IMPACTS / AIR
Although emissions associated with wood fuel produce lesser impacts than emissions from fossil fuel consumption, burning wood does result in the creation of substances that are subject to environmental regulation as pollutants. These include nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, coarse particulate matter, fine particulate matter, lead and carbon monoxide.
Russell Biomass' emissions will, however, be reduced by catalytic converters and will be filtered in accordance with tight regulatory standards. Post-filtration emissions will be released at high velocity from a 300-foot stack. The resulting dispersion will produce concentration levels of all substances that fall well below the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The NAAQS were set and are constantly updated by the Environmental Protection Agency to protect public health and welfare for the most sensitive individuals in the population (e.g., asthmatics) with a margin of safety.
Below is quick look at the concentrations Russell Biomass will create and how they stack up to the NAAQS.
Nitrogen Dioxide
Maximum annual concentrations resulting from Russell Biomass: 1.3 micrograms* per cubic meter of air.
EPA air quality standard: 100 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
Unlink 1.3 ugms above
Impact of Russell Biomass: 1.3 percent of EPA Standard.
Sulfur Dioxide
Maximum annual concentrations resulting from Russell Biomass: 0.7 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
EPA air quality standard: 80 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
Impact of Russell Biomass: Less than 1 percent of EPA Standard.
Coarse Particulate Matter
Maximum annual concentrations resulting from Russell Biomass: 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
EPA air quality standard: 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
Impact of Russell Biomass: Less than 1 percent of EPA Standard.
Fine Particulate Matter
Maximum annual concentrations resulting from Russell Biomass: 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
EPA air quality standard: 15 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
Impact of Russell Biomass: 1.3 percent of EPA Standard.
Lead
Maximum calendar quarter concentrations resulting from Russell Biomass: 0.02 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
EPA air quality standard: 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
Impact of Russell Biomass: 1.3 percent of EPA Standard.
Carbon Monoxide
Maximum 8-hour concentrations resulting from Russell Biomass: 34.3 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
EPA air quality standard: 10,000 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
Impact of Russell Biomass: Less than 1 percent of EPA Standard.
* A microgram is 1/1,000,000 of a gram or 1/1,000 of a milligram.
As you can see, all of our concentrations are far below the EPA thresholds and will have an insignificant effect on local air quality.
Further, a detailed comparative study showed that our particulate (ash) emissions will have a far less effect on breathing-level air quality in Russell than a single, clean-burning residential wood pellet stove. Specifically, the concentration of particulates - which is the relevant DEP health impact measure -- from our stack emissions will be less than one-tenth of those caused by a pellet-burning wood stove. This is because of the great dispersion from the biomass plant stack and the very poor dispersion from a home wood stove chimney.
Replacement of an older conventional or EPA-certified wood stove burning cordwood with a wood pellet stove would reduce that house's local neighborhood particulate concentrations by more than ten times the virtually insignificant concentration caused by Russell Biomass.
We have also conducted a careful study of the potential impact of the diesel particulate matter (DPM) concentrations in downtown Russell from trucks delivering wood fuel to our plant. Our analyses show that truck traffic to and from Russell Biomass will emit less than 1 percent of the EPA air quality guideline for DPM of 5 micrograms per cubic meter. Thus our fuel trucks will not adversely affect air quality in the Village. Russell Biomass will continue to work with Town officials to support any future Town decision to pursue a bypass route that would allow the Town of Russell to exclude virtually all truck traffic from Main Street.