Analysis of the impact of US Environmental Protection Agency-specified air quality modeling of siting limitations for natural gas desulfurization facilities

Journal Article · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980 · Am. Pet. Inst., Publ.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6401386

An analysis of the impact of US Environmental Protection Agency-specified air quality modeling of siting limitations for natural gas desulfurization facilities, indicates that it is extremely risky to build such facilities under the existing allowable sulfur dioxide increments, because of the large uncertainties in model predictions. In a scenario developed by Everett and Associates and Environmental Research and Technology Inc., a 125 million cu ft/day gas-processing plant with a 30 m stack and two 250 million cu ft/day plants with 30 and 76 m stacks, all of which have 99% efficient desulfurization facilities, should meet Class II increments on flat terrain (e.g., southeastern Texas); Class I buffer zones would be 20-45 km, depending on the plant size. On rough terrain (e.g., western Wyoming), the larger plant might have difficulty in meeting Class II increments, unless a suitable stack height and a distance of 8-14 km from the critically imposing terrain were established; Class I buffer zones for both plant sizes would be 45-136 km, which would be smaller if a more efficient desulfurization system were used. For all plants regardless of terrain, a multiple facility development in the same area would require increased buffer zones. No analysis was made of the possible visibility restrictions resulting from the SO2 emissions.

• OSTI ID: 6401386
• Journal Information: Am. Pet. Inst., Publ.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Pet. Inst., Publ.; (United States) Vol. 4332; ISSN APIPC
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030300 -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
030800 -- Natural Gas-- Environmental Aspects
031000* -- Natural Gas-- Legislation & Regulations
AIR POLLUTION
AIR QUALITY
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMPLIANCE
DATA COVARIANCES
DESULFURIZATION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INFORMATION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS PROCESSING PLANTS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
REGULATIONS
RISK ASSESSMENT
SITE SELECTION