T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program - FEIS Chapters - PVD

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) EvaluationTable 4-202004 Baseline Condition Attainment/Non-AttainmentStatus of the Providence AreaPollutantDesignationOzone (O3) Non-attainment (moderate) 1Carbon monoxide (CO)AttainmentLead (Pb)AttainmentNitrogen dioxide (NO2)AttainmentSulfur dioxide (SO2)AttainmentParticulate matter (PM10)AttainmentParticulate matter (PM2.5)AttainmentSource: EPA, 2006.1 This designation applies to the 1997 ozone standard. With the promulgation of the 2008 ozonestandard and the consideration of a 2011 standard, an updated designation will be set by EPA in 2011or 2012.Hazardous Air PollutantsHazardous air pollutants (HAPs) are a category of air pollutants listed separately from the criteria air pollutantsand for which there are no NAAQS. FAA guidelines recommend that the assessment of airport-related HAPs inNEPA documents should be confined to an emissions inventory of a select group of HAPs that are mostcommonly associated with airport emissions (e.g., formaldehyde, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, naphthalene, etc.).RIDEM’s Air Pollution Control Regulation No. 22 - Air Toxics sets Acceptable Ambient Levels (AAL) for259 substances classifiable as HAPs. These AALs are designed to protect public health from unacceptableexposure to these substances, primarily from stationary sources of emissions.In addition, the FAA has initiated a number of research studies through the Partnership for Air TransportationNoise and Emissions Reduction (PARTNER) which are investigating the issues of air quality (in general) andhealth impacts (specifically) as related to aviation.Climate Change and Greenhouse GasesOf growing concern globally is the impact of proposed projects on climate change. Greenhouse gases (GHGs)are those that trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere. Both naturally occurring and anthropogenic (man-made)GHGs include water vapor (H 2O), carbon dioxide (CO 2), 187 methane (CH 4), nitrous oxide (N 2O), and O 3. 188 At thistime, there are no NAAQS for GHGs. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere. Research hasshown that there is a direct link between fuel combustion and GHG emissions. Therefore, sources that requirefuel or power at an airport are the primary sources that would generate GHGs. Aircraft are probably the mostoften cited air pollutant source, but they produce the same types of emissions as cars. Aircraft jet engines, likemany other vehicle engines, produce CO 2, H 2O, NOx, CO, SOx, unburned or partially combusted hydrocarbons(also known as volatile organic compounds [VOCs], particulates, and other trace compounds.187 All greenhouse gas inventories measure CO 2emissions, but beyond CO 2different inventories include different greenhouse gases.188 Several classes of halogenated substances that contain fluorine, chlorine, or bromine are also greenhouse gases, but they are, for the most part, solely aproduct of industrial activities. For example, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are halocarbons that contain chlorine,while halocarbons that contain bromine are referred to as bromofluorocarbons (i.e., halons) or sulfur (sulfur hexafluoride: SF6).Chapter 4 – Affected Environment 4-33 July 2011\\mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH04_Affected_Env_JUL_2011.doc