:
EPA Begins Research to Implement
Urban Area Source Program
by Tom Lahre, EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
EPA has begun research
under the Urban Area Source Pro-
gram (UASP) to develop a strategy
for control of hazardous air pollu-
tants (HAPs). The program is man-
dated under Sections 112(c) and
(k) of Title III of the Clean Air Act
Amendments of 1990 (CAA) and
addresses reduction of HAPs from
urban area sources. Area sources
are defined as stationary sources
that emit less than 10 tons per year
(tpy) of any single HAP or less
than 25 tpy in aggregate of any
combination of HAPs. This is a
long-range program with the pri-
mary goals of reducing emissions
of certain targeted HAPs and
achieving a 75 percent reduction of
cancer incidence attributable to
these HAPs. EPA has up to 5 years
to conduct a research program to
develop a list of these HAPs and
design a control strategy, with up
to an additional 5 years to imple-
ment the control strategy.
¦ i ">¦ '
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EPA Begins Research (continued from page 1)
toxicity, reproductive dysfunction,
and other acute and chronic effects
such as the role of HAPs as precur-
sors of ozone or acid aerosol forma-
tion. Once the 30 or more HAPs
are identified, sources that account
for 90 percent of each of these HAPs
must be regulated.
EPA's Office of Air Quality
Planning and Standards (OAQPS)
and Office of Research and Devel-
opment (ORD) are both doing
UASP research. They have begun
identifying the 30 or more HAPs
using existing studies that suggest
which HAPs are important in urban
atmospheres. Most of these studies
involve either ambient monitoring
or dispersion modeling of emis-
sions data. Data from EPA's Toxics
Release Inventory System (TRIS)*
are also being analyzed for this pur-
pose. A limitation of most of the
available studies is the use of
cancer as the only endpoint. For
the UASP study, EPA is also con-
sidering some noncancer end-
points. Another limitation of the
available studies is that few exist-
ing studies focus on area sources
(as defined under Title III).
To overcome limitations in
existing studies, ORD has initiated
research involving ambient moni-
toring, atmospheric transformation,
hazard identification, and emission
inventory methodologies. The am-
bient monitoring for HAPs will be
done in conjunction with the
enhanced ozone monitoring pro-
gram in the 23 U. S. cities that are
ranked as serious, severe, or extreme
ozone nonattainment areas. The
atmospheric transformation work
will evaluate the nature and
toxicity of various products of photo-
chemical reactions, and determine
what conditions and precursors are
conducive to atmospheric transfor-
mations. In addition, ORD will char-
acterize through receptor modeling
and improved emission inventory
techniques those area sources that
contribute to public health risks.
OAQPS and ORD will compile
HAP emission inventories from
EPA Seeks Input to Identify HAPs
To help identify the 30 or more HAPs that present the greatest
threat to public health in the largest number of urban areas, EPA in-
vites anyone having relevant information to submit it to EPA for con-
sideration. The information might include:
HAPs emissions data from source tests, permits, material
balances, etc., that suggest important area sources of HAPs
(particularly sources that are not well-defined or accounted for in
EPA guidance and emission factor reports);
HAPs emission inventory summaries, when area sources can be
distinguished from major stationary and mobile sources;
ambient monitoring data for HAPs in urban areas from non-EPA
affiliated networks;
exposure and risk assessments involving area sources;
receptor modeling studies relating to area sources of HAPs; and
prioritization analyses for State or local agency HAPs regulatory
programs (e.g., see the September, 1991 Newsletter article on the
Connecticut HAP prioritization list).
In deciding whether the data relate to area sources, the reader
should remember that the Title III definition is broader than the "tradi-
tional" area source definition. The 10 and 25 tpy HAP thresholds in
Title III mean that some sources formerly considered "large" will be
classified as area sources in the UASP.
Any information that may be used to identify important HAPs and
relevant area sources is welcome. Write to Tom Lahre, EPA, OAQPS,
MD-13, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, or call (919)
541-5668 or (FTS) 629-5668.
representative urban areas to help
identify the 30 or more HAPs to be
targeted for control and to identify
the sources that account for 90 per-
cent of each of these HAPs. These
inventories will also be the basis for
a control strategy to achieve a 75
percent reduction in cancer inci-
dence associated with urban area
sources. EPA is also working with
the State and Territorial Air Pollu-
tion Program Administrators
(STAPPA) and the Association of
Local Air Pollution Control Officials
(ALAPCO) to identify candidate
urban areas to participate in this
program.**
For more information, contact
Tom Lahre, U. S. EPA, OAQPS,
MD-13, Research Triangle Park,
North Carolina 27711, (919)
541-5668 or (FTS) 629-5668.
*See related article in the December
1989 Newsletter.
* * EPA's emission inventory ac-
tivities under Title III of the CAA
will be the subject of a future
Newsletter article.
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Bay Area Releases Plan (continued from page 1)
The BAAQMD plan comprises
efforts to locate and review new
sources of air emissions, to identify
and encourage the use of strategies
for controlling emissions of toxic
air pollutants, to write and prom-
ulgate administrative rules that set
goals and requirements for emis-
sions reduction, and to gather in-
formation about new sources and
toxicity. All of these efforts will be
supplemented by the BAAQMD's
ongoing programs for technical
outreach and public education.
New Source Review and
Reduction Expanded
To mitigate the potential for
additional pollutant contributions
from new sources, BAAQMD plans
to expand its existing New Source
Review Program so that it will not
only continue to identity and review
all new sources of toxic pollutants
and assess the impact of each new
source upon its surrounding
neighborhood, but it will work to
prevent any new source from caus-
ing or contributing to a negative
impact on public health. To achieve
this goal, BAAQMD has set its
thresholds for acceptability of new
impacts deliberately low.
Included in the expanded New
Source Review Program is a renewed
commitment to source reduction, a
strategy for reducing emissions by
reducing the amount of toxic com-
pounds being used. Any new
source that meets criteria to be
established by BAAQMD will be
required to prepare a source reduc-
tion audit before it will be permit-
ted to operate. This requirement
will not be used by the District to
second-guess industry; rather, it is
intended to integrate environmen-
tal awareness into process design.
Control Strategies Outlined
The District's efforts to iden-
tify and encourage control strate-
gies include strategies for industry,
vehicles, agriculture, indoor air
pollution, and the use of solvents in
consumer products. In response to
community pressure, advances in
process and equipment efficiency,
and increasing costs of waste dis-
posal, industry in the Bay Area has
been voluntarily reducing its emis-
sions of toxic contaminants. The
BAAQMD expects this trend of
voluntary reduction to continue,
but does not believe that industry's
voluntary changes will occur rapid-
ly enough to allow the District to
achieve its goal of 50 percent of
1989 emissions by 1995. As a result,
the plan includes a schedule for
reviewing potential industrial emis-
sion control measures. Once the
most economically and technically
feasible industrial control strategies
have been identified, BAAQMD
plans to develop administrative
regulations to set goals and require-
ments for industrial emission
reduction and to enforce the use of
accepted control measures and
source reduction strategies.
As BAAQMD reviews control
measures, the estimates of emis-
sion reduction expected from the
control and the estimates of the
costs of control will be refined. In
addition, control measures will be
ranked for their ability to reduce
toxicity. The best available control
measures will then be incorporated
into the rules with which BAAQMD
will enforce the implementation of
the most feasible and effective
controls.
To reduce emissions from
vehicles, the BAAQMD will sup-
port efforts of the California Air
Resources Board (CARB), which is
responsible for setting and enforc-
ing standards for emissions from
vehicles.* BAAQMD will also lobby
CARB to establish goals for emis-
sions reduction similar to the goals
set by the BAAQMD. Finally,
BAAQMD will continue programs
it has designed to reduce the
number of vehicle trips and the
number of miles traveled in the
Bay Area, which will simultan-
eously reduce emissions of ozone
precursors and toxic contaminants.
A new aspect of BAAQMD's
vehicular emissions control pro-
grams will be an indirect source
control program. The goal of this
program is to reduce the negative
air impacts of new facilities and
dwellings that attract large numbers
of vehicles to a given area. In res-
ponse to a requirement of the Cali-
fornia Clean Air Act, BAAQMD will
launch a multifaceted effort to
encourage developments that
minimize auto dependence and that
use land efficiently. This effort will
also include reducing regional high-
way and road construction require-
ments, conserving energy and
natural resources, and minimizing
traffic congestion.
The BAAQMD will follow a
similar strategy of working with
and encouraging the efforts of
other agencies in their efforts to
bring agricultural emissions into
compliance with the District's 1995
goal. The California Department of
Agriculture has direct responsibili-
ty for regulating agricultural emis-
sions sources, and the CARB has
responsibility for gathering infor-
mation about sources and potential
emissions "hot spots" of agricul-
tural emissions.
In facilitating control strategies
for toxic air emissions from solvents
used in consumer products, the
BAAQMD will again work with
CARB. CARB is currently review-
ing the solvent content of con-
sumer products, but their existing
regulations do not deal specifically
with controlling toxic air con-
taminants. The California Health
and Safety Code prohibits Califor-
nia's districts from adopting rules
that differ from CARB's rules until
January 1,1994. If CARB's work on
evaluating consumer products does
not result in new rules by 1994, the
BAAQMD may consider adopting
new rules that deal more specifical-
ly with the air emissions from con-
sumer solvents.
The BAAQMD plan also in-
cludes distinctive provisions for
(continued on page 4)
3
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Bay Area Releases Plan (continued from page 3)
controlling the levels of indoor air
pollution. This aspect of the plan is
a response to an EPA study reveal-
ing that indoor concentrations of
almost all the organic species
studied were significantly higher
than outdoor concentrations. Since
people spend most of their time
indoors, the BAAQMD is pursuing
an ambitious program to reduce
indoor exposure to toxic air pollu-
tants that will have more potential
for improving the overall health of
Bay Area residents than any exist-
ing program to control industrial
and vehicular toxic emissions. The
BAAQMD plans to work with CARB
and other State agencies to develop
and implement a Statewide plan for
reducing indoor air pollutant
exposure.
Finally, the BAAQMD plan
includes an effort to gather infor-
mation relating to toxic air pol-
lutants and to keep Bay Area resi-
dents informed of new findings,
levels of exposure, and individual
actions to reduce levels of toxic air
contaminants. Programs directed
toward industrial and commercial
sources of toxic air pollutants will
include technical assistance to
assist industrial sources in meeting
the District's standards, and educa-
tional and regulatory programs to
promote toxic waste reduction and
proper waste handling techniques.
For additional information on
the BAAQMD plan, contact Steve
Hill, BAAQMD Toxic Air Contami-
nant Section, 939 Ellis Street, San
Francisco, California 94109, (415)
771-6000.
*See related article in the January
1992 Newsletter.
Incineration 2000 Study Assesses
Alternative Disposal of Sewage Sludge
by Patrick Lavin, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
With the 1988 Ocean Dumping
Ban Act, the Federal government
prohibited all ocean dumping of
sewage sludge. In response, munici-
palities along the Eastern Seaboard
have been seeking sludge disposal
alternatives that include sludge in-
cineration. This has been an impor-
tant issue within the greater metro-
politan New York and New Jersey
area. Accordingly, the New York
State Department of Environmental
Conservation (NYSDEC), New
Jersey Department of Environmen-
tal Protection, and U. S. EPA began
in 1990 an analysis of potential air
quality impacts of sludge incinera-
tion activities.
The study covered greater
metropolitan New York and New
Jersey (see Figure 1), a 60- by 65-km
area (37 by 40 miles), and included
other types of incinerators in the
area - hospital, municipal waste,
and hazardous waste - because
they emit contaminants similar to
those produced by the incineration
of sewage sludge (listed in Table
1). The study also identified avail-
(coMtinued on page 5)
Figure 1.
The greater metropolitan New York and New Jersey area examined in the Incineration 2000 study.
560000 570000 580000 590000 600000 610000 620000
4
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Incineration 2000 (continued from page 4)
able data on background levels of
these same contaminants to include
in the analysis.
In Phase I of the study, an
emissions data base was developed
based on literature research and
stack test emissions. These data
were used to calculate contaminant
concentrations at each of the 3,900
points that form a grid over the
studied area (also shown in Figure
1). Work underway for Phase II
involves using these data to examine
carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic
effects. For each carcinogen, risk
values were derived by applying
methods used by EPA to calculate
risk. Additionally, a hazard index
approach was used to assess non-
cancer health impacts for all the
contaminants. Phase II of this
study also compares health impacts
Table 1
Contaminants Evaluated in the Incineration 2000 Study
Arsenic
Beryllium
Cadmium
Chromium
Nickel
Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs)3
Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs)3
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Formaldehyde
Manganese
Mercury
Vanadium
Selenium
Hydrochloric acid
Hydrogen fluoride
"Expressed as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) equivalents.
Figure 2.
Sample graphic of risk data using shaded and colored plots to present study results
associated with existing incinera-
tion activities to those projected for
the future, which may increase in
this area.
The NYSDEC has portrayed
both the risk and hazard index infor-
mation through a unique approach
that uses a graphical information
system (GIS). The GIS allows
graphic presentation of the risk
data using shaded and color plots
to explain the results. As an exam-
ple, Figure 2 demonstrates the
potential individual risks for the
area studied. (Actual risk values
have not been incorporated in the
legend pending finalization of the
study report.) Completion of Phase
II is expected by the summer of
1992. The results of this study are
expected to be used by local
governments in considering per-
missible methods of sewage sludge
disposal.
Further information can be
obtained from Patrick Lavin,
NYSDEC, Room 136, 50 Wolf Rd
Albany, New York 12233-3254 or
call (518) 457-7688.
Passaic
5
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OAQPS Bulletin Board System to Add NATICH
by Vasu Kilaru, EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
The NATICH staff plan to add
a NATICH Bulletin Board to the
EPA's Technology Transfer Network
Bulletin Board System (TTN BBS)
this spring. NATICH is a repository
of information on air toxics activities
of primarily State and local agencies.
This information includes the regu-
latory structure of various State and
local air toxics programs, agency
contacts for the various program
areas, ambient guidelines established
by an agency, and risk assessment
information.
Since 1984, the data base por-
tion of NATICH has been stored on
the IBM mainframe computer at
EPA's National Computer Center in
Research Triangle Park, North
Carolina. Several national data
bases such as the Toxics Release
Inventory System (TRIS) * and the
Aerometric Information Retrieval
System (AIRS) reside on this main-
frame computer. The primary advan-
tage in being associated with the
National Computer Center is the
linkage it provides to the TRIS and
AIRS databases. There are con-
cerns, however, that the difficulties
in working with a mainframe
environment have precluded or
discouraged the use of the
NATICH data base. Thus, the
NATICH staff are making portions
of the data base available through
the TTN BBS. The information
selected includes State, local, and
EPA Regional Office contacts, State
and local regulatory program infor-
mation, and acceptable ambient
concentration guidelines. More in-
formation will be incorporated in
the future.
The TTN is a system of in-
dependent bulletin boards that are
interconnected to provide for infor-
mation exchange among EPA,
State and local pollution control
agencies, and the public. With a
TTN ID, a user has access not only
to NATICH but to other technical
information centers involved with
air resources issues. Inclusion on
the TTN will enhance and expand
the TTN capabilities and, in turn,
increase exposure and use of the
Clearinghouse. The NATICH staff
also hopes to expand the number of
clients who submit information to
the data base through the TTN
(see inset). To obtain further infor-
mation about the OAQPS TTN, call
(919) 541-5384 or (FTS) 629-5384.
The NATICH staff welcome
any comments or suggestions
regarding any aspect of its opera-
tions. Contact Vasu Kilaru, U.S.
EPA, OAQPS, MD-13, Research
Triangle Park, North Carolina
27711, or call (919) 541-5332 or
(FTS) 629-5332.
*See related article in the December
1989 Newsletter.
Information Now
on the TTN
AMTIC - Ambient Monitoring
Technical Information Center
EMTIC - Emissions Measure-
ments Technical Information
Center
CTC - Control Technology
Center
CHIEF - Clearinghouse for
Inventories and Emission
Factors
SCRAM - Support Center for
Regulatory Air Models
AIRS - Aerometric Informa-
tion Retrieval System
Air RISC Publishes Hydrogen Chloride
Health Effects Document
by Marsha Marsh, EPA Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office
The Air Risk Information Sup-
port Center's (Air RISC's) new pub-
lication entitled Health Effects and
Dose Response Assessment for Hydro-
gen Chloride Following Short-Term
Exposureis now available. This
document is the result of a project
undertaken by Air RISC to develop
dose-duration-response information
for short-term exposure to hydrogen
chloride. It provides the risk
assessor/risk manager a guide for
decision-making and includes infor-
mation on the toxicity and the
potential adverse effects that may
occur with short-term human
exposure.
The release of this information
coincides with activities in several
States to establish maximum ambi-
ent air concentrations for hydrogen
chloride. This document contains
this information and should prove
useful to State and local programs.
Although the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA)
has established a ceiling for occu-
pational exposure to hydrogen chlor-
ide, this publication concludes that
the combination of ranges of ex-
posure concentrations and dura-
tions likely to produce adverse ef-
fects are not well characterized.
For further information or
copies of this document, call the
Air RISC hotline at (919) 541-0888
or (FTS) 629-0888, or write Air RISC,
U.S. EPA, MD-13, Research Tri-
angle Park, North Carolina 27711.
6
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New Air Quality Models Released
by Jawad S. Touma and Russell F. Lee, EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
The Source Receptor Analysis
Branch of the U.S. EPA has recent-
ly modified three models that have
specific applications to air toxics
releases. This branch is responsible
for providing and maintaining air
quality models and has revised
TSCREEN, a model for screening
toxic air pollutant concentrations,
and the Industrial Source Complex
Short-term and Long-term Models,
ISCST and ISCLT, respectively.
These revised models are being
made available through the Center
for Regulatory Air Models Bulletin
Board System (SCRAM BBS),
along with a portion of the draft
user's guide. The SCRAM BBS is
part of EPA's Technology Transfer
Network (TTN)*, a system of several
air pollution-related electronic
bulletin boards that are accessed
through a single phone number.
TSCREEN is an easy-to-use
personal computer program for
assessing screening level impacts
of toxic air pollutants from a variety
of releases at Superfund sites and
other sources. As a screening model,
TSCREEN addresses one emission
source at a time and relies on a set
of built-in meteorological data to
obtain the maximum short-term
estimate. TSCREEN helps the user
through a set of logical decision
processes via interactive menus
and data input screens. Default
values for some parameters, checks
for valid ranges of input parameters,
extensive help menus, and options
for viewing and saving the modeled
results are among the many features
provided.
TSCREEN implements proced-
ures described in a "Workbook of
Screening Techniques for Assessing
Impacts of Toxic Air Pollutants"
(EPA-450/4-88-009, NTIS PB89-
134340). The "User's Guide to
TSCREEN, A Model for Screening
Toxic Air Pollutant Concentrations"
(EPA-450/4-90-013.NTIS PB91-
41820) is also available from the
SCRAM BBS.
The ISCST and ISCLT models,
two of EPA's most frequently used
air quality models, have been com-
pletely restructured and recoded.
These revised models are called
ISCST2 and ISCLT2, or collectively,
ISC2. The mathematics and physics
of the code remain the same so that
results produced by the models will
generally agree with those generated
by previous versions of the models
with two exceptions. First, differ-
ences will result from the introduc-
tion of directional building dimen-
sions for all building wake calcula-
tions, rather than for only the short
stack cases. Second, some differ-
ences will also result from the dis-
covery of and corrections made to
coding errors found while the
models were being recoded.
Both the ISCST2 and ISCLT2
models are written in FORTRAN-
77, and can be run on any com-
puter with a FORTRAN compiler
and sufficient memory. An execu-
table file is also provided that is
compiled for an IBM PC or com-
patible machine (preferably one of
the faster models) that runs MS-
DOS (or PC-DOS), 640 KB of
RAM, and a math coprocessor.
The ISCST2 model handles one or
many sources and requires hourly
meteorological data. The ISCLT2
model also handles one or more
source, but uses a joint frequency
(STAR - STability ARray) meteoro-
logical data summary based on
hourly data. EPA also provides
meteorological data for these
models from selected National
Weather Service stations through
the SCRAM BBS.
To decide which air quality
models to use for regulatory pur-
poses, EPA offers basic guidance in
the "Guideline on Air Quality Mo-
dels (Revised)" (EPA-450/2-78-027R,
NTIS PB86-245248). This guideline
was updated in 1987 with Supple-
ment A (NTIS PB88-150958). Fur-
ther revisions have been proposed
(continued on page 8)
The EPA Journals/ins Award
The EPA Journal, the official magazine of the EPA, has recently won first place in the Blue Pencil Competi-
tion. The award is made annually by the National Association of Government Communicators for outstanding
government publications. The magazine's goal is to provide timely information on developments in air and watei
pollution control, solid waste management, hazardous waste disposal* ozone depletion, Superfund liability,
pesticides, and groundwater contamination. New regulations and standards, new technologies, and environmen-
tal management are also addressed.
An annual subscription to the EPA Journal costs $10.00 for six bimonthly issues ($12,50 out of country).
Payment may be made by sending a check or VISA or MasterCard number to: New Orders, Superintendent of
Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15250-7954. Orders can also be placed by FAX, (202)
512-2233.
7
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Models Released (continued from page 7)
as Supplement B. Supplement B is
being revised based on recent
public comments, and is expected
to be adopted about September
1992. This supplement will include
many references for estimating air
toxic releases.
For additional information
about the capabilities of TSCREEN,
contact Jawad (Joe) Touma, U.S.
EPA, SRAB, MD-14, Research
Triangle Park, North Carolina
27711, (919) 541-5381 or (FTS)
629-5381. For information on ISC2,
contact Russell I^ee, (919) 541-5638
s/' > 629-5638 at the same
address.
*See related articles in the
September 1990 Newsletter.
The NATICH Newsletter is published six times a year by the National Air Toxics Information Clearinghouse. The Newsletter is prepared
by Radian Corporation under EPA Contract Number 68-1)1-0125, Work Assignment 1-1. The EPA Editor is Carol Jones, EPA Office of
Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, Telephone: (919) 541-5341. The Radian Project Director
is Linda Cooper, Radian Corporation, P. 0. Box 13000, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, (919)541-9100.
The Newsletters distributed free of charge. To report address changes, write Meredith Haley, Radian Corporation, P O. Box 13(X)(),
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709.
'Hie views expressed in the NATICH Newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection
Agency. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute any endorsement or recommendation for use by EPA.
Printed on recycled paper.
Carol Jones
Pollutant Assessment Branch
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
MD-13
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
FIRST CLASS MAIL
U.S. Postage Paid
E.P.A.
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