Modeling to Evaluate Contribution of Oil and Gas Emissions to Air Pollution

ABSTRACT

Oil and gas production in the Western United States has increased considerably over the past 10 years. While many of the still limited oil and gas impact assessments have focused on potential human health impacts, the typically remote locations of production in the Intermountain West suggests that the impacts of oil and gas production on national parks and wilderness areas (Class I and II areas) could also be important. To evaluate this, we utilize the Comprehensive Air quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) with a year-long modeling episode representing the best available representation of 2011 meteorology and emissions for the Western United States. The model inputs for the 2011 episodes were generated as part of the Three State Air Quality Study (3SAQS). The study includes a detailed assessment of oil and gas (O&G) emissions in Western States. The year-long modeling episode was run both with and without emissions from O&G production. The difference between these two runs provides an estimate of the contribution of the O&G production to air quality. These data were used to assess the contribution of O&G to the 8 hour average ozone concentrations, daily and annual fine particulate concentrations, annual nitrogen deposition totals and visibility in the modeling domain. We present the results for the Class I and II areas in the Western United States. Modeling results suggest that emissions from O&G activity are having a negative impact on air quality and ecosystem health in our National Parks and Class I areas.

Implications: In this research, we use a modeling framework developed for oil and gas evaluation in the western United States to determine the modeled impacts of emissions associated with oil and gas production on air pollution metrics. We show that oil and gas production may have a significant negative impact on air quality and ecosystem health in some national parks and other Class I areas in the western United States. Our findings are of particular interest to federal land managers as well as regulators in states heavy in oil and gas production as they consider control strategies to reduce the impact of development.

Acknowledgment

The data used in this study are from a regional photochemical modeling platform hosted by the Intermountain West Data Warehouse (IWDW) and prepared under the associated Western Air Quality Study (WAQS) as noted in the References section of this paper. The IWDW holds and manages all original and derivative files prepared under the IWDW-WAQS for the purposes of its cooperator/sponsor agencies, using publicly available protocols and procedures. The IWDW-WAQS manages access to and use of those data as proprietary. Documentation as described on the IWDW website is required prior to the transfer or alternate subsequent application of any requested data. The data used in this study were requested from the IWDW-WAQS and provided as authorized for the National Park Service’s Grand Teton Reactive Nitrogen Deposition Study (GrandTRENDS). The data used in this study were then repurposed for the analysis reported in this paper, which is beyond the scope of the original GrandTRENDS project, and is not a IWDW-WAQS cooperator/sponsor agencies’ prior-authorized application of their modeling platform. The scientific veracity of this study and analysis reported in this paper have been subjected to peer review, including by representatives of the IWDW-WAQS. For more information about access to and use of IWDW-WAQS modeling platform data, contact Tom Moore ([email protected]).

Funding

This work was funded by the National Park Service under cooperative agreement P14AC00728. The assumptions, findings, conclusions, judgments, and views presented herein are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the National Park Service.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by the National Park Service under cooperative agreement P14AC00728. The assumptions, findings, conclusions, judgments, and views presented herein are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the National Park Service.

Notes on contributors

Tammy M. Thompson

Tammy M. Thompson is currently a Science and Technology Policy Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington DC. At the time this research was conducted and accepted for publication, Dr. Thompson was working as a Research Scientist II at the Cooperative Institute for Research of the Atmosphere (CIRA) at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO.

Donald Shepherd

Donald Shepherd is an environmental engineer with the Air Resource Division of the National Park Service in Lakewood, CO.

Andrea Stacy

Andrea Stacy is an environmental protection specialist with the Air Resource Division of the National Park Service in Lakewood, CO.

Michael G. Barna

Michael G. Barna is a physical scientist with the Air Resource Division of the National Park Service in Fort Collins, CO.

Bret A. Schichtel

Bret A. Schichtel is a research physical scientist with the Air Resource Division of the National Park Service in Fort Collins, CO.