Joint Air Toxics Assessment Project JATAP for the MaricopaPinal Urban Area

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Joint Air Toxics Assessment Project (JATAP) for
the Maricopa/Pinal Urban Area

• Presented by
• To
• Date

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What is JATAP?

• Joint effort between state, county, tribal and
  EPA officials to address the risk from air toxics
  in the Maricopa/Pinal Urban Area
• Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
• Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation
• Gila River Indian Community
• Maricopa County Air Quality Department
• Arizona DEQ
• Pinal County Air Quality Control District
• EPA Region 9 Air Division
• EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
• JATAP is guided by a steering committee of
  stakeholder representatives that plans joint
  activities
• Logistical and technical support from the
  Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
  (ITEP) at Northern Arizona University

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Air Toxics

• EPA uses the term air toxics to describe a broad
  category of air pollutants that cause cancer (or
  other serious health effects) or have adverse
  ecological consequences.
• Examples include
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), e.g., benzene,
  1, 3-butadiene and tetrachloroethylene
• Aldehydes, e.g., formaldehyde and acetaldehyde
• Metals found in particulate matter, e.g.,
  chromium and mercury
• This category does not include pollutants (such
  as lead and ozone) that are regulated as
  criteria pollutants under the Clean Air Act

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Objectives of JATAP

• To develop an effective collaboration between
  federal, state, tribal and local environmental
  agencies
• To build technical capacity, especially for
  tribal agencies
• Through monitoring, emission inventories and
  computer modeling, to develop a comprehensive
  understanding of the risk from air toxics across
  the metro area, including possible hot spots and
  environmental justice issues
• To effectively communicate these risks to
  affected communities
• To develop strategies that can reduce the risk
  from exposure to air toxics

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JATAP Study Area
Maricopa County
Pinal County
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Accomplishments of JATAP(2000-2005)

• Completion of a detailed review of existing
  knowledge of air toxics in the region
• Development of a blueprint for a multi-year
  comprehensive study of air toxics in the
  Maricopa/Pinal Urban area
• Planning and implementation of a 12 month pilot
  project for monitoring of air toxics and emission
  inventory in South Phoenix and the Gila River
  Indian Community
• Successful in competition for Community Air
  Toxics Assessment Grant
• monitoring started in January 2005

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Previous Studies of Air Toxics

• 1993 Arizona DEQ study implicated transportation
  related sources. Three compounds contributed 80
  of the calculated cancer risk
• 1,3-butadiene (49), formaldehyde (18), and
  benzene (17)
• 1996 EPA assessment found both transportation and
  industrial sources to be significant, with
  benzene being the biggest component of cancer
  risk, overall

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Uncertainties in Previous Studies

• The estimates of cancer risk potency for key air
  toxics (e.g., 1, 3-butadiene and formaldehyde)
  have been revised dramatically downward in the
  last several years and are still highly
  uncertain.
• The previous risk assessments were based on
  little monitoring data and somewhat rough
  estimates of emissions

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Results from JATAP Pilot Study

• Concentrations of many VOC species were below the
  limit of detection for our analytical techniques.
  Unfortunately, so were some of the benchmark
  concentrations at which risks may be significant
• Need for improved analytical techniques
• Annual average concentrations of formaldehyde,
  acetaldehyde, benzene and 1,3-butadiene at three
  sites in Phoenix were in the highest 25 of the
  range reported in a recent EPA funded assessments
  of 10 other US cities.

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Where Are We Going From Here?

• Continue development of a more comprehensive
  assessment of air toxics in the Maricopa/Pinal
  Urban Area
• A full year of an expanded monitoring network
• Detailed emission inventory
• Dispersion modeling of air toxics
• Risk assessment
• Public outreach
• Early action risk reduction

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Urban Boundary
JATAP HAP Monitoring Network, 2005
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JATAP Funding

• To date, JATAP has been supported with about 1.5
  million of direct funding from EPA, of which
  about 1.3 million has gone for air toxics
  monitoring
• Blueprint for comprehensive assessment projected
  a total project cost of 3.4 million
• Immediate needs are for continued funding for
  project coordination and new funding for emission
  inventory and air quality model development

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For More Information

• Your Contact Info here
• Dr. Jack Herring
• Environmental Studies Program
• Prescott College
• 928-350-2227
• jherring_at_prescott.edu