Corpus Christi - Air Monitoring Project

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Gordon Murphy
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1 Corpus Christi - Air Monitoring Project Center for Energy and Environmental Resources University of Texas at Austin David Allen (allen@che.utexas.edu) Vince Torres (vmtorres@mail.utexas.edu) MaryAnn Foran (ma_foran@mail.utexas.edu)

2 Agenda Purpose of the network Plan Budget Project Organization Action items

3 What Are We Trying To Accomplish? Meet Court Requirements ÍNexus ÍBenefit to the Community ÍNo Benefit to Industry

4 What is the Plan? Establish a monitoring network in/near communities; network design developed by TCEQ; project lifetime a minimum of seven years Monitor for VOCs (including benzene) and sulfur compounds; deploy cameras Report measurements in a public forum, allowing citizens and TCEQ to identify potential problem areas

5 What is the Plan? Monitoring Sites Seven total sites VOC monitoring sites capable of providing short/long term exposure data and capable of analyzing events

6 What is the Plan? Site Selection Considerations Sites selected by TCEQ based on: Site Accessibility Proximity of Communities to Industry Meteorology Citizen Complaints

7 Site Selection

8 What is the Plan? VOC Monitoring Technology By Automated Gas Chromatograph with Flame Ionization Detector (2 sites; to assess community exposures) By Event Triggered Canister Sampler (all sites; to help identify sources and collect samples during releases)

9 What is the Plan? Perkin-Elmer AutoGC Concentrates air over a 40 minute time period and has 1 analysis/hr Proven to be reliable technology as field deployed instrument Provides data on over 50 VOCs including benzene

10 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Analytical System Air Hydrogen Calibration Gases Concentrator Gas Chromatograph Flame Ionization Detectors Data Acquisition Computer Modem These standardized gases are used to calibrate the working range of the gas chromatograph. Target compounds are trapped in the concentrator for 40 minutes. The columns separate compounds by boiling point and affinity for the packing material. As compounds burn they produce ions. The more ions, the more of the compound is present. Electronic signals are translated into concentrations. A preliminary identification is made based on elution time. Data is transferred to a local HUB computer.

12 Site Selection

13 What is the Plan? Event Triggered VOC Samplers < Trigger is based on a continuous measurement of total hydrocarbon concentration; once total hydrocarbons exceed threshold, air samples are collected; sampling can also be triggered by telephone < Air samples are collected in canisters and returned to UT-Austin for analysis; analysis can be similar to auto-gc or can be performed by GC/MS with an expanded target list

14 Site Selection

15 What is the Plan? Sulfur Monitors < H 2 S and SO 2 emitted primarily by industrial sources; all sites will include continuous measurements of these two sulfur species < SO 2 Monitored by a Monitor Labs 9850 Continuous Emission Monitor < H 2 S Converted to SO 2 via a Dasibi 4109 H 2 S converter and measured by a Monitor Labs 9850

16 What is the Plan? Cameras < Provide surveillance over a wide area to identify or evaluate visible plumes and/or events (2 sites; three cameras available) < Full remote pan/tilt/zoom capability; current plan is to have remote contol at UT-Austin

18 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Monitoring Data Flow Monitoring Stations 2-7 Monitoring Station 1 Data Logger Gas Chromatograph Meteorological Measurements Total Non-methane Hydrocarbon Analyzer Local HUB Computer Meteostar System in Austin Sulfur Monitor Event Triggered Sampler Telephone Modem ISDN Line City Emergency Operations Center Industry World Wide Web Accessibility Public Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

20 What is the Plan? Evaluation/Flexibility < Annual Review of Plan/Sites < Flexibility to Move, Shut Down, or Expand sites and Monitors

21 What is the Budget? Equipment/Installation/Phase I Operation/Phase II < Total funds available = $6.7 M plus accumulated interest < Estimated Phase I total cost = $2.3M < Estimated Phase II cost = $680,000 (year 1) < Minimum 7 year project life

22 Project Organization

23 Action item for today: Discuss bids for Phase 1; Seek Advisory Board input on selection of contractor

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