Transcript Colorado`s Mercury Program

Colorado’s Mercury Program
The Mercury-Free Colorado Campaign
__________________________
Mark McMillan
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Presented at the WESTAR Fall Business Meeting
September 2006
What Is To Be Covered Today
Mercury Issue
Assessing Mercury Sources
Solutions to Addressing Mercury
- Regulatory
- Pollution Prevention
Closing Comments
Mercury Toxicity
•
Natural Element, Accumulative Toxin
• Primary Exposure Through Fish Consumption
• Fish Often Measured at Levels above What is
Considered Protective of Health
• States have Non-Compliant Waterbodies
• Pregnant Women and esp. Fetuses Most at Risk
NAS – 60,000 children born annually with symptoms
EPA – Over 600,000 born with Hg levels above what is
deemed “Safe”
• Many Sources of Mercury, Both Manmade
and Natural
Minimata, Japan
Iraq
Colorado Mercury Advisories
Fish Consumption Advisories for Mercury
Source: National Listing of Fish and Wildlife Advisories; map courtesy of U.S. EPA
Assessing Mercury Impacts
Water Quality
Monitoring
Fish
Consumption
Data
Computer
Modeling
Historical
Mining
Releases
Public
Health Data
Env’l
Pollution
Permits
Hg
Demographics
Data
Air Quality
Monitoring
Question: How Target Important Issues?
Question: How Target Important Issues?
Answer: Environmental Problem Solving
• Immediate, urgent, or significant human health risk?
• Potential for environmental harm or significant benefit?
• Is there a well-defined set of impacts?
• Is the problem recurring or a cluster of occurrences?
• Is it within the agency’s role and jurisdiction?
• Is it conceivable that success could be measured?
• What are the public expectations?
• Is the problem important to the public?
• Would staff and stakeholders be willing to work on it?
Assessing Mercury Sources
Mercury Monitoring (Air)
Mercury Inventories
Include MDN map of Hg deposition
General Mercury Deposition Observations
• Deposition Values Can Be Highly Variable
(e.g., Mesa Verde, Colorado)
• Variability May Imply Importance of Local and
Regional Mercury Sources
• “Hot Spots” for Mercury Are a Real Possibility
• Local Water Bodies With High Mercury in Fish
• Core Sampling Indicates Hg Increases Align with
When Power Plants Came Online
• Dry Deposition of Mercury Is A Critical Issue
– Needs Further Understanding
Mercury Inventory Efforts
Sources
http://www.epa.gov/mercury/control_emissions/emissions.htm
Colorado Mercury Sources (Air)
Annual Mercury Releases by Industry
3%
4%
2%
Steel Manufacturing
9%
29%
Power Plants
Automotive Switches
Crematoria
Cement Manufacturing
Gold Mining
25%
Other
28%
• Of Large Mercury Sources, Only Crematoria Remain Unaddressed
Addressing Mercury
Regulatory
(CAMR)
Non- Regulatory
(Pollution Prevention)
Addressing Mercury
Regulatory
(CAMR)
Non- Regulatory
(Pollution Prevention)
Mercury Emissions from Power Plants
• Power Plants are Largest Man-Made Air Source in U.S.
• Mercury is Natural Component of Coal
• For Fate and Transport, Chemistry is Key
- Hg0 versus Hg2
- Chlorine Content
- Not All Coal Created Equally
• Emissions Contribute to “Global Pool” But…
Are Likely Local Contributors as Well
• Emissions From Plants Being Addressed by
Clean Air Mercury Rule
“Clean Air Mercury Rule”
•
EPA Rule to Control Mercury Emissions from
Coal-Fired Electric Utilities
•
National Cap Distributed by EPA to States
•
States Distribute Mercury Allowances to Facilities
•
Some States with Excess Allowances (CO), Some
With “Deficits” (AZ)
•
States to Develop Plan of Action for Allowances by
November 2006
•
Working with Numerous Stakeholders to
Develop Plan;
•
Plans May Include Mercury Control From Facilities
Controlling Mercury From Power Plants
• “Not All Coal Created Equal” Means “Not One
Size Fits All” for Controls
• “Co-Control” of Pollutants Important
(PM Control and Hg)
• Technological Advances Leading to
Increased Hg Control (Pilot Projects)
• Coal Cleaning, Coal Blending, Fuel Switching
Addressing Mercury
Regulatory
Non- Regulatory
(Pollution Prevention)
Assessing Mercury Impacts
Water Quality
Monitoring
Fish
Consumption
Data
Computer
Modeling
Historical
Mining
Releases
Public
Health Data
Env’l
Pollution
Permits
Hg
Demographics
Data
Air Quality
Monitoring
Mercury-Free Colorado Campaign Initiatives
• Problem Characterization
• Industry (Automotive Switch)
• Dental
• Consumer
• Public Education and Outreach
• Crematoria
2005
Champion
Environmental
Achievement
Award
Problem Characterization
• TRI Captures Some Mercury Releases
- Significant Amounts not Inventoried Including
Computers, Auto Switches, Thermostats,
Fluorescent Bulbs, Dental Amalgam, Crematories,
Thermometers, Etc.
• CDPHE Prepared More Comprehensive Inventory
• ~ 7800 Pounds of Mercury Released Annually*
- Includes Natural and Man Made Sources
• Important Areas for Targeting Identified
* Circa 2004 Estimate
Industry Mercury Project
Goal: Reduce mercury pollution via implementation of automotive
switch removal program designed to ultimately reduce air emissions at steel mill;
Environmental Metrics/ Measurable Results
• Cooperative effort between CDPHE and the Colorado Automotive Recyclers
• Identification of four dozen participating automotive recycling entities
• Implementation of switch removal program at numerous automotive sites
• Tens of thousands of switches removed to date
• Over 130 pounds of mercury diverted from area steel mill in first two years
• Citizen group providing input on how to expand program to neighboring states
• CAR assisting with design of new ideas, programs
Dental P2 Project
Goal: Reduce mercury releases to wastewater from dental offices by implementing
P2 pilot program at Colorado dental offices
Also, reduce mercury released to other media (air - incineration, land – disposal)
Environmental Metrics/ Measurable Results
•
Partner with the City of Pueblo, Pueblo City-County Health
Department, and Colorado Mental Health Institute
•
Established a baseline of the information, resources, and equipment
used by or available to dentists
•
Identified barriers to implementing best management practices
and best available technologies for mercury recovery
•
Conducted trainings with area dentists
•
Pueblo Area Dentists Implementing BMPs, looking statewide
Consumer Mercury Project
Goal: 1) Prevent disposal of mercury-containing
thermostats to landfills through promotion
of thermostat collection and recycling, and;
2) Raise public awareness to this mercury source
Environmental Metrics/ Measurable Results
• Education Materials Developed for Heating, Ventilation
and Air Conditioning Contractors
• To Date, Nearly 1,300 Thermostats Diverted
• Local HDs Working to Collect Additional
Hg-Containing Materials
Public Education and Outreach
Goal: Raise Awareness to Mercury Issues and Inform Citizens
of Options Available to Them
Environmental Metrics/ Measurable Results
• Survey Developed for Citizens and Local Agencies Throughout State – Allowing
For their Involvement and Feedback
• Outreach Strategy Developed
• Website Active and Popular
• Email Service Effective – Many pounds of Mercury Diverted
• Numerous Presentations Made (Community Groups, Universities, etc.)
• Press Releases, Newsletters (Colo. EH Assoc.), etc.
• Traditional Household Hazardous Waste Program Partnerships, Local HD
• Thermometer Exchange - over 10,000 Households Reached
• Fish Consumption Advisories, Eventual Consumer Surveys
Crematory Initiative
• Dental Amalgam Known Mercury Source
• Mercury Released When Dental Fillings Are Volatilized
During Cremation
• Mercury Inventory Identifies Crematoria as Significant Source
• Up to 100 Pounds Released Annually from Colorado Sources
• Prefer Pollution Prevention “Carrot” over Regulatory “Stick”
• Effort to Work with Colorado Crematoria, Funeral Homes and
Trade Associations to Identify Best Management Practices
• Possibly Work Through Organ Donor Alliances
• CDPHE Success with Approach When Applied to Other Industries
• Some Obvious Challenges - Social and Ethical Mainly
Lessons Learned with Mercury
• Protection of Public Health First Priority (FCAs)
• Data Continue to Come In (1999 ICR and Others), Drive
Decisions and Next Steps
• Fate and Transport of Emissions Are Challenging
• Improved/ Expanded Monitoring (Air and Water) May
Be Necessary
• Solutions Can be Multi-Faceted and Cross Media in Nature
Closing Comments
• Mercury Issue/Problem to be Here for Long Time
e.g., CDC Report on Environmental Exposures
• For Power Plants, Full Benefit and Timeliness of
EPA Rule Unknown
• Other Areas of Opportunity (Pollution Prevention)
• Voluntary Reductions With Some Success
• Metrics Imply Reductions in Environmental Impacts
• May Need to Do More in Reducing Mercury to Meet
Public Health Mandates
Contact Information
Mark McMillan, MS
CDPHE
Mercury and Environmental Problem Solving Programs
303-692-3140
[email protected]
Supplemental Slides
Fish Tissue Sampling Activities
• Fish Consumption Most Significant Pathway of Exposure
• CDPHE with 5-Year Game Plan to Monitor Waterbodies
• To Date, Several Waterbodies Contain Fish with Mercury
Concs. Above Levels of Concern
• CDPHE Water Quality Working with Div. Of Wildlife and
DCEED to Post Consumption Advisories
• CDPHE also Working to Identify Sources of Mercury
and Eventually Secure Reductions, As Feasible
• First Phase TMDL Developed for Two Waterbodies
• Many Other Colo. Waterbodies Well Below Levels
of Concern