2006 Acid Deposition Executive Summary
New York State Acid Rain
Issued January 2006
Introduction
New York State's Acid Rain Monitoring Network collects and analyzes precipitation parameters (including pH, Sulfate, Nitrate, Calcium and Magnesium) to assess the effectiveness of sulfur control policy and other strategies aimed at reducing the effects of acid rain. As of 2004, our monitoring network consisted of 20 sites located throughout the state in both rural and urban areas. Monitoring results are available for the years 1987 to 2004.
The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (1990 CAAA) contained important provisions to control acid deposition by reducing the amounts of SO2 and NOx emitted to the air. About 2000 of the highest SO2 and NOx emitting power plants were designated as Phase I and Phase II facilities. Nationally, reductions of SO2 from these plants were expected to be 3.5 million tons (mmtons) by 1995 and 10 million tons by the year 2010. The 1995 reduction goals for SO2 were achieved. There has also been a 42% reduction in NOx for the Phase 1 power plants since 1996. The power plants affected by 1990 CAAA1, many of which are upwind of New York State, are considered to be the worst polluters and, had emissions in tons as follows:
1source: http://camddataandmaps.epa.gov/gdm/index.cfm
The above chart shows both SOx and NOx declining even though heat input was increasing for the nation's Titles IV and V power plants. The SOx decline in emissions also resulted in a decline in acid deposition sulfates. NOx emissions have not declined as rapidly as SOx. Starting in 2000, additional utility units were affected by more stringent SOx and NOx limits. For example, since 1995 the amount of NOx emitted has been reduced by 0.4 or 0.86 lbs/mmBtu, depending on the boiler type.
Continuing acid deposition monitoring will determine if projected emission reductions will yield a corresponding decline in acid deposition.
Monitoring Network
The New York State Acid Deposition Monitoring Network was designed in 1985 in response to the mandate of the "State Acid Deposition Control Act" (SADCA). Twenty sites are presently monitoring acid deposition. The objectives of the network are:
- Provide consistent, quality assured, long-term acid deposition data.
- Measure acid deposition in sensitive receptor areas.
- Measure acid deposition in urban and upwind areas.
- Use these data to perform geographic and temporal analyses of acid deposition, its precursors, and its effects.
- Track acid deposition precursor emissions reduction effectiveness.
The network is composed of three classes of monitoring sites, which differ by the amount and kind of instrumentation used. They are designated as "Type 3," "Type 2," and "Type 1."
Type 3 sites have two types of instrumentation. The first is a tipping bucket rain/snow gauge or a Belfort High Capacity gauge to measure the amount of precipitation. The output signal is connected to either a recorder or a telemetry unit. The second device is a "Viking Hyetometer" which is a bucket type collector designed to collect samples under wet or dry conditions. Wet deposition samples are gathered in the lined buckets when precipitation is occurring. In addition to the devices operated at Type 3 sites, Type 2 sites incorporate continuous monitoring instrumentation to measure the ambient concentration of selected components. These instruments are connected via telemetry to a central computer. Type 1 sites have instrumentation used at Type 2 sites and equipment to measure wind speed and direction, and calculate horizontal sigma (wind direction variability).
Table I contains a summary of the sites in the 2006 Acid Rain Monitoring Network. Following the table is a map of New York State showing the approximate location of each of the sites.
| Site Number |
Site Name | County | Official Start |
Met Equipment |
SO2 Monitor |
NOx Monitor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3720-01 | Altmar | Oswego | 10/24/89 | no | no | no |
| 5565-03 | Belleayre Mt. | Ulster | 01/01/87 | yes | yes, low level | no |
| 1401-18 | Buffalo | Erie | 01/01/87 | yes | yes | yes |
| 2655-01 | Camp Georgetown | Madison | 01/01/87 | 2 | yes | no |
| 3353-09 | East Syracuse | Onondaga | 03/05/91 | 1 | yes | no |
| 2950-10 | Eisenhower Park | Nassau | 01/01/87 | 1 | yes | yes |
| 0701-05 | Elmira | Chemung | 03/31/87 | 1 | yes | no |
| 4153-04 | Grafton Lakes | Rensselaer | 11/27/01 | 1 | yes, low level | no |
| 0101-33 | Loudonville | Albany | 07/02/87 | 1 | yes | no |
| 3951-01 | Mt. Ninham | Putnam | 01/01/87 | 1 | yes, low level | no |
| 3102-25 | Niagara Falls | Niagara | 01/01/87 | 1 | yes | no |
| 2167-03 | Nicks Lk. Campground | Herkimer | 02/03/87 | 1 | yes, low level | no |
| 7094-06 | NY Bot. Garden | Richmond | 04/11/01 | 1 | yes | yes |
| 1655-01 | Paul Smith's College | Franklin | 04/20/04 | 1 | yes, low level | no |
| 2050-01 | Piseco Lake | Hamilton | 08/09/88 | 2 | yes, low level | no |
| 2701-22 | Rochester | Monroe | 01/01/87 | 2 | yes | no |
| 4458-05 | Wanakena Ranger Sta. | St.Lawrence | 01/01/87 | no | no | no |
| 0675-01 | Westfield | Chautauqua | 01/01/87 | yes | yes, low level | no |
| 5902-04 | White Plains | Westchester | 01/01/87 | yes | no | no |
| 1567-04 | Whiteface Mt. | Essex | 10/03/89 | yes | yes, low level | no |
A map of the 2004 Network follows.
Laboratory analysis provides the concentration of each of the data parameters in parts per million equivalent to milligrams per liter (mg/l). Concentration multiplied by the volume of precipitation per square meter equals deposition (mg/m2) which is then converted to kilograms per hectare (kg/ha).
The eight parameters selected for display are Hydrogen Ion Concentration as pH (H+), Sulfate Ion (SO4- -) Concentration, SO4- - Deposition, Nitrate Ion (NO3-) Concentration, NO3- Deposition, Ammonium Ion (NH4+) Concentration, NH4+ Deposition and Total Precipitation.
Trend graphs and tables for the eight selected parameters are provided for 1987-2004 for each of the monitoring sites in the Appendix. There are occasionally blanks in the concentration and deposition trend plots indicating that the rainfall deposition analysis criteria were not satisfied. That is, for various reasons the lab was unable to analyze at least 75% of the annual and 50% of the quarterly precipitation.
A text file containing this data and other data parameters including Fluoride (F-), Nitrite (NO2-), Chloride (Cl -), Bromide (Br-), Hydrogen Phosphate (HPO4- -), Sodium (Na+), Potassium (K+), Magnesium (Mg+ +), and Calcium (Ca+ +) is available on the web site.
The graph below shows the Hydrogen Ion pH measurements from each of the monitoring sites with the pink dot representing the average for all of the sites:
Sulfate measurements for each of the sites is shown below with the average being the pink dot:
Nitrate measurements for each site is shown below with the pink dot representing the average of all the sites:
Summary
Acid Rain data collected through 2004 and displayed both in the individual site trend charts (Appendix) and the graph on Page 7 are continuing a "slightly" decreasing trend for both SO4 concentration and deposition. The concentration and deposition downward trend is not as evident for NO3- and NH4+. pH is a log value and any improvement would result in higher pH values. The graph on Page 7 and trend charts in the Appendix show slight pH improvements. The trends in acid deposition data (Appendix) are similar to the emissions trends (page 1).
SO2 and NOx emissions reductions required by the 1990 CAAA have made progress in reducing acid rain emissions. However, in 2004 New York adopted even more aggressive regulations. Under the Acid Deposition Reduction Program (ADRP, 6 NYCRR Parts 237 and 238), fossil fuel-fired electric generators in New York State will be required to reduce NOx and SO2 emissions. Affected sources must reduce SO2 emissions to 50 percent below the levels allowed by Phase 2 of the federal acid rain program. The SO2 reductions will be implemented in two phases which start on January 1, 2005 and January 1, 2008. Beginning on October 1, 2004, affected sources must reduce NOx emissions during the non-ozone season (October - April) to a level that corresponds with the NOx reductions that will be achieved starting on May 1, 2003, through the implementation of 6 NYCRR Part 204, NOx Budget Trading Program, for the ozone season (May - September).
Only by the continued collection and analysis of acid deposition will it be possible to verify that improvements are occurring due to the reductions of SO2 and NOx legislated in the 1990 CAAA and ADRP.
Should you have comments or questions, you can contact us at:
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Air Resources
Bureau of Air Quality Surveillance
625 Broadway 3rd Floor
Albany, NY 12233-3256
Telephone 518-402-8508
fax 518-402-8507
e-mail: daracid@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Appendix
Trend Charts and Tables
The spreadsheet tables and charts use Ionic Parts Per Million (ippm) weighed by precipitation for concentration which are equivalent to Milligrams Per Liter (mg/l) weighed by precipitation.