Help with the Complexities of Industrial Air Emissions Reporting

Reporting emissions

Monitoring and regulating pollutants released into the atmosphere can be easier when data collection, classification, and reporting methods are used.  Using the approach outlined below ensures environmental compliance, safeguards public health, and facilitates informed decision-making.  

It then becomes easier to manage resources and control pollution.  As a result of detailed tracking and analysis, industrial firms can identify, categorize, and document air pollution sources in a more useful manner.  By doing so, we can collectively understand the environmental impacts and take proactive measures to mitigate pollution and protect air quality.

Environmental monitoring and emissions

We include new sources once they're planned and approved. Even if they're not ready to operate.  If they're not approved yet, we don't need to list them.

Some big collections of sources might be hard to count separately (such as earth-moving equipment), so we group them together. Usually, we estimate their emissions separately. Keeping track of what goes into the air from industrial operations is crucial for environmental monitoring and regulation.

Gathering information from non-point sources for air emissions reporting (Step 7b)
Step 7b of preparing the AEIR is all about collecting air emissions reporting info about those non-point sources we identified earlier...the things at the industrial operation that release emissions but are hard to quantify.

Here's what's important about identifying and classifying non-point sources. Each source needs some basic info:

• You should give it a simple name so we know what it is. "Ammonia Storage Tank Vents," for example.
• As mentioned in the approval documents, this is like an official code for that source. 
• The number identifying the source is usually a combination of letters and numbers, like "ST-AAA." If it's not provided, use the industrial operation's identification number.
• In some cases, you might want to add more details, like if multiple small space heaters are grouped together.
• Choose a type of non-point source, like "Tank," "Materials Handling," "Road Dust," etc. 
• You can choose "Other Non-Point Source" if it doesn't fit anything on the list.

Decide whether it's an area, line, volume, or mobile source. It helps categorize its emissions. A tailings pond is a "Volume" source, but dust from a road is a "Line" source.

AMS/SCC code: This code classifies the source. It's like giving it a name. We pick the one that fits best out of all these codes.

Negligible for the Inventory Year: This source's emissions are so tiny they don't need detailed reporting every year. Even if they're negligible, we still mention them in the report, but we don't have to give yearly numbers.

We collect some basics about future non-point sources if they're planned and approved. Because they're not operating yet, not all the fields can be filled in. All we need is what's available, like where they'll be, what they'll do, and what they're expected to emit.

That's about it! Keep track of all the sources and make sure you have the right info. As a result, your facility can create an accurate report of what's being released into the air. Keep in mind, this step is crucial for environmental monitoring.

For status of non-point sources, describe the current status of the non-point source for the year and choose from "Operating," "Temporarily shut-down," "Decommissioned," or "Not yet constructed/operating."

"Operating" means it was active all year, while sources that are "Temporarily shut down" will resume soon. Sources that are decommissioned are permanently shut down. Sources approved but not yet built or operating are "Not yet constructed/operating".

Operating condition for non-point sources means you can describe the source's condition as "Normal," "Start-up," "Turnaround," "Upset," "Low Annual Output," or "High Annual Variability." "Normal" means it ran normally. "Start-up" and "Turnaround" refer to major changes in operations.

"Upset" is for major disruptions. "Low Annual Output" means less output. "High Annual Variability" means unpredictable changes have occurred.

Phases of the project indicate which phase of development/operation the non-point source belongs to. Manufactured year, if applicable, shows the year the source was made. Installation year lets us know when the source was installed. Year of start-up is the year the source started working.

Hours of operation indicates in a year, how many hours the source ran. Date of decommissioning is the date the source was permanently shut down. Expected Shutdown Year is the estimated year of permanent shutdown for this source. Source approved for the future tells the regulator if the source isn't built or running yet. And expected first year of operation is for when a future source is supposed to start.

Here's a few others: Make, model, materials, capacity, and power ratings of the source. An industrial facility can use this information to monitor and regulate non-point sources' environmental impact.