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Attainment and Planning Modeling
National Information
Modeling Activities in Region 4
Several states in Region 4 are involved in regional scale 8-hour ozone modeling projects to develop attainment demonstrations for future State Implementation Plans (SIPs) despite the lack of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implementation policy, final modeling guidance, or draft emission processing tools. Attainment modeling demonstrations will be required for the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) under Title I, Part D, Subparts 1 and 2 of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.
- Voluntary regional 8-hour ozone modeling projects are in various stages of completion throughout Region 4. Some are currently being used to support Early Action Compacts.
- The objective of each project is to develop photochemical grid modeling to explore the nature of the 8-hour ozone problem in a potential nonattainment area, and to examine future control strategies for possible use in State Implementation Plans (SIPs).
- The modeling projects are often multi-state, multi-regional, multi-government and multi-stakeholder.
8-hour Ozone Modeling Projects in Region 4
Alabama | Florida | Georgia | Mississippi | North Carolina | South Carolina | Tennessee
Alabama
- Gulf Coast Ozone Study (GCOS)
Potential 8-Hr nonattainment areas along the Gulf Coast of Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi and Louisiana. Completed base case modeling, some future year (i.e., 2005)
and geographic sensitivity simulations. Currently on hiatus until EPA guidance
finalized.
- West Florida Ozone Study (WFOS) The GCOS study has be re-started and updated by the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection to look specifically at the Pensacola area. This effort will involve
updates to the modeling inputs, and modeling a 2007 future year primarily for the
Pensacola area. The other GCOS urban areas are also assessed in this study.
Florida
- Gulf Coast Ozone Study (GCOS) Potential 8-Hr nonattainment areas along the Gulf Coast of Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi and Louisiana. Completed base case modeling, some future year (i.e., 2005)
and geographic sensitivity simulations. Currently on hiatus until EPA guidance
finalized.
- Peninsular Florida Ozone Study (PFOS) Study area includes Tampa, Jacksonville, and Orlando.
- West Florida Ozone Study (WFOS) The GCOS study has be re-started and updated by the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection to look specifically at the Pensacola area. This effort will involve
updates to the modeling inputs, and modeling a 2007 future year primarily for the
Pensacola area. The other GCOS urban areas are also assessed in this study.
Georgia
- Atlanta Urban Heat Island Study
Cities are increasingly experiencing health and environmental problems associated with urban heat islands (UHI). Heat islands can amplify extreme hot weather events and can speed up ground-level ozone formation, which can threaten public health and the environment. Heat islands increase air-conditioning demand, which results in elevated power plant emissions, including greenhouse gases and pollutants that form ground-level ozone. Increased energy demand for cooling purposes raises energy costs to communities and increases the risk of peak power overloads.
- Fall Line Air Quality Study (FAQS),
Georgia Potential 8-Hr nonattainment areas in Columbus, Macon and Augusta, Georgia. Completed
a mobile and concentrated ozone-PM2.5 monitoring study in 2000 involving a
slightly-augmented monitoring network.
Mississippi
- Arkansas-Tennessee-Mississippi Ozone Study (ATMOS) Study area includes entire state of Tennessee and portions of northern Mississippi and
Arkansas (i.e., the early action compact areas).
- Gulf Coast Ozone Study (GCOS) Potential 8-Hr nonattainment areas along the Gulf Coast of Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi and Louisiana. Completed base case modeling, some future year (i.e., 2005)
and geographic sensitivity simulations. Currently on hiatus until EPA guidance
finalized.
- West Florida Ozone Study (WFOS) The GCOS study has be re-started and updated by the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection to look specifically at the Pensacola area. This effort will involve
updates to the modeling inputs, and modeling a 2007 future year primarily for the
Pensacola area. The other GCOS urban areas are also assessed in this study.
North Carolina
- North Carolina 8-Hour Ozone Modeling Analysis Potential 8-Hr nonattainment areas in state of North Carolina. Developed control
strategy for 2007 and 2015 future year.
South Carolina
- South Carolina 8-Hour Ozone Modeling Analysis Potential 8-Hr nonattainment areas in state of South Carolina. First meeting of
technical workgroups in August 2001.
Tennessee
- Arkansas-Tennessee-Mississippi Ozone Study (ATMOS) Study area includes entire state of Tennessee and portions of northern Mississippi and
Arkansas (i.e., the early action compact areas).