42nd Annual A&WMA/ASME Information Exchange: A Recap

The Air and Waste Management Association (A&WMA), in collaboration with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), hosted an information exchange in Durham, NC.  The information exchange was held mid-December 2017, with the purpose of allowing industry, regulators, and consultants to connect directly with experts on environmental topics and to gain a sense for where 2018 is heading.  The key topics that were addressed during this year’s event are summarized below:

• Ozone & Regional Haze

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association, Inc. (MARAMA) discussed the need to focus on ozone and regional haze.  For 2018 and beyond, expect enhancements in ozone modeling for the states in the ozone transport region (OTR), as well as “Good Neighbor” State Implementation Plans (SIP).  Additionally, visibility impairment caused by the emissions of pollutants over a wide geographic region, or regional haze, has been and continues to be a trending focus for air quality.

• Risk and Technology Review (RTR)

RTR evaluates both risk and technology in the context of establishing and revising the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)  maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards.  Towards the end of 2017, the U.S. EPA published the final rule for Pulp and Paper Chemical Recovery Combustion Sources (40 CFR Part 63, Subpart MM), Nutritional Yeast Manufacturing (40 CFR Part 63, Subpart CCCC), and Publicly Owned Treatment Works (40 CFR Part 63, Subpart VVV).  In addition, the proposed revisions rule for Portland Cement addressing the findings of the RTR for the industry was published in the Federal Register.  To keep up with the current schedules for RTR, visit U.S. EPA’s Risk and Technology Review page or give ALL4 a call.

• E-enterprise

The Environmental Council of the States, along with the U.S. EPA, discussed their goals for the future of online reporting.  The move to an E-enterprise has been around for years, so why am I mentioning this now?  The U.S. EPA is currently focused on streamlining the reporting process and maximizing efficiency.  The idea is to take the burden from industry by creating a global reporting system for multiple different types of reports.  Rather than using a different reporting system for compliance reporting (i.e., e-GGRT, TRIME-web, CEDRI, state reporting systems, etc.), the goal is to have one system that can do it all, and that can store a database containing previously entered information.  While the compilation into one global system may not be realistic for 2018, it’s safe to assume that E-enterprise is fast-growing and ever-changing.

• U.S. EPA Budget

The future of the U.S. EPA budget was unclear during 2017.  For fiscal year (FY) 2018, the U.S. EPA’s budget reflects administration’s philosophy to create “a leaner, more accountable, less intrusive, and more effective government”¹. The FY 2018 U.S. EPA budget eliminates programs that are duplicative or programs that have been/will be the responsibility of state and local agencies.  If you’re interested in the specific breakdown of the U.S. EPA FY 2018 budget, check out the EPA Budget in Brief that the U.S. EPA releases annually.

No doubt, there will always be some level of uncertainty when it comes to solving environmental challenges.  We can help you navigate the uncertainty by strategically assessing environmental requirements.  If you ever have any questions about the environmental challenges at your facility, don’t hesitate to contact us.