25 years of environmental progress cites 41 st annual environmental symposium april 20, 2012 thomas...

25 Years of Environmental ProgressCITES 41st Annual Environmental

SymposiumApril 20, 2012

Thomas W. Easterly, P.E., BCEE, QEP CommissionerIN Department of Environmental Management

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IDEM’s MissionWe Protect Hoosiers and Our Environment

IDEM’s mission is to implement federal and state regulations to protect human health and the environment while allowing the environmentally sound operations of industrial, agricultural, commercial and government activities vital to a prosperous economy.

How Does IDEM Protect Hoosiers and Our Environment?

• Develop regulations and issue permits to restrict discharges to the environment to safe levels.

• Inspect and monitor permitted facilities to ensure compliance with the permits.

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How Does IDEM Protect Hoosiers and Our Environment?

• Use compliance assistance and/or enforcement when people exceed their permit levels or violate regulations.

• Educate people on their environmental responsibilities.

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25 Years of Progress

http://www.in.gov/idem/files/state_of_environment_2011.pdf

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Backlogs Eliminated• On January 10, 2005 there were 263

administratively extended NPDES permits and 289 unissued Title V permits. All of those have been issued and IDEM now issues permits using less than 85% of the Statutorily allowed days.

• On January 10, 2005 there were 250 unresolved enforcement cases over 2 years old. Now the oldest referral on our tracking list is July 8, 2010.

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Permits--Percent of Statutory Days

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State Air Quality Status 2008 to 2010

Attains

Does Not Meet the PM Standards

Does Not Meet the Ozone standard

Does Not Meet the Ozone and PM

Location of the State Capitals

State Boundaries 9

25 Years of Progress

• Water Quality: Combined Sewer Overflows – All 98 State lead CSO Communities and 7 of the 10

Federal lead Communities have entered legal agreements to address their CSO issues.

– We are working with U.S. EPA to speed the progress on the remaining 3 Federal lead CSO communities.

– At least 27 of the CSO communities have completed their projects to address the release of untreated sewage during rain events.

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Fish Tissue Mercury • Mercury emissions in Indiana have

decreased by approximately 20% over the past 14 years.

• Measured mercury deposition has decreased by 7% during this time.

• In spite of these reductions, there is no apparent change in mercury fish concentrations in Indiana.

Protection of Human Health• U.S. EPA’s “acceptable” fish mercury levels

are 0.3 mg/kg which is 300 ppb. • While the average fish tissue mercury levels

in Indiana have not changed, they are less than one half of this level.

• Indiana has historically called a stream impaired for mercury if a single analytical result (average of 3 fish) exceeded 300 ppb.

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Protection of Human Health• At the end of 2010, U.S.EPA issued new

guidance on the proper interpretation of the fish tissue data.

• U.S.EPA’s guidance indicates that a properly calculated average mercury value is the appropriate interpretation of the limit.

• IDEM plans to reevaluate its mercury data using the U.S.EPA guidance.

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Mercury Air Toxics Rule (MATS)Final Rule Effective: April 16, 2012• Annual rule cost $9.9 billion.• Annual rule HAP benefit $5,000 to $6,000,000

(0.00209 IQ points per exposed person or 510.8 IQ points per year in US out of 31 billion IQ points)

• Rule cost is between $1,650 and $1,980,000 per $1 of HAP benefit.

• Estimated annual co-benefits $53 to $140 billion.

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Mercury Concentration in Indiana Fish 1983 - 2006O

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Sample Date

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(p

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ppb=parts per billion

Protection of Downwind States• In 2005 a number of counties including three

in Indiana did not meet all ozone and PM2.5 air quality standards. U.S. EPA projected that over 100 counties would still not meet standards by 2012.

• By the end of 2010 air quality in Indiana and the rest of the country had improved to meet the ozone and PM2.5 air quality standards addressed by CSAPR (except for two areas impacted by local sources). 18

Protection of Downwind States

Ozone PM2.5 (Annual) PM2.5 (24-Hour)

EPA predicted 2012 Non Attainment counties (based upon 2005 air quality)

11 32 103

Counties attaining by 2009 9 27 83Counties still needing improvement at end of 2009 2 5 20Counties with remaining local source issues 2010 1 1 1

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CAIR/Transport Rule/CSAPR• IDEM expected to meet the Transport Rule

Statewide caps for 2012 without additional controls, CSAPR reduced those caps by 29%--not currently achievable.

• IDEM expected that we would need one current project completed and another source controlled to meet the 2014 caps. CSAPR reduced the caps by 20%.

• CSAPR annual cost estimated to be $2.4 billion.

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CAIR/Transport Rule/CSAPR• The State of Indiana has filed three actions to

respond to CSAPR:– A petition to reconsider the rule with U.S. EPA.– A petition for judicial review of the rule with the

DC Court of Appeals.– A request for a stay of the rule with the DC Court

of Appeals.

• We are also working with LA, OH, TX and WV to advocate reconsideration of the rule.

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CAIR/Transport Rule/CSAPR• U.S. EPA is implementing CSAPR through a

Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) before allowing the States to implement the rule.

• The State has no role in CSAPR unless we modify our State Implementation Plan (SIP).

• U.S. EPA is moving to approve our requests to redesignate the State of Indiana to attainment for PM2.5 now that CSAPR is in effect.

• This rule will also allow U.S. EPA to approve our BART SIP submission.

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CAIR/Transport Rule/CSAPR• Success to Date: On December 30, 2011, the

DC Circuit Court of Appeals issued a Stay of CSAPR and indicated that a hearing on the merits of the appeals would likely be held in April.

• Cost of Success: U.S. EPA placed a hold on the PM2.5 attainment designation for the Indianapolis Area which had been sent to the Federal Register, but not published.

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NAAQS RevisionsAt the end of 2009, all of Indiana met every

currently effective NAAQS for the first time since NAAQS were established in the 1970’s.– New 75 ppb 1 hour SO2 Air Quality Standard (2010).– New 100 ppb short term NOx Air Quality Standard

(2010).– U.S. EPA reconsideration of 0.075 ppm ozone Air

Quality Standard.– U.S. EPA review of the 15 microgram/cubic meter

annual PM2.5 Air Quality Standard.

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CO2 (Green House Gasses)

The National Academy of Sciences report, “America’s Climate Choices” recommends that actions be taken now to start reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to levels between 50% and 80% below 1990 levels.

• Achieving an 80% reduction from 1990 levels would require a 81.4% reduction from 2009 levels.

• If we converted all U.S. fossil fuel use from coal and oil to natural gas, we would achieve a 23.9% reduction from 2009 levels.

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CO2 (Green House Gasses)

• The remaining emissions would need to be reduced by 73.8% to reach the 80% target.

• Apparent choices are:– Energy conservation.– Increasing non-hydro renewable energy sources

from the current 5.5% market share.– Carbon sequestration.– Nuclear electricity.

• Is it possible to achieve the additional 73.8% reduction?

IDEM 2011-2012 GOALS AND CHALLENGES

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2011-2012 IDEM Major Goals• Complete Antidegradation Rulemaking

Process.• Done WPCB Final Adoption March 14, 2012.

• Obtain U.S. EPA approval of attainment designations for PM2.5 for all of Indiana:

• Evansville and Cincinnati and Northwest Indiana are Final and effective.

• U.S. EPA projects that Indianapolis and Louisville will be Final in 30 to 60 days.

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2011-2012 IDEM Major Goals• Complete CAFO/CFO Rulemaking Process.

• Done Final Adoption November 9, 2011.

• Adopt Remediation Closure Guidance and Remediation Program Guidance as NPDs.• Done, presented to SWMB February 21, 2012.• Effective March 22, 2012.

• Start Rulemaking for Numeric Nutrient WQS.

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2011--2012 IDEM Challenges

• Administratively reissue NPDES General Permits and address antidegradation requirements.

• Develop and implement plan for seamless implementation of water program responsibilities currently assigned to: IDEM, ISDH, IDNR, IDHS, and ISDA.

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Questions?

Tom EasterlyCommissioner

Indiana Department of Environmental Management

317-232-8611teasterly@idem.in.gov

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