Kentucky Administrative Regulations › Title 401 - ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT CABINET - DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › Chapter 55 - Emergency Episodes › Section 401 KAR 55:010 - Episode criteria

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 1, July 1, 2024
RELATES TO:
				KRS
				224.20-100,
				224.20-110,
				224.20-120
NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY:
				KRS
				224.10-100 requires the Environmental and
				Public Protection Cabinet to prescribe administrative regulations for the
				prevention, abatement, and control of air pollution. This administrative
				regulation defines those levels of pollutant concentrations which justify the
				proclamation of an air pollution alert, air pollution warning, and air
				pollution emergency.
Section 1.
			 General. Conditions justifying the proclamation of an air pollution alert, air
			 pollution warning, or air pollution emergency shall be deemed to exist whenever
			 the cabinet determines that the accumulation of air contaminants in any place
			 is attaining or has attained levels which could, if such levels are sustained
			 or exceeded, present a threat to the health of the public. In making this
			 determination, the cabinet shall be guided by the criteria specified in the
			 following sections.
Section 2. Air
			 Pollution Forecast. An internal watch by the cabinet shall be activated by a
			 national weather service advisory that an atmospheric stagnation advisory or
			 special dispersion statement is in effect.
Section 3. Alert. An alert level is that
			 concentration of pollutants at which first stage control actions are to begin.
			 An alert will be declared when any one (1) of the alert levels specified in
			 Appendix A of this administrative regulation is reached at any monitoring site
			 and meteorological conditions are such that the pollutant concentrations can be
			 expected to remain at these levels for twelve (12) or more hours or increase,
			 or in the case of ozone the situation is likely to recur within the next
			 twenty-four (24) hours, unless control actions are taken.
Section 4. Warning. A warning level indicates
			 that air quality is continuing to degrade and that additional control actions
			 are necessary. A warning will be declared when any one (1) of the warning
			 levels specified by Appendix A of this administrative regulation is reached at
			 any monitoring site and meteorological conditions are such that pollutant
			 concentrations can be expected to remain at these levels for twelve (12) or
			 more hours or increase, or in the case of ozone the situation is likely to
			 reoccur within the next twenty-four (24) hours, unless control actions are
			 taken.
Section 5. Emergency. An
			 emergency level indicates that air quality is continuing to degrade to a level
			 that should never be reached and that the most stringent control actions are
			 necessary. An emergency will be declared when any one (1) of the emergency
			 levels specified in Appendix A of this administrative regulation is reached at
			 any monitoring site and meteorological conditions are such that this condition
			 can be expected to continue for twelve (12) or more hours or increase, or in
			 the case of ozone, the situation is likely to reoccur within the next
			 twenty-four (24) hours, unless control actions are taken.
Section 6. Termination. Any status declared
			 by the application of these criteria will remain in effect until the criteria
			 for that level are no longer met. At such time the next lower appropriate
			 status will be assumed.
Section 7.
			 An episode status based on the deterioration of air quality alone may be
			 declared. An air stagnation advisory or special dispersion statement need not
			 be in effect.
Section 8. An
			 appropriate episode status shall be declared when any monitoring site records
			 ambient air quality levels as designated in the episode criteria herein. The
			 criteria shall be applied to individual monitoring sites and not to area wide
			 air quality.
Section 9. Appendix A.
			 Episode Criteria.
EPISODE CRITERIA
POLLUTANT
EPISODE STATUS
ALERT
WARNING
EMEGENCY
Sulfur Dioxide
24-hour average
800 µg/m3
							 (0.3ppm)
1,600 µg/m3
							 (0.6ppm)
2,100 µg/m3
							 (0.8ppm)
Particulates, measured as PM10
							 24-hour average
350 µg/m3
420 µg/m3
500 µg/m3
Carbon monoxide
8-hour average
15ppm
40ppm
30ppm
Ozone
1-Hour Average
0.2ppm
0.4ppm
0.5ppm
Nitrogen Dioxide
1-Hour Average
1,130 µg/m3 (0.6ppm
							 )
2,260 µg/m3 (1.2ppm
							 )
3,000 µg/m3
							 (1.6ppm)
24-Hour Average
282 µg/m3
							 (0.15ppm)
565 µg/m3 (0.3ppm
							 )
750 µg/m3
							 (0.4ppm)
STATUTORY AUTHORITY:
				  KRS
				  224.10-100