Air Quality Around Frac Sand Facilities

Breezy Point Sand Mine ProposalEthan Fuhrman, Jacob Kentnich, Pang Houa Xiong Yang, Hannah Renee Brown, Maryanne Cowart, Ruijian Liang,

John Awad, Jonathan Dahlen, and Crispin Pierce PhD

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

• Frac sand mining and processing generate PM (particulate matter) including silica through blasting, loading, and hauling; processing activities such as crushing; and transporting frac sand and “waste sand.”

Image: upstreamonline.com

Photo: Vaughn Nagahashi

Human Health Concerns

• Airborne pollutants (PM10 and PM2.5)• Waterborne pollutants• Noise pollution • Light pollution • Wetland loss that affects local water quality.• Truck traffic that affects road safety.• Greenhouse gas generation that increases

climate change.

Health Impact

• Increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing, or difficulty breathing, asthma

• Development of chronic bronchitis• Dysrhythmia• Nonfatal heart attacks• Premature death in people with heart or lung disease• Lung cancer• Silicosis• Kidney, autoimmune diseases

Particle Size is Important

Image: Modified from http://www.riverpartners.org

Not to scale. PM2.5 is 1/30 the width of a human hair.

PM2.5 is in the Air for 10-15 DaysResidence Time in the Atmosphere (Jaenicke, 1978)

1 mm ~ 15 days

Husar 2003

MSHA Findings

Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) monitoring of EOG Resources, Chippewa Falls, WI.

NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)

Exceedances of Occupational Limits

0

0.0005

0.001

0.0015

0.002

0.0025

0.003

SiO

2 Co

ncen

trati

on (m

g/m

3)

47%

32%

21%

OSHA PEL 0.098 mg/m3

NIOSH REL 0.050 mg/m3

MSHA NIOSH

Industry Data in Wisconsin

EPA found levels <3 ug/m3 in major cities (EPA/600/R95/115) .

Industry Data in Minnesota

EPA Annual Standard

PM10 Levels Are at the Limit Set by WHO and the State of California

DNR Regulation

• Uses EPA AERMOD computer model to predict increase in air levels of pollutants.– Amount of sand processed per day– Unit emission rates for different kinds of stacks– Pollution control equipment (e.g., baghouses)

• PM10 monitoring “required” but often waived.• “Fugitive dust control plan” for emissions not

from a stack.

Sources: Dryers and dryer areas 1 and 2, and Product Silos

University of Iowa Environmental Health Sciences

Sources: Dryers and dryer areas 1 and 2, Product Silos, Rail Loadout, Truck Receiving Station, Conveyers and Stackers Surge Piles, and Haul Road

University of Iowa Environmental Health Sciences

Direct-reading Levels of PM2.5

• Measured at EOG, Superior Silica Sands (New Auburn, Auburn), Fairmount mine (Menomonie), and Hi-Crush (Bridge Creek).

• Levels were 1.7-22 micrograms/m3 higher than concurrent DNR regional levels and often higher than the EPA standard.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

9

4.5

19.5

0

13.10

6.20

41.30

6.90

DNR Eau Claire PM 2.5 (ug/m3)DustTrak PM 2.5 (ug/m3)

PM 2

.5 (u

g/m

3)

12/17/12 EOG No wind

or activity.

12/28/12SSS Slight wind, frequent truck

activity, snowing.

1/3/13EOG Slight

wind, regular truck & train

activity.

1/9/13Fairmount

Strong wind, low truck activity.

EPA Annual PM 2.5 Standard

Direct-Reading Measurements in Wisconsin

24-Hour Filter Samples

• Have also shown elevation of PM2.5 around sand plants, compared to DNR regional levels and often higher than the EPA standard.

Filter-Based Measurements

EPA Average Standard

ENPH Researchers install instruments at Bloomer, WI air sampling site.

EPA-Certified Samplers PM10

10/30/2

014

11/7/2014

1/20/2

015

1/30/2

015

2/13/2

015

3/6/2

015

3/13/2

015

3/31/2

015

4/16/2

015

5/8/2

015

6/5/2

015

7/17/2

015

7/23/2

015

7/29/2015

8/4/2

015

8/16/2015

8/28/2015

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50PM10 Values in Bloomer/Cook's Valley WI

PM10

Micr

ogra

ms/

m3

150 EPA Second-Highest Annual Standard

World Health Organization Average Standard

EPA-Certified Samplers PM2.5

10/30/2

014

11/7/2

014

1/20/2

015

1/30/2

015

2/13/2

015

3/6/2

015

3/13/2

015

3/31/2

015

4/16/2

015

5/8/2

015

6/5/2

015

7/17/2

015

7/23/2

015

7/29/2

015

8/4/2

015

8/16/2

015

8/28/2

015

9/3/2

0150

5

10

15

20

25

30

35PM2.5 Values in Bloomer/Cook's Valley WI vs. Regional DNR Values

Micro

DNR

PM2.

5 M

icrog

ram

s/m

3

EPA “Worst case” (98th %ile) Standard

EPA Average Standard

Preliminary EPA Instrument PM2.5 Levels in New Auburn, WI

1 2 3 40

5

10

15

20

25

30

Sample Days

EPA Average Standard

SUMMARY

• Frac sand mining, processing, and transportation increase fine dust particle levels (PM2.5, which include crystalline silica) in the air.

• These particles are known to cause cardiovascular disease, lung disease and lung cancer.

• Our measurements have found higher levels around sand plants, compared to regional levels, often above the EPA standard.

• Monitoring of local PM2.5 and silica is essential to protect public health.

Questions?• Crispin Pierce, PhD• Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin-Eau

Claire• 715-836-5589• piercech@uwec.edu• http://

www.uwec.edu/Watershed/enph/silica/index.htm

Additional Resources Our research page: http://www.uwec.edu/watershed/enph/silica/

  FracTracker Site with maps of activities in each state: http://www.fractracker.org/  Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Map of monitoring data: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Mines/ISMMap.html  Wisconsin DNR Description of industrial sand mining in the state: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Mines/Sand.html  “Wisconsin Watch” investigative reporting page on frac mining: http://wisconsinwatch.org/series/frac-sand/  “Concerned Chippewa Citizens” Community group opposed to frac mining: https://wisair.wordpress.com/  Video clip of processing activities posted by a mining company in Augusta, WI:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzO5_-wANgc#t=520  Wisconsin Public Radio story on our work:

http://www.wpr.org/high-levels-super-fine-dust-are-detected-around-wisconsin-frac-sand-mines?utm_content=buffer8947f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

  Aerial drone video clip of the Town of Howard frac sand mine: http://youtu.be/qwuj7yLq99s  Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Page on frac sand mining in the state:

http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/air/air-quality-and-pollutants/air-pollutants/silica-sand-mining/index.html