# Revised Air Quality

Emergency Episode Plan

for the District of Columbia

March 2014

Prepared by:

Monitoring and Assessment Branch

Air Quality Division

District Department of the Environment

1200 First Street NE, Fifth Floor

Washington, DC 20002TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 Classification

................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 1

2.0 Significant Harm Levels

................................ ................................ ................................ .... 1

3.0 Contingency Plan

................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 2

3.1 Internal Episode Watch

................................ ................................ ................................ .... 2

3.1.1 AIRNow

................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 2

3.1.2 Clean Air Partners

................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 3

3.2 Alert

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 3

3.3 Warning

................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 3

3.4 Emergency

................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 4

3.5 Termination of an Event

................................ ................................ ................................ ... 4

4.0 Emission Reduction Plans

................................ ................................ ................................ . 4

4.1 Alert Level

................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 5

4.2 Warning and Emergency Levels

................................ ................................ ...................... 5

5.0 Episode Communications

................................ ................................ ................................ .. 5Emergency Episode Plan

Page 1 This Emergency Episode Plan for the District of Columbia (District) is designed to meet the

requirements of Subpart H of 40 C.F.R. Part 51 (Prevention of Air Pollution Emergency

Episodes). Its purpose is to establish criteria for determination of the existence of an emergency

episode. It is also designed to prevent the excessive buildup of air pollutants during air p ollution

episodes, thereby preventing the occurrence of an emergency due to the effects of these

pollutants on the health of persons. This plan is intended to replace the previous state

- adopted

Emergency Episode Plan from 1976 and is being submitted to th e U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) for approval into the District’s State Implementation Plan (SIP).

1.0 C LASSIFICATION

EPA requ ires emergency episode plans for Priority I areas. The District is a Priority I region for

particulate matter (PM 10 ), sulfur oxides (SO

x ), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O 3 ), as

indicated at 40 C.F.R. § 52.471:

Figure 1. Priority Designations per NAAQS Pollutant

Air Quality

Control R egion Particulate

matter Sulfur

oxides Nitrogen

dioxide Carbon

monoxide Ozone

National Capital Interstate I I III I I

This is because, at one point in time, ambient co ncen trations of these pollutants in the District

were greater than the concentration s at 40 C.F.R. § 51.150(b), as in cluded in the following chart:

Figure 2. Concentration Levels to be Classified as a Priority I Region

Pollutant Level Averaging Time

Sulfur dioxide 100 μg/m 3 (0.04 ppm) A nnual arithmetic mean

455 μg/m 3 (0.17 ppm) 24

- hour maximum

Particulate matter 95 μg/m 3 A nnual geometric mean

325 μg/m 3 24

- hour maximum

Carbon monoxid e 55 mg/m 3 (48 ppm) 1

- hour maximum

14 mg/m 3 (12 ppm) 8

- hour maximum

Ozone 195 μg/m 3 (0.10 ppm) 1

- hour maximum

Nitrogen dioxide 100 μg/m 3 (0.06 ppm) Annual arithmetic mean

The refore, the District is required to have an Emergency Episode Plan for SO

x (represented as

sulfur dioxide or SO 2 ), PM, CO, and O 3

. This plan addresses all four pollutants.

2.0 S IGNIFICANT H ARM L EVELS

Each plan for a Priority I region include s a contingency plan that , at a min imum, provide s for

taking action necessary to prevent ambient pollutant concentrations at any location in such

region from reaching the “significant harm levels ” at 40 C.F.R. § 51.151, which are also

provided in Figure 3 :Emergency Episode Plan

Page 2 Figure 3. Significant Harm Levels

Pollutant Level Averaging Time

Sulfur dioxide 2, 620 μg/m 3 (1.0 ppm) 24

- hour average

Particulate matter 600 μg/m 3 24

- hour average

Carbon monoxide 144 μ g/m 3 (125 ppm) 1

- hour

86.3 μ g/m 3 (75 ppm) 4

- hour average

57.5 μ g/m 3 (50 ppm) 8

- hour average

Ozone 1,200 ug/m 3 (0.6 ppm) 2

- hour average

3.0 C ONTINGENCY P LAN

Announcement of the initiation and termination of an episode stage will be made by the Mayor.

Conditions justifying the proclamation of an internal episode watch, alert, warning, or

emergency will be deemed to exist whenever the Mayor determines that the accumulation of air

contaminants in any place is attaining or has attained levels that could, if such levels are

sustained or exceeded, lead to a threat to the health of the public. Any episode stage may be

declared on the basis of deteriorating air quality if the Mayor determines that action is required.

Pollutant concentration will in all case s be measured by EPA

- approved methods.

3.1 Internal Episode Watch

The declaration of an Internal Episode Watch wil l be activated when there is a National Weather

Service advisory that an Atmospheric Stagnation Advisory is in effect or there is an equivalent

local forecast of stagnant atmospheric condition. The District relies on AIRNow and Clean Air

Partners to acquire frequent fore casts of air quality conditions.

3.1.1 AIRNow

EPA calculates an Air Quality Index (AQI) for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean

Air Act : sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), PM, CO, O 3 , and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) . EPA along with the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Park Service (NPS),

and tribal, state, and local agencies developed the AIRNow website to provide the public with

easy access to national air quality information. The website offers daily AQI forecasts and real

time AQI conditions for over 300 cities across t he U.S. including the District.

According to the AIRNow website, “the air quality data used in these maps and to generate

forecasts are collected using either federal reference or equivalent monitoring techniques or

techniques approved by the state, local or tribal monitoring agencies. Since the information

needed to make maps must be as ‘real

- time’ as possible, the data are displayed as soon as

practical after the end of each hour. Although some preliminary data quality assessments are

performed, the data as such are not fully verified and validated through the quality assurance

procedures that monitoring organizations use to officially submit and certify data on the EPA Air

Quality System (AQS ). Therefore, data are used on the AIRNow Web site only for the purpose

of reporting the AQI. Information on the AIRNow web site is not used to formulate or supportEmergency Episode Plan

Page 3 regulation, guidance or any ot her Agency decision or position.” 1 The AIRNow website also

p osts information on “a c tion days ” when the AQI gets into the unhealthy range. 2

3.1.2 Clean Air Partners

In addition, a regional organization called Clean Air Partners issues daily air quality forecasts

that can be received by email or mobile device for the Metropolitan Washington region. Air

quality forecasts for this “Enviroflash” service are provided by the Metropolitan Washington

Council of Governments (MWCOG) , Maryland Department of the Environment, Virginia

Department of Environmental Quality, and Dis trict Department of the E nvironment. Clean Air

Partners also issue s AirAlerts when the Air Quality Index reaches Code Orange or Code Red

based on real

- time monitoring data collected by states in the region and the District. Clean Air

Partners is chartere d by the MWCOG

.

3.2 Alert

An alert status will be declared when any one of the following pollutant concentrations is

exceeded at any monitoring site , as indicated in Appendix L § 1.1(b) of 40 C.F.R. Part 51 and in

Figure 4 :

Figure 4. Alert Status Concentration Levels

Pollutant Level Averaging Time

Sulfur dioxide 800 μg/m 3 ( 0.30 ppm ) 24

- hour average

Particulate matter 350 μg/m 3 24

- hour average

Carbon monoxide 17 μg/m 3 (15 ppm) 8

- hr average

Ozone 400 μg/m 3 ( 0.2 ppm ) 1

- hour average

In addition, adverse meteorological conditions would be such that pollutant concentrations ca n

be expected to remain at the above levels or higher for the next twelve hours or more or, in the

case of ozone, the situation is likely to occur within the next 24 hours unless control actions are

taken.

According to 40 C.F.R. Part 58 (64 Fed. Reg. 42530, August 4, 1999), the Air Quality Index

Rule , t hese levels correspond to an AQI value of over 201 to 300, which indicates Code Purple.

3.3 Warning

A warning will be declared when air quality is continuing to degrade and additional control

actions are necessary and when any one of the following levels is exceeded at any monitoring

site , as indicated in Appendix L § 1.1(c) of 40 C.F.R. Part 51 and in Figure 5 :

1 http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=topics.about_airnow

2 http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.actiondaysEmergency Episode Plan

Page 4 Figure 5. Warning Status Concentration Levels

Pollutant Level Averaging Time

Sulfur dioxide 1,600 μg/m 3 ( 0.6 ppm ) 24

- hour average

Particulate matter 420 μg/m 3 24

- hour average (PM 10 )

250 μg/m 3 * 24

- hour average (PM 2.5 )

Carbon monoxide 34 μg/m 3 ( 30 ppm) 8

- hr average

Ozone 800 μg/m 3 ( 0.4 ppm ) 1

- hour average

In addition, adverse meteorological conditions would be such that pollutant concentrations ca n

be expected to remain at the above levels or higher for the next twelve hours or more or, in the

case of ozone, the situation is likely to occur within the next 24 hours unless control actions are

taken.

T hese levels correspond to an AQI value of over 300 , which indicates Code Maroon.

3.4 Emergency

The emergency level indicates that air quality is continuing to degrade toward a level of

significant harm to the health of persons and that the most stringent control actions are necessary.

An emergency will be declared when any of one of the following l evels is exceeded at any

monitoring site , as indicated in Appendix L § 1.1(d) of 40 C.F.R. Part 51 and in Figure 6 :

Figure 6. Emergency Status Concentration Levels

Pollutant Level Averaging Time

Sulfur dioxide 2,100 μg/m 3 ( 0.8 ppm ) 24

- hour average

Particulate matter 500 μg/m 3 24

- hour average

Carbon monoxide 46 μg/m 3 (40 ppm) 8

- hr average

Ozone 1,000 μg/m 3 ( 0.5 ppm ) 1

- hour average

In addition, adverse meteorological conditions would be such that pollutant concentrations ca n

be expected to remain at the above levels or higher for the next twelve hours or more or, in the

case of ozone, the situation is likely to occur within the next 24 hours unless control actions are

taken.

T hese levels correspond to an AQI value of over 400 , which also i ndicates Code Maroon.

3.5 Termination of an Event

Once declared , any status reached by application of these criteria will remain in effect until the

criteria for that level are no longer met. At such time, the next lower status will be assumed.

4.0 E MISSION R EDUCTION P LAN S

Section 6 of the District of Columbia Air Pollution Control Act of 1984 (D.C. Official Code §§

8

- 101 et seq. (2013 Repl.)) and the District Department of the Environment Establishment Act of

2005 (D.C. Official Code §§ 8

- 151.01 et seq. (2013 Repl.)) provide the statutory authority toEmergency Episode Plan

Page 5 implement 20 DCMR Chapter 4 (Ambient Monitoring, Emergency Procedures, Chemical

Accident Prevention and Conformity), Section 401 (Emergency Procedures). Section 401

provides the Mayor with authority t o restrain any source from causing or contributing to

emissions that present an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health, welfare, or

the environment or to take other action as may be necessary.

4.1 Alert Level

In the AQI, Code Purple i ndicates that air quality is “very unhealthy.” The level triggers a health

alert signifying that everyone in the affected population may experience more serious health

effects. Action steps are publicly encouraged, such as:

For sensitive groups

– Avoid a ll physical activity outdoors. Move activities indoors or

reschedule to a time when air quality is better.

Everyone else

– Avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Consider moving activities indoors

or rescheduling to a time when air quality is better.

Don’t drive alone. Carpool, take public transit. Telework.

Refuel cars in the evening.

Put off lawn ca re until air quality improves. A void lawn mowing or use an electric

mower. Don’t use lawn or garden chemicals.

Use a gas or electric grill instead of charco al.

Turn off lights and electronics when not in use.

Avoid physical outdoor activity.

4.2 Warning and Emergency Level s

In the AQI, Code Maroon indicates that air quality is “hazardous.” The level triggers a health

warning of emergency conditions where the entire population is more likely to be affected.

Everyone

– Avoid physical activity outdoors.

Sensitive groups

– Remain indoors and keep activity levels low.

The following voluntary abatement strategies may be recommended to reduce excessive

emissio ns:

Persons operating fuel

- burning equipment that requires boiler lancing or soot blowing

should perform such operations only between the hours of 12 noon and 4 pm.

Persons operating motor vehicles should reduce operations by the use of carpools and

increa sed use of public transportation and elimination of unnecessary operation.

When the Director declares an emergency air pollution episode, any person responsible for the

operation of a source of air pollutants as set forth in Tables 4, 5, and 6 will take actions as

required for such source and will put into effect a pre

- planned abatement strategy for the

appropriate emergency episode level.

5.0 E PISODE C OMMUNICATIONS

In the unlikely event that there would be a smog emergency in the District, staff will seek the aid

of DDOE’s Chief of Emergency Operations. Actions would take place based on the District’sEmergency Episode Plan

Page 6 Response Plan (December 2008 , as amended ), which is intended to be a living document that

outlines policies and procedures that reflect the U.S. Depart ment of Homeland Security’s

(USDHS’s) National Response Framework (NRF). The ultimate goal of the District’s Response

Plan is to “protect the public and respond efficiently and effectively to significant incidents that

threaten life, property, public safe ty, economy, and the environment in the District of Columbia.”

Other response plan(s) may be referenced as appropriate.