2019 International Emissions Inventory Conference

Abt Associates experts will participate in the 2019 International Emissions Inventory Conference. The conference, hosted by EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards Emissions Inventory and Analysis Group, brings together state, local and tribal air agencies, regional organizations, EPA offices, researchers and students. The theme for this year’s conference is “Collaborative Partnerships to Advance Science and Policy.”

Abt staff will participate in the following:

SESSIONS

Monday, July 29, 8:00 – 11:30 a.m. | Reverchon AB
Training Session: Nonpoint Tools
This half day course is designed for the nonpoint inventory SLT developer, and will walk through the EPA Wagon Wheel, with a close focus on ICI and RWC combustion methods and associated input templates.
Jennifer Snyder and Rich Mason, U.S. EPA; Jonathan Dorn, and David Cooley, Abt Associates

Wednesday, July 31, 3:40 – 4:05 p.m. | Reunion C
National Residential Wood Combustion Survey Results
Residential wood combustion is a significant source of particulate matter emissions, resulting in more than 260,000 tons of primary PM2.5 emissions in the 2014 NEI. This presentation will discuss the results of a nationwide survey on wood-burning activity in the United States, including estimates of the fraction of homes using each type of wood-burning appliance and the amount of wood burned per appliance. The survey was funded by the Council for Environmental Cooperation, and was implemented by NESCAUM and Abt Associates, with support by the U.S. EPA.
David Cooley, Abt Associates

Thursday, August 1, 8:25 – 8:50 a.m. | Reunion A
Greenhouse Gas/Remote Sensing Session
EPA's Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID): Addition of PM Emissions Rates
Electricity generation is the dominant industrial source of air pollutant emissions in the United States today. Whenever you switch on an electrical appliance, chances are you are contributing to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. By documenting the environmental attributes of electric power generation, the Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID) can help consumers, policy analysts and researchers to better understand the relationship between electricity and the environment. eGRID integrates many different federal data sources on power plants and power companies, including, but not limited to data sources from: EPA, the Energy Information Administration (EIA), and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). Emissions data from EPA are carefully integrated with generation data from EIA to produce emission rates in pounds per megawatt-hour (lb/MWh), which allows direct comparison of the environmental attributes of electricity generation. eGRID provides a convenient source of data for states implementing policies such as emissions disclosure, output-based emissions standards, and renewable portfolio standards. Historically, eGRID has included emission rates for SO2, NOx, CO2, CH4, and N2O. An improvement planned for eGRID2018 is the addition of PM emission rates.
Jonathan Dorn, Abt Associates

Thursday, August 1, 10:00 – 11:40 a.m. | Reunion C
Point/Nonpoint Session
Chairs: Rich Mason, U.S. EPA and David Cooley, Abt Associates

10:00 – 10:25 a.m.
New Approach for 2017 Nonpoint NEI Development
The US EPA is in the process of compiling the Nonpoint data category of the 2017 National Emissions Inventory using a new approach where State/Local/Tribal (SLT) inventory developers can submit review and submit activity inputs in addition to, or in-lieu of emission estimates. Previous NEIs have relied on SLTs accepting EPA emission estimates or submitting their own. Now, we’ve developed a process where SLTs can review and comment on the existing methodologies and input data, and choose to accept EPA methods, submit some or all of their own inputs, or generate their own estimates. A new and streamlined Nonpoint Survey is the bridge connecting SLT submission intentions with the resulting Nonpoint NEI. Born out of a Nonpoint LEAN event in 2016, we will discuss the initial identified chokepoints in the Nonpoint inventory development cycle, how the initial and final 2017 development plan shook out and lessons learned as we move forward to the 2020 NEI planning.
R. Mason, J. Snyder, V. Rao, J. Mangino, U.S. EPA; D. Cooley, Abt Associates

10:25 – 10:50 a.m.
Updates to Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional Emissions Estimation Methods
The U.S. EPA has developed tools to estimate emissions from the industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) fuel combustion sectors. However, these emission estimates must be adjusted to account for emissions reported by point sources to avoid double counting. This presentation will discuss an update to the method for estimating these emissions, including by mapping point source facilities into the appropriate sectors using NAICS codes rather than SCCs, and using data from the EIA form 923 to identify point sources that are considered electric generating units. The revisions to the ICI tool are being used to improve the emission estimates for the 2017 National Emissions Inventory.
David Cooley, Abt Associates

Thursday, August 1, 3:15 – 4:45 p.m. | Exhibit hall
Q&A with EPA
Abt Associates will lead table No 5: Nonpoint Wagon Wheel

Friday, August 2, 8:00 – 11:40 a.m. | Reunion C
Point/Nonpoint Session
Chairs: Rich Mason, U.S. EPA and David Cooley, Abt Associates

Friday, August 2, 8:00 – 8:25 a.m. | Reunion B
Improvements to EPA's SPECIATE Database: SPECIATE5.0
SPECIATE is a repository of speciation profiles that provide composition data for the volatile organic gas and particulate matter emission sources. These data provide the necessary inputs for photochemical air quality models, and for estimating black carbon inventories, and they may also be used in source apportionment and estimation of air toxics emissions. EPA updates the SPECIATE database every 2-3 years. The most recent update produced SPECIATE 5.0. This presentation will highlight the updates made for SPECIATE 5.0 and will focus on the browser.
M. Strum, M. Menetrez, U.S. EPA; F. Divita and Y. Hsu, Abt Associates

LIGHTNING ROUND PRESENTATION

Tuesday, July 30, 1:20 – 1:25 p.m. | Reunion ABC
Improvements to EPA’s SPECIATE Database: SPECIATE5.0
SPECIATE is a repository of speciation profiles that provide composition data for the volatile organic gas and particulate matter emission sources. These data provide the necessary inputs for photochemical air quality models, and for estimating black carbon inventories, and they may also be used in source apportionment and estimation of air toxics emissions. EPA updates the SPECIATE database every 2-3 years. The most recent update produced SPECIATE 5.0. This presentation will highlight the updates made for SPECIATE 5.0 and will focus on the browser.
M. Strum, M. Menetrez, U.S. EPA; F. Divita and Y. Hsu, Abt Associates

POSTER

Tuesday, July 30, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
#6: EPA's Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID): Addition of PM Emissions Rates
Electricity generation is the dominant industrial source of air pollutant emissions in the United States today. Whenever you switch on an electrical appliance, chances are you are contributing to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. By documenting the environmental attributes of electric power generation, the Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID) can help consumers, policy analysts and researchers to better understand the relationship between electricity and the environment. eGRID integrates many different federal data sources on power plants and power companies, including, but not limited to data sources from: EPA, the Energy Information Administration (EIA), and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). Emissions data from EPA are carefully integrated with generation data from EIA to produce emission rates in pounds per megawatt-hour (lb/MWh), which allows direct comparison of the environmental attributes of electricity generation. eGRID provides a convenient source of data for states implementing policies such as emissions disclosure, output-based emissions standards, and renewable portfolio standards. Historically, eGRID has included emission rates for SO2, NOx, CO2, CH4, and N2O. An improvement planned for eGRID2018 is the addition of PM emission rates.
Jonathan Dorn, Abt Associates