Wood Waste and Air Quality Issues

1
Wood Waste and Air Quality Issues

• Rich Girard
• Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection
• April 25, 2003

2
Global air issue climate change

• Canadas Kyoto commitment GHG reduction of 6
  from 1990 levels by 2008-2012
• BC energy plan 50 of new electricity is to be
  clean, e.g. from renewable sources
• BC climate change action plan is expected this
  fall
• Use of wood residue for green energy would be
  consistent with climate change objectives,
  provided it does not threaten local air quality
• MWLAP Climate Change website http//wlapwww.gov.b
  c.ca/air/climate
• MEM Energy Plan http//www.gov.bc.ca/em/

3
WLAP Viewpoint

• Responsible use of resources
• More wood less fossil fuel
• Larger projects better emission controls and
  emission reduction
• Job creation significant use of waste
  material over last decade has lead to much of the
  forest sector job creation

4
Wood Residue

• In 1994, MoF estimated 8.8 million tonnes of wood
  residue in BC
• Some value-added uses include
• Pulp mill power boilers and Co-gen power projects
• Sawdust pulp and MDF plants
• Pellet plants and finger jointing operations
• Currently about 2 million tonnes is surplus is
  burned in beehive/silo burners

5
Beehive burners

• Wood Residue Burner Incinerator Reg
• Prohibits new beehives and phases out Tier 1
  burners (near sensitive receptors) by specified
  dates (June 30, 2005 at the latest)
• Sets standards for incinerator emissions
• Amended in Dec 2002 to allow operators more time
  to find value-added options
• Green energy seen as an alternative
• Web http//www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/reg/W/WasteMg
  mt/519_95.htm

6
Emission Standards

• Particulates
• Incinerators 50-120 mg/m3 (WRBIR)
• Power Boilers 45 to 460 mg/m3 (permits)
• Opacity
• Incinerators 15 (WRBIR)

7
Local Air Quality

• Projects need to address local air quality
  concerns
• Movement of residues into an airshed
• Offsets important especially where air quality
  guidelines are not met
• Need for more stringent emission standards where
  air quality is threatened
• NOx, CO, PM - local air quality impacts from wood
  residue burning
• BC particulate guideline for PM10, 50 ug/m3 (24
  hr avg)
• PM 2.5 important for combustion sources and human
  health implications
• CWS for PM2.5 is 30 ?g/m3 (24 hr avg), based on
  the annual 98th percentile value, averaged over 3
  consecutive years.

8
Ministry Initiatives

• Framework for Airshed Improvement Plan (under
  development)
• By 2005/06, 100 of communities monitored
  achieve, or continue to achieve, the Canada Wide
  Standard for PM2.5 (Ministry Performance Std).
• Clean Air Discussion Paper (part of Waste
  Management Act review, www.gov.bc.ca/epd/waste_mgt
  _review/)
• Support of local airshed planning processes
  likely to be in the upcoming legislation

9
Ministry Initiatives

• Air Quality Management in B.C. - State of
  Knowledge Report (imminent)
• Updating BC Air Quality Objectives Discussion
  Paper (wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/air/)