Delaware rate-of-progress planning and impacts of regional NO{sub x} emission controls

Conference · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999

OSTI ID:20002090

Gao, F F; Mazeed, M A; Outten, J L; Deramo, A R

Two counties in Delaware fall into the Philadelphia Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) which is classified as a severe nonattainment area for the 1-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). Under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA), Delaware is required to develop rate-of-progress plans (RPPs) for the milestone years of 1996, 1999, 2002, and 2005 in order to achieve adequate progress toward attainment of the 1-hour ozone NAAQS. In late 1994 and early 1995, Delaware and other northeastern States within the Ozone Transport Region (OTR) agreed on a regional strategy to reduce NO{sub x} emissions from large fossil fuel-fired boilers and electric generating units. The Phase II of this strategy requires the affected sources to reduce NO{sub x} emissions by 65% of their 1990 emission levels, or to limit NO{sub x} emission rates below 0.20 lbs/mmBTU, by May 1, 1999. The Phase III demands NO{sub x} emission reductions of 75% of the 1990 levels, or an emission rate limit of 0.15 lbs/mmBTU, by May 1, 2003. Delaware has recently promulgated the Phase II regulation, which will become effective in May 1999. At present time, the Phase III strategy is under a mid-course evaluation among the OTR States, and Delaware will develop its Phase III regulation according to the outcome of the evaluation. Recent analysis shows that implementation of the OTR regional NO{sub x} emission controls will produce significant emission reductions in Delaware's 1999, 2002 and 2005 rate-of-progress plans. In this paper, an overview of how Delaware develops its rate-of-progress plans and implements relevant control measures, especially the regional NO{sub x} emission controls, to meet the rate-of-progress requirements will be presented. In addition, impacts of the regional strategy on the new 8-hour ozone NAAQS and the recent EPA NO{sub x} Transport Rule will be briefly discussed.

• Research Organization: Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Dover, DE (US)
• OSTI ID: 20002090
• Report Number(s): CONF-990608--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
DELAWARE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
IMPLEMENTATION
NITROGEN OXIDES
OZONE
STANDARDS