Dr. James Conner

Fairbanks North Star Borough

November 8, 2012

Dr. James Conner

Fairbanks North Star Borough

November 8, 2012
Background

 Fairbanks designated 

nonattainment for PM2.5 in Dec. 

2009

 Design value is 44.7 μg/m

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 High PM2.5 days occur at 

temperatures from +10° F to -40°F

 Space heating is the dominant 

emissions source

 Public is very concerned about the 

cost of home heating

 High heating costs ignited 

controversy about wood heating 

controls

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Home Heating Fuel Comparison

Heating 

Source

PM2.5 

Emission 

Factor

(lb/mil. BTU)

Fuel Cost

($/mil. BTU)

Infrastructure 

Cost

($ millions) Homes

Modeled

PM2.5 

Benefit

(μg/m3)

Existing

Fuels

Natural Gas 0.0023 25.8 0 1,120 0

District Heat 0.0027 10.8 – 27.7 0 137 0

Fuel Oil (#2) 0.0043 35.3 0 32,259 0

Wood 0.68 – 0.71 14.0 - 15.0 0 11,934 0

Coal 1.214 13.8 0 502 0

Alternative 

Energy 

Solutions

Natural Gas 

Expanded 0.0023 19.0 – 23.0 309 – 662 24,986 1.1

District Heat 

Expanded 0.0027 10.8 – 27.7 238 2,258 ~0.1

Economic 

Incentive 0.0043 35.3 0 7,744 5.5
Local Concerns Restrict Control Options

 Fairbanks home heating costs using fuel oil are very high

 Wood and coal economical for primary/supplemental heating

 Local ballot initiative restricts Borough from implementing 

any solid fuel or home heating controls 

 Due to home heating costs, Borough Assembly has concerns 

about any measures that increase costs

 Ordinance implementing Community Heating Incentive 

Program to be considered by Borough Assembly

 Program would establish incentive to shift from wood to 

cleaner fuel on poor air quality days

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Extensive Technical Studies Conducted

Monitoring, Modeling, Surveys, Studies

 PM2.5 Filter sampling at 4 fixed 

sites, 1 mobile (RAMS)

 Continuous PM 2.5 sampling at 4 

fixed sites, 1 mobile (RAMS)

 Speciation sampling at 3 fixed sites

(RTI analysis), 1 mobile (RAMS)

 Chemical Mass balance

 C-14 analysis

 Levoglucosan

 Organo-sulfur/Markers

 CMAQ

 PCA

 Telephone survey of space heating 

by zip code

 Laboratory measurements of vehicle

emissions

 PILS

 Denuder Study

 Space Heating Emission Factors and 

Source Profiles

 Multiple Inversion layers

 WRF/Chem

 winter hourly emissions from each 

point source located in the Fairbanks

area

 Transport (wildfires)

 Residential Heating Device and Fuel 

Surveys 

 Wood storage drying time (winter & 

Summer)

 Retrofits (catalysts, ESPs)

 Sniffer- DataRam surveys via

instrumented vehicle
Fairbanks Modeling Results – Key Findings

 Wood burning is the dominant source of PM2.5 in Fairbanks

 It is not possible to demonstrate attainment of the PM 

standard without limiting wood burning emissions on high 

concentration days

 Modeling shows mobile sources and sulfur emitting sources 

as the next largest contributors to PM in Fairbanks
Benefits of Potential Control Programs

2014, Downtown Fairbanks

Relative Reductions

(μg/m3)

Control Program August Update

Expanded Wood Stove Change Out 0.8

Existing State Measures 0.1

Dry Wood 2.0

Reduce Wood Use on High PM Days 

(Community Heating Incentive Program) 4.7

Voluntary Measures 0.6

Cumulative Total 8.1

Reduction Goal for Attainment in 2014 ~10

Note: Estimate of benefits at downtown site as of August, plan must demonstrate in all areas. 

Emission sources in each grid cell can change relative benefits.
Attainment Outlook

 Under the best of circumstances, available controls will produce 

design values that exceed the standard

 Due to local restrictions, control options available are more 

limited and resulting design value is likely to be higher 

 Result is Borough and State need to pursue all possible sources of 

emission reductions

 State currently assessing options to implement controls preempted by local ordinance 

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State & Local Programs Targeting Wood Emissions

 State and local efforts to reduce wood stove/OWB emissions:

 Fairbanks city ordinance bans installation of hydronic heaters

 Borough ordinance restricts new hydronic heaters to EPA Phase II 

qualified units

 Program to remove, replace, repair stoves/OWBs with EPA certified 

units

 ~$4 million changing out or removing 1,000+ stoves

 Pilot program to install catalysts on OWB’s (limited success)

 Politically acceptable options to provide meaningful reductions 

from wood burning are limited

 Public demands lower cost heating alternatives

 Cost of living is primary concern, not air quality or public health

 Benefits from change-outs substantially greater if tighter standards

 Alaska/Fairbanks needs help reducing wood burning emissions!

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Fairbanks Recommendations

Tighter Wood Burning Emission Standards

 EPA should implement stringent emission standards for wood 

burning devices

 Consider standards that force the development of new technology 

in coordination with States and Industry

 Given range of certified stove emission rates, significant 

additional reductions are available if EPA adopts a BACM type 

approach when setting standards

 Alternatively, a phase-in schedule for new standards using a 

transition from existing to Washington State levels to BACM 

levels could be established

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