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DEP Releases Report On Particulate Matter Emissions From Coal-Fired Power Plants
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The Department of Environmental Protection this week released a report that evaluates the emission control technologies for both filterable and condensable portions of particulate emissions.
The study was conducted to determine the quality and accuracy of total particulate matter emissions from coal-fired electric generating units including waste coal-fired power plants.
The owners and operators of all 35 electric generating facilities including 73 units completed source testing for total particulate matter in accordance with protocol approved by DEP for each facility. The Department validated the accuracy and acceptance of the results to 12 determine compliance with the particulate matter emission standard for FPM.
The source test results also provide accurate data for the assessment, planning and evaluation of total particulate emissions from the coal-fired and waste coal-fired EGU source sector. In addition, the data provides an assessment of control technology efficiencies for reducing particulate emissions based on a profile that establishes not only the filterable particulate portion but also condensable particulate matter.
The total particulate matter data clearly demonstrates that wet scrubbers on PCF EGUs provide better control fine particulate matter emissions; 27 percent of total particulate matter emissions are fine particulates. However, when PCF EGUs are controlled by other types of technologies including electro-static precipitators or baghouses, fine particulate matter represents 70 percent of total particulate matter emissions.
In previous years operating permits for the EGU source category did not require a measurement of condensable particulate matter to demonstrate compliance with particulate matter emission standards.
On December 21, 2010, EPA revised it’s “Methods for the Measurement of Filterable PM10 and PM2.5 Measurement of Condensable PM Emissions from Stationary Sources;” effective as of January 1, 2011.
As a result, condensable particulate matter must now be considered by permitting authorities when establishing emissions limitations and conducting new source review determinations for new or modified stationary sources.
The data collected for the EGU source sector was a valuable tool in the assessment of control technologies and has demonstrated that wet scrubbers are the most efficient at controlling fine particulate emissions. In addition, improved testing standards were created for the EGU source sector to better monitor compliance of particulate emission permit limits.
These testing standards included defining accurate test methods, reducing the test period from once every five years to two, and include a requirement to measure the condensable portion of the total particulate result.
The final report is available online.
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1/10/2011 |
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