Maricopa County Air Quality Department FISCAL YEAR 2015 REPORT Working to provide clean air to Maricopa County residents and visitors so they can live, work and play in a healthy environment 1 Table of Contents Message from the Director MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR Page 2 ABOUT US Page 3 SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS Page 4 NEW FACES Page 5 AWARDS/PROCESS IMPROVEMENT Page 6 AIR MONITORING/FINANCE Page 7 PERMITTING/ TECHNICAL SUPPORT Page 8 COMPLIANCE Page 9 RULES, PLANNING & ANALYSIS Page 10 TRAVEL REDUCTION PROGRAM Page 11 COMMUNITY OUTREACH/CUSTOMER SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS Page 12-13 SUCCESS AND CHALLENGES Page 14-15 The department’s 10th anniversary year was one of success and transition where we realized some very positive outcomes with respect to air quality. As I near completion of my first year as Director, I am honored to continue Maricopa County’s leadership role in Philip A. McNeely improving air quality, and know that meeting our future challenges will require effort from the entire community. To reach our goals, we will continue to pursue an integrated program to achieve and sustain compliance with air quality standards using all available tools: education, outreach, business assistance, facility inspections and common sense enforcement when necessary. This year, and through the concerted efforts of many, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the 5% Plan to control Particulate Matter (PM)10. This is a major achievement requiring those whose activities generate dust to control emissions. As a result, air quality data over the past three years in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area has met the PM10 standards. For PM2.5 the story is also positive. For the first time in 11 years, PM2.5 levels during Christmas eve, Christmas, New Year’s eve and New Year’s day did not exceed standards. Favorable weather did help, but we believe the “No Burn” outreach campaign significantly contributed to this success. This year we saw the program embraced by more sponsoring organizations and greater overall awareness of the impacts of wood burning by the general public. To all who participated in the No Burn outreach campaign, thank you for an extraordinary effort – you made a real difference. Our future challenge is to maintain and grow the level of engagement on No Burn so that we can avoid mandatory controls to meet the standard. Maricopa County Air Quality Department 1001 North Central Avenue, Suite 125 Phoenix, AZ 85004 Maricopa.gov/aq CleanAirMakeMore.com Ozone is our next major challenge. The EPA has announced its intention to lower the existing standard which is already not being met. We will likely move into a higher level of non-compliance with an incremental increase in regulatory obligations. As with PM10 and PM2.5, achieving and sustaining compliance with the ozone standard will require effort from the entire community. In addition to updating our pollution control rules, we are working to raise awareness through our Commit to One Day campaign to help everyone learn how they can improve air quality. I am proud of the staff and achievements of this department and we are continually looking for ways to improve our business. I encourage you to contact me directly with your feedback and suggestions on how we can do better. I look forward to working with you in the coming year. Air Quality Department Fiscal Year 2015 Report 2 About Us Maricopa County Air Quality Department The mission of the Maricopa County Air Quality Department (AQD) is to provide clean air to Maricopa County residents and visitors so they can live, work and play in a healthy environment. The AQD is governed by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and implements air quality standards defined in the federal Clean Air Act. Maricopa County has statutory authority for air quality programs in Arizona Revised Statutes §49-402.B, §49-473 and §49 -582, and receives direct approval for its Title V permit program from the EPA. The AQD is organized into five divisions: Air Monitoring operates the county’s 24-station fixed monitoring network which measures our compliance with standards and collects data in response to air quality emergencies. regulated community on how to comply with our regulations, and issues enforcement actions. Permitting authorizes construction and operation of equipment that emits or controls emissions of air pollutants. Planning and Analysis drafts air pollution control rules and ordinances and implementation plans, conducts emission inventories, and performs scientific analysis in support of department operations. Travel Reduction works with employers and schools to reduce single occupancy vehicle trips, reducing pollution from vehicles. The department also manages the Clean Air Make More outreach initiative to promote cleaner air and healthier lives. Visit CleanAirMakeMore.com to Make the Commitment and learn more. Compliance performs site inspections, trains the Air Quality Department Fiscal Year 2015 Report 3 Significant Accomplishments 1 We renewed a commitment to improve customer service and make it easier for our residents to do business with the department. More information on page 13. 2 For the first time in 11 years, there were no exceedances of the state and federal annual 24-hour health standard for PM-2.5, or soot, on Christmas eve, Christmas day, New Year’s eve or New Year’s day. Full article on page 12. 3 AQD has made significant progress toward revising its New Source Review program, which creates a clear path for businesses to comply with their air pollution control permits. More information on page 15. 4 With the help of the entire community, we continue to make real and measurable progress to improve air quality in Maricopa County. Turn to page 14 to learn more. Department Divisions and Programs Administration    Support Services Records Feedback Forms Air Monitoring  Network Monitoring Sites   Interactive Maps  Emergency Response Complaint Investigation Support Planning    Rules Emissions Inventory Analysis Technology Finance      Invoice and Payments Payroll Grant Coordination/Writing       Accela Website Forms Maximo SharePoint GIS Annual Budget Procurement & Travel Air Quality Department Fiscal Year 2015 Report 4 New Faces At mid-year, Bill Wiley and Ken Proksa left the department to assume leadership of Maricopa County’s Flood Control District. In September, Philip McNeely was named director and assumed control at a time when the department renewed its commitment to organizational excellence and continues to execute strategies and embrace the core values of accountability and superior service delivery. At the same time, a strengthening economy and several retirements have resulted in departures of staff that have moved on to new opportunities. The result is a core team that will lead the department into the next decade. Among the many changes, Mike Fulton (from Arizona’s Department of Environmental Quality) has joined the department as deputy director. Kimberly Butler has moved to lead the Compliance and Enforcement team, Hether Krause is filling the newly established Ombudsman role, Mark Hubbard is assuming the Business Assistance Coordinator position, and Maria Cody is the new Travel Reduction Program Manager. In addition, a number of new inspectors have filled vacancies and after training they will be in the field performing inspections. This new team is dedicated to the continuation and enhancement of policies that have significantly improved the department’s capability and professionalism in recent years. Outreach Travel Reduction  Travel Survey Reduction   Data & Trend Analysis TRP Plan Review, Approval and Implementation  Distribution of Grant Funding  TRP Regional Task Force   TV/Radio Media   Community Events    Ozone Campaign   Ombudsman  Government Liaison Social Media/Mobile App Clean Air Make More Community Initiative No Burn Campaign Education/Outreach Coordinator Business Assistance Program Compliance    Inspections Enforcement Training/Compliance Assistance Air Quality Department Fiscal Year 2015 Report Permitting    Permits Performance Testing Financial Receipts 5 Awards/Process Improvement Additional Awards included Arizona Forward’s Environmental Excellence Awards of Merit for the Clean Air Make More Mobile App and the winter “Don’t Let Our Air Go Up In Smoke” campaign. The Clean Air Make More mobile app provides realtime air quality information, tips for reducing air pollution and the ability to report an air quality violation. The yearly “Don’t Let Our Air Go Up In Smoke” winter campaign focuses on PM2.5 (smoke) pollution awareness and how residents can help reduce pollution levels by not burning wood during the holiday season. Awards The department was recently recognized by the National Association of Counties for the development and implementation of the “Zone Inspection Model” that is being used to systematically and efficiently inspect the thousands of regulated facilities throughout Maricopa County. Through the assignment of inspection teams to “zones” that are strategically designed to even out workloads and reduce travel times, inspector productivity has increased approximately 22%, average miles driven per inspection has been reduced nearly 20% - and most importantly – an average of 177 pounds of pollution per year has been prevented. Process Improvement In January 2011, the AQD initiated a comprehensive assessment of our operations to identify needed improvements. Both staff and stakeholders participated in these Process Improvement efforts which focus on streamlining internal processes, enhancing customer service and further improving air quality. We intend to continue along our path of improvement and will be working with stakeholders to examine and improve even more internal processes in the coming year and beyond. To date, more than 450 individual improvement opportunities have been identified and nearly 80% of those have been implemented: Air Quality Department Process Improvement Status 250 200 24 Improvments Under Development Improvments Implemented 150 100 186 7 50 3 37 0 71 5 15 6 16 37 5 12 Title V Program Travel Reduction Division 21 Performance Test Asbestos Program Compliance Division Permitting Division Planning/Analysis Program Division Air Quality Department Fiscal Year 2015 Report 6 Air Monitoring West Valley Mulch Fire Air monitors provide accurate and timely data of the ambient air quality within Maricopa County. Monitoring data are used to determine compliance with health standards, to support predictions of air quality impacts from new pollution sources, and to forecast future air quality conditions. In addition to maintaining the County’s air monitoring network, we provided extensive monitoring in and around Super Bowl 2015 facilities in downtown Phoenix and Glendale helping to assure public health and safety. We provided public health professionals and policy makers with air quality data during a large mulch fire in the west valley that heavily impacted Luke Air Force Base and surrounding areas for several days. This year, we partnered with Tribal air monitoring programs within Maricopa County for air monitoring instrument repair, training, and quality assurance expertise. Our mobile monitoring resources continue to support inspections and complaint investigations. We are also working to install a second Near Road monitor. These EPA required facilities are designed to monitor air quality within the near-road environment in larger urban areas where peak pollution concentrations are expected to occur. This data will be compared to health standards and will be used to assess exposures for those who live, work, play, go to school, or commute within the near-roadway environment. Air Quality Budget History FY2008-15 Finance $25,000,000 The department is primarily funded by permit fees and federal grants, and receives secondary sources of funding through the county General Fund and penalties. Through thoughtful and prudent planning, an improving economy, and implem ent ation of pr ocess improvements, FY2015 revenues exceeded expenses and we ended with a net positive cash flow of approximately $1.8 million. Our largest single source of funding is permit fees, and revenues from dust permits are the primary contributor. As the construction industry continues to rebound from the recession, we are seeing increasing revenues from dust permit fees and realized an increase from $2.3 million in FY10 to $4.9 million in FY2015. $20,000,000 $15,000,000 $10,000,000 $5,000,000 $FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 Sources of Funds FY 2012 FY 2013 FY2014 FY2015 Uses of Funds FY 2015 AIR QUALITY SOURCES OF FUNDS $16,950,517 7% 3% 3% PERMIT FEES $11,099,669 GRANTS $3,525,710 FINES $555,195 TRAINING AND OTHER $565,866 GENERAL FUND $1,204,077 21% 66% Air Quality Department Fiscal Year 2015 Report 7 Permitting Construction and operating permits are issued to air pollution sources to establish legally enforceable conditions on the types and amounts of air pollution allowed, operating requirements for pollution control devices or pollution prevention activities, and monitoring and record keeping requirements. Through permits, the department ensures that air quality is not significantly degraded from the addition of new and modified sources of pollution. In areas where air quality is not currently meeting standards, permits are written to incorporate the most current control requirements to minimize impacts on air quality. Thousands of permits and authorizations to operate are issued each year. Permit of Interest We received the first Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit application since 2007. PSD permits are required for new and modified major sources of air pollution including power plants. The application is for a power plant modernization to convert from a boiler/steam turbine combination to simple cycle gas turbines designed to meet peak electricity demand. With the prospect of diminished coal-fired power generation looming, there has been a spike in interest to permit and build additional natural gas powered generation capacity within Maricopa County. Technical Support As all air quality management efforts begin and end with highly accurate and reliable monitoring data, this year department technical support staff have prioritized updating and improving data and asset management tools used by the Monitoring Division. The goal is to eliminate reliance on aged databases and to enhance our ability to track the location and maintenance status of equipment, to inventory replacement parts, and to develop more accurate budgets. Progress is also being made toward configurations of a new software platform which will eventually replace separate databases, numerous ancillary spreadsheets and data collection tools. Once completed, the department will have a single information source for all business related information. Staff are also developing content for a new website, are making plans for a new SharePoint site, are revising and updating forms to fillable PDF for a better customer experience, and are supporting GIS applications to provide mapping access to internal and external customers. Air Quality Department Fiscal Year 2015 Report 8 Compliance The department is responsible for ensuring that facilities are in compliance with applicable regulations and permit conditions. Annually we conduct more than 10,000 inspections of various types of facilities, including construction sites and vacant lots for dust control, manufacturing facilities, fuel storage and distribution facilities, power plants, dry cleaners, vehicle refinishers and a host of other sources of air pollution. Through feedback provided during inspections, department staff are able to assist facility operators with compliance, and through offering high quality training on regulations we are also working to help the regulated community better understand the rules that apply to their business. Compliance with rules means better air quality. Total Individuals Trained in Basic & Comprehensive for Rules 310 & 316 6,000 5,160 5,000 4,000 3,713 3,678 3,000 2,000 1,000 CY12 CY13 Total Onsite Inspections Conducted by Fiscal Year 12,500 12,250 12,000 Significant events and accomplishments:   Online Training- Our rules for dust generating operations and non-metallic mineral processing require training of facility personnel. For the convenience of our regulated facilities and to increase overall participation and compliance with rules, we have implemented online training for dust generating facility personnel to supplement our in-person classroom training. During calendar year 2014 we hosted a larger than typical number of participants in our dust generating facility training classes and to accommodate demand offered several larger classes. We are committed to providing the highest quality training of facility personnel as we work collaboratively with the regulated community to improve air quality. During FY2015 we completed nearly 12,000 inspections of everything from construction sites to manufacturing facilities to power plants to investigating hundreds of citizen complaints. We continue to benefit from efficiencies realized through implementation of our Zone Inspection Model (see Awards, page 6) and are able to complete inspections as scheduled which provide timely and high quality feedback to the regulated community regarding their compliance with permits and rules. CY14 11,998 11,500 11,000 10,532 10,500 10,000 9,500 FY13 FY14 FY15 Average Number of Inspections/ Person - All Site Visits 300 261 273 250 200 200 150 100 50 0 FY13  FY14 FY15 In order to increase overall inspection quality and the consistency of inspections between inspectors, we have instituted regular and recurring Inspector Consistency Workshops for our inspection staff and managers. During the workshops, participants review various pollution control rules, and all receive refresher training on department policies and procedures. Air Quality Department Fiscal Year 2015 Report 9 Rules, Planning & Analysis Through the tracking of natural and man-made emissions that cause or contribute to air pollution, the analyses of those emissions, and the drafting of rules to reduce particular emissions, the department contributes to the development of air quality plans that provide a path to cleaner air in Maricopa County. Rules - Over the next year to eighteen months, we will work closely with the regulated community to develop rules to better control sources of pollutants that cause ozone. We will be reviewing control technologies for volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides (ozone precursors) in anticipation of more stringent pollution control requirements should Maricopa County be reclassified from “marginal” to “moderate” nonattainment for ozone. Further, the department expects that EPA will finalize a new and more stringent ozone standard during 2015. With all rulemakings, our intent is to work closely with the regulated community to revise our rules for clarity and enforceability. The department is currently engaged in various rulemakings which can be found by visiting the County’s Enhanced Regulatory Outreach Program (EROP) web page at www.maricopa.gov/ regulations Emission Inventories – Knowledge of actual and potential emission levels is key to developing emission control strategies, understanding the effects of pollution sources on air quality and developing appropriate mitigation strategies to improve air quality. In 2014, we began preparation for the annual stationary source surveys of industrial activities and invited the regulated community to workshops to help them properly complete their surveys. The 2014 Periodic Emissions Inventory (for years 2012, 2013 and 2014) will also be developed. For more information: http://www.maricopa.gov/aq/divisions/planning_analysis/emissions_inventory/ Default.aspx. Analysis – Careful analysis of monitoring and emission inventory data and communication of those results to the public and the regulated community is vital to developing effective plans to improve air quality. This year, staff has developed numerous presentations on the science of ozone, focusing on ozone formation (sunlight + volatile organic compounds + oxides of nitrogen = ozone) and how ozone moves across the metropolitan Phoenix area. Biogenics (plants) contribution to ozone, how the urban heat island affects ozone formation, and the health impacts of elevated ozone are also analyzed by staff. Air Quality Department Fiscal Year 2015 Report 10 Travel Reduction Program While department rules and permits focus on controlling pollution from businesses, the Travel Reduction Program works with individual employers and schools to improve air quality by reducing the number of single occupant vehicle (SOV) trips taken by their employees. Each person who drives a vehicle in Maricopa County has a role to play in improving air quality. Total Participants 800,000 700,000 600,000      111,224 577,432 582,172 172,889 187,581 500,000 400,000 300,000 596,153 623,999 200,000 100,000 State law requires that employers submit 0 plans to reduce the number of SOV trips and/or miles traveled to work/school sites by ten percent for a total of five years, and then five percent for three additional years, or until a 60 percent rate of SOV travel is reached. TRP assists with these plans by:  106,081 Providing and distributing questionnaires for an annual commute survey Generating a statistical summary survey analysis for each site Reviewing travel reduction plans and recommending approval or rejection of plans Monitoring implementation of approved plans and conducting site audits Reporting on the costs of implementing plans Generating an annual report on commuterelated emissions and travel reduction progress TRP staff work closely with the TRP Regional Task Force, which reviews employer and school survey results and approves or rejects related travel Tons of Pollution Prevented by Type of Pollutant Employees Students 2012 2013 2014 2015 reduction plans. The Task Force also reviews overall TRP compliance and advises the department on process improvement opportunities. The TRP provides funding to and collaborates with the Regional Public Transportation Authority (RPTA)/Valley Metro Commute Solutions to provide training, technical assistance, and outreach materials (brochures, flyers, posters etc.) to participating organizations, and for the promotion of alternative transportation modes and strategies. In FY 2015, the TRP:  Served 1,157 employers at 3,013 work and school sites  Administered the annual survey to 811,580 employees and driving–aged students  Increased use of the e-survey by 10.7%, saving considerable resources  Reduced weekly commuting by 3,479,175 miles  Prevented 8,765 tons of pollution (70.5 miles/pound) 15,000 Though the total number of participants in the TRP is increasing over time, the tons of pollution prevented is decreasing. This is good news - and is a reflection of an ever more modern vehicle fleet that generates less pollution per mile driven each year. 10,000 5,000 0 2012 2013 CO 2014 VOC NOx 2015 PM Air Quality Department Fiscal Year 2015 Report 11 Community Outreach No Burn Campaign a Success Reaching our air quality improvement goals will require the effort of every Maricopa urn D ays County citizen. Each of us contributes in some way toward the creation and prevention of pollution in the air we breathe. The goal of our outreach programs is to build upon the relationships we have with businesses, non-profit organizations, schools and individual citizens to collaboratively work toward our clean air goals. # of No B 10 Only through such collaboration were we able to reach a significant milestone: for the first time in 11 years, PM2.5 levels during Christmas eve, Christmas, New Year’s eve and New Year’s day did not exceed standards. Our No Burn Campaign reached the community in a number of ways through billboards, public service announcements, residential door hangers, and social media postings. No Burn Day informational door hangers (English/ Spanish) were canvased to homes in high PM2.5 concentration areas. The goal was to educate residents about the negative health impacts of using wood burning fireplaces and chimineas during times when high levels of soot can harm sensitive populations. By meeting the PM2.5 standard, not only is our air cleaner, but our community avoids additional mandatory controls on PM2.5 emissions, higher fines for our residents and commercial facilities, and the potential of lose of federal highway funds. We will similarly collaborate with the community to meet the challenge of lower ozone standards (see also page 15). Our Ozone Campaign will inform the community of days when harmful ozone levels are expected to be high and educates the public on actions they can take to help reduce ozone. The “Commit to One Day” initiative encourages citizens to take at least one action per week (carpool, ride the bus, telework, fuel vehicles after dark, or not use gasoline powered lawn equipment, etc.) to help reduce the creation of ozone. Air Quality Department Fiscal Year 2015 Report 12 Community Outreach While each and every Air Quality Department employee assists with community outreach in their daily interactions with customers, we coordinate and focus the efforts of several special program areas while working with hundreds of community partners to reach our clean air goals: A Business Assistance Coordinator assists business owners with questions or issues related to air quality rules and regulations. A Government Liaison assists representatives from federal, state and local jurisdictions to comply with rules and to develop long term strategies to improve air quality. A School Outreach Coordinator is working on curriculum for students regarding air quality and implementation of a flag program to notify teachers and students about times when air quality could be a concern for their health. Finally, an Ombudsman serves as a central, independent point of contact for citizens to express their concerns and advocates on their behalf to achieve positive outcomes. Customer Service Improvements Online Training For the convenience of our regulated facilities and to increase overall participation and compliance with rules, we have implemented online training for dust generating facility personnel and have introduced a variety of online training courses for TRP Transportation Coordinators. Service Counter Maricopa County and the City of Phoenix have made permitting more convenient by opening another colocated service counter at Phoenix City Hall which will now service permits from both the Maricopa County Air Quality and Environmental Services departments. Our department will offer a full array of services, including, but not limited to, dust permits, NESHAP notifications and general permits. Recorder’s Digital Recording Kiosks Through collaboration with the Maricopa County Recorder’s office, the Maricopa County Library District, and Maricopa County Environmental Services, the department extended the functionality of existing Recorder’s Digital Recording Kiosks to allow Maricopa County residents to file air quality documents at County library locations. Customers are now able to file air permit cancellation requests, contact updates and simple dust control permit actions at locations convenient to their place of business – saving both time and money and avoiding pollution through unnecessary trips to downtown Phoenix. A full list of the services and kiosk locations is available at http://recorder.maricopa.gov/recorder/kiosk.aspx. Phoenix City Hall kiosk opening We continue to explore and implement customer service improvements by making it possible to do business with the department online and/or through locations more convenient to the customer. By making commutes to our downtown location unnecessary, we improve air quality and save our customers time and money. Air Quality Department Fiscal Year 2015 Report 13 Success and Challenges Regional Air Quality Trends- Air Quality in Maricopa County is Improving! Pollution levels are measured multiple times per day at the 24 monitoring sites the department operates. Data show that over time, joint efforts by the regulated community and the department are paying off through real and measurable improvements in air quality. The air is getting significantly cleaner in most every way. An indicator of this improvement is the decreasing number of days with unhealthful air over the past 10 years. The concentration trend for virtually all pollutants is downward. Looking at the trends for the individual pollutants provides additional insight, because even though the trends are good, some significant challenges remain. Carbon Monoxide- At one time, carbon monoxide was the County’s worst pollution problem – in the 1970’s, there were years when the federal health standard was exceeded over 200 days in a given year. The last day unhealthful carbon monoxide levels were measured was in January 1996, and even lower levels of this pollutant are measured almost every year. In 2005, levels were just over half of the federal standard and now they are consistently less than one third of the standard. Ozone- While air quality is improving by most measures, ozone still presents a significant challenge. Ozone levels can be vastly different from year to year, depending largely on seasonal weather patterns. 2009 and 2010 were particularly good years, while 2011 and 2012 were not. Regardless, the overall trend for the number of unhealthful air days due to ozone is significantly downward. But, compliance with the ozone standard requires that every monitor within the area measures clean air, over a 3-year average. By that measure, more progress needs to be made before we can declare victory over ozone. PM10- Trends in PM10 also demonstrate significant progress. One of the important considerations for PM10 is the nature of dust in desert climates. No matter what is done to manage human caused sources of PM10 pollution, high winds are capable of overwhelming even the best dust control strategies. EPA recognizes “exceptional events” can cause pollution to be beyond human control (e.g., volcanic eruptions, wildfires, and high winds), and will not count those exceedances of health standards if adequate demonstrations to that effect are made. Similar to ozone, year-to-year seasonal weather variability is a significant influence on PM10 levels. The trend, overall, is toward cleaner air. Vigilant and rapid response to these situations by department inspectors and our community partners has made a big difference in achieving compliance and preventing repeat offenses. PM2.5 (Fine Particulates)- PM2.5 consists of mostly smoke and soot. Unhealthful PM2.5 concentrations occur almost exclusively as a result of recreational wood burning, particularly during the Christmas and New Year’s time period. Overall, however, the County is in compliance with federal health standards, and the trend shows slight improvements over the past 10 years. Air Quality Department Fiscal Year 2015 Report 14 Successes and Challenges Meeting Ozone Standards In 2014, the EPA proposed to strengthen the standard for ground-level ozone, based on extensive scientific evidence about ozone's effects on human health and the environment. Though we are seeing improved ozone air quality over time with fewer exceedance days due to ozone, Maricopa County is not currently meeting the 2008 standard. A further reduction in the allowable level of ozone will be a significant challenge. Ozone is formed by a chemical reaction between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of nitrogen in the presence of sunlight. Sources of VOCs and oxides of nitrogen include automobiles, industry, consumer products, and gasoline dispensing facilities. Not meeting the standard could mean increased risks to human health and the environment, but could also limit our economic growth potential as new or expanding industry will face additional restrictions and requirements. Meeting this challenge will not be the responsibility of any single person or industry. Every citizen of Maricopa County has a role in helping us reach our air quality goals. We are concentrating our department outreach efforts to help individuals and industry understand their role in ozone formation, the importance of meeting the standard, and their role in helping us meet this challenge. Learn more about ozone and what you can do to help by visiting: http://www.maricopa.gov/aq/divisions/ monitoring/ozone_facts.aspx or CleanAirMakeMore.com New Source Review New Source Review (NSR) is a Clean Air Act permitting program that requires businesses to get an air pollution control permit before they start construction or make major modifications to their business. This assures that, if a business will emit air pollution, such emissions are taken into consideration and controlled before the business is constructed and operated. Although NSR is intended to make permitting clearer, fairer, and more certain, it comes with complexities. NSR must ensure that air quality is not significantly degraded from the addition of new or modified pollution sources, while also providing flexibility to businesses to improve or modernize their operations. Permits must include an air quality analysis to demonstrate that new emissions will not cause or contribute to a violation of a National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Permits can also include emission offsets. Emission offsets are emission reductions generally obtained from existing businesses located in the vicinity of the proposed business that are used to offset the emissions increase from the new business and provide a net air quality benefit. Under the NSR program, businesses must install Best Available Control Technology (BACT) or comply with the Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER). Revising the NSR program is not only important for protecting air quality but also for providing businesses opportunities to install state-of-the-art air pollution controls. Information on our NSR rules can be found at: http://www.maricopa.gov/regulations/aq/ process.aspx. Air Quality Department Fiscal Year 2015 Report 15 Fiscal Year 2015 Report Prepared by: Maricopa County Air Quality Department 1001 North Central Avenue, Suite 125 Phoenix, Arizona 85004 Conveniently located off the Central Avenue and Roosevelt METRO Light Rail station. (602) 506-6010 - Main line (8am-5pm weekdays) (602) 372-2703 - Report an air quality problem www.maricopa.gov/aq www.CleanAirMakeMore.com 16