Agenda - Planning Commission - 12/01/2011 - Work Session

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IAA Metropolitan Council AA • Air Quality — Pollutants Regional Benchmarks Measuring Our Progress 2011 Update Goal: Maintain federal ambient air quality standards for carbon monoxide, ground -level ozone and fine particulates. 2002 Baseline: Zero violations 2030 Target: Zero violations 2003-2009: Zero violations 2010: Two violations The pollutant of greatest concern at the time of the adoption of the Framework was carbon monoxide (CO). Although maintenance of attainment status in the region is still a priority, today's greatest threat to attainment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) is fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The federal standard for fine particulate matter is that the 98th percentile of the 24-hour PM2.5 concentrations in a year, averaged over three years, needs to be less than 35 pg/m3. This standard was violated at two monitors in the region in the 2008- 2010 reporting period. Source: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. • Air Quality Index Number of days that air quality was above 100 (unhealthy for sensitive groups) In planning for improvements to the transportation system, Metropolitan Council conforms to 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments for attaining federal air quality standards. Prior to 1999, the region was classified as not in attainment for carbon monoxide. An area can be in compliance with federal air quality standards and yet have some days when its air quality is rated "unhealthy" by the EPA's uniform index. Repeated alert days for a pollutant may be an indicator of a rising risk. Hot summers provide conditions for higher ozone levels and more alert days. Air Quality Index (Days air categorized as unhealthy for sensitive groups) 4 4 i 5 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Ozone Fine Particulates Source: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. In 2010, there were seventeen air quality alerts for fine particulate matter. No alerts were issued for ozone. The region has had fine particulate levels near the federal standard for some time. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency attributes the violation in 2008-10 and the unusually high number of air quality alters related to fine particulates in 2009 and 2010 to meteorological conditions caused by a strong El Nino from November 2009 through March 2010. 17