USDA Agricultural Air Quality Task Force
Hall of
The first meeting of this
charter of the USDA Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF) took place on
The Task Force recognized the
urgent need for new and improved standardized measurement and monitoring protocols,
and conservation practices. The Task
Force noted the importance of partnering with stakeholders to develop
reasonable policy objectives and repeatedly found funding to be one of the most
critical issues facing air quality improvement today. Members emphasized the necessity of this
funding in order to respond to the need for accurate data and better emission
factors and dispersion models.
Emerging technology
discussions generally focused on methane digesters, cogenerated power,
biofuels, various techniques to capture ammonia (poultry houses), and the
continued need for financial assistance for producers to install new abatement
technologies.
Dr. Beth Sauerhaft, from the Natural
Resources Conservation Service, began the presentations with a discussion of Atmospheric
Resource Quality Management activities, including practice standard revisions
and new standard development, tool and policy development, and a handful of
other activities relating to greenhouse gases, regulated pollutants (including
odor), and renewable energy production.
This was followed by presentations from Dr. Robert Wright, and Dr. Steve
Shaffer, from the Agricultural Research Service, on research programs related
to particulate matter and gaseous emissions from agriculture, ozone creation,
and pesticides and greenhouse gases.
Dr. Robert Flocchini, a task
force member from UC Davis and Vice-Chair of the panel, presented a brief
summary of the recommendations made by the scientific panel of the National
Academy of Sciences report entitled, “Air Emissions from Animal Feeding
Operations: Current Knowledge Future Needs.”
Sally Shaver, the EPA member
on the Task Force, spoke on current Title II regulatory issues: diesel
irrigation pumps under Title V, Title 2 mobile sources in
Dr. Ray Knighton, from the
Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, presented details
of their Air Quality Program. He also
described the new National Research Initiative (NRI) integrated program for air
quality research, education, and extension for which requests for funding
assistance have just been solicited. The
NRI Program emphasis centers on emission data, improved measurement,
fate/transport studies, and process-based models.
Dr.
Dr. James Vickery, from the EPA,
introduced and discussed the report, “Strategic Research Plan for Particulate
Matter.” The goal of the plan was to put
good science into decision makers’ hands through integration, coordinating
among federal agencies and private sector, and addressing key research
areas.
Dr. Doug McKinney, from the EPA,
discussed agriculture-related air quality research in the areas of modeling,
inventory development, source-receptor modeling, and deposition to watersheds
of animal feeding operations, nitrogen compounds, and open burning.
Don Kopinksi, from the EPA,
discussed air quality issues regarding mobile and non-road diesel sources. EPA’s Tier 4 Program is a new,
non-incremental program with a seven-year phase-in for fuel after new engines
are on the market. New engines will add
approximately 1-2% to cost of vehicle, and at a 1.5B/yr cost, will have an
estimated 81B/yr benefit.
As a prelude to the group
discussing the major issues they wish to address during their charter, members Annette
Sharp and Kevin Rogers presented a summary of the AAQTF’s past accomplishments,
thus introducing new members to the activities and on-going work of the Task
Force.
The Task Force identified
approximately 27 goals, which were then placed into one of four categories: Policy, Education/Technology Transfer,
Research, and Emerging Issues. Members
aligned themselves with one of the four categories, with the purpose of identifying
and reporting on three primary goals for each category at the next meeting.