Grades 9-12
Section 3: Air Quality in the Tulsa
Area
Tulsa Area Ozone Alert! Program
The Tulsa area’s primary air pollution of concern is ground level ozone. Largely due to the economic and industrial prosperity brought to Tulsa by the oil boom. When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first enacted the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ground level ozone in 1971, the Tulsa area did not meet the standard and was a non-attainment area.
The Tulsa area regained its attainment status in 1990 just before the enactment of the New Clean Air Act. To achieve attainment status, various State Implementation Plan (SIP) emission reduction measures were imposed. Two specific measures include Stage I Vapor Recovery, a vapor collection system capturing emissions from gasoline storage tanks when filling gasoline transport vehicles, and industrial coating treatment requirements.
The Tulsa area experienced two exceedances of the 1-hour ozone standard in June 1991. To develop a pro-active program to diminish the chances of slipping back into non-attainment, the City of Tulsa and other area officials turned to INCOG, the regional planning agency in the Tulsa area. INCOG formed the Air Quality Committee composed of local public agencies, members of the business community, environmental interest groups, and interested citizens. The Air Quality Committee developed and initiated the Ozone Alert! Program in just two weeks time. The purpose of the Ozone Alert! Program was twofold. The primary goal of the program was to improve the air quality in the Tulsa area. The reductions in hydrocarbon emissions that would result from the success of the program, would support our continued demonstration of attainment.
Tulsa's Current Ozone Standing
The Tulsa area is clearly meeting the 1-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone established by EPA, and is just slightly above EPA’s revised 8-hour ozone standard (as of June 2003). The first chart on Page 40 shows the Tulsa Area’s 1-hour average Ozone exceedances from 1991-2002 (ppm). The second chart on Page 40 shows the area’s 8-hours ozone design value. The charts show how close we are to not meeting EPA’s standard and falling out of compliance with the Clean Air Act.
EPA is expected to make designations for the 8-hour standard by April 2004. The INCOG Air Quality Committee has proactively worked hard for many years to reduce regional ozone and to avoid non-attainment designation. The revised 8-hour standard is more stringent and provides a challenge; however, Tulsa’s ozone levels continue to improve. If the 2003 ozone season is good, the Tulsa area may meet the standard by the end of the season. Rather than chancing a non-attainment designation on a good ozone season, Tulsa is continuing in its proactive air quality efforts. The area recently developed and entered into a legal voluntary emission reduction agreement with the EPA and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) to ensure clean air and 8-hour ozone attainment at the monitors for the region sooner than would otherwise be required. This agreement is called the Tulsa Area Ozone Early Action Compact Agreement (EAC) and will defer the effective date of non-attainment designation as long as all terms of the agreement are being met, or until specific selected control measures do not achieve attainment at the monitors in 2007.
In order to best attack Tulsa’s air quality problems, the sources of the pollution in our air shed first must be identified. The basic components of an air quality emissions inventory include: Point Source Emissions (industrial sources), Area Source Emissions (smaller specific area emission contributions such as dry cleaners, paint ships, and gas stations) Mobile Source Emissions (on-road and off-road vehicles including recreational and construction vehicles) and Biogenic Emissions (natural emissions from vegetation decomposition and plant matter). The Tulsa Area emissions inventory for ozone precursors VOCs and NOx, last fully accumulated in 1999, is provided. Additionally, the following chart shows the major sources of carbon monoxide (CO) contributing to the emissions mix in the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).
Understanding the make-up of Tulsa’s air is important. Equally important are local strategies for public air quality education and awareness programs to control and reduce emissions.
Some pollutants, or ozone precursors, are additionally carried into the Tulsa area, from other areas including Oklahoma City and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
Determining the best air quality strategies for meeting the ozone standard for a metropolitan area can be complex and significantly expensive to any public agency. A good tool for determining appropriate emissions control strategies is Photochemical Air Shed Dispersion Modeling.
Through requirements resulting from the Tulsa Area EAC, a photochemical air quality emissions dispersion model is being developed. The air quality modeled results are expected by early 2004.
In basic terms, air shed modeling is a geographically laid out computer simulation of all components of the air emissions in an area, for a defined historical period of time. Meterological conditions for the selected high-ozone episode is included, and the computer model is designed to replicate the exact ozone monitor data for each hour of the selected episode. Once the computer model is calibrated to replicate the historical emissions conditions and produces the exact ozone levels that were reached, the emissions inputs are adjusted to determine the impact on ozone levels at the monitors. “Foreign” ozone precursors can also affect our air quality and these transported pollutants are accounted for in air shed modeling.
It is important to remember that not all pollutants are from man-made sources; some come from natural sources such as vegetation, dust carried on the wind, natural-caused fires, etc. In addition to its obvious natural beauty, Tulsa’s “Green Country” label provides evidence of a natural biogenic emissions concern. Current research of biogenic contribution to the VOC emissions mix is sparce, though underway. A 1995 ODEQ modeled emissions inventory for the Tulsa area hinted that as much as 62% of all VOC emissions in the Tulsa area may come from natural biogenic sources.
The ODEQ is responsible for monitoring pollutants in the area. Although Tulsa is mostly concerned about ozone, ODEQ also monitors CO, NOx, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. This monitoring data is available on-line and real time at their website http://www.deq.state.ok.us/AQDNew/monitoring/cpdata.htm.
The Tulsa area continues to aggressively and successfully work toward cleaner air, meeting EPA standards, and educating the public about air quality. Tulsa’s Area air quality programs formed to do just that are discussed on the following pages.
1930’s Dust Bowl, Boise City, Oklahoma
“The Dust Bowl, Men, Dirt & Depression” by Paul Bonnifield
The
Tulsa area was re-designated an attainment area for ozone in 1990 after
20 years of non-attainment designation.
Only a year later the
area exceeded the ozone standard at two separate monitors. This led the
INCOG Air Quality Committee to develop the
Ozone Alert!
to help maintain Tulsa's attainment status for ozone, thereby ensuring
healthy air.
The Ozone Alert! Program takes a voluntary, episodic approach to ozone pollution reduction. The Tulsa Branch of the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ), in collaboration with the National Weather Service, has developed a model to predict days when high ozone levels could occur. Ozone Alert! Days typically occur from May through September on days with high temperatures, light winds, and little or no cloud cover. The ODEQ notifies the INCOG Air Quality Committee. The committee sends notification of the alert by various methods to local governments, businesses, industries and individuals who are urged to take voluntary no-cost or low-cost action to reduce emissions on Ozone Alert! Days.
The program is voluntary and broad-based, relying on all citizens, government, and private industry to work in a cooperative and collaborative fashion. It is multi-jurisdictional in scope and involves the entire INCOG region, which includes all of Tulsa County as well as portions of adjacent Wagoner, Creek, Osage, and Rogers counties.
Each day during the ozone season, the Tulsa Office ODEQ uses a scientific formula to forecast ozone buildup in the Tulsa area. When the conditions warrant it, an Ozone Alert is called, determined by 3:00 p.m., for the following day. The front page of OzoneAlert.com indicates Tulsa's Ozone Alert! status at all times throughout the season. Additionally, citizens are encouraged to sign-up on OzoneAlert.com to receive automated e-mail notifications of Tulsa’s Ozone Alert! Days. Ozone Alert! are also delivered by fax, pager, and PCS phone notifications.
When an alert is called, local news media (television, radio, and newspapers) are informed, and the public is notified. An important component of the program includes direct Alert! Day notification to more than four hundred local Company Ozone Alert! Coordinators who put their organizations’ Ozone Alert! Plan into action.
The success of the Ozone Alert! Program is due in large part to the efforts of local employers. Tulsa area businesses have created Ozone Alert! Programs within their companies to encourage their employees to participate. These local business coordinators provide notice and information on reducing ozone-forming emissions to their organizations. In 2002, more than 400 local companies and organizations with a total of over 92,000 employees received notification the afternoon before an Ozone Alert! Day.
A backbone of the program is the voluntary agreement of our gasoline suppliers to reduce the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) of gasoline provided at Tulsa area stations. Lowering the vapor pressure of gasoline reduces evaporation rates and provides significantly less hydrocarbon emissions within the Tulsa area during the ozone season. Additionally, nearly all local gasoline retailers post advertising or “pump toppers” on Ozone Alert! Days requesting motorists not to refuel or to wait until evening hours.
Educational materials about ozone formation and the Ozone Alert! Program, including an informational video, have been placed in faculty resource centers in public and private schools throughout the five county region to assist with air pollution education. A video, “Charlie’s Day,” describing the Tulsa area’s Ozone Alert! Program has been produced, distributed to local businesses and schools, and is available to aid in air quality education. Each season INCOG's Air Quality Department sponsors a School Poster Contest to educate students and their families about air quality.
Tulsa Commuter Choice/Tulsa Area
RideShare Program
The EPA has the primary responsibility for regulating “mobile sources,” which include cars, trucks, and buses. Although there has been significant progress since 1970 in reducing emission per mile traveled, the number of cars on the road and the miles they travel almost doubled in the same time frame. In response, a nationwide partnership between the Department of Transportation and the EPA was developed to help create customized solutions to commuting challenges.
The role of the
Commuter Choice Program
is to help improve Tulsa’s air quality by reducing the number of single
occupant vehicles traveling on our roadways. For years, the term
“commuter choice” referred simply to tax incentives that are available
to employers and commuters. While these and other incentives remain a
critical part of the overall equation, Commuter Choice is now taking on
a broader, more comprehensive meaning that encompasses the full spectrum
of commuting choices, supporting programs and organizational resources.
Outreach for the program is targeted to communities working with residents, schools working with students, and businesses working with employees. The program is designed to provide and promote choices for travelers such as carpooling, using public transportation, biking, walking, and telecommuting.
The Commuter Choice Program also runs Tulsa Area RideShare, a carpool matching program that uses sophisticated computer software to match up commuters with similar commuting habits. Tulsa Area RideShare is the only carpool matching program in the state that uses this type of computer software to create carpools.
Patterned
after the U.S. Department of Energy’s national Clean Cities program,
Tulsa Area Clean Cities
encourages
the development of markets for
alternative fuel
vehicles (AFVs) as well as fueling and maintenance
facilities. The vision of National Clean Cities, Incorporated, is a
sustainable market for clean transportation fuels and technologies that
will improve our environment, reduce our dependency on foreign oil, and
protect the public health.
Both the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT) contain provisions for the use of alternative fuels and alternative fueled vehicles. The Tulsa Area Clean Cities Program assists businesses and communities in a multi-county area around Tulsa in their compliance with environmental regulations. This enhances the Tulsa area’s image and air quality.
Tulsa Area Clean Cities is a voluntary program to promote the use of alternatives to gasoline and diesel fuel and development of refueling and maintenance. The program was developed to help keep Tulsa’s attainment status by reducing the amount of vehicle emissions into Tulsa’s air.
The program partners with the Ozone Alert! Program to improve air quality in the area by reducing hydrocarbons and other ozone-forming emissions. Together, the programs accomplish this by:
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Raising public awareness of the benefits of alternative fuels and alternative fueled vehicles.
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Encouraging partnerships of local governments, private firms, and other organizations to expand the alternative fuel infrastructure and market.
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Promoting and marketing the alternative fuels program through out a multi-county metropolitan area.
In accordance with the federal Clean Air Act (CAA), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes fuel quality standards to help protect public health and the environment from harmful gaseous and particulate emissions from motor vehicles and engines. The most familiar transportation fuels in this country are gasoline and diesel, but a number of energy sources are capable of powering motor vehicles. These include alcohols, electricity, natural gas, and propane. Some vehicle fuels, because of physical or chemical properties, create less pollution than do today's gasolines. These are called "clean fuels."
Cars operating on today's gasolines emit complex mixtures of compounds that lead to the formation of ground-level ozone; many of these compounds are also toxic. A lot has been done to reduce automobile pollution, from development of innovative emission control technologies to establishment of Inspection and Maintenance (I&M) programs. But each year sees more cars on the road, traveling more miles, and the pollution control measures taken so far have not been sufficient to solve the ozone problem in many large cities.
Clean fuels have a number of inherent properties that make them cleaner than conventional gasoline. In general, these fuels emit fewer hydrocarbons, and the hydrocarbons they do emit are less reactive (slower to form ozone) and less toxic.
Emissions from electricity, natural gas, or alcohol-powered vehicles can be as much as 90 % lower in toxics and ozone-forming hydrocarbons than emissions from vehicles fueled with conventional gasoline. New gasoline formulations ("reformulated gasoline") are expected to reduce these emissions up to 25 % over conventional gasoline.
Use of clean fuels could also help slow atmospheric buildup of carbon dioxide, a "greenhouse gas" that contributes to the potential for global warming. Combustion of any carbon-based fuel produces carbon dioxide. But the overall impact of a given fuel on global warming depends on how the fuel is made. In general, fuels produced from biomass (crops, trees, etc.) and from natural gas result in less carbon dioxide accumulation than fuels made from petroleum or coal.
Clean fuels have benefits that reach beyond their air quality advantages. New fuels in the marketplace give consumers new choices and could decrease our dependence on imported oil. Some options for clean fuels are listed below:
Electricity
Battery-powered vehicles give off virtually no pollution directly and offer one of the best options for reducing motor vehicle emissions in polluted cities. Power plants that produce electricity do pollute, but these plants are often in rural areas where the emissions do not drive pollution levels above health standards. Also, efficient emission controls can be installed and maintained more easily on individual power plants than on millions of vehicles. The driving range of today's electric cars is limited by the amount of power the battery can provide. Today’s batteries take hours to recharge, and the cost of electric vehicles is high. Recent developments in electric vehicle technology show much promise for the future.
Ethanol
Ethanol ("grain alcohol") is the primary automotive fuel in Brazil, and ethanol/gasoline blends (known as "gasohol") have been used in the United States for many years. In some areas of the United States, ethanol is blended with gasoline to form an E10 blend (10% ethanol and 90% gasoline), but it can be used in higher concentrations such as E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline). Oklahoma City is scheduled to open two E85 private refueling infrastructures in the summer of 2003. The Tulsa Area Clean Cities Coalition is also actively working to bring the refueling infrastructure to the Tulsa area by 2005. Pure ethanol fuel offers excellent performance, plus low hydrocarbon and toxic emissions. It can be produced domestically from corn or other crops, as well as from cellulosic materials such as wood or paper wastes, potentially minimizing the accumulation of greenhouse gases (since these "renewable" feedstocks draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere as they grow). With current technology and price structures, ethanol is more expensive than gasoline. New technologies offer the hope of significantly reduced costs.
Methanol
Methanol ("wood alcohol"), like ethanol, is a high-performance liquid fuel that emits low levels of toxic and ozone-forming compounds. It can be produced at prices comparable to gasoline from natural gas and can also be produced from coal and wood. All major auto manufacturers have produced cars that run on "M85," a blend of 85% methanol and 15% gasoline. Cars that burn pure methanol (M100) offer much greater air quality and efficiency advantages. Many auto manufacturers have developed advanced M100 prototypes. Methanol has long been the fuel of choice for race cars because of its superior performance and fire safety characteristics.
Natural Gas (Methane)
Natural gas is abundant and is widely used for home heating and industrial processes. It is easily transported through pipelines and costs about the same or slightly less than gasoline per equivalent gallon. Compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles emit low levels of toxics and ozone-forming hydrocarbons. But CNG fuel must be stored under pressure in heavy tanks, and the cost of accommodating these tanks must be considered. There are significant tradeoffs for CNG vehicles among emissions, vehicle power, efficiency, and range; however, natural gas is already used in some fleet vehicles and appears to have a bright future as a motor vehicle fuel. It is the cleanest burning alternative fuel currently available.
Propane (LPG)
Propane, or liquefied petroleum gas, is a by-product of petroleum refining and natural gas production. It burns cleaner than gasoline but is limited in supply. Propane-fueled vehicles are already common in many parts of the world. Propane has been widely used in Oklahoma for many years, mostly in rural, agricultural areas. Propane costs vary but are similar to gasoline prices.
Reformulated and Oxygenated Gasoline
The petroleum industry is beginning to market gasoline formulations that emit less hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and toxics than conventional gasoline. These new gasolines can be introduced without major modification to existing vehicles or the fuel distribution system. The Clean Air Act requires some gasoline modifications to reduce carbon monoxide emissions in certain polluted cities. Because of its limited supply, reformulated gasoline is generally found only in metropolitan areas with the worst air quality problems. Reformulated gasoline is not supplied in the Tulsa area, but a cleaner-burning gasoline with a lower Reid Vapor Pressure than conventional gasoline is supplied during the ozone season. New Clean Air Act provisions will require gasoline and diesel to be refined with a much lower sulfur content as well as more stringent vehicle engine emission standards. When the new tailpipe and sulfur standards are fully implemented, Americans will benefit from the clean-air equivalent of removing 164 million cars from the road. These new standards, beginning in 2004 and fully implemented by 2010, will require passenger vehicles to be 77 to 95 percent cleaner than those on the road today and will reduce the sulfur content of gasoline by up to 90 percent.
Fuel Cell Technology
Using an electrochemical process discovered more than 150 years ago, fuel cells began supplying electric power for spacecraft in the 1960s. Today they are being used in more down-to-earth applications: to provide on-site power for banks, police stations, and office buildings. In the near future, fuel cells could be propelling automobiles and allowing homeowners to generate electricity in their basements or backyards.
Fuel cells operate much like a battery, turning oxygen and hydrogen into electricity in the presence of an electrically conductive material called an electrolyte. Unlike a battery, however, fuel cells never lose their charge. As long as there is a constant source of fuel – usually natural gas for the hydrogen and air for the oxygen – fuel cells will generate electricity.
A fuel cell provides DC (direct current) voltage that can be used to power motors, lights, or other electrical appliances. To supply electricity for homes, businesses, and buildings, however, the direct current must be changed into AC (alternating current). A device called an "inverter" makes this conversion.
Hydrogen needed by a fuel cell can be extracted from a variety of fuels. Natural gas - a chemical combination of carbon and hydrogen atoms - is perhaps the most common fuel, but other hydrocarbon fuels can also be used.
How safe are the alternative fuels?
Most people are familiar with gasoline, so they rarely question its safety. However, people who are unaccustomed to alternative fuels may have misconceptions or doubts about their safety in vehicle applications. Some safety issues associated with the use of alternative fuels are outlined here.
CNG
The fuel is odorless, and odorants must be added to detect leaks and
spills. In the event of a leak, the gas will rise to the ceiling and
create a potential risk for enclosed areas. Sturdy, heavy storage tanks
must be used to avoid possible hazards from the high-pressure storage.
Pressure in CNG storage tanks on vehicles reach 3000 pound per square
inch (psi) or greater. However, equipment failures or explosions at
these pressures are extremely rare.
E85
Because it is an alcohol, ethanol can be corrosive to some metals,
gaskets, and seals. E85 is less volatile than gasoline, despite the fact
that it contains 15% gasoline. The ethanol component of E85 is denatured
(poisoned with gasoline) to prevent human consumption.
LNG
Liquified natural gas is cooled cryogenically to -260°F. At this
temperature, bodily contact with the liquid fuel, cold metals, or cold
gas can cause cryogenic burns (frostbite). Methane gas detectors must be
installed to detect leaks because odorants cannot be added to LNG.
Propane (LPG)
Strong tank construction is required, but the pressure hazard is less
than with CNG. LPG should be odorized, and detectors are recommended to
help detect leaks or spills. The fuel is extremely volatile, and LPG
fires burn twice as hot as gasoline fires.
M85
Methanol is corrosive to several metals, rubberized components, gaskets,
and seals. Low flame luminosity makes M85 fires difficult to detect in
the daylight. Unhealthy exposure can occur through fume inhalation,
ingestion, or direct contact with skin.
Electricity
Electrical circuits are self-contained and grounded to limit the risk of
shock from the vehicle frame. EV battery packs store enough energy to
produce a dangerous or even lethal shock. Electrolytes in the battery
may cause chemical burns, and protective gear must be worn. Batteries
are considered a hazardous material, and dead batteries should be
disposed of in an environmentally safe manner.
Local Success Stories
Tulsa Public Schools - CNG
In 1988, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce asked Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) to participate in a 2-year pilot program to test the viability of alternative fuels. TPS agreed and subsequently converted 24 buses to CNG. Bolstered by several successful bond issues and zero-interest loans from the State of Oklahoma, the conversions continued after the pilot ended. Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG) stepped in when conversion costs grew beyond the limit of the State loan program. By partnering with ONG, TPS added 40 more buses and 30 trucks that they will own after a 60-month lease period. The fuel savings of using CNG instead of gasoline or diesel compensate for the loans and equipment costs. TPS typically uses 26,000 gallons of gasoline and 29,000 of diesel per month; at $0.58 cents per gallon for CNG versus $1.01 per gallon for conventional fuels, it makes good sense to choose alternative fuels. The support from Oklahoma businesses and state agencies has helped TPS succeed, as did the $50,000 DOE State Energy Program Special Projects grant received in 1997. Despite a few challenges, TPS now boasts of 179 vehicles converted to dedicated CNG.
Oklahoma Natural Gas Company (ONG)- CNG
ONG is ranked first among gas utilities in the number of natural gas vehicles in its fleet and the use of natural gas as a motor fuel in its fleet. More than 92% of the company’s 1,000 light- and medium-duty vehicles are powered by natural gas. The fleet is projected to consume 1,000,000 gasoline gallon equivalents (gge) of natural gas in 2003. By the end of 2002 ONG had eliminated its dependency on foreign oil as a fleet fuel source.
What You Can Do to Clean the Tulsa Area’s Air?
Air pollution is a problem for all of us. The average adult breathes about 3,400 gallons of air a day. Children are at greater risk, because they are more active outdoors and their lungs are still developing. The elderly are also more sensitive to air pollution, because they often have heart or lung disease.
The choices you, as an individual, make every day can increase or decrease air pollution and can protect or threaten your health. You have the power to change your home, transportation, and personal consumer habits to help reduce air pollution.
AT HOME!
· Use compact fluorescent lights with energy-efficiency lighting and other energy-efficient appliances.
· Turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room.
· Use the microwave to cook small meals. (It uses less power than an oven.)
· Plant deciduous trees in locations around your home to provide shade in the summer, but to allow light in the winter.
· Recycle paper, plastic, glass bottles, cardboard, and aluminum cans.
· Reuse materials like paper bags and boxes when you can.
· Properly dispose of household paints, solvents and pesticides. Store these materials in airtight containers.
· Paint with a brush, not a sprayer.
· Keep woodstoves and fireplaces well maintained.
· Have leaky air conditioning and refrigeration systems repaired.
· Cut back on air conditioning and heating use if you can.
· Turn thermostat down (cooler) in the winter and up (warmer) in the summer.
· Insulate your home, water heater, and pipes.
· Have air conditioning systems checked in the Spring and heating systems checked in the Fall. Replace filters regularly.
BUY SMART!
· Choose recycled products. Check labels and buy products that are environmentally friendly.
· Choose products that have less packaging and are reusable.