Bioenergy in Pennsylvania: Online database, map, and report

Mary S. BoothPartnership for Policy Integrity

October 16, 2014

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Background

• Partnership for Policy Integrity: bioenergy and forests focus– Climate change, air quality, fuels impacts

Reports (all at www.pfpi.net):

• “Trees, Trash, and Toxics: How Bioenergy Has Become the New Coal”

• “Climate of Deception”: Report to Federal Trade Commission on deceptive advertising/greenwashing by bioenergy industry

• Report to Securities and Exchange Commission on Climate and Investment Risks of Bioenergy

• Report to DOE on Taylor Biomass (NY) loan guarantee application

• 2012 report, “Bioenergy in Pennsylvania”

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Why the concern with biomass boilers?Example of school boiler at East Lycoming SD, permitted at 0.22

lb/MMBtu

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Goals of this presentation

• Describe Pennsylvania bioenergy database, report (formal release date is Tues Oct. 21)

• Facilitate its use• Get input on how to improve this project, and the next project

(map, database of most polluting facilities in Pennsylvania; emphasis on permit accountability)

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What we did

• Pennsylvania Bulletin (www.pabulletin.com): Data for wood/biomass-fired boilers on boiler capacity, pollution emissions, emission controls, permit number, and permit renewal date

• Permits are renewed every five years – goal is to increase review during renewal

• Map and database at http://www.pfpi.net/biopower-in-pennsylvania– Leave username blank; password is …

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The context for promotion of bioenergy as “clean”: Attainment status with EPA standards for PM2.5

Grey: whole county or partial county non-attainment with 24-hr PM2.5 std of 35 µg/m2

Black outline: whole county or partial county non-attainment with annual std of 12 µg/m2

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Ozone: Attainment status with EPA standards

Grey: non-attainment with 2008 std of 0.075 ppm

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Prevalence of asthma in schoolchildren – percent increase 2008/09 to 2012/13 school years

Statewide, asthma rates 6.82% in 2008/09 school year; by 2012/13, rate was 12.18%

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Summary stats for biomass burners: our database

• In the Pennsylvania Bulletin: 101 bioenergy facilities with wood/biomass burning units (one gas-fired pellet mill)

• More than 70% are industrial burners or rotary pellet dryers • 7 large power generating (or industrial/power) facilities • 17 are “institutional” boilers; 12 are at schools• Many more burners that don’t get permits?

– State permitting thresholds:

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Most burners are relatively small (~10 – 30 MMBtu/hr)

Combined capacity of biomass-burning units (at facilities for which Pennsylvania Bulletin reports capacity)

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Pollution controls

• No NOx controls at smaller burners• PM controls minimal – cyclones,

multicyclones; almost no ESP’s or baghouses

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Particulate matter: potential to emit at varying emissions rates

EPA’s boiler rule threshold: 10+ MMBtu/hr – sets standards for new burners only. Pennsylvania boiler population: boilers <10 MMBtu/hr or permitted prior to boiler rule standard

Potential to emit, per MMBtu of boiler capacity: • 0.22 lb/MMBtu x 1 MMBtu/hr x 8,760 hr/yr = 1,927.2 lb/yr (typical

Pennsylvania permitting rate)

• 0.07 lb/MMBtu: 613 lb/yr (EPA std for new boilers 10 – 30 MMBtu/hr)

• 0.03 lb/MMBtu: 263 lb/yr (EPA std for new boilers 30+ MMBtu/hr)

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Modeling particle pollution costs

• Impact of each additional ton of air pollution increased by background air pollution

• EPA modeling: cost of ten tons of PM2.5 is $200,000+. • Air Pollution Emission Experiments and Policy Analysis Model

(APEEP): weights impacts by background air pollution

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APEEP estimates: marginal cost of one ton PM2.5

for all counties of the US

Pennsylvania counties (red): some of the highest costs in the country

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Cost impacts of bioenergy pollution – an example

Esbenshades Greenhouses, Lancaster County• County in non-attainment for ozone and PM2.5

• Asthma prevalence has doubled• Pennsylvania gave facility $474,502 • Facility uses multi-clone; actual emissions 38 tons PM/yr• APEEP estimate for ten tons pollution: $930,000

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Grants and loans accountability – examples (see report for full table)

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Summary stats for grants and loans

• Pennsylvania allocated over $30 m for bioenergy; Evergreen Comm. Energy got $39 million as federal grant

• 19 out of the total 38 companies that received support either no longer exist or have not yet received an operating permit for biomass boiler

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Ongoing work, question for all

• How to increase public and groups participation in facility air permitting?