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Measuring the Impact of Port of Charleston Activities on Local Air Quality
Citation:
Kimbrough, Sue, G. Hagler, J. Steffens, T. Barzyk, V. Isakov, R. Brown, AND A. Powell. Measuring the Impact of Port of Charleston Activities on Local Air Quality. In Proceedings, AWMA 108th Annual Conference, Raleigh, NC, June 22 - 25, 2015. AWMA, Pittsburgh, PA, 7 pg, (2015).
Impact/Purpose:
Ports are a critical feature of the nation’s economy; port commerce supports 13 million jobs and contributes $3.15 trillion to the economy. The value of goods shipped through seaports represents 11% of the GDP. The US has 360 commercial ports, including 150 deep-draft seaports. Ports may be considered multi-modal transportation facilities as they typically have truck and rail yard facilities for the shipment of goods to and from the port. Multiple air pollutant species can be emitted from these multi-modal facilities such as carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NO, NO2, NOX), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter < 10µm are referred to as PM10; particulate matter < 2.5 µm in diameter are referred to as PM2.5; black carbon (BC); etc. Near-source air pollution measurements have established that large emission sources may impact local air quality several hundred meters away. Near-source research has also shown elevated air pollution levels within a few hundred meters of busy roadways, and health effects have been associated with these near-road exposures. Ports are expanding across the US in anticipation of the completion of the Panama Canal expansion and the anticipated growth in freight volumes. The Port of Charleston South Carolina is expanding its operations in anticipation of freight volume growth. The Port of Charleston is the fourth largest U.S. container port in terms of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and has a wide-range of activities including: off-loading freight from ships using large overhead cranes; yard fork-lifts capable of moving multiple containers; service cranes/vehicles moving freight within the terminal area; and rail cars/trucks moving freight into and out of the terminal area. Terminal facilities include cruise, container, ro-ro (roll on-roll off)--(car/truck), bulk, break bulk and project cargo operations. There is concern that communities near the port and along roadways may experience increased local-scale air pollution due to increased traffic. Moreover, there is concern that increased freight volumes and subsequent higher truck traffic and rail yard volumes will lead to unanticipated air quality impacts further along the freight distribution chain. To address these concerns EPA initiated a research study to measure the impacts of port activities on local air quality. The specific research questions that are being addressed by this research study are: • What is the spatial extent of local air pollution elevated over the background, downwind of a major port facility in Region 4 (i.e., Charleston, SC)? • What is the spatial and temporal variability of near-port air pollution, under different meteorological conditions and source emission characteristics? This poster will present the measurement strategy for addressing these science questions as well as a strategy for future research to address air pollution from ports.
Description:
Ports are a critical feature of the nation’s economy; port commerce supports 13 million jobs and contributes $3.15 trillion to the economy. The value of goods shipped through seaports represents 11% of the GDP. The US has 360 commercial ports, including 150 deep-draft seaports. Ports may be considered multi-modal transportation facilities as they typically have truck and rail yard facilities for the shipment of goods to and from the port. Multiple air pollutant species can be emitted from these multi-modal facilities such as carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NO, NO2, NOX), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter < 10µm are referred to as PM10; particulate matter < 2.5 µm in diameter are referred to as PM2.5; black carbon (BC); etc. Near-source air pollution measurements have established that large emission sources may impact local air quality several hundred meters away. Near-source research has also shown elevated air pollution levels within a few hundred meters of busy roadways, and health effects have been associated with these near-road exposures. Ports are expanding across the US in anticipation of the completion of the Panama Canal expansion and the anticipated growth in freight volumes. The Port of Charleston South Carolina is expanding its operations in anticipation of freight volume growth. The Port of Charleston is the fourth largest U.S. container port in terms of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and has a wide-range of activities including: off-loading freight from ships using large overhead cranes; yard fork-lifts capable of moving multiple containers; service cranes/vehicles moving freight within the terminal area; and rail cars/trucks moving freight into and out of the terminal area. Terminal facilities include cruise, container, ro-ro (roll on-roll off)--(car/truck), bulk, break bulk and project cargo operations. There is concern that communities near the port and along roadways may experience increased local-scale air pollution due to increased traffic. Moreover, there is concern that increased freight volumes and subsequent higher truck traffic and rail yard volumes will lead to unanticipated air quality impacts further along the freight distribution chain. To address these concerns EPA initiated a research study to measure the impacts of port activities on local air quality. The specific research questions that are being addressed by this research study are:• What is the spatial extent of local air pollution elevated over the background, downwind of a major port facility in Region 4 (i.e., Charleston, SC)? • What is the spatial and temporal variability of near-port air pollution, under different meteorological conditions and source emission characteristics? This poster will present the measurement strategy for addressing these science questions as well as a strategy for future research to address air pollution from ports.