Uinta Basin Air Quality Study Kathleen Sgamma

Topics Covered  Background  Purpose  Timelines  Project Details  WRAP Phase III Oil & Gas Emissions Inventory  Summary

Background  The Uinta Basin is one of several basins in the Intermountain West experiencing increased oil and gas activity  Concerns arising about the potential cumulative air quality impacts  Industry initiated a proactive study to inventory and model emissions in the Basin.

Uinta Basin Air Quality Study  Purpose –To create a comprehensive technical study of air quality in the Uinta Basin, including the cumulative impacts of oil and gas development –Provide a management tool to the DAQ and BLM  UBAQS will follow procedures similar to a NEPA- related far-field analysis –Modeling protocol –Air quality, visibility and deposition assessment at Class I and II areas.

UBAQS Schedule  Task 1: Kick-Off Meeting (December 7, 2007)  Task 2: Modeling Protocol –First draft January 21, 2008 –Second draft and Response-to-Comments March 17, 2008  Task 3: Interested Government Agencies Meetings January 24 and March 26, 2008  Task 4: Emissions Modeling –Fast Track Uinta Base Phase III O&G - Complete  Task 5: Meteorological Data (2002, 2005 and 2006)  Task 6: Air Quality Modeling (CMAQ)  Task 7: Final Report and Meeting (September 2008)

UBAQS Key Components  Comprehensive modeling of all sources –Oil and gas –On- and off-road vehicles –Biogenic –Boundary conditions –Meteorological data  Integration of WRAP Phase III data  Complements future monitoring  Input from key stakeholders –BLM- State of Utah –EPA- Tribe –Forest Service- Industry

UBAQS Key Components  CMAQ Photochemical Modeling  Model Runs –2002, 2005, and 2006 to establish the baseline –Reasonable Foreseeable Development –Project oil and gas for 2012 –Model other emissions sources  Using emissions from Continental Divide EIS for SW Wyoming boundary conditions.

WRAP Phase III Inventory  Collaboration of IPAMS and the Western Regional Air Partnership  Comprehensive inventory of sources from oil and gas exploration and production activities  Builds on Phases I and II  Identifies and characterizes differences between regional basins  Refines future growth projections  Provides a mechanism for future updates

Modeling Details  Emissions will be developed for six scenarios: –Run 1: Current Year actual emissions for 2002, 2005 and 2006 used in CMAQ model evaluation –Run 2: 2006 Present Conditions used as baseline –Run 3: 2006 Baseline (Run 2) plus all NEPA projects in progress for which emission inventories have been developed –Run 3a: Run 3 with all new (post 2006) Uinta Basin O&G development emissions eliminated –Run 4: 2012 projected emissions extrapolate NEPA actions, oil and gas development, tar sands development, etc. –Run 4a: Run 4 with all new (post 2006) Uinta Basin O&G development emissions eliminated

Emission Inventory Sources in Phase III Study  Complete source inventories for all exploration & production activities for the base year (2006) and two future years.  Five criteria pollutants – NOx, SOx, PM, VOC, and CO  Annual reporting mechanism

Basins in Phase III Study  Denver-Julesburg  Uinta  San Juan  Piceance  Green River  Powder River  Paradox  Williston  Wind River  Big Horn  Great Plains

County Definition of Basins  Whole county definition of basins – Uintah, Duchesne, Emery, Grand, Carbon  Inventory data at the basin-, tribal- and county-level

Summary  Provide accurate, credible scientific data  Proactively address regional air quality issues  Update the data annually  Provide a basis for long-term planning