# NEVADA REGIONAL HAZE

5

- YEAR PROGRESS REPORT

To Satisfy Section s 308 (g)

, (h) and (i) of the Regional Haze Rule (40 CFR § 51.308)

State of Nevada Division of Environmental Protection 901 South Stewart Street, Suite 4001 Carson City, Nevada 89701



# NOV EMBER 1 8 , 2014This page is intentionally blank.

## NOTE TO READERS

Nevada’s Regional Haze 5

- Year Progress Report was developed for submittal to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 308 of the Regional Haze Rule (40 CFR § 51.308) as a revision to the applicable Nevada state implementation plan (SIP). 40 CFR § 51. 308(g) requires periodic reports every five years after the initial regional haze SIP was submitted. This report satisfies the first 5

- year progress report requirement. The report is based on data that existed as of March 1, 2014.

Nevada’s Regional Haze 5

- Year Progress Report and related documents can be found on the following website: http://ndep.nv.gov/baqp/planmodeling/rhaze.html . Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP) reports and documents can be found on the following websites: http://www.wrapair2.org/ or at the WRAP TSS website: http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/tss/

.
Nevada has chosen to link to websites on the internet for many references cited in this report. We h ave backed up these links by putting electronic copies of reference documents on the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection’s (NDEP) server. If any of the links in this document do not work for you, you may contact the NDEP Bureau of Air Quality Plan ning at 901 South Stewart Street, Suite 4001, Carson City, Nevada 89701 or by telephone at 775

- 687

- 9349 for assistance.



## ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This document was written by the following staff of the NDEP, Bureau of Air Quality Planning:

Principal Authors Frank Forsgren Brenda Harpring Adele Malone, Supervisor

Contributing Staff Patricia Bobo

Reviewers Jasmine Mehta, Chief, Bureau Air Quality Planning Rob Bamford, Chief, Bureau Air Pollution Control

The supporting technical information in this plan was assembled with the assistance of the WRAP and their consultants.This page is intentionally blank.Nevada Regional Haze 5

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i 

### EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In 1977, Congress amended the Clean Air Act (CAA) to establish a national goal to protect visibility in Class I f

ederal areas

– national parks, forests and wilderness areas. The amendments called for the “prevention of any future, and the remedying of any existing, impairment of visibility in mandatory c lass I F ederal areas which impairment results from manmade air pollution

. ” CAA § 169A. In Nevada, one area was designated: the Jarbidge Wilderness Area (Jarbidge WA) in the northeast corner of the state.

On July 1, 1999

, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) adopted the R egional

H aze R ule (RHR )

. The RHR requires each affected state to develop and adopt a n implementation plan that will improve the haziest days and protect the clearest days at each mandatory Class I area in the state with a goal of returning to natural visibility conditions by the year 2064 . Each plan must provide a comprehensive analysis of natural and man

- made sources of haze in each mandatory Class I area in the state and contain strategies to control anthropogenic emissions that contribute to haze. The plan must also address the transp ort of
haze across state boundaries. The Nevada Regional Haze State Implementation Plan ( 2009 RH SIP) , which addressed the initial planning period in the federal rule (2008 to 2018), was submitted to the USEPA on November 18, 2009. A comprehensive SIP revision is due on July 1, 2018 and every ten years thereafter.

USEPA’s regional haze regulations also include provisions for 5

- year progress reports. These progress reports must provide an assessment of whether the approved SIP is being implemented

approp riately and whether reasonable visibility progress is being achieved consistent with the projected visibility improvement in the SIP. The requirements for these reports are found in Title

40 of the Code of Federal Regulations ( CFR ) Part 51 Section s 308 (g) and (h)

. Requirements for state and federal land manager (FLM) coordination are found in Part 51 Section 308 (i).

As discussed in the introductory chapter of this report, in Nevada nearly three

- quarters of the visibility

- impairing pollutants come from na tural sources. Emission inventory data for the baseline period show that sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen and coarse mass (dust) are the predominant anthropogenic pollutants in Nevada. For sulfur dioxide, 97 percent of the emissions
statewide came from anthropogenic sources; for oxides of nitrogen, 86 percent were anthropogenic; and for coarse mass, 38 percent were anthropogenic. Nevada’s long

- term strategy for the first planning period focused on sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide because they were
th e predominant anthropogenic pollutants and because of the controllable nature of these emissions. This report, therefore, focuses on the status of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide control measures and progress toward Nevada’s 2018 visibility improvemen t goal.

Nevada continues to reduce emissions of the key visibility impairing pollutants. Point source emissions of sulfur dioxide alone decreased by 78 percent from the baseline inventory to theNevada Regional Haze 5

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ii

2008 progress period inventory. Point source emissions of o xides of nitrogen decreased by over 50 percent between the baseline and progress period inventories.

A lthough natural wildfire smoke and windblown dust persist as the strongest driver s of reduced visibility on worst days at the Jarbidge WA, Nevada ’s stra tegies for reducing sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen have lowered sulfate and nitrate particle concentrations at the Jarbidge WA. Monitored light extinction 1 due to both sulfate and nitrate has decreased between the baseline and progress periods for both the worst days and the best days. Trend analyses of the period 2000 to 2012 for the Jarbidge WA show that visibility impairment due to sulfate and nitrate extinction is decreasing through time for both the worst and best days. Thus, the long

- ter m

st rategy embraced in the 2009 SIP is working to reduce emissions to reach the reasonable progress goals for 2018, as required. In the comprehensive 2018 SIP revision, Nevada will evaluate sources of visibility impairment at Jarbidge WA and revise its long

- t erm strategy for the
2018

- 2028 planning period, as appropriate.

Since the development of the 2018 emissions inventory for the 2009 RH SIP submittal,
additional State and federal regulations and actions have been imposed on various source sector s

. These add itional mandates will help ensure that reasonable progress goals are attained on or
before 2018. In addition

, the 2018 emissions projections included a coal

- fired power plant that has since ceased operations and been decommissioned, and three proposed pow er plants whose permit applications have been withdrawn. These actions have led to substantial reductions in the actual and projected emissions of anthropogenic visibility

- impairing pollutants from Nevada
sources and will further ensure that reasonable pr ogress goals are attained on or before 2018. Finally, as discussed in Chapter Two, all of the facilities in Nevada that are subject to best available retrofit technology (BART) requirements are on schedule to meet those requirements by the State or federa l implementation plan compliance dates.

Reducing haze is a regional effort and Nevada continues to work with the other western states
and the federal land managers to plan for the required 2018 revision of its RH SIP . The states are focusing on strategies for continued reduction of controllable emissions. Quantification of the impacts of wildfire smoke and other sources beyond State regulatory jurisdiction will continue for the purposes of defining the burden these sources place on achieving visibility goal s.

As evidenced by reductions in all of the controllable anthropogenic point source emissions that
contribute to haze in Nevada and the concurrent downward trend of sulfate and nitrate light
extinction at the Jarbidge WA monitor, Nevada determines the curr ent regional haze plan strategies are adequate for Nevada to meet its 2018 visibility improvement goals

. Based on an analysis of Nevada’s contribution to visibility impairment at nearby Class I areas, discussed in Chapters One and Six, and consultation wi th neighboring states, Nevada further concludes that

1 Light extinction, or the impairment of visibility, occurs due to particles and gases that reflect and absorb light. For a more complete description, see Chapter One of the 2009 RH SIP.Nevada Regional Haze 5

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iii

emissions from Nevada sources are not impeding progress at any out

- of

- state Class I areas. Therefore, no further controls are necessary . In accordance with the requirements of the RHR,
the Nevada Divisi on of Environmental Protection (NDEP) hereby submits a negative declaration
tha t no further substantive revision of the 2009 RH SIP is warranted at this time in order to achieve the 2018 reasonable progress goals for visibility improvement and emissions re ductions.Nevada Regional Haze 5

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v 

# CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..................................................................................... i

ACRONYMS

, ABBREVIATIONS AND TERMS............................................. viii

LIST OF TABLES..............................................................................................

.... x

LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................

... xi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Clean Air Act Requirements for Addressing Regional Haze

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

- 2 1.2 Requirements for Periodic Reports and Premises

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

- 3 1.3 Class I Areas in Nevada and Nearby

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

- 4



### CHAPTER TWO: STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF CONTROL MEASURES

2.1 Status Summary

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

- 2 2.2 Nature of the Visibility Problem in Nevada

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

- 2 2.3 Federal Programs

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

- 3 2.4 State Measures other than BART

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

- 6 2.5 Review of BART Determinations

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

- 10



### CHAPTER THREE: SUMMARY OF EMISSION REDUCTIONS ACHEIVED

3.1 Status Summary

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

- 2 3.2 Overall NO x and SO 2 Emission Reductions

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

- 2 3.3 NO x and SO 2 Emission Reductions from Federal Programs

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

- 2 3.4 EGU NO x and SO 2 Emission Reductions due to State Measures other than BART 3

- 3



### CHAPTER FOUR: JARBIDGE: ASSESSMENT OF VISIBILITY CONDITIONS

4.1 Status Summary

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

- 2 4.2 Visibility Conditions

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

- 3 4.3 Current Visibility Conditions

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

- 3 4.4 Differences between Current and Baseline Conditions

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

- 4 4.5 Changes in Visibility Impairment

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

- 1 3Nevada Regional Haze 5

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vi 

## CONTENTS

- Continued

4. 6 Visibility Trends

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

- 1 5 4.7 Effects of Outliers

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

- 19



### CHAPTER FIVE: CHANGES IN EMISSIONS: ALL SOURCES WITHIN THE STATE

5.1 Status Summary

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

- 2 5.2 Baseline and Progress Periods for Tracking Emission Changes

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

- 2 5.3 Emissions from the 2002 Baseline Period

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

- 5 5.4 Emissions from the 2008 Progress Period

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

- 7 5.5 Emission Differences between the Baseline and Progress Periods

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

- 9



### CHAPTER SIX: ASSESSMENT OF CHANGES IMPEDING VISIBILITY PROGRESS

6.1 Status Summary

................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 6

- 2
6. 2 Significant Emission Changes within Nevada

................................ ........................ 6

- 2 6.3 Non

- Nevada Sources Impacting the Jarbidge Wilderness Area

............................... 6

- 4 6.4 Nevada ’s Impact s on Nearby Class I Areas

................................ ............................. 6

- 6



### CHAPTER SEVEN: ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT SIP STRATEGY FOR MEETING R EASONABLE PROGRESS GOALS

7.1 Status Summary

................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 7

- 2 7.2 Requirements

................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 7

- 2 7.3 Emissions Analysis

................................ ................................ ................................ . 7

- 3 7.4 Visibility Analysis

................................ ................................ ................................ .. 7

- 3 7.5 Conclusions

................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 7

- 4



### CHAPTER EIGHT: ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT MONITORING STRATEGY
8 .1 Assessment

................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 8

- 2



### CHAPTER NINE: DETERMINATION OF ADEQUACY, PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS AND CONCLUSIONS

9.1 Determination of Adequacy

................................ ................................ .................... 9

- 2 9.2 Procedural Requirements

................................ ................................ ........................ 9

- 3 9.3 Conclusions

................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 9

- 4Nevada Regional Haze 5

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vii 

## CONTENTS

- Continued

REFERENCES

APPENDIX A: Western Regional Air Partnership Regional Haze Rule Reasonable Progress

Summary Report, June 28, 2013 . Section 6.8 Nevada.

APPENDIX B: Supporting Documentation

1. Letters and News Releases 2. NDEP Findings and Orders 3. Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN)

APPENDIX C: Federal Land Management Agency Comments and Nevada’s Response s

APPENDIX D: Evidence of Public Participatio n; Public Comments and Nevada’s ResponsesNevada Regional Haze 5

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viii



## Acronyms, Abbreviations and Terms

2009 RH SIP Nevada Regional Haze State Implementation Plan, October 2009
BART Best available retrofit technology
Bext Light

- extinction coefficient, expressed in units of Mm - 1

Boardman PGE Boardman Power Plant (Oregon) CAA Clean Air Act CAMD Clean Air Market Division CFR Code of Federal Regulations CM Coarse mass DEASCO3 Deterministic and Empirical Assessment of Smoke’s Contribution to Ozone dv deciview EC Elemental carbon EGU Electrical generating unit ERG Eastern Research Group FWS Fish and Wildlife Service g/bhp

- hr Gram per brake horsepower

- hour IMPROVE Interagency Monitoring of Protected Environments Jarbidge WA Jarbidge Wilderness Area
LNB Low NO x burners
Mm - 1 Inverse megameters MM5 Meteorological Mesoscale 5
MW Mega watts NAAQS National ambient air quality standards
NDEP Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
NEI National Emission Inventory
NH 3 Ammonia Nitrate(s) Ammonium nitrate(s) NO2 Nitrogen dioxide NO x Oxides of nitrogen NPS National Park Service
PM Particulate matter POA Primary organic aerosol POM Particulate organic matter ppb Parts per billion

ppm Parts per million Reid Gardner Reid Gardner Generating Station
RH Regional Haze RH SIP Regional Haze State Implementation Plan
RHR Regional Haze Rule RPG Reasonable progress goal RPOs Regional planning organization SIP State Implementation Plan SO 2 Sulfur dioxide SO x Sulfur oxidesNevada Regional Haze 5

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Sulfate(s) Ammonium sulfate(s) tpy Tons per year TSD Technical Support Document TSS WRAP Technical Support System USD O I U.S. Department of the Interior USEPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency USFS U.S. Forest Service VIEWS Visibility Information Exchange Web System VOC Volatile organic carbon
VMT Vehicle miles traveled WRAP Western Regional Air Partnership WRAP TSD Western Regional Air Partnership Regional Haze Rule Reasonable Progress

Summary Report , June 2013Nevada Regional Haze 5

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x



## List of Tables

Table 2

- 1 New and Proposed Generation Plants in Nevada as of December 2013
Table 2

- 2 Nonattainment Areas: Redesignation Status as of August 2014
Table 2

- 3 BART Implementation Status
Table 3

- 1 Proposed 2018 EGUs and Current Permit Activity (shading indicates the project

was withdrawn)
Table 3

- 2 Nevada Acid Rain CAMD Data

– Annual EGU Emissions of SO 2 and NO x Table 4

- 1 Current Planning Period Annual Visibility Conditions and 5

- Year Annual

Averages for the Worst and Best Days Measured at JARB1
Table 4

- 2 5

- Year Annual Average Ba seline and Current Visibility Conditions for

Successive 5

- Year Planning Periods for the Worst and Best Days Measured at

JARB1
Table 4

- 3 Five

- Year Rolling Annual Average Haze Index for Baseline and Successive

Planning Periods Measured at JARB1 (deciview)

Ta ble 4

- 4 Average Visibility Conditions by Species for the Successive 5

- Year Progress

Periods at JARB1
Table 4

- 5 Change in Aerosol Light Extinction by Species from 2000

- 2004 Baseline Period

to Each Successive 5

- Year Progress Period Measured at JAR B1
Table 4

- 6 2018 Reasonable Progress Goal Summary for JARB1
Table 5

- 1 Comparison of 2002, 2008 and 2018 Emission Inventories for All Visibility

Impairing Pollutants
Table 5

- 2 Anthropogenic and Natural Source Categories
Table 5

- 3 Pollutants, Aerosol Species and Maj or Sources
Table 5

- 4 Emissions from Plan02d Baseline Inventory in Tons
Table 5

- 5 Sulfur Dioxide Emissions by Category
Table 5

- 6 SO 2 NEI Emissions (2008 and 2011)
Table 5

- 7 Oxides of Nitrogen Emissions by Category
Table 5

- 8 NO x NEI Emissions (2008 and 2011)
Table 5

- 9 Ammonia Emissions by Category
Table 5

- 10 Volatile Organic Compound Emissions by Category
Table 5

- 11 VOC NEI Emissions (2008 and 2011)
Table 5

- 12 Primary Organic Aerosol Emissions by Category
Table 5

- 13 Elemental Carbon Emissions by Category
Tabl e 5

- 14 Fine Soil Emissions by Category
Table 5

- 15 Coarse Mass Emissions by Category
Table 6

- 1 Actual Emissions (tpy) for Nevada Point Sources 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2012
Table 6

- 2 Comparison of Projected 2018 and Actual 2011 Emissions from BART Facilities

in Idaho and OregonNevada Regional Haze 5

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## List of Figures

Figure 1

- 1 Location Map Showing Mandatory Class I Areas in the WRAP Region Figure 3

- 1 EGU Emissions of SO 2 and NO x Reported in the CAMD Acid Rain Database

between 1995 and 2013 Figure 3

- 2 CAMD Acid Rain Database SO 2 EGU Emissions for Reid Gardner 1995

– 2013 Figure 3

- 3 CAMD Acid Rain Database NO x EGU Emissions for Reid Gardner 1995

– 2013 Figure 3

- 4 CAMD Acid Rain Database SO 2 EGU Emissions at Tracy 1995

– 2013 Figure 3

- 5 CAMD Acid Rain Database NO x EGU Emissions at Tracy 1995

– 2013 Figure 3

- 6 CAMD Acid Rain Database SO 2 EGU Emissions at Fort Churchill 1995

– 2013 Figure 3

- 7 CAMD Acid Rain Database NO x EGU Emissions at Fort Churchill 1995

- 2013 Figure 4

- 1 Worst Days: Annual Haze Index with 5

- Year Baseline Average and 5

- Year

Rolling Averages (deciview) Figure 4

- 2 Best Days: Annual Haze Index with 5

- Year Baseline Average and 5

- Year Rolling

Averages (deciview) Figure 4

- 3 Worst Days: Average Annual Visibility Conditions at JARB1 E xpressed in

Deciviews and Speciated Light Extinction (Mm - 1 ) Figure 4

- 4 Best Days: Average Annual Visibility Conditions at JARB1 Expressed in

Deciviews and Speciated Light Extinction (Mm - 1 ) Figure 4

- 5 Worst Days: Five

- Year Average Speciated Light Extin ction for Baseline and

Successive 5

- Year Planning Periods Measured at JARB1 Figure 4

- 6 Best Days: Five

- Year Average Speciated Light Extinction for Baseline and

Successive 5

- Year Planning Periods Measured at JARB1 Figure 4

- 7 Worst Days: Change in 5

- Year Average Light Extinction between Baseline and

Successive Planning Periods Measured at JARB1 Figure 4

- 8 Best Days: Change in 5

- Year Average Light Extinction between Baseline and

Successive Planning Periods Measured at JARB1 Figure 4

- 9 Uniform Rate of Pr ogress Glidepath for the Jarbidge Wilderness Area Figure 4

- 10 Worst Days: Annual Visibility Conditions Measured at JARB1 for the Current

Progress Period Figure 4

- 11 Best Days: Annual Visibility Conditions Measured at JARB1 for the Current

Progress Peri od Figure 4

- 12 Annual Average Sulfate Light Extinction and Trends Figure 4

- 13 Rolling Five

- Year Average Sulfate Light Extinction and Trends Figure 4

- 14 Annual Average Nitrate Light Extinction and Trends Figure 4

- 15 Rolling Five

- Year Average Nitrate Light Extinction and Trends Figure 4

- 16 2005 Nitrate and Sulfate Monitor Data for the Jarbidge WA, Nevada Figure 4

- 17 2005 Nitrate and Sulfate Monitor Data for the Mount Hood WA, Washington Figure 4

- 18 2005 Nitrate and Sulfate Monitor Data for Great Sand Dunes NM, Colorado Figure 4

- 19 Annual Average Nitrate Light Extinction and Trends, Substituted Data Figure 4

- 20 Rolling Five

- Year Annual Average Nitrate Light Extinction and Trends,

Substituted Data Figure 5

- 1 2002 and 2008 Sulfur Dioxide Emissi ons and Differences by Source Category Figure 5

- 2 2002 and 2008 Oxides of Nitrogen Emissions and Differences by Source

CategoryNevada Regional Haze 5

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Figure 5

- 3 2008 and 2008 Ammonia Emissions and Differences by Source Category Figure 5

- 4 2002 and 2008 Volatile Organic Compo unds Emissions and Differences by

Source Category Figure 5

- 5 2002 and 2008 Primary Organic Aerosol Emissions and Differences by Source

Category Figure 5

- 6 2002 and 2008 Elemental Carbon Emissions and Differences by Source Category Figure 5

- 7 2002 and 2008 Fine Soil Emissions and Differences by Source Category Figure 5

- 8 2002 and 2008 Coarse Mass Emissions and Differences by Source Category Figure 6

- 1 Worst Days for Baseline and Rolling 5

- Year Averages Speciated Light Extinction

through Planning Peri od Measured at JARB1 Figure 6

- 2 Best Days for Baseline and Rolling 5

- Year Averages Speciated Light Extinction

through Planning Period Measured at JARB1 Figure 8

- 1 Jarbidge Wilderness Area and Vicinity