Georgia Basin-Puget Sound Voluntary Initiatives
Introduction
Projects were initially identified for collaborative efforts (initially as "early actions" and later as initiatives) based on mutual transboundary interest. In addition, the Issue Ranking and Identification System (IRIS) was used to determine if initiatives should be addressed through the GB-PS International Airshed Strategy process.
As the early action projects of the GB-PS International Airshed Strategy evolved, the Steering Committee focused the prioritized list into two themes: (i) emission reduction efforts, and (ii) improved coordination mechanisms (Figure 9). Some of the early actions were restructured as initiatives that are each led by workgroups made up from members of the Steering Committee. Several projects were completed as early actions and were therefore not adopted as initiatives. Several initiatives are new, not previously identified as early actions but identified by the Coordinating Committee as concerns which should be addressed with a cross-border focus.
Not all of the IAS member agencies are represented on each initiative workgroup. Agencies provide members to the initiative workgroups according to their mandates, priorities, and resources. Workgroups generally seek voluntary and incentive-based programs to achieve emission reductions. They also seek opportunities to capitalize on the regulatory programs within the member agencies.
Summary of Initiatives
Marine Vessel and Port Emissions Reduction Initiative
The leads of this initiative are Environment Canada ( Vancouver office) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Region 10). Other partners include the BC Ministry of Environment (BC MoE); Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD); Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD); Northwest Clean Air Agency; Olympic Region Clean Air Agency; Puget Sound Clean Air Agency; Swinomish Tribal Association; Washington State Department of Ecology.
Marine vessel and port activity in the GB-PS is projected to double, and for some ship and port activity sectors, to triple in the next 10 to 20 years. With the introduction of cleaner fuels and more stringent emission standards for on-road motor vehicles, marine vessels and ports may soon become the largest source sector of air emissions in many areas of the GB-PS international airshed.
The reduction of air emissions from marine vessel and port operations in the GB-PS airshed is necessary to ensure ongoing compliance with the respective national air ambient quality standards on both the Canadian and the U.S. sides of the international border and to protect public health and the environment in the communities in the vicinity of and downwind from large port terminals and marine vessel shipping routes.
The purpose of this initiative is to:
- Explore new emission management opportunities and techniques by monitoring and sharing information about marine shipping and port air quality issues, and air emission reduction initiatives within the GB-PS airshed and other major national and international shipping locations.
- Facilitate research, feasibility studies, pilot testing and application of new ship and port emission reduction technologies and measures within the GB-PS airshed.
- Develop and implement improved methods and processes to record ship movements, port visits, engine characteristics, and fuel quality for application in future emission inventories.
- Prepare ship emission inventories for the year 2005 in the GB-PS airshed, which are as comprehensive and as accurate as possible within available data and budget resources.
- Participate and support, where possible, the evaluation of the feasibility and effectiveness of an IMO Annex VI Sulfur Emission Control Area (SECA) in collaboration with related initiatives on the west coast of North America and other coastal and Great Lakes regions in North America.
Many lessons were learned through this initiative. For instance, recent and projected marine vessel and port activity in the GB-PS showed that air emission management for this sector is increasingly important. Also the management of marine vessel and port air emissions is complicated by the international nature of ship ownership, operations, and regulatory authority.
Next steps for this initiative include:
- Completion of an accurate inventory of ship and port air emissions for the 2005 calendar year, a priority for continued assessment of air management options for this sector.
- Participation in the assessment of the proposed North American SECA, an important opportunity to ensure that the GB-PS region is included in this broad-based measure to reduce ship emissions if studies indicate that a SECA is a viable and cost-effective approach.
- Consideration of additional cost-effective measures for ship fuel quality and engine emissions as necessary.
- Evaluation of opportunities for increased support of collaborative emission reduction initiatives by ship owners/operators and port authorities.
- Continued reporting to the U.S.-Canada Air Quality Committee.
Clean Vehicles and Fuels Initiative
This initiative is led by Environment Canada and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. Participating agencies are Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (TransLink), GVRD, Washington Department of Ecology, U.S. EPA, and Northwest Clean Air Agency.
Light-duty and heavy-duty motor vehicles are the source of significant quantities of smog-forming pollutants, air toxics and greenhouse gases within the Georgia Basin and Puget Sound . A 2003 Puget Sound Clean Air Agency evaluation of air toxics indicated that 70% of cancer risk from inhaled air toxics in Seattle arose from diesel exhaust (using the California Environmental Protection Agency's toxicity evaluation for diesel particulate).
The first steps for this initiative included preparing reports that evaluated emission reduction options for on- and off-road heavy duty diesel vehicles in the Lower Fraser Valley, understanding relevant existing programs including funding programs, and understanding the present availability of various fuels in Georgia Basin and Puget Sound.
This initiative benefits from several larger national and regional efforts aimed at reducing emissions from vehicles, such as:
- National emission standards, in the United States and Canada, for on- and off-road gasoline and diesel engines.
- National regulations in the United States and Canada, governing composition of gasoline and diesel fuel.
- Agreement between the Government of Canada and vehicle manufacturers to reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions.
- Washington State law adopting California vehicle emission standards.
- Mandatory vehicle inspection/maintenance programs in more-populated portions of the GB-PS.
- U.S. Clean Diesel Campaign, and the trucking and locomotive and rail sector work groups of the U.S. West Coast Collaborative.
- U.S. EPA Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program.
- Retrofit and ultra-low sulfur fuel programs for school buses (e.g., Clean School Bus U.S.A which had school bus retrofit projects in 22 states in 2003) and other public fleets in Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and Northwest Clean Air Agency.
- Agreement between Canadian Urban Transit Association and Environment Canada to retrofit transit buses, including 50 buses in the Georgia Basin.
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Railway Association of Canada, Transport Canada and Environment Canada to reduce emissions.
Building on these successes, the initiative is now investigating the potential for:
- Extending outreach regarding school bus retrofits to suggest ways children and their families can reduce emissions in their own lives (e.g., anti-idling).
- Anti-idling technologies and practices for locomotives operating mostly within the airshed.
- Providing low vapor-pressure fuel in the border region.
- Sharing of insights in the design of on-board diagnostic (OBD) vehicle inspection and maintenance programs.
- Educating the motoring public about what actions to take in response to OBD indications.
- Other public outreach efforts.
Members of this initiative workgroup have learned that it takes time to develop relationships with different fleet categories, but once these relationships are developed, the opportunities for significant emissions reductions for fleet vehicles are generally limited by budget availability only. Well established off-the-shelf emission reduction solutions are readily available. Puget Sound participants have expressed a desire for a GB-PS specific fund to which projects could apply. Some existing EPA grant programs, such as the West Coast Collaborative, may provide similar coverage, though not specific to the GB-PS.
Notification of Major New Sources Initiative
The chairs of this initiative are Washington State Department of Ecology and BC MOE. Other partners include Environment Canada, FVRD, GVRD , U.S. EPA Region 10, U.S. National Park Service, and Health Canada
Environment Canada, U.S. EPA and partner agencies recognize the need to strengthen information sharing and collaboration in this transboundary airshed within the context of the existing notification requirements of the U.S.-Canada Air Quality Agreement.
The Notification of Major New Sources Initiative is a mechanism to explore refinements and improvements to the notification and consultation procedures for new sources of air emissions that may have a transboundary impact. This has been driven by public concern about large new sources of air pollution and by public support for continuous improvement of air quality in the region.
The scope of this work includes policy and regulatory analyses and recommendations.
Activities completed under this initiative include:
- Review of air approval procedures for new sources in BC and the northwest United States .
- Determination of key regulatory gaps and issues in the notification and consultation on new sources that may have a transboundary impact.
- Training, tools, and techniques to determine best available technology (BAT).
Key lessons learned from this initiative are that the issue is complicated due to the multi-party regulatory framework and somewhat overlapping mandates. In general, agencies feel that the current transboundary notification process is working well although there are strong concerns from some stakeholders and the public. This initiative may benefit from increased dialogue with energy assessment agencies.
Opportunities for cooperation and next steps include:
- Revising the GB-PS International Airshed Strategy website to provide more easily accessible information regarding proposed new sources in the region, or developing a separate website.
- Updating the 1994 Interagency Agreement on new source notifications between agencies in the GB-PS area.
- Working to bring regional energy project approval agencies into any revised notification agreement.
- Cooperation with industrial stakeholders (to determine if a streamlined approach to permitting is preferable, from a business perspective).
Transboundary Science and Data Initiative
The chairs of this initiative are the U.S. EPA (Region 10), Environment Canada ( Vancouver office). Other members include Washington Department of Ecology, GVRD, Health Canada, BC MOE, Olympic Region Clean Air Agency, U.S. National Park Service, Washington State Department of Health
The purposes of this initiative are to:
- Adopt data sharing practices and data sharing tools to ensure free and efficient access to all air quality-related data sets between agencies by 2006.
- Ensure that jointly developed, current, and high-quality scientific knowledge about air quality and its health and ecosystem impacts is available to decision-makers.
- Develop principles (by 2006) for involving other participating agencies during the initial planning process of new scientific studies.
- Develop ongoing inter-agency studies to address knowledge gaps, such as those identified in the reports "Characterization of the GB-PS Airshed" and "Status of Air Quality and Effects of Atmospheric Pollutants on Ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest Region of the National Park Service".
Policy recommendations of the GB-PS International Airshed Strategy must be based upon sound science to be credible. This initiative will ensure that science is conducted efficiently and transparently resulting in a common understanding of the issues.
Projects completed by this initiative include:
- The report entitled, "Characterization of the Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Airshed."
- TRansboundary Air Data Exchange (TRADE) - a web application to facilitate access, exchange, display and analysis of data and information.
- "Status of Air Quality and Effects of Atmospheric Pollutants on Ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest Region of the National Park Service".
The key lesson learned from this initiative is that air quality science benefits from strong cross-agency relationships among scientists. This facilitates data exchange, identification of mutual interest opportunities for collaboration and a deeper understanding of the science-related roles and responsibilities of air quality agencies in the GB-PS.
Next steps of this initiative may include developing of an inventory of: (i) existing air quality-related projects in which participating agencies are involved; (ii) data sharing tools participating agencies currently have available; (iii) prospective projects participating agencies are considering to undertake; and (iv) data gaps.
The workgroup notes that inter-agency scientific collaboration is supported under the U.S.-Canada Air Quality Agreement and seeks to build on this agreement to better understand transboundary air quality issues in the region. Such collaboration will strengthen the relationships between agencies, produce better science and be of value to decision-makers.
Communications and Outreach Initiative
The chairs of this initiative include Environment Canada ( Vancouver office) and the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency. Other members include the Washington Department of Ecology, GVRD, Health Canada, BC MOE, U.S. National Park Service, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, U.S. EPA (Region 10).
The purpose of this initiative is to build knowledge and understanding of new scientific and technical information by communicating IAS findings with key information user groups.
Agencies participating in the International Airshed Strategy can learn from the communications and outreach experiences of other agencies and leverage messages to more efficiently and effectively reach out to the public and other stakeholders.
This initiative has completed the development of several communications and outreach products related to the objectives of the GB-PS International Airshed Strategy.
Key lessons learned by this workgroup include: (i) the benefits of transboundary cooperation on communications and outreach efforts, since such efforts are transferable between agencies; and (ii) the benefit of a streamlined approach to communications and outreach services for the multiple agencies participating in the GB-PS International Airshed Strategy process.
Next steps include: address existing information needs with important stakeholder groups; conduct formal public polling (by Environment Canada) of GB-PS residents about air quality; and, coordinate and maximize the reach of IAS communications and outreach activities.
Agriculture Industry Emission Reductions Initiative
The chair of this initiative is the FVRD. Other partners include the BC Ministry of Agriculture Food and Fisheries, BC MOE, Environment Canada (Vancouver office), GVRD, U.S. National Park Service, Northwest Clean Air Agency, U.S. EPA (Region 10), and the Whatcom Conservation District.
The purpose of this initiative is to work with partner agencies and the agriculture industry to develop collaborative approaches or strategies for reducing emissions from agriculture sources in the GB-PS airshed.
Emissions from agriculture sources are projected to increase steadily, accounting for 76% of the total ammonia emissions and 32% of the total particulate matter emissions in the Lower Fraser Valley by 2025. Emissions forecasts predict that this will become the second most significant anthropogenic source of smog forming pollutants in the LFV by 2025.
Agricultural sources of primary particulate matter include road dust, diesel combustion and agricultural burning activities. Agricultural sources also contribute to the production of secondary particulates by the release of precursor pollutants. Ammonia is a significant concern as its main source is agricultural operations and practices (animal wastes, fertilizers and crop residues) and accounts for approximately 80% of the total agricultural emissions in the LFV. Greenhouse gas emissions, in the form of methane, are also significant and result mainly from livestock manure handling practices.
Projects completed by this initiative include:
- 2004 - Report - Analysis of Best Management Practices and Emission Inventory of Agriculture Sources in the Lower Fraser Valley . It is expected that this report will provide the foundation for future work.
- 2004 - Membership established and scoping activities conducted.
- 2005 - Workgroup teleconference to further define the goals, objectives and path forward for the initiative in the context of the GB-PS IAS.
- 2005 - Agriculture Partnership Committee Meeting - presentation and distribution of materials on the "Analysis of Best Management Practices and Emission Inventory of Agriculture Sources in the Lower Fraser Valley " report.
An important lesson from this initiative is that many environmental agencies have limited abilities to regulate air emissions from agricultural sources due to policies and legislation such as the British Columbia Right to Farm Act . Members recognize that actions taken by the agricultural sector will be most effective if conducted on a voluntary basis.
Next initiative steps include:
- Consider development of ammonia management strategy in consultation with agriculture industry.
- Look for mechanism to predict future ammonia emissions from industry sources.
- Seek opportunities to develop voluntary emission reduction programs with the agriculture sector.
- Encourage agriculture sector adoption of current control technologies and practices.
- Develop strategies to reduce emissions from agriculture burning.
- Develop communications materials addressing emission reduction actions for agriculture operations, and identifying the role of ammonia in fine particulate formation in the region.
- Work with the agriculture community to reduce odor emissions from their operations.
- Identify opportunities and mechanisms to engage the agriculture sector in the GB-PS IAS process. This may occur through representation by producer associations and or the BC Agriculture Council, together with similar organizations in the United States .
- Work in consultation with partner agencies and the agriculture sector/producers to develop achievable mechanisms for reducing air emissions from agriculture operations, in particular ammonia discharges.
Residential Wood Heating Emission Reductions Initiative
The co-leads of this initiative include the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, and the GVRD. Other partners include the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency, Environment Canada ( Vancouver office), U.S. EPA (Region 10), BC MOE, and the Northwest Clean Air Agency.
The purpose of this initiative is to work with partner agencies in developing strategies and mechanisms to improve regional and local air quality by reducing emissions from residential wood heating activities.
Residential wood burning appliances and fireplaces emit significant amounts of air pollutants and contribute to poor visibility and degraded air quality in the GB-PS region. Wood smoke contains hundreds of chemical compounds such as NOx , CO , organic gases and particulate matter which may contribute to elevated health effects particularly for sensitive individuals such as children, the elderly and pregnant women.
On an average annual basis in Washington State , wood stoves and fireplaces account for about 9% of the total air pollution emissions. It is estimated that approximately half of the homes have wood burning devices and contribute up to 80% of the air pollution recorded for residential areas, particularly at night and on weekends. Comparatively, on Tribal Reservations, where there is limited access to natural gas, it is estimated that 85% of the homes use wood heating appliances.
For the Georgia Basin , approximately one-third of all homes in the GVRD and FVRD have wood burning appliances, however, most are not primary sources of heating. Recent Environment Canada studies, in Montreal , comparing pollution levels of wood smoke in rural areas with those in urban areas found significantly higher levels of PAHs, dioxins, and furans in rural residential areas than the more urbanized areas. The highest concentrations were in the evenings and on weekends during the winter wood burning season.
The work completed in 2004 by this initiative includes the establishment of membership and scoping of future work activities. Key activities for 2005 include attending a 2-day conference sponsored by the U.S. EPA on woodstove change-outs; considering how the new Washington State PM2.5 based burn ban provisions will be implemented in the Puget Sound; and, updating of the GVRD's draft Air Quality Management Plan (currently under review). Related actions include encouraging the BC government to update the wood burning appliance regulation and develop public education materials; and implementing strategies for voluntary emission reduction actions during air quality events.
Lessons learned include:
- It is difficult to develop collaborative strategies for reducing wood smoke emissions that are transboundary in nature because the regulatory responsibilities and capabilities in BC and Washington State differ significantly.
- Significant funding is needed for agencies to offer financial incentives to homeowners to replace older devices with cleaner technology (gas, propane, pellet, certified stoves).
- Without a regulatory imperative that requires change-out, financial incentive is the only way to reach most device users.
Next steps include:
- PSCAA and other Washington State agencies will begin implementing the new PM2.5 -based burn ban trigger.
- FVRD and GVRD will work to develop a program for voluntary burn bans when PM10 is measured at elevated levels. The implementation of the bans could involve a tiered approach.
- Partner agencies will look to cooperatively conduct outreach efforts to encourage the upgrading of old stoves to newer, cleaner burning models.
- PSCAA to explore the potential for reintroduction of Washington legislation that requires home owners to notify prospective buyers if stoves do not meet EPA standards.
- Partner agencies will explore the potential for development of strategies to encourage burning only in certified stoves or fireplace inserts.
- Tribes and other partners will explore potential development of wood stove change-out programs for Tribal communities in Whatcom and Skagit counties, and residential communities in the GVRD.
- Tribes and other partners will conduct a wood stove inventory for Tribal communities in Whatcom and Skagit Counties .
