National impacts on visual air quality from a future energy scenario

Conference · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5639553

Nochumson, D; Wecksung, M; Gurule, G

A methodology was developed to evaluate impacts on atmospheric visual air quality for nonurban areas caused by regional haze. Estimated values of median visual range for 39 nonurban ambient air quality monitoring sites were shown to have a high correlation with observed values. A decline in median visual range is projected in regions of the west and the Gulf Coast where there is a substantial growth in the combustion of sulfur containing fossil fuels - coal in particular. The projected decline in median visual range in mandatory Class I Federal areas, particularly in the Western US may conflict with Congress's goal of protecting these areas against visibility impairment. Regulations for defining visibility impairment remain to be defined. The meeting of the emission limitations of the state implementation plans is projected to significantly improve the low visibilities experienced in the Eastern US, particularly in the Ohio Valley and the surrounding region.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5639553
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-79-3214; CONF-791139-1
• Resource Relation: Conference: ACPA conference on visibility, Denver, CO, USA, 26 Nov 1979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
VISIBILITY
AIR QUALITY
FORECASTING
ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
RURAL AREAS
MAPS
MEETINGS
SMOG
TABLES
USA
DATA FORMS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)