Emissions Transportation Research Board January 12, 2014 Americas - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transportation Research Board January 12, 2014

AWO Work on Tank Barge Emissions

America’s Towing Industry

 Largest segment of the U.S.-flag

fleet

 6,000 tugboats and towboats,

27,000 barges

 Operate on inland waterways,

Great Lakes, Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf Coasts

The American Waterways Operators

 Trade association for the tugboat,

towboat and barge industry

 More than 300 member

companies represent 80 percent

• f equipment in the U.S.-flag

towing industry

 AWO Responsible Carrier Program

creates standards for safety and environmental stewardship

Safeguarding Our Environment

National Ambient Air Quality Standards

 EPA sets the maximum ambient

concentration for criteria pollutants via the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

 States that don’t meet NAAQS must

develop state implementation plan (SIP) to reduce emissions to meet NAAQS

 Review of barge emissions was initially

driven by an effort to reduce area-wide emissions for compliance with the Texas SIP

Working Together to Reduce Emissions

 “HAWK” Camera overflights in 2005 in

Louisiana and Texas suggested inadvertent emissions coming from tank barges

 AWO Tank Barge Emissions Working

Group formed as a response to “HAWK” results

– First Tank Barge BMP drafted in 2006 – Collaboration with USCG, TCEQ, LDEQ and CTAC

AWO Barge Emissions BMPs

 All BMPs can be grouped into one

• f three primary types

– Manual effort applied to keep barge vapor tight – Equipment maintenance, compatibility and design – Load/Discharge procedures and

• perations

BMP Stakeholders

 Entities involved in implementing

the BMPs

– Barge owner/operator – Cargo owner – Tankering personnel (barge owner or 3rd party) – Inspection companies (hired by cargo

• wner)

– Shoreside facilities (load/discharge)

BMP Example Guidance

Cargo Vapor Pressure – “Tighten and replace packing when necessary with appropriate material for the cargo being carried” (pg. 9)

• Barge companies should apply sound preventative

maintenance and inspection programs to ensure that the barge is capable of maintaining vapor tightness when loaded.

• A well managed maintenance program will keep emissions

equivalent to or less than what would be expected from a shoreside facility’s fugitive emission monitoring program

• The type of inspection this BMP requires also improves the

effectiveness of other BMPs as the company is also able to identify other potential maintenance/equipment issues before they occur

BMP Revisions

 AWO elects to revise BMPs in

2009

 Intended to enhance BMP’s value

as a living document and further reduce inadvertent emissions

 Revised practices must be

practical for operators

 Must be supported by continued

industry-agency coordination

TCEQ/USCG Study – Houston Ship Channel

 In 2007 AWO members partner with

TCEQ and USCG to provide information on barges in a specific area of the Houston Ship Channel

 Fast response air monitor is used

along with vessel position

 Results indicate that 5-10 percent

• f monitor alarms were caused by

tank barge traffic

LDEQ Study

 AWO signed MOU with LDEQ in 2009  Study would measure the effect of

barge emissions on Baton Rouge air quality

 Used the Houston Ship Channel

model near a monitor just south of BR, LA due to HSC’s huge success

 LDEQ found only approximately 1.5

percent of emissions triggers were possibly attributable to tank barges

MSCHD Study

 AWO partnered with Memphis and

Shelby County Health Department (MSCHD) in 2009

 MSCHD study investigated potential

inadvertent tank barge emissions on McKeller Lake in Memphis using the GasFindIR camera

 Barge emissions impact on air

quality shown to be minimal

BMP Study with EHCAP

 AWO/TWOA partnered with East Harris

County Air Partnership in 2011 to study effectiveness of BMPs while under way and while in fleet

 >250 barges were observed using the

GasFindIR camera at ranges of 25 feet to 250 yards

 1 barge out of 250 was observed to have

inadvertent emissions

 AWO presented the results and the BMPSs

to refineries and terminal operators

Lynchburg Ferry APWL Removal

 TCEQ creates air pollutant watch

list areas where ambient chemical concentrations are high enough to require additional focus

 Lynchburg Ferry added to Air

Pollutant Watch List (APWL) in 2002 for benzene and styrene

Lynchburg Ferry APWL Removal

 Barge industry worked with TCEQ

and USCG to monitor emissions

 Barge operators employed AWO

BMPs and began controlling emissions from barge cleaning

 As a result, benzene and styrene

emissions were reduced such that in 2013, TCEQ announced it is removing Lynchburg Ferry from the APWL

Benzene Reduction

Lessons Learned

 Barge emissions studies results

consistently document minimal impact to an area’s ability to comply with EPA NAAQS

 AWO must work proactively with

state agencies and must emphasize use of sound scientific methodologies

Questions/Discussion

Brian Vahey bvahey@vesselalliance.com (703) 841-9300