Missouri's air sustains us in everything we do. Whether working in a garden, waiting for a bus or hitting home runs, clean air provides us life energy. Missouri's air quality has steadily improved during the last decade. Today more than 65 percent of the population lives where the air quality meets government standards. To continue this positive trend, Missouri will have to balance environmental quality with the other needs of industry and Missouri's citizens. The Department of Natural Resources seeks to work together with everyone who has a stake in improving our air quality.

Air quality and emissions data provide a foundation for DNR's air-quality efforts. Standards for the various contaminants, such as ozone, delineate limits for each chemical so that human health is not adversely affected. If concentrations in the air are above that limit, the standard is not met. Whether we attain the limits or standards is the final measure of whether strategies for improving Missouri's air work.

Trends in air quality
Overall air-quality trends for carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitric oxide and particulate matter have improved. Due to the data from air-quality monitors in the St. Louis area, Missouri requested and received approval from EPA to classify the St. Louis area as meeting air-quality standards for carbon monoxide. However, more work is needed to reduce levels of ozone and lead. The majority of Missouri's population lives in the St. Louis and Kansas City metropolitan areas where ozone concentrations remain a concern, especially during hot summer months. Lead concentrations remain a concern, particularly in the areas surrounding lead smelters.

The Department of Natural Resources prepared a plan to reverse the trend of ozone exceedances for the St. Louis area. The plan included several strategies that together should decrease ozone levels. Those strategies include a vehicle-emissions inspection and maintenance program and recovery of gasoline vapors at the fuel pumps. In the Kansas City area, the department is working with leaders from industry, environmental organizations and local government to develop strategies to improve air quality.

Lead can cause damage to the brain and nervous system. An area in southeast Missouri still exceeds federal health standards for airborne lead. Strategies to decrease the levels of lead in the air have been developed. Although air quality, specifically for lead, has improved in recent years, the area continues to show violations of the standards for lead. DNR is investigating the contribution to the airborne lead level by individual sources to better understand the cause of the violations. More effective strategies can then be put in place to reduce the levels of lead.

Air quality has two aspects: what components make up our air, and what it looks like, or the visibility. Work has begun to develop a monitoring network for visibility. From the data gathered, a plan will be developed to address deficiencies by 2006. Visibility will then join the other indicators of air quality for Missouri.

Air quality and global climate change
Many atmospheric scientists and climatologists are concerned that human activities increase concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This could alter global climate, affecting forests, fisheries, coastal zones, agriculture, water resources, energy demand and supply, air quality and human health.

Fossil fuel use is the source of most of Missouri's greenhouse-gas emissions. Fossil fuels include coal, oil and oil-derived fuels such as gasoline. Greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-fuel use increased about 20 percent between 1990 and 1996. If trends continue as usual, emissions from this source are likely to increase by about 43 percent, from 1990 levels, through the year 2015. Most of the projected increases come from two sources: use of coal to generate electricity, and use of gasoline and other fuels for transportation. Use of transportation fuels accounts for about 80 percent of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels in Missouri.

DNR is reviewing possible actions that could reduce Missouri's greenhouse gas emissions while providing economic and environmental benefits to the state. Similar reviews are taking place in many other states including several of our neighbors. Currently, our efforts focus on education, advocacy for environmentally sound practices that provide for economic progress and promotion of fuels that are alternatives to fossil fuels, such as solar power.

Protect and enhance the quality of Missouri's air resources

Improved air quality in Missouri (Show-Me Result)

Outcome Measures

• Percent of Missourians living where air meets federal ozone, lead and carbon monoxide standards
• Number of ozone exceedances in St. Louis and Kansas City
• Tons of emissions of nitric oxides, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds in St. Louis and Kansas City
• Percentage of sources determined to be in compliance with federal standards for air toxics.

Objective 1

Regulate emissions and reduce the measured concentrations of air pollutants to eliminate exceedances of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards as follows:

• Reduce volatile organic compound emissions in the St. Louis nonattainment area by 15 percent from 284.03 tons per ozone season day (1996 level) to 241.24 tons per ozone season day by 2003.
• Reduce estimated statewide nitric oxide emissions from electric generating units with a capacity of greater than 25 megawatts from 550.06 tons per ozone season day to 332.7 tons per ozone season day by 2003.
• Decrease violations of the one-hour ozone standard in the St. Louis nonattainment area from one site (1999) to zero by 2003.
• Reduce volatile organic compound emissions in the Kansas City nonattainment area from 279.2 tons per ozone season day (2000 level) to 270.7 tons per ozone season day by 2003 (these figures include Kansas' portion of the nonattainment area). Maintain no violations of the one-hour ozone standard in the Kansas City nonattainment area.
• Reduce lead emissions in the Herculaneum nonattainment area and achieve the lead standard by 2002. *
  * The magnitude of emission reductions necessary to achieve the standard is to be determined as part of a modeling effort, which will be completed by October 2000.
  

Objective Measures

• Volatile organic compound emissions in St. Louis and Kansas City
• Statewide nitric oxide emissions from electric generating units with capacities greater than 25 megawatts
• Number of sites with one-hour ozone violations in St. Louis and Kansas City
• Number of lead violations in Herculaneum

Strategies

• Conduct annual emissions inventory. Perform emissions verification, emissions inventory questionnaire audits, training and assistance.
• Issue construction permits and federally enforceable state operating permits in accordance with the state and federal law.
• Implement a viable Clean Air Act compliance assurance and enforcement program including inspections, complaint resolution and timely and appropriate enforcement actions.
• Provide construction permit and operating permit training and application assistance, especially for small businesses.
• Continue implementation of the Enhanced Inspection and Maintenance Program and the Reformulated Gasoline Program in the St. Louis area.
• Fulfill the Clean Air Act requirements in the Kansas City area by reducing volatile organic compound emissions as required by the Kansas City Maintenance Plan.
• Revise St. Louis State Implementation Plan to reduce the emissions of volatile organic compounds by an additional 9 percent, if St. Louis is reclassified as a serious nonattainment area.
• Implement regulations to control nitric oxide emissions from electric generating units with capacities greater than 25 megawatts, including an emissions banking and trading program.
• Develop and use State Implementation Plans for lead facilities with compliance schedules and contingency measures.
• Continue to conduct ambient air-monitoring programs in the nonattainment areas.
• Increase the number of consultations with industry regarding the economic benefit of practices that reduce air pollution.
• Assess new federal air quality standards as they are promulgated and implemented, particularly the fine particle and the eight-hour ozone standards.
• Continue financial and technical support and guidance for local air agencies (St. Louis, St. Louis County, Kansas City and Springfield).
• Promote the use of Environmental Management Systems to improve environmental performance by the regulated community.

Objective 2

Maintain air quality so that monitors continue to show no violations of the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards for criteria pollutants in areas outside the current nonattainment areas (attainment areas).

Objective Measure

Number of National Ambient Air Quality Standards violations in nonattainment areas

Strategies

• Conduct annual emissions inventory surveys. Perform emissions verification, emissions inventory questionnaire audits and provide training and assistance.
• Issue construction permits and federally enforceable state operating permits in accordance with the state and federal law.
• Implement a viable Clean Air Act compliance assurance and enforcement program including inspections, complaint resolution and timely and appropriate enforcement actions.
• Provide construction permit and operating permit training and application assistance, especially for small businesses.
• Expand and operate an ambient air monitoring network to provide air-quality monitoring at sites throughout the state.
• Complete development and implement lead maintenance plan for the Doe Run Bixby nonattainment area.
• Increase the number of consultations with industry regarding the economic benefit of practices that reduce air pollution.
• Promote the use of Environmental Management Systems to improve environmental performance by the regulated community.

Objective 3

Maintain regulation of hazardous air pollutant emissions as follows:

• Maintain identification of 100 percent of all new subject hazardous air pollutant sources during the permit application process to assure that concentrations will not exceed acceptable ambient levels.
• Install and operate one "Clean Air Project" monitor to collect speciated Hazardous Air Pollutant data by 2001.

Objective Measures

• Percent of subject hazardous air pollutant applications reviewed for acceptable ambient levels
• Number of "Clean Air Project" monitors
• Number of Maximum Achievable Control Technology sources determined to be in compliance

Strategies

• Propose adoption by reference all newly promulgated federal National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, Maximum Achievable Control Technology and New Source Performance Standards regulations within 24 months of promulgation.
• Continue to implement the federal asbestos program that was adopted on Nov. 1, 1999.
• Issue construction and federally enforceable state operating permits in accordance with the Missouri Air Law.
• Implement the federal Maximum Achievable Control Technology Standards and review, all major sources of toxic emissions.
• Annually adopt by reference federal Maximum Achievable Control Technology standards into the Code of State Regulations to allow Missouri to enforce them under our EPA delegation agreement.
• Implement a viable Clean Air Act compliance assurance and enforcement program including inspections, complaint resolution and timely and appropriate enforcement actions.
• Provide construction permit and operating permit training and application assistance, especially for small businesses.
• Expand and operate a hazardous-air-pollutants-monitoring network to provide air-quality data at sites throughout the state. Collect two full years of monitoring data by the end of 2005.
• Promote the use of Environmental Management Systems to improve environmental performance by the regulated community.

Protection of the state's pristine air quality areas

Outcome Measure

Visibility measurements at Hercules Glade and Mingo National Wildlife Refuge*
* This data is not yet collected. The objective below focuses on establishing the monitoring system needed to collect this data .

Objective 1

Establish a visibility monitoring network by 2001 and develop a Regional Haze State Implementation Plan by 2006 as required by federal regulations.

Objective Measure

Visibility monitoring network and state implementation plan *
* In accordance with the federal regulation, the emission reductions necessary for reasonable progress will be determined after a minimum of three years worth of data are collected.

Strategies

• Analyze speciation data and determine visibility impairment culpability using computer modeling and data analysis.
• Establish reasonable progress goals for each of the Class I areas to improve visibility on the haziest days and to ensure that no degradation occurs on the clearest days.
• Make reasonable progress to reduce emissions of air pollutants that contribute to regional haze by 2008.
• Issue preconstruction permits under New Source Review and Prevention of Significant Deterioration programs.
• Work with other states to determine if out-state sources are contributing to visibility impairment in Missouri's Class I areas, and to determine if sources in Missouri are contributing to impairment in other states.
• Develop a regional haze plan in accordance with federal regulations that reduces culpable emissions and improves visibility.
• By 2060, eliminate manmade contributions to visibility impairment in Hercules Glade and Mingo National Wildlife Refuge according to federal regulations.

Reduction in Missouri's contribution to global climate change

Outcome Measure

Missouri's carbon dioxide emissions

Objective 1

Decrease carbon dioxide emissions from energy use by state government, schools and local government as follows:

• Reduce carbon dioxide emissions from state government facilities and fleet operations by 10,000 tons per year compared to emissions that would otherwise occur by 2005.
• Reduce carbon dioxide emissions from local government and school buildings by 35,000 tons per year compared to emissions that would otherwise occur by 2005.
• Reduce carbon dioxide emissions from low-income residential consumers by 7,000 tons per year by 2005 compared to emissions that would otherwise occur.

Objective Measure

Carbon dioxide emissions reductions

Strategies

• Promote energy efficiency measures and displacement in the use of fossil fuels.
• Analyze and report energy-related and greenhouse gas emissions, trends and projections data for general public and decision makers as part of Energy and Environmental Indicators report.
• Disseminate best available state, regional and national data and climate protection information, including data from DNR's 1995 Greenhouse Gas Source Inventory, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Trends Report, Report of Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Options and Greenhouse Gas Fact Sheets.
• Provide technical assistance to facilitate policy actions that can benefit state economy and environment to resolve long-term problem of global climate changes.

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