Final Amendments to Federal Implementation Plan for EPA’s Indian Country Minor New Source Review Program for Oil and Natural Gas Sources, May 2, 2019 –reprinted from epa.gov

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed amendments to the 2016 federal implementation plan (FIP) for managing air emissions from new and modified true minor oil and natural gas sources in Indian country. The FIP limits emissions of harmful air pollutants while providing streamlined construction authorization for new and modified “true minor sources” in the oil and natural gas production and natural gas processing segments of the oil and natural gas sector. The amendments would allow the FIP to continue to apply in portions of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation that are included in an area EPA has designated as nonattainment for the 2015 national ambient air quality standards for ozone. Learn more

The members of the Uinta Basin Ozone Work Group join Tri County Health in congratulating Anadarko (midstream) and Middle Fork Energy (upstream) for earning Leadership in Ozone Reduction Awareness Awards for outstanding work to reduce precursors. Applause and thanks to them–and to all the companies who went above and beyond: EP Energy, Wexpro, Altamont Energy, Encana, and Finley.

Announcing the First Annual Uinta Basin Tri County Health Leadership in Ozone Reduction Awareness (LORA) Award

The LORA Award will be presented by Tri County Health to recognize voluntary industry efforts to reduce ozone in the Basin.

What: Leadership in Ozone Reduction Awareness (LORA) A community recognition for companies who made outstanding efforts this winter to reduce ozone precursors.

Where: The awards ceremony will be held at the Crossroads Community Center in Roosevelt.

When: April 11, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. during the UBOWG meeting.

How to Apply:
The application is a spreadsheet outlining potential ozone mitigation measures. Please check the boxes next to each measure that your company implemented during the 2018-2019 winter season and return the application to this email address. If there are other measures (training, education, delayed actions) not on the list that your company has undertaken please include these.

In addition, your application will provide valuable information that UBOWG will use to improve understanding of ozone events for the 2019-2020 winter season. UBOWG welcomes any input you might have about proactive measures your company takes to reduce ozone precursors for individual ozone events. UBOWG’s goal is to inform the public about the many industry efforts already underway in the Basin, as well as future studies of the unique ozone events in the Basin. Thank you and see you on April 11th!

Agenda for April 11

1. Industry voluntary measures during 2018-19 winter ozone season – Tri County Health LORA Award
2. Presentation on past winter and design value for the Basin (DAQ);
3. Discussion about NOx and VOC contributions to high ozone events in the Basin (EPA, USU)
4. Update on U&O FIP, National Oil and Natural Gas FIP, and emissions reduction credit banking rulemakings (EPA)
5. Report on modeling workshop (USU/Western Energy Alliance)
6. Emissions Inventory (DAQ)
7. Plans and active measures needed to prepare for next winter
   a. Actions/systems needing work/development over the summer
   b. September/October stakeholder meeting

Zoom instructions
https://zoom.us/j/849322326

One tap mobile
+16465588656,,849322326# US (New York)
+17207072699,,849322326# US

Our next Uinta Basin Ozone Working Group Meeting will be Tuesday, March 19 at 2:00.

Please also mark your calendars for April 11 at 2:30 as an in-person meeting for the UBOWG in Roosevelt at the Cross Roads Community Center in coordination with the Utah Petroleum Association round table meeting and the Utah Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining hydrocarbon conference.

• Report on recent exceedances
• Utah DAQ presentation on design value calculation and implications for designation and timing
• Is there a role for UBOWG in updating the public?
• Getting processes in place for industry voluntary measures and preparing for next winter
• April in-person meeting

At the Feb 12 meeting,

1. Ute Air Quality and Utah DAQ reported this winter’s ozone readings. As of 2/12 the Ouray monitor had just reached its 4th high (1 hour).
2. Bingham Research Center has a custom email and Twitter system for issuing advance alert for ozone-forming activities (but not health alerts). Sign up at binghamresearch.usu.edu/ozonealert  or follow at @uairquality. N.B.:Predictions of the conclusion of an event have the least certainty.
3. EPA reported it is beginning Advance Notice Proposed Rulemaking to create a credit banking system. We can expect an early spring timeframe.
4. DAQ updated on WY emissions reductions programs.
5. WEA updated on proposed emissions reductions programs, with strategy for enrollment, reporting, and leaderboard. Companies can sign up to participate here.
6. BLM reported its meteorology research design. The full powerpoint is here.

The next meeting will be organized as usual, for 1 hour in Vernal and at satellite locations. The UBOWG will investigate an appropriate meeting date and location to gather in person this spring.

The next UBOWG meeting is on Tuesday, February 12 at 2:00 Mountain Time. As always we will have video conferencing and phone-in available. For those meeting in Denver, the video conference will be at Western Energy Alliance again:

• Vernal – USU campus in Vernal (320 N. Aggie Blvd.) in Room 101.  Come through the main entrance, and it is the first door on your left.
• Salt Lake City – Ray Quinney & Nebeker, 36 South State Street, Suite 1400 (parking available in City Creek parking structure)
• Denver – Western Energy Alliance, 1775 Sherman St., Suite 2700 (ask for Stuart Siffring)

Phone in information:

• One tap mobile +17207072699,,941233577# US
    +16465588656,,941233577# US (New York)
• Dial by your location +1 720 707 2699 US; +1 646 558 8656 US
  §  Meeting ID: 941 233 577

• §  Zoom meeting: https://zoom.us/u/abHlDbxYdJ

If you have trouble joining the meeting, please contact Doris at RQN (801-323-3418) or IT specialist Gabriel (801-323-3482).

Meeting Agenda

1. Update on ozone conditions in the Basin this winter
   a. Northern Ute Tribe Air Quality Division
   b. Utah Division of Air Quality
   c. Ozone Alerts – overview of recent alerts, notification process and
   version 2.0
2. Learning from Wyoming program (Wyoming spreadsheet ) to track and recognize ozone event
   voluntary/contingency measures
3. Industry update on list of voluntary measures
4. Creating comprehensive industry list for alerts, reporting, and recognition
5. BLM plans for meteorological measurement systems in the Basin
6. Other issues and next meeting

USU Bingham Research Center is putting together a technical workshop about winter air quality modeling (with a focus on winter ozone).

You can find information about it and register here: https://binghamresearch.usu.edu/wintermodelworkshop. We hope you will be able to attend.

The goals of the workshop are to

• coordinate work being done by different research groups
• ensure that research and regulatory agendas for modeling are integrated and cohesive.

We welcome participants from academia, regulatory agencies, and industry (including industry consultants). The agenda (posted on the web page) is still tentative, so let me know if there is anything in it that you think could be improved. Also, please pass this information to anyone else who may be interested.