Air Quality Education and Information
The Pollution Prevention Partnership provides public education and outreach regarding local air quality. P3 informs the community about their local air quality and how they can make a difference including ozone action day information and recommendations.
According to local air quality studies, individuals make about 35% of the pollutants that make ozone, either by driving or the use of other combustion engines like lawnmowers and boats. Ozone can threaten our health and jeopardize Corpus Christi's attainment status of air quality standards.
Air quality in Corpus Christi is usually quite good.
In fact, Corpus Christi can be proud of the fact that we are the only industrial based city in the United States that is still in attainment of air quality standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Education and Resources
What is ozone?
Ozone is the result of a chemical reaction that happens when vapors (called VOCs) are released into the air and mix with pollutants from engines (called NOX or nitrous oxides) in the presence of sunlight. The vapors, or VOCs, come from things like gasoline, paints, paint thinner, etc. The pollutants called NOX come from engine combustion in power plants, compressors, and vehicles.
Is ozone good or bad?
Actually, ozone can be either good or bad, depending on where it is located. Stratospheric ozone is ozone that is high in the sky and located from about 10 miles high in the sky to about 30 miles high in the sky. This ozone is good ozone. It protects us from the sun's harmful ultra violet rays. Tropospheric ozone or ground level ozone is ozone that is located from the ground up to about 10 miles high in the sky. It is also known as smog. This smog or ozone is bad ozone because it is a pollutant and we breathe it. It can cause lung damage as well as damage to crops and vegetation. Although animal life is effected by toxic ozone levels it seems that plants are more sensitive to ozone than animals. VOC emissions result in toxic ozone levels during the prime growing season.
I hear a lot about ozone numbers and ozone levels. What do the numbers mean?
Just remember ... "good up high - bad nearby." Ozone levels are measured continuously by two TCEQ monitors located in our area. These levels are measured in parts per billion and this is the number that is reported. Detailed information on the monitors including location and data collections can be found at the TCEQ Website. The most current ozone readings for the Corpus Christi area can be found here.
Levels of ozone or numbers of 0-50 are good and should not be a concern. Levels of 51-100 may affect sensitive people such as asthmatics, children, and the elderly. Levels of 101-150 are unhealthy for these sensitive groups. Levels of 151 and above are very unhealthy for all people.
What is an attainment area?
Attainment means an area is "attaining" an air quality standard that is within acceptable standards established by the EPA. Corpus Christi is considered by the EPA to be an "attainment" area. By being in attainment, that means our area's ozone numbers fall below 70 ppb over a three-year period.
What is a non-attainment area?
A non-attainment area is an area that does not have good air quality and is not within EPA standards. Their ozone numbers are above 70 ppb over a three-year period. Once an area is declared to be non-attainment, strict rules may be placed on the area, much like what Houston is experiencing. These rules may include costly vehicle inspections, losing money to build highways, businesses not being allowed to expand, restricted hours for construction activities, etc.
What is an Ozone Action Day?
Ozone Action Days are days that are called by TCEQ. TCEQ meteorologists predict the possibility of an ozone action day, much like local weather personnel predict upcoming weather conditions. Weather conditions that are indications of an ozone action day are high temperatures and light winds. On ozone action days, we all need to take precautions to reduce the possibility of high levels of ozone.
What Should I do on an Ozone Action Day?
- Limit driving - Rideshare, car pool, take the bus, walk, or ride a bike - Remember, cars and trucks make about 35% of our air pollution.
- Wait to fuel up your vehicle until after 6:00 p.m. That way, the vapors you make do not cook like they do in the morning.
- Keep your vehicle well-maintained. A poorly-maintained vehicle can pollute as much as 25 times more than a well-maintained vehicle. It costs a lot more to drive too.
- Wait until after 6:00 p.m. or the next day to do yard chores. Many types of equipment, run for just a couple of hours, makes as much pollution as driving hundreds of miles.
- Use cruise control on the highway.
- Obey the speed limit.
- Combine your errands into one trip.
- Don't top off at the gas pumps.
- Replace your car's air filter.
- Keep your tires properly inflated.
How can Boaters Prevent Pollution?
Even with the new technology, the cooperation of individual boaters is essential in the effort to improve air quality and prevent pollution. Boaters can make a difference that will help protect the environment now and in the future by adopting the following practices:
- Limit engine operation at full throttle.
- Eliminate unnecessary idling.
- Follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule.
- Prepare engines properly for winter storage.
- Buy new, cleaner marine engines.
For boats designed for refueling with portable fuel containers, the following steps can help prevent fuel spills:
- Pour slowly and smoothly.
- Use a spout with an automatic stop device for better control.
- Close the vent on the portable fuel containers for storage.
- Transport and store gasoline out of direct sunlight in a cool, dry place.
- Use caution when pumping gasoline into a container at the gas station.
- Measure carefully if you mix gasoline and oil.
According to local air quality studies, small businesses in our area produce about 25% of the pollutants that make ozone. P3 has provided assistance to businesses that may affect local air quality.
Assistance provided includes training workshops, site visits, technical consultations, development of management practices, guidance documents, and regulation research. Services provided are confidential and free of charge. Business sectors that have participated in the P3 small business assistance program include:
- Gasoline Marketers and Transporters
- Printers
- Wood Product Manufacturers
- Dry Cleaners
- Auto Paint and Body Shops
- Industrial Surface Coaters
- Oil and Gas Producers
Gasoline Marketers and Transporters
The Pollution Prevention Partnership has provided assistance to gasoline marketers and transporters. According to local air quality studies, a large percentage of emissions occur during fuel deliveries to facilities when Stage I vapor recovery is not used. After working with industry representatives in advisory group meetings, an educational program was developed by the P3 using speakers with a variety of viewpoints on the importance of Stage I vapor recovery. Seminar speakers included consultant Bill Hennings, Air Program Manager Jim Bowman of the TCEQ, Regional Safety Manager Sherwood Hamilton of Mission Petroleum, and General Manager Jerry McGowan of Diamond Shamrock. Each emphasized different reasons why Stage I should be utilized. P3 initially delivered seven seminars to 262 people representing 205 of the area's 275 facilities. Stage I vapor recovery procedure use went from 15 percent to 83 percent resulting in an annual emissions reduction of over 700 tons. A recent survey observing over 100 fuel deliveries reflected over 90% of area fuel deliveries utilizing Stage I.
Printers
The Pollution Prevention Partnership has provided assistance to the Printing industry.
The printing industry uses inks and solvents that contain VOC's that can affect local air quality.
Workshops and site visits have been provided to 16 local printing companies. The workshops provide information regarding environmental compliance, and site visits include confidential inspections for regulatory compliance.
Wood Product Manufacturers
The Pollution Prevention Partnership has provided assistance to the wood product industry. The wood product industry uses solvents, coatings and thinners that contain VOC's and also spray these products onto surfaces; therefore, their activities can affect local air quality.
On-site consultation services have been provided to 10 companies. Site visits include inspection of spray booths and equipment and materials used. An interview with a wood product manufacturer that received assistance from the Pollution Prevention Partnership stated that after implementing recommendations provided during a site visit, material costs decreased by approximately 20%.
Wood product shops that meet criteria for environmental compliance are exempt from having to obtain an air quality permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Resources for Wood Product Manufacturers
Dry Cleaners
The Pollution Prevention Partnership has provided assistance to the dry cleaning industry. The dry cleaning industry uses solvents that contain VOC's and therefore can affect local air quality.
During advisory group meetings with industry representatives from 18 of the City's 20 facilities, it was determined that because of the diversity in equipment and processes, a workshop approach would not be effective. Based on recommendations from industry, a site-specific approach was chosen.
The Partnership hired a recognized expert in the dry cleaning field, Chuck Davies, to visit each facility, evaluate their environmental compliance, and provide recommendations for pollution reduction. All of the 18 participants requested and received inspections. The key criteria for the industry were utilization of closed dry cleaning systems and solvent recovery units. The success of the program was demonstrated two weeks later during a visit to Corpus Christi by EPA inspectors.
The EPA spent a week inspecting Corpus Christi facilities and found them to be in compliance with the EPA standards. According to EPA, no Notices of Violation were issued.
Auto Paint and Body Shops
The Pollution Prevention Partnership has provided assistance to the auto paint and body industry. The auto paint and body industry uses paints, solvents, top-coats, and thinners that contain VOC's.
In addition, they spray these materials onto surfaces and therefore affect local air quality. The Pollution Prevention Partnership has provided workshops, initial site visits and follow-up site visits to over 30 auto paint and body facilities.
Workshops include environmental compliance education, and site visits include inspection of paint booths, equipment and material used.
Industrial Surface Coaters
The Pollution Prevention Partnership has provided assistance to the industrial surface coaters. The industrial surface coating industry uses paints, solvents, and thinners that contain VOC's. In addition, they spray these materials onto surfaces and blast older material off of the surface, therefore affecting local air quality. The P3 provided an environmental compliance education workshop to over 25 industry representatives. Also, the P3, in coordination with an advisory committee, developed a policy, best management practices and project manager checklists for industrial surface coating activities taking place at all local Port Industries. The Port Industry Managers have adopted the policy , best management practices and project checklists and the Pollution Prevention Partnership is currently providing training to contractors and project managers to implement them.
Oil and Gas Producers
Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from the oil and gas industry were the focus of a P3 industry initiative. New technologies and practices were being explored in order to lower overall levels of pollutants from this sector.
The Hydrocarbon Emissions Detection and Remediation (HEDR) project was designed to illustrate the advantages of reducing Volatile Organic Compound emissions (VOC) from the production side of the oil and gas industry in the Corpus Christi airshed. A reduction in VOC emissions in the airshed would result in improved air quality. The objective of the project was to demonstrate the effectiveness of a vapor recovery system in capturing these fugitive emissions.
Project collaborators included El Paso Production, who volunteered the use of their gas well production facility near Kingsville, TX. and ITT Industries Spaces Systems Division The emission sensing LIDAR equipped aircraft made several passes over the pipeline and well head with the vapor recovery system operational to provide a baseline data set. Upon completion of the base line overflights the aircraft then signaled to the ground crew to shut down the vapor recovery system and open the thief hatches to allow for the hydrocarbon vapors to escape while the aircraft made subsequent passes to detect the emissions.
Once the overflights were completed, the data were analyzed and enhanced by ITT Industries. The before and after images were compelling and presented at the November 1st 2005 Symposium on Improved Profits Through Best Managed Practices hosted by the Pollution Prevention Partnership, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and the Petroleum Technology and Transfer Council and. It was concluded that vapor recovery is effective in limiting VOC emissions as well as improving profits. El Paso Production determined that the rich hydrocarbon vapors result in improved profits by as much as $35,000.00 a week from the Kingsville facility. This improved profit margin resulted in a company wide policy which requires vapor recovery systems to be installed at other El Paso Production sites when it is deemed applicable.
Educational Presentations
What Can You Do? Community PowerPoint
Alternative Fuel Vehicle PowerPoint Show
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Acrobat PDF
P3 staff can speak to or conduct workshops for your community group, school or business. Give us call or email!
Environmental Education Resources
NIH Environmental Health Sciences
Take Care of Texas for Teachers
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EPA Heart Healthy - Air pollution can affect heart health and can trigger heart attacks and strokes that cause disability and death in those predisposed.
SmartWay Partnership EPA - EPA’s SmartWay program helps companies advance supply chain sustainability by measuring, benchmarking, and improving freight transportation efficiency.
EPA Current Air Quality Index and Alerts - Get air quality data where you live and sign up for alerts.
Fuel Economy.gov - The official U. S. government source for fuel economy information.
Alternative Fuel Data - U. S. Department of Energy information source for alternative fuels and advanced vehicles. Provides information, data, and tools to help fleets and other transportation decision makers.
Take Care of Texas Keep Our Air Clean - Texas has devoted significant resources to air quality monitoring and research during the past decade in order to better understand air quality and to develop effective controls when needed. Voluntary efforts, sound science, and targeted regulations have significantly improved air quality over the last 15 years—despite Texas’ growing population. We encourage you to help keep our air clean.