Rider 8 Technical Workgroup Development

Introduction - Rider 8 Program for Ozone• 74th State Legislative Session authorized and budgeted to

assist areas stay in air quality attainment• El Paso is added to the list in the 81st Legislative Session• The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

allocates these funds for projects most useful for the State Implementation Plan (SIP) – A State Implementation Plan (SIP) is the federally approved and

enforceable plan by which each state identifies how it will attain and/or maintain as part of Clean Air Act

• TCEQ approves work plans described by areas receiving these funds and how work will be completed– Plan facilitates that El Paso MPO region stay in attainment for Ozone

RIDER 8 Program• The program was developed to assist areas stay in air quality attainment for

ozone in accordance with the State Implementation Plan (SIP). – Intends to be an effective tool for the SIP to share the resources and knowledge base

of multiple state and regional agencies– Addresses the interdisciplinary issues with regard to infrastructure growth and

transportation management.– Activities include identifying, inventorying , and monitoring of pollution levels; – Modeling pollution levels; and – Identification, quantification, and implementation of appropriation pollution

reduction controls.• EPMPO has been in coordination with TCEQ and the University of Texas at El

Paso (UTEP) since October 2010. • Work accomplished:

– Deployment of a state of the art Automatic Gas Chromatograph – Conceptual ozone model developed by:

• air monitoring, • inventorying of emissions, and • assessing meteorological effects in this region

– Assist in developing strategic decisions and implementations for ozone reduction in EPMPO area and the City of Juarez

– RIDER 8 El Paso Website development (90%)

Emissions Inventory

Ambient Monitoring

Data Analysis/ Conceptual Model

Meteorological / Model Assessment

Ozone Ambient Air Quality Timeline

• March 12, 2008, EPA revises the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone, lowering the primary 8-hour standard from 84 ppb (pounds per billion) to 75 ppb

• September 2009, EPA reconsidering the 2008 ozone standards and delays the designation process to consider 60-70 ppb as a range for the NAAQS

• September 2011, President Obama decides not to raise ozone standards to 60-70 ppb

• September 22,2011, the EPA restarts the implementation effort for state and local agencies to clarify the status of the 2008 ozone standards and to outline plans for moving forward to implement them.

The EPA indicated that it would proceed with initial area designations for the 2008 standards, and planned to use the recommendations states made in 2009.

Reconsideration of the ozone standard will be reviewed in 2013.

Location of Ozone Issues

Formation of Committees to Address Ozone Issues

• Two Committees– Executive Committee (policy)– Steering Committee (technical)

• Composition of Committees– Elected officials– University personnel– Private Sector– Environmental Experts

• Meetings – Steering Committee would meet monthly or as needed– Reports done on quarterly or as needed basis to Executive

Committee• Rider 8 Workplan requires the formation of Stakeholder Group

Rider 8 Local Strategy Analysis ProcessExecutive Committee RIDER 8 Workgroup

EPMPO and Public work to identifying opportunities that meet air quality ozone needs of future regional transportation,

industrial and environmental strategic plan(i.e. use of Vehicle Inspection/Maintenance

program, industry, oxy-fuel, air monitors, etc.) per Memorandum of Agreement

Work with organizations to leverage funding

OK?N

Y

Letter of concurrence and

commitment from agencies

Opportunities reviewed against SIP Credit Evaluation Criteria

( Quantifiable, Enforceable, Surplus , Permanent)

Opportunity/(ies) consistent with criteria?

N

Y

Local Strategy Analysis

OK?

N

EPMPO to provide Strategic Analysis Document for TCEQ

Y

EPMPO to prepare DRAFT Strategic Analysis Document for SIP

Conclusion/ Recommendations:Technical Steering Committee

• Representatives from the following local agencies/entities but not limited to:– Environmental Protection Agency– New Mexico Environmental Department– Texas Commission on Environmental Quality– City of El Paso Environmental Services– City of El Paso Department of Transportation– University of Texas at El Paso– Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico– Western Refinery– Fort Bliss– Railroads– Airport– New Mexico Department of Transportation– Texas Department of Transportation

Conclusion/ Recommendations

• Policy making representation from affected areas (TX/NM) – In Industry, Environment and Transportation

• Include air quality professionals• Include member(s) from Mexico