Emission Reduction Programs Research Articles

Measuring Corporate Environmental Performance: The ICI Environmental Burden System

SummaryThe Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) group has developed a method, called the “environmental burden system” to rank the potential environmental impacts of its emissions and wastes. The method uses potency factors to characterize the potential environmental impacts of wastes and emissions in ten major impact categories. When compared to the more traditional approach of reporting the total mass of emissions and wastes, the environmental burden approach provides a more meaningful picture of the potential impact of emissions: it helps identi?. the most harmful wastes and emissions; it provides the public with a better understanding ofthe potential impact of company operations: and it helps communicate the effectiveness of waste and emission reduction programs

Real-World Vehicle Emissions: A Summary of the Sixth Coordinating Research Council On-Road Vehicle Emissions Workshop

The Coordinating Research Council (CRC) has conducted a series of workshops on real-world vehicle emissions. This article summarizes findings from the most recent research regarding on-road emissions from mobile sources, presented at the CRC workshop held in March 1996. Among the topics discussed were efforts to improve and update emission models, results from field studies designed to understand the contribution of mobile sources to emission inventories, results from gas-and particle-phase emissions studies from in-use motor vehicles, and areas of future research. The Sixth Coordinating Research Council (CRC) On-Road Vehicle Emissions Workshop was held March 18-20, 1996, in San Diego, CA. More than 160 representatives from academia, industry, government, and consulting firms in the United States, Canada, and Europe participated in the three-day meeting. The objective of the Workshop was to present the most recent information from research programs on: mobile source contributions to the emission inventory emission factor models and activity data model comparison and development emission reduction programs new developments in remote sensing studies of on-road vehicle exhaust and non-tailpipe emissions off-cycle Federal Test Procedure (FTP) studies and revisions to the FTP particle emissions from the light- and heavy-duty fleets future research needs Nine sessions were devoted to vehicle emissions models, improvements to the emission inventory, on-road and tunnel studies, off-cycle emissions, non-tailpipe and diesel emissions, emission reduction programs, and remote sensing. Overall workshop coordination was provided by Timothy Belian and the CRC staff, with Steven Cadle and Robert Gorse serving as cochairmen. Individual session chairmen were Brent Bailey (National Renewable Energy Laboratory), Mark Carlock (California Air Resources Board), Harold Haskew (General Motors), Kenneth Knapp and Philip Lorang (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), Douglas Lawson (Colorado State University), Alan Lloyd (Desert Research Institute), Robert Slott (Shell Oil), and Timothy Truex (University of California, Riverside). In addition, during the Workshop, Lesha Hrynchuk of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) presented a hands-on demonstration using the Internet to obtain motor vehicle emissions information from groups throughout the world. The complete Workshop proceedings are available from the Coordinating Research Council, 219 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30346; phone: (770) 396-3400; fax: (770) 396-3404. The following summarizes each session and includes a short synopsis of all the papers that were presented.

Real World Vehicle Emissions: A Summary of the Fifth Coordinating Research Council On-Road Vehicle Emissions Workshop.

This paper reviews the CRC Fifth On-Road Vehicle Emissions Workshop, which was held from 3 to 5 April 1995 at San Diego, CA, USA. The meeting aimed to discuss: (1) recent experimental studies, directed to determining exhaust and evaporative emissions from in-use vehicles; (2) recent studies of in-use activity data; (3) recent vehicle emissions inventory model developments, including improvements, underlying data, and sensitivity studies; (4) mobile source contributions to the emission inventory; (5) the current status of remote sensing and I/M techniques for measuring real-world emissions, together with planned experimental studies and modelling work; and (6) identification of future research needs. There were sessions on: (1) the emission inventory; (2) modelling; (3) emission reduction programmes; (4) remote sensing; (5) diesel emissions; (6) evaporative emissions; (7) the Federal Test Procedure (FTP) Revision Program; (8) non-FTP revisions; and (9) on-road and tunnel studies.

Atmospheric Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) at a Point Source of Emissions. Part B: PAH Emissions Reduction at a Horizontal Stud Soderberg Plant at Jonquiere, Quebec, Canada and the Evolution of B[a]P in Ambient Urban Air

In Quebec, Canada the production of primary aluminum using the Horizontal Stud Soderberg process is a significant source of atmospheric emissions. Since 1984, in the area surrounding a Soderberg plant at Jonquiere, Quebec, regular monitoring of the ambient air has made it possible to follow the evolution of PAH levels in urban areas. B[a]P is used as an indicator of total PAH. The ambient air is sampled twice a week using Hi-Vol samplers to collect particulate PAH on glass-fiber filters. From 1984 to 1990, there has been a 67 percent reduction in PAH emissions at the Jonquiere plant. The two factors contributing to this situation are the shutdown of certain Soderberg production units and an ongoing program of reduction of PAH emissions into the atmosphere. Annual geometric mean ambient levels of 1 to 3 ng/m[sup 3] (B[a]P) for 1990 have been reported at sampling stations affected by prevailing winds within a 6 km radius of the emissions source. This paper shows the representativeness of the PAH sampling network in the area surrounding the industrial site. There is a general trend towards lower levels of B[a]P in air coincident with the emissions reduction program. A verification of the data shows thatmore » they are not normally distributed but are highly right-skewed and generally follow lognormal distributions. 9 refs., 5 figs., 5 tabs.« less

U.S., Canada still far apart on acid rain accord

U.S. and Canadian officials have met once again to discuss an acid rain accord. To the chagrin of the Canadians, the U.S. announced that it would not accept what Canadians want—a treaty containing scheduled and specified cuts in sulfur dioxide emissions. Last spring, Canada tabled an accord calling for a 50% reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions by 1994. At a bilateral advisory and consultative group meeting on Jan. 24, the U.S. addressed that accord. The U.S. said it would continue discussions toward a bilateral air quality accord, but it would not consider a mandated emissions reduction program as part of a treaty. According to William A. Nitze, State Department deputy assistant secretary for environment, health, and natural resources, the U.S. does not think the acid rain problem is serious enough right now to justify the considerable expense of putting on scrubbers. Scrubbers are devices used to remove sulfur dioxide from stack gases. ...