Regulatory agencies like the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) conduct permit reviews for new and modified sources of air emissions. These types of reviews generally include the calculation of the maximum emission rates of the air contaminants that would be emitted from the proposed new or modified equipment. Air dispersion modeling is then conducted to predict the concentrations of air contaminants to which the public may be exposed. Thus, regulatory agencies are able to issue air permits with the appropriate restrictions to ensure that operation of the equipment will not adversely affect the general population. Some areas of Texas are heavily industrialized, with multiple stationary sources concentrated in relatively small geographical areas. Further complicating the issue is that many areas of the state have no zoning laws, so communities are often very close to industrial facilities. To verify that facility operations in industrialized areas are not adversely impacting human health and welfare, the TCEQ collects and reviews measured ambient air quality data from both its extensive network of long-term stationary air monitors and from short-term sampling events. The TCEQ relies on monitoring data to evaluate ambient concentrations of air toxics�those air contaminants that are known or suspected to cause cancer or other adverse health effects�and determine the potential impact on public health and welfare. The TCEQ uses the Air Pollutant Watch List to remediate those areas of the state where monitoring data show persistent levels of air toxics above a level of potential concern.

How Texas uses air monitoring data and the air pollutant watch list to protect public health

247th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.