1. Bioenergy in Pennsylvania: Online database, map, and report Mary S. Booth Partnership for Policy Integrity October 16, 2014

2. Background Partnership for Policy Integrity: bioenergy and forests focus – Climate change, air quality, fuels impacts Reports (all at www.pfpi.net):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” 2

3. Why the concern with biomass boilers? Example of school boiler at East Lycoming SD, permitted at 0.22 lb/MMBtu 3

4. 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) 4

5. 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 datewww.pabulletin.com Permits are renewed every five years – goal is to increase review during renewal Map and database at http://www.pfpi.net/biopower-in- pennsylvaniahttp://www.pfpi.net/biopower-in- pennsylvania – Leave username blank; password is … 5

6. The context for promotion of bioenergy as “clean”: Attainment status with EPA standards for PM 2.5 Grey: whole county or partial county non-attainment with 24-hr PM2.5 std of 35 µg/m 2 Black outline: whole county or partial county non-attainment with annual std of 12 µg/m 2 6

7. Ozone: Attainment status with EPA standards Grey: non-attainment with 2008 std of 0.075 ppm 7

8. 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% 8

9. 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: 9

10. Most burners are relatively small (~10 – 30 MMBtu/hr) Combined capacity of biomass-burning units (at facilities for which Pennsylvania Bulletin reports capacity) 10

11. Pollution controls No NOx controls at smaller burners PM controls minimal – cyclones, multicyclones; almost no ESP’s or baghouses 11

12. 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) 12

13. Modeling particle pollution costs Impact of each additional ton of air pollution increased by background air pollution EPA modeling: cost of ten tons of PM 2.5 is $200,000+. Air Pollution Emission Experiments and Policy Analysis Model (APEEP): weights impacts by background air pollution 13

14. APEEP estimates: marginal cost of one ton PM 2.5 for all counties of the US Pennsylvania counties (red): some of the highest costs in the country 14

15. Cost impacts of bioenergy pollution – an example Esbenshades Greenhouses, Lancaster County County in non-attainment for ozone and PM 2.5 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 15

16. Grants and loans accountability – examples (see report for full table) 16

17. 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 17

18. Ongoing work, question for all How to increase public and groups participation in facility air permitting? 18