ITC Deer Park Fire: City of Houston actions, fixed site data - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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ITC Deer Park Fire: City of Houston actions, fixed site data - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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ITC Deer Park Fire: City of Houston actions, fixed site data analysis and recommendations Presentation Date: April 25 th , 2019 Presented By: Loren Raun, PhD Chief Environmental S cience Officer Interim Bureau Chief Bureau of Community &

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ITC Deer Park Fire: City of Houston actions, fixed site data analysis and recommendations

Presentation Date: April 25th, 2019 Presented By:

Loren Raun, PhD

Chief Environmental S cience Officer Interim Bureau Chief Bureau of Community & Children’s Environmental Health

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Deer Park Fire

VIEW OF THE FACILITY

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Outline

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  • City of Houston Actions
  • Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background*
  • Fixed Site Data Results for PM2.5 and Hospital Respiratory Complaints*
  • Fixed Site Data Results: Benzene compared to background
  • City of Houston Recommendations

*Exploratory analysis

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Outline

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  • City of Houston Actions
  • Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background
  • Fixed Site Data Results for PM2.5 and Hospital Respiratory Complaints
  • Fixed Site Data Results: Benzene compared to background
  • City of Houston Recommendations
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Timeline of Events

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March 18, 2019

  • Deployed Mobile Ambient Air Monitoring Laboratory (MAAML) inside city limits downwind of the

fire.

  • Closely watched the TCEQ continuous fixed site monitoring network data.
  • Deployed field staff on the eastern edge of Houston with hand‐held devices.

March 19, 2019

  • Worked with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to deploy 20 additional PM2.5 monitors at fire

stations and schools for more coverage

  • These monitors will remain for 6 months.

March 20, 2019

  • Harris County asked for assistance.
  • Used the MAAML to monitor several locations for the county.
  • Set up the MAAML to analyze canisters collected from the county Office of Emergency

Management (OEM) overnight.

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Timeline of Events

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March 21, 2019

  • MAAML stayed at the Bureau of Pollution Control & Prevention (BPCP) to analyze canisters –

none were submitted.

  • MAAML broke at 10p.m. and could no longer analyze.

March 22, 2019

  • Worked with EDF to deploy aroma VOC equipment on the MAAML to analyze benzene.

March 23‐25, 2019

  • Continued to analyze data.

We shared our data with the County/OEM throughout the process. The city continues to use the MAAML as needed, we monitor the fixed site network data as is our routine, and we deploy staff with hand held devices in response to complaints.

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Air Monitoring

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Our two main constituents of concern were Benzene levels and PM2.5 levels.

  • The MAAML has the ability to detect fine particulate matter as well as volatile organic

compounds, including benzene at low detection levels, typically 20 minute continuous draw with real time results.

  • The TCEQ fixed site monitoring network in the Houston area consist of 9 monitors which

provide benzene information and 8 which provide fine particulate matter information. The monitors provide continuous high quality hourly concentration data throughout the year, with a delay of about two to three hours for results to appear.

  • Our hand held devices measure to 10 ppb total VOCs, real time.
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Air Monitor Locations

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9 benzene monitors, Thiessen polygons with Manchester and Pleasantville neighborhood shown.

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Air Monitor Locations

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4 PM2.5 monitors, Thiessen polygons.

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On March 20, 2019 at 4:00p.m., data had only been updated through 1:00p.m.

Data Lags

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Data Lags

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On March 20, 2019 at 11:00a.m., data had only been updated through 8:00a.m.

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Outline

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  • City of Houston Actions
  • Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background
  • Fixed Site Data Results for PM2.5 and Hospital Respiratory Complaints
  • Fixed Site Data Results: Benzene compared to background
  • City of Houston Recommendations
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Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background

13 PM2.5 daily average at each monitor was compared to the previous month’s PM2.5 monitor (background), using a z‐score. The z‐score is the number of standard deviations above the mean of the background. In a normal distribution, 99.7% of the values lie between three standard deviations on either side of the mean. If the PM2.5 is high on the day of the fire, the z‐score will be positive and high, above 3.

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Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background

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Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background

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Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background

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Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background

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Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background

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Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background

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Outline

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  • City of Houston Actions
  • Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background
  • Fixed Site Data Results for PM2.5 and Hospital Respiratory Complaints
  • Fixed Site Data Results: Benzene compared to background
  • City of Houston Recommendations
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Emergency Department Respiratory Complaints

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ESSENCE data:

  • Essence stands for Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community‐

based Epidemics

  • Web‐based disease surveillance information system of Emergency Department Visits
  • Near real‐time data
  • Data is de‐identified

Respiratory complaints pulled from 3/10‐3/23 based on:

  • Base week: 3/10‐3/16

ITC Fire week: 3/17‐3/23,

  • Respiratory as syndrome and/or chief complaints including asthma and shortness of breath
  • Only used hospitals/clinics that were reporting both weeks:
  • Includes data from major hospitals (Methodist, St. Luke’s, TCH, UTMB) and other

reporting clinics.

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Quick Reminder…

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Z‐Scores show the number of standard deviations above the background mean of the data

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Fixed Site Data Results for PM2.5

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Z‐Scores show the number of standard deviations above the mean of the data.

‐4 ‐2 2 4 6 8 10 17‐Mar 18‐Mar 19‐Mar 20‐Mar 21‐Mar 22‐Mar 23‐Mar

Z‐Score Date

Air Monitor PM2.5 Z‐Score Data, 03/17‐03/23

Deer Park 2 Clinton Park Place UH West Liberty

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Hospital/ED Data Results

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Z‐Scores show the number of standard deviations above the mean of the data.

‐6 ‐4 ‐2 2 4 6 8 10 12 17‐Mar 18‐Mar 19‐Mar 20‐Mar 21‐Mar 22‐Mar 23‐Mar

Z‐Score Date

Hospital/ED Visits Z‐Score Data, 03/17‐03/23

Deer Park 2 Clinton Park Place UH West Liberty

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Correlation between PM2.5 Air Monitor and Hospital Z-Scores

25 Monitor Name Correlation Coefficient Houston Deer Park #2 0.68 Clinton 0.19 Park Place 0.63 UH West Liberty 0.80

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PM2.5 Data and Hospital/ED Data

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At Deer Park #2, 46% of the variability in Hospital/ED visits is explained by PM2.5.

R² = 0.4566 R² = 0.0367 R² = 0.3957 R² = 0.6524

‐4 ‐2 2 4 6 8 10 ‐4 ‐2 2 4 6 8 10

Hospital/ED Visits Z‐score Monitors PM 2.5 Z‐score

Regression of Hospital/ED visits Z‐Scores on PM2.5 Monitors Z‐Scores, 3/17‐3/23

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Outline

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  • City of Houston Actions
  • Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background
  • Fixed Site Data Results for PM2.5 and Hospital Respiratory Complaints
  • Fixed Site Data Results: Benzene compared to background
  • City of Houston Recommendations
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Accessing Monitor Data

https://www.tceq.texas.gov/cgi‐bin/compliance/monops/aqi_rpt.pl

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Accessing Monitor Data

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Click AutoGC  Hourly Averages by Parameter

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Accessing Monitor Data

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S elect a Date

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Accessing Monitor Data

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S elect a Date S elect a Parameter and Measurement Value

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Accessing Monitor Data

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S elect a Date S elect a Parameter and Measurement Value Click “ Generate Report”

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Benzene Monitoring

STATISTICAL ANALYSES

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There are no national ambient standards for many other air pollutants, including benzene. The TCEQ created air monitoring comparison values (AMCVs). These are chemical specific air concentrations set to protect human health and welfare. Exposure to an air concentration at or below the AMCV is not likely to cause adverse health effects. The AMCV for benzene in the ambient air is 180 ppb for 1 hour short term and 1.4 ppb for chronic (Haney, 2014, TCEQ, 2018).

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Benzene Monitor Readings, 2018 vs. 2019

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Daily mean benzene (ppb‐volume) for March 17 to March 31, 2018 vs 2019.

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Benzene Monitor Readings, 2018 vs. 2019

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Daily max benzene (ppb‐volume) for March 17 to March 31, 2018 vs 2019. The concentrations during the fire were 100x the routine levels.

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Benzene Monitoring

STATISTICAL ANALYSES

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Statistical control charts were used to indicate when hourly benzene concentrations statistically exceed historical concentrations at the eight Houston area benzene air

  • monitors. It also determines if the previous hour was also exceeded.
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Historical Benzene by Hour by Monitor

STATISTICAL ANALYSES

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Monitor Data

STATISTICAL ANALYSES

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Monitor Data

STATISTICAL ANALYSES

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Monitor Data

STATISTICAL ANALYSES

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Outline

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  • City of Houston Actions
  • Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background
  • Fixed Site Data Results for PM2.5 and Hospital Respiratory Complaints
  • Fixed Site Data Results: Benzene compared to background
  • City of Houston Recommendations
  • Presented as testimony to the State Legislature at ITC hearing, invited comments

(4/4/2019).

  • Presented at Commissioner’s court, as requested by Adrian Garcia (4/9/2019).
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Recommendations for Future Actions

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  • Entities other than the City should also have MAAML abilities, hand held devices that

detect to the appropriate levels, and be prepared to deploy immediately.

  • The city would like drone capability for our investigators to prevent health threats
  • The 9 fixed site benzene monitors should be doubled.
  • Nine is absolutely not enough monitors to understand the pollution trends/sources

in this area with an extremely high density of chemical facilities.

  • There is extensive spatial variability in the data from each of the monitors now.
  • Double the number of benzene monitors such that communities like Manchester and

Pleasantville have continual quality data for trend detection and surveillance, so that exposure can be limited.

  • TCEQ be allocated funds to expand the network of monitors.
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Recommendations for Future Actions

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  • Quicker access to the fixed site data. There is a 2‐3 hour lag from collection to display.
  • The fixed site data is extremely important because it is continuous and automatic.
  • While we very much need the mobile units, they require two PhD chemists to run

working through the night during emergencies and when levels are unsafe, they must evacuate.

  • The fixed site AutoGC to be adjusted during emergencies to provide 20 minute data so

we can act quicker.

  • The fixed site currently provides hourly data.
  • With our mobile unit we can take a 20 minute integrated sample – we can see a

result in 20 minutes.

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Deer Park Fire

VIEW OF DOWNTOWN HOUSTON

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Thank you!