Texas Air Emission Speciation Study, 1993 Environmental Conference Proceedings

The Texas Air Control Board (TACB) requested that the pulp and paper mills submit air emission data for volatile organic compounds VOCs and hazardous air pollutants (HAP) from each mill. TACB planned to use this data:

- To comply with the CAAA for ozone compliance demonstration by utilizing specific compound data in the Urban Airshed Model.

- To comply with the Texas Legislature request for an HAP air quality assessment relative to health risk.

- To establish an accurate baseline of emissions.

Five Texas mills chose to take a proactive approach to this request by forming the Texas Paper Industry Environmental Committee (TPIEC) to provide a coordinated effort to collect and report the data required by TACB. The resulting program, the Texas Air Emissions Speciation Study (TAESS) addressed the TACB request and also provided valuable information for the industry. More than 90 percent of the VOCs emitted from each mill were speciated and quantified using on-site analytical techniques.

Through cooperation, an agency request was cost-effectively met as four companies retained a consultant, prepared a work plan, and developed emission factors for a variety of volatile organic compounds. The importance of planning and coordination, the relevance of process knowledge, the need for on-site data management, the impact of fugitive emissions, the significance of methanol as a VOC, and other lessons learned are summarized.