[Airresources] Notice of Public Comment Period

[McVay, Doug (DEM)]

Notice of Public Comment Period

 

Rhode Island Air Pollution Control Regulation No. 9, "Air Pollution
Control Permits," requires applicants for permits to construct, install
or modify an air pollution source (preconstruction permits) to
demonstrate that emissions from the proposed source will not cause
off-property exceedances of the health-based Acceptable Ambient Levels
listed in Air Pollution Control Regulation No. 22, "Air Toxics."  In
addition, Regulation No. 9 stipulates that applicants must conduct any
additional health studies required by the Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management (RI DEM), as specified in RI DEM's "Guidelines
for Assessing Health Risks from Proposed Air Pollution Sources."  RI DEM
is now updating that Guideline, which was originally prepared more than
25 years ago, to be consistent with currently available knowledge and
resources.

 

The updated Guideline requires all applicants for a major stationary
source or a major modification preconstruction permit, as defined in
Regulation No. 9, to perform a risk assessment in conjunction with that
application.  Risk assessments must evaluate potential exposure to
pollutants emitted by the source via all relevant exposure routes,
including ingestion of and dermal exposure to contaminated soil and
ingestion of contaminated fish, drinking water, milk and meat from local
farms, mother's milk, and homegrown and locally produced produce.
Assessments must be conducted using California Environmental Protection
Agency's Risk Assessment Standalone Tool, which evaluates cancer and
non-cancer health effects associated with emitted pollutants.

 

In addition to the risk assessment requirements for major sources, the
updated Guideline states that RI DEM may require applicants for
preconstruction permits for certain minor stationary sources or
modifications to submit risk-related documentation or analyses in
conjunction with those applications and presents examples of conditions
that may indicate the need for such documentation.

 

The proposed revised Guideline is available on the RI DEM Office of Air
Resources' web page at:
http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/air/pdf/riskguid15d.pdf 

 

Comments on the Guideline will be accepted until 4:00 PM on September 4,
2015 and can be submitted electronically or in hard copy to:

 

Barbara Morin, Supervising Environmental Scientist

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Office of Air Resources

235 Promenade Street

Providence, RI 02908

 

(401) 222-4700, ext. 7012

(401) 222-2017 (fax)

barbara.morin at dem.ri.gov

 

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