Air Regulatory Support for Buick Resource Recycling Facility
Protecting business and the public with strategies to reduce emissions.
In 2008 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tightened the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for airborne lead particles. The updated regulation lowered the amount of acceptable lead in the air from 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter, to 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter. This significantly lower standard meant industries such as the Buick Resource Recycling Facility (BRRF) in Missouri had to develop new air quality strategies. GeoEngineers’ air quality team was there to help.
Approach
GeoEngineers provided technical support to BRRF’s owners as they updated their Missouri Lead State Implementation Plan, including:
- Developed an air modeling protocol.
- Prepared an hourly emissions inventory and meteorological database.
- Conducted testing and analysis to validate the air dispersion modeling results.
- Developed an emissions control strategy, using the results of the model, to bring the mine into compliance with the NAAQS.
- Helped BRRF’s owners respond to comments from the state’s Department of Natural Resources and EPA.
Results
By accurately predicting and modeling lead emissions from the mine, GeoEngineers was able to recommend specific changes to the State Implementation Plan. These strategies successfully brought Buick Mine into compliance with the much stricter lead emission regulations.
