Multi-pollutant, Sector-based 

Approaches to Air Pollution Control

Work Group Update

Keith Mason and Elineth Torres – EPA

January 12, 2011

Disclaimer: Positions or views expressed here do 

not represent official EPA policy or guidance
Summary

• Work Group Purpose and Objective

• Work Group History

• Sector Roundtable Discussions

- Sectors

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- Roundtable Participants

- Topics

- Background Information

- Timeline

• Early Observations
Work Group Purpose and Objectives

Provide information and advice to EPA regarding 

opportunities and challenges for advancing sectorbased, multi-pollutant approaches to air pollution 

control in major U.S. industries.

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Work Group History

• Work Group proposed and discussed at May 2010 

CAAAC meeting

• Work Group launched and members solicited at 

October 2010 CAAAC meeting

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• Series of 4 conference calls held in November and 

December 2010 to discuss Work Group charter, 

roundtable approach, and sector background info

• Work Group meeting on January 10 to inform 

roundtable planning:

• Related policy developments: risk and 

technology reviews; energy efficiency & GHG
Sector Roundtable Discussions

• Conduct a series of 1-day roundtable discussions 

focused on the following sectors:

- Iron and steel

- Oil and gas production

- Chemical manufacturing

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• Roundtables discussions will involve:

- Work Group members

- Other interested CAAAC members

- Representatives from 2 companies in the sector 
Producing Wells

Gathering Lines

Compressor Stations

Processing Plant

Oil & Gas Production Sector

Transmission Lines

Large Volume Customer

Crude Oil to 

Refineries 

(not in this sector)

Source: Adapted from American Gas Association and EPA Natural Gas STAR Program

Underground 

Storage

City Gate 

Regulators 

& Meters

Regulators & Meters

Large Volume Customer

Residential Customers

Commercial Customer

Distribution Mains

EMISSIONS COMPOSITION TREND

Moving downstream from wells to natural 

gas end users, VOC and toxics fractions 

generally decrease, while methane fraction 

increases to about 95%
Iron and Steel Sector

Sector covers 3 main types of plants:

• Integrated Iron and Steel Plants

- 18 facilities – some with co-located EAF and coke plants

• Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF)

- 95 facilities – from 1 to 4 EAF per facility (1 to 2 typical)

• Coke Oven Plants

- Most have multiple coke oven batteries

- 19 facilities

- 8 “Captive” – co-located at a steel manufacturing facility

- 11 “Merchant” – manufacture and sell coke to other facilities
Roundtable Topics

• Overarching questions include:

- How might a sector-based, multi-pollutant strategy optimize the 

reduction of air pollution for the sector?

- What might optimization look like when considered in terms of 

emissions reduction, risk and impacts reduction, environmental 

justice, cost reduction, certainty, and operational and compliance 

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justice, cost reduction, certainty, and operational and compliance 

flexibility?

• Topic areas include:

- Coordination of stationary source air pollution control regulations

- Advanced air pollution control technology

- Integrating energy efficiency into air pollution control practices

- Environmental and community considerations
Roundtable Topics

• Coordination of stationary source air pollution control 

regulations

- How could air pollution regulation (NSPS, NESHAPS, NAAQS, NSR, 

etc.) be better coordinated in the industrial sector?

- How could record keeping, monitoring and reporting requirements of 

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- How could record keeping, monitoring and reporting requirements of 

various regulations be harmonized in a sector approach?

- What are the best ways to group emissions sources in the sector for 

the purpose of coordinated regulation and emissions control?

- What are the benefits and disbenefits of increased regulatory 

coordination and/or a sector approach?

- What are the regulatory and legal challenges to implementing 

alternative sector-based approaches?
Roundtable Topics

• Advanced air pollution control technology

- Which advanced technologies (process and/or emissions control) 

will assist in controlling multiple types of air pollution for the sector?

- What are the benefits and implications of adopting these 

technologies in the sector?

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- What are the roles of emission monitoring technologies and policies 

in facilitating multi-pollutant sector approaches?

- Are there steps that can be taken to support more rapid technology 

adoption and equipment replacement?
Roundtable Topics

• Integrating energy efficiency into air pollution control 

practices

- What is the interaction between energy utilization and efficiency 

efforts and conventional air pollution control strategies?

- Would different regulatory strategies help increase energy 

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- Would different regulatory strategies help increase energy 

efficiency or reduce fuel consumption and achieve greater 

emissions reductions?
Roundtable Topics

• Environmental and community considerations

- Will multi-pollutant, sector-based approaches result in an improved 

facility environmental performance?

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- Will multi-pollutant, sector-based approaches advance the 

consideration and reduction of cumulative health risks?

- Which policies and regulations in particular have the best chance of 

producing additional “co-benefits”? 

- Will these approaches advance environmental protection efforts of 

Tribal, local, and state governments? Are they implementable?
Early Observations

• Strong interest persists in multi-pollutant, sector approaches

• Familiar questions have surfaced regarding new 

approaches to environmental policies: emissions, risk, 

disproportionate impacts, cost, flexibility, beyond 

compliance

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• Sector-based, multi-pollutant approaches offer a fresh look 

at specific sectors

• Changes in technology, understandings of risk, and 

regulatory development tools could improve environmental 

results with less resources
Next Steps

↠ Develop agendas for Clean Air Roundtable discussions

↠ Conduct Roundtables in February-March 2011

↠ Assess results and draft Work Group Report: April-May 2011

↠ Report and discuss findings with Clean Air Act Advisory 

Committee: June 2011,

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