Ozone Conceptual Description for SIPs

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Ozone Conceptual Description for SIPs

• Paul Miller
• NESCAUM
• November 15, 2006
• And Modified by Richard Fields
• Yesterday!

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Background

• EPA GUIDANCE state SIPs include a conceptual
  description of ozone problem
• OTC funded NESCAUM to draft the conceptual
  description for the OTR SIP APPENDIX
• Provides common foundation for all states
• Avoids redundant efforts amongst states
• Synthesizes most recent information across OTR
• States could supplement with state-specific info,
  depending on needs

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Description of conceptual description

• Qualitative
• Expands upon existing information
• Addresses questions posed by EPA guidance, e.g.
• Is O3 problem local or regional in character?
• Is transport important?
• What types of weather lead to high O3?
• Is O3 limited by NOx, VOCs, or both?

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Table of Contents - ozone

• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Regional nature
• Trends
• Recap of NE ozone studies
• Meteorology of episodes transport paths
• Sea breeze/surface winds
• Nocturnal low level jets
• Upper level ozone reservoir
• Overview of ozone forming emissions (NOx/VOC)
• Links from science to policy
• Technical appendices

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THE BASICS

• EMISSIONS
• CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATION OZONE
• TRANSPORT
• OZONE NONATTAINMENT!

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Regional emissions
NOx emissions
From 2002 NEI
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Regional emissions
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Big Whorls have little Whorls That feed on their
velocity, And little whorls have lesser
whorls And so on to viscocity
- Lewis F. Richardson
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T R A N S P O R T
SCALES OF ATMOSPHERIC WHORLS
GLOBAL
SYNOPTIC
MESOSCALE
MICROSCALE
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GLOBAL CIRCULATION
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SYNOPTIC SCALE CIRCULATIONS
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MESOSCALE CIRCULATIONS
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Transport pathways

• Largest scale - upper level ozone reservoir
• Regional scale mid-level channeled flow
  nocturnal low level jets

• Smaller scale - seabreeze/surface
• winds

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Meteorological transport paths
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Small scale surface
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Regional scale flow
Nocturnal low level jet
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Upper level transport
Upper level ozone reservoir
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OTR-wide low level jet
July 23-24, 2002
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Summary Building upon success

• Ozone still a regional problem in OTR
• Danger of labeling as residual ozone implies
  local-only problem throw back to local-only
  approaches that may not effectively address the
  full extent of the problem

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Summary Building upon success

• States SIPs must address local as well as
  downwind impacts discussions with upwind areas
  critical
• Regional NOx controls coupled with appropriate
  local VOC NOx measures have proven success
  record
• Timely action is critical in order to protect
  public health

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Timeline and status

• Work effort commenced in May
• 1st drafts reviewed by states and revisions made
  in early September
• Ozone 2nd draft reviewed by states mid-September
• PM/Haze 2nd draft reviewed by states end of
  September
• Final reports released end of October
• States can add state-specific information for
  inclusion in their SIPs

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Final Report

• Report at http//www.nescaum.org
• Contact Paul Miller, NESCAUM
• pmiller_at_nescaum.org