Assessing the air-quality impacts of conversions to coal in the northeastern US
A study to assess the air quality impacts of the conversion of 43 power plants in the Northeastern US is reported. Emission scenarios, designed to cover the range of potential emissions, were developed jointly by experts in the field of combustion engineering, coal availability, transportation, and dispersion analysis. These scenarios included: no increase in emission rates; regulated emission rates for coal; a standard of 1.2 lb SO/sub 2/ per million Btu; and, the utility proposals where available. The emissions were then input into dispersion models on a subregional basis. The subregions, centered on Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston, were modeled using the RAM model. On a regional basis, the ASTRAP model utilized the emission information to predict regional increases in SO/sub 2/ and sulfate concentrations. The impact of these increases upon precipitation pH levels was then estimated. Increases in ground-level concentrations of SO/sub 2/, SO/sub 2/ transported through the atmosphere, and deposition rates of sulfates are predicted to occur following conversions of existing utility facilities from oil to coal. Four principal conclusions can be drawn from the simulation of regional air quality and distribution patterns. The increase in sulfur deposition on the subcontinental scale is on the order of 1% or less, depending upon the emission total of the scenario. The regional impacts tend to be oriented along the northeastern US coast, in accordance with plant locations and wind patterns. The overall effect in sensitive areas in the northeast is several times greater than for the subcontinent taken as a whole, but is still considerably less than that due to emissions from upwind regions, such as the Ohio River Valley. The air quality and deposition increments are lower than can currently be meaningfully interpolated to obtain ecological effects.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA); Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- OSTI ID:
- 5250756
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-810631-6; ON: DE82017547
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 74. annual meeting of the Air Pollution Control Association, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 21 Jun 1981; Other Information: Portions of document are illegible
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
02 PETROLEUM
AIR QUALITY
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
SULFATES
MONITORING
SULFUR DIOXIDE
COAL
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
PETROLEUM
PH VALUE
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
USA
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER PLANTS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR OXIDES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
292000 - Energy Planning & Policy- Supply
Demand & Forecasting
010900 - Coal
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020900 - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects