Acid Rain Monitoring Update: NY’s Monitoring Program Federal Legislation EPA “Pilot” Monitoring Program DAR Management Meeting Albany, NY September 11-13, 2012

SO2 Air Quality Standards State SO2 Air Quality Objective: 1964 Primary 0.1 ppm (24-Hr) and 0.25 ppm (1-Hr) State Acid Deposition Control Act (SADCA) set a Environmental Threshold Value (ETV) for sulfate deposition: 20 kilograms per hectare: 1984 National SO2 NAAQS established: 1971 Primary 0.03 ppm Annual and 0.14 ppm (1-Hr) Secondary 0.5 (3-Hr) (Revoked in 1973) Current SO2 NAAQS Primary 75 ppb (1-Hr), Secondary: proposed in first multipollutant NOx/SOx standard

NYSDEC ‘s Acid Rain Monitoring Objectives Provide a consistent, quality-assured, long-term acid deposition database. Measure acid deposition in sensitive receptor areas. Measure acid deposition in urban and upwind areas. (Architecture/Monument degradation was an important acid rain issue) Use these data to perform spatial and temporal analyses of acid deposition, its precursors, and its effects. Track the effectiveness of programs to reduce acid deposition precursor emissions.

EPA Proposed a first ever multipollutant NOx/SOx Secondary NAAQS using air quality indicators (SOx and NOy) with levels set appropriately for an ecological indicator: Acid Neutralizing Capacity ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 50 [EPA–HQ–OAR–2007–1145; FRL–9654–4] RIN 2060–AO72 Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Oxides of Nitrogen and Sulfur AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Final rule.

Aquatic Acidification Index (AAI) Final Rule: “The intent of the AAI is to weight atmospheric concentrations of oxides of nitrogen and sulfur by their propensity to contribute to acidification through deposition, given the fundamental acidifying potential of each pollutant, and to take into account the ecological factors that govern acid sensitivity in different ecosystems.”

AAI Links ANC to Air Indicators AAI is set to protect a percentage of sensitive water bodies AAI is uniform nationally F factors are used to account for physical and environmental differences between Ecoregion 22 of the 84 unique Ecoregions are acid sensitive

F factors are Ecoregion Specific and require extensive monitoring and modeling F1 is the target ANC level plus the amount of deposition (critical load) the ecosystem can receive and still achieve the target level Accounts for buffering capacity of soils / median runoff rate Requires observations and modeling F2 is the amount of reduced nitrogen deposition within an ecoregion incl. ammonia and ammonium / median runoff rate F3 and F4 are transference ratios that convert ambient NOy and SOx to deposition of NOy and SOx F2-F4 based on CMAQ (due to lack of dry deposition measurements)

EPA “Pilot” Monitoring Objectives Evaluate measurement methods for the ambient air indicators of NOy and SOx and consider designation as FRMs Examine the variability and improve characterization of concentration and deposition patterns of NOy and SOx Develop updated ecoregion specific factors (i.e., F1 through F4) for the AAI equation based in part on new observed air quality data (relate air concentrations to water chemistry) Calculate ecoregion specific AAI values and compare to a set of alternative AAI-based standards Develop air monitoring network design criteria Assess the use of total nitrate measurements as a potential alternative indicator for NOy Evaluate modeled dry deposition algorithms Facilitate stakeholder engagement in addressing implementation issues NYSDEC: Upwind and urban are the only objectives not included in

The Pilot will use NADP’s 250+ sites for wet deposition measurements

NADP provides stable long term data necessary to detect wet deposition trends

CASTNET sites will be used in the Pilot to provide data to estimate dry deposition

CASTNET Filter Pack provides rural integrated gas and particle measurements

Ammonia Monitoring Network (AMoN) used in Pilot to measure Atmospheric Ammonia Passive, inexpensive samplers Low cost, 2 week integrated sample (ug NH3/m3) 1 EPA and 2 NYSDEC sites in Pilot (Huntington Forest, Nick’s Lake and Whiteface base)

Current acid deposition monitoring in NY and surrounding region PA30 PA21 PA29 PA18 PA52 PA90 PA98 PA72 NY01 NY08 NY20 NY29 NY52 NY98 VT01 MA08 NY96 VT99 (also an AIRMoN site) NY99 NY68 NY22 NY10 Niagara Falls Westfield Elmira Mt. Ninham Eisenhower Park Bronx (Pfizer) Belleayre Mt. Piseco Lake Nick’s Lake Wanakena E. Syracuse Camp Georgetown Whiteface Mt. Paul Smiths Rochester Grafton NY67 Current acid deposition monitoring in NY and surrounding region DEC (▲), NADP/NTN (●), event-based NADP/AIRMoN (■) DEC 16, NADP NTN: 11 in NY, 8 in northern PA, 2 in VT, 1 in central MA Existing NTN sites are rural; DEC sites a mix of rural, suburban, and urban

Gaps in EPA Pilot program The EPA plans to use one central site (Huntington Forest) to represent entire Adirondack Region The site is not near heavily impacted/monitored water bodies The NYSDEC plans to add additional monitors in the Southwest Adirondack Park near sensitive lakes with long water quality records and in the Northeast corner to provide spatial variability. The data used in the Pilot should cover areas with lakes that have a broad range of acid buffering capacity so we can evaluate proposed AAI standards The CFP should be compared to continuous SO2 measurements

Proposed changes to NYSDEC acid rain monitoring objectives Maintain data coverage across the state with focus on rural and acid-sensitive regions (less focus on urban/suburban areas) Support the secondary NOx/SOx 5-year pilot project, focus is on Adirondack Mt region Reduce redundant sampling by relying on existing NADP sites Ensure consistent comparable acid deposition collection across the region/country (transition DEC to NADP NTN)

Proposed changes to NYSDEC Acid Deposition monitoring network PA30 PA21 PA29 PA18 PA52 PA90 PA98 PA72 NY01 NY08 NY20 NY29 NY52 NY98 VT01 MA08 NY96 NY99 NY68 NY22 NY10 Amherst Bronx (Pfizer) Piseco Lake Nick’s Lake Wanakena Paul Smiths Rochester NY67 VT99 (also an AIRMoN site) Proposed changes to NYSDEC Acid Deposition monitoring network Close 10 DEC sites: Westfield, Elmira, Belleayre Mountain, Mount Ninham, Grafton, Whiteface Mountain (existing NTN), East Syracuse, Eisenhower Park, Nick’s Lake (only deposition), Camp Georgetown (no power currently) Convert 6 DEC monitors to NADP/NTN monitors Notes: Whiteface Mountain: explore seasonal wet deposition at summit Nick’s Lake and Whiteface will have CASTNET filter pack, AMon and continuous SO2 Moss Lake site (NY29) is a NADP NTN site Move Niagara Falls to Amherst

Conclusions All sites within the State meet the original Sulfate threshold set in 1984 (Westfield close) It is imperative that the Pilot accurately assess conditions in the Adirondack Region NY State will be very well covered by 18 NADP sites (only Colorado has more at 19) The continuous rural SO2 monitors will be evaluated against the integrated CFP (continuous SO2 monitors operate near detection limit in Adirondack region)

NADP NTN site operators and sponsors (as of August 2012) VT01 Bennington (city)/state of VT USGS VT99 USGS/UVM-SAES MA08 UMass-SAES NESCAUM NY01 Alfred Univ/USGS NY08 Cornell-SAES Cornell/USDA NY10 SUNY Fredonia/USGS NY20 SUNY ESF SUNY ESF/USEPA NY22 Akwesasne Mohawk Tribe USEPA CAMD NY29 NYSDEC NY52 SUNY Oswego NY68 NY96 Suffolk Co DHS Suffolk Co DHS/USEPA NY98 SUNY Albany NY99 Black Rock Forest Consortium/USGS PA18 PSU PA21 N/A PA29 Northeastern Research Station USFS PA30 PA52 PADEP PS72 Pinchot Inst for Conservation PA90 PA98 NADP is a cooperative