Braintree District Council April 2010 2010 Air Quality Progress Report for Braintree District Council In fulfillment of Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 Local Air Quality Management Date: April 2010 Progress Report i Date : April 2010 Braintree District Council - England Local Pam Sharp Authority Officer Department Environmental Health Dept Address Braintree District Council Causeway House Bocking End Braintree CM7 9HB Telephone 01376 551414 e-mail [email protected] Report BRA/PR2010 Reference Final Copy 01/Mar 29 number Date March 29th 2010 Report written by: Paul Hinsley Environment, Strategy and Highways Essex County Council County Hall Chelmsford Essex CM1 1QH On behalf of the : Essex Air Quality Consortium Monitoring Network. ii Progress Report Braintree District Council April 2010 Executive Summary This 2010 Progress Report of 2009 monitoring data showes that two exceedence of the NO2 annual mean objective level have been measured in 2009 at the Hatfield Peverel NO2 diffusion tube site situated next to the A12 and Chipping Hill in Witham. The data for Chipping Hill has been annualised to allow for the low data capture at this site There are no diffusion tube sites with annual mean NO2 concentrations in excess of 60 g/m3 in Braintree and it was considered unlikely that there will be any exceedences of the hourly NO2 objective. Pam I will leave it up to you to add words detailing what you want to do. Progress Report iii Date : April 2010 Braintree District Council - England Table of contents 1 Introduction 6 1.1 Description of Local Authority Area 6 1.2 Purpose of Progress Report 6 1.3 Air Quality Objectives 6 1.4 Summary of Previous Review and Assessments 8 2 New Monitoring Data 9 2.1 Summary of Monitoring Undertaken 9 2.2 Comparison of Monitoring Results with Air Quality Objectives 13 3 New Local Developments 17 4 Local / Regional Air Quality Strategy 18 5 Planning Applications 19 6 Local Transport Plans and Strategies 20 7 Conclusions and Proposed Actions 21 7.1 Conclusions from New Monitoring Data 21 7.2 Proposed Actions 21 8 References 22 iv Progress Report Braintree District Council April 2010 Appendices Appendix 1 QA:QC data Appendix 2 Braintree District Council Processes 2009 Appendix 3 Braintree District Council Monitoring Data 2009 List of Tables Table 1.1 Air Quality Objectives included in Regulations for the purpose of Local Air Quality Management in England. Table 2.1 Details of Non- Automatic Monitoring Sites Table 2.2 Results of Nitrogen Dioxide Diffusion Tubes List of Figures Figure 2.1 Map of Diffusion Tubes Figure 2.2 Trends in Annual Mean Nitrogen Dioxide Concentration Measured at Diffusion Tube Monitoring Sites. Progress Report v Date : April 2010 Braintree District Council - England 1 Introduction 1.1 Description of Local Authority Area Braintree is a largely rural district and has the second largest geographical area in Essex, covering 612 square kilometres. Just over half of the population lives in one of the three main towns of Braintree, Halstead and Witham. The main administrative centre is the market town of Braintree. The main sources of air pollution in Braintree are busy roads, such as the A12 and A120. There are 76 industrial processes that are permitted by the Council. 1.2 Purpose of Progress Report Progress Reports are required in the intervening years between the three-yearly Updating and Screening Assessment reports. Their purpose is to maintain continuity in the Local Air Quality Management process. They are not intended to be as detailed as Updating and Screening Assessment Reports, or to require as much effort. However, if the Progress Report identifies the risk of exceedence of an Air Quality Objective, the Local Authority (LA) should undertake a Detailed Assessment immediately, and not wait until the next round of Review and Assessment. 1.3 Air Quality Objectives The air quality objectives applicable to Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) in England are set out in the Air Quality (England) Regulations 2000 (SI 928), and the Air Quality (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (SI 3043). They are shown in Table 1.1. This table shows the objectives in units of microgrammes per cubic metre g/m3 (for carbon monoxide the units used are milligrammes per cubic metre, mg/m3). Table 1.1. includes the number of permitted exceedences in any given year (where applicable). 6 Progress Report Braintree District Council April 2010 Table 1.1 Air Quality Objectives included in Regulations for the purpose of Local Air Quality Management in England. Pollutant Date to be Concentration Measured as achieved by Benzene 16.25 µg/m3 Running annual 31.12.2003 mean 5.00 µg/m3 Running annual 31.12.2010 mean 1,3-Butadiene 2.25 µg/m3 Running annual 31.12.2003 mean Carbon monoxide 10.0 mg/m3 Running 8-hour 31.12.2003 mean Lead 0.5 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2004 0.25 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2008 Nitrogen dioxide 200 µg/m3 not to be 1-hour mean 31.12.2005 exceeded more than 18 times a year 40 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2005 3 Particles (PM10) 50 µg/m , not to be 24-hour mean 31.12.2004 (gravimetric) exceeded more than 35 times a year 40 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2004 Sulphur dioxide 350 µg/m3, not to be 1-hour mean 31.12.2004 exceeded more than 24 times a year 125 µg/m3, not to be 24-hour mean 31.12.2004 exceeded more than 3 times a year 266 µg/m3, not to be 15-minute mean 31.12.2005 exceeded more than 35 times a year Progress Report 7 Date : April 2010 Braintree District Council - England 1.4 Summary of Previous Review and Assessments Braintree District Council undertook its First Round of review and assessment, including Stage 1, 2 and 3 reports, between 1999 – 2001. The main air quality issues were found to be emissions of NO2 and PM10 from vehicles on the A12 and A120. It was predicted that all of the air quality objectives would be achieved and that it was therefore not necessary to declare any AQMA for any pollutant. The second round of Review and Assessment was undertaken between 2003 and 2005. The 2003 USA considered the seven LAQM pollutants and found that the AQS objectives would be met by the target dates. It was however recommended that the Council expand its diffusion tube monitoring programme to include the nearest receptors to the A12, to confirm the USA findings for NO2. The 2005 Progress Report (Braintree, 2005) showed that the Council was still meeting the AQS objectives. NO2 and PM10 monitored concentration levels were found to be high as expected at a site immediately adjacent to the A12 in Hatfield Peverel but there is no relevant exposure at this site. The third round USA was completed in 2006 and revisited the results of previous assessments to determine whether there were any areas of concern for air quality within Braintree District Council. The USA concluded that there was still no risk of exceedence of the objectives therefore a Detailed Assessment was not required at this stage. The 2007 and 2008 Progress Reports confirmed the findings of the USA. The fourth round Updating and Screening Assessment review of 2008 monitoring data showed that one exceedence of the NO2 annual mean objective level had been measured in 2008 at the Hatfield Peverel NO2 diffusion tube site situated next to the A12. There was no relevant exposure within 30m of the site, but there were sensitive receptors close to the A12. There are no diffusion tube sites with annual mean NO2 concentrations in excess of 60 g/m3 in Braintree and it was considered unlikely that there will be any exceedences of the hourly NO2 objective. Report type and date Issue Outcome Progress Report 04 Vehicles/ NO2 & PM 10 All objectives achieved Progress Report 05 Vehicles /NO2 & PM 10 All objectives achieved USA 06 Vehicles /NO2 & PM 10 All objectives achieved Progress Report 07 Vehicles /NO2 & PM 10 All objectives achieved Progress Prport 08 Vehicles /NO2 & PM 10 All objectives achieved USA 09 Vehicles /NO2 & PM 10 1x NO2 annual mean exceedance /require additional monitoring 8 Progress Report Braintree District Council April 2010 2 New Monitoring Data 2.1 Summary of Monitoring Undertaken 2.1.1 Automatic Monitoring Sites Braintree District currently has no Automatic Monitoring Sites. 2.1.2 Non-Automatic Monitoring Details of Non- Automatic Monitoring Sites The diffusion tubes are supplied and analysed by Bristol City Council Scientific Services Preparation method : 20% TEA in water United Kingdom Accreditation Services (Testing Laboratory number 0108). WASP – Annual Performance Criteria for NO2 Diffusion Tubes used in Local Air Quality Management (LAQM), 2008 onwards, and Summary of Laboratory Performance in Rounds 103 -107. Prepared by AEA on behalf of Defra and the Devolved Administrations. Table 1 Laboratories that have demonstrated satisfactory performance in the WASP scheme for analysis of NO2 diffusion tubes, October 2008 – October 2009. Laboratory Performance on basis of RPI, OLD Performance on basis of RPI, CRITERIA, best 4 out of the 5 rounds NEW CRITERIA ,best 4 out of 103 – 107 the 5 rounds 103 – 107 Bristol City Council Good Good The diffusion tubes and their placement are not part of any co-location study With regard to the application of a bias adjustment factor for the diffusion tubes, the technical guidance LAQM.TG (09) and Review and Assessment Helpdesk recommends use of a local bias adjustment factor where available and relevant to diffusion tube sites. Braintree District Council does not operate any continuous NO2 monitoring sites in their district and therefore a local bias adjustment factor cannot be calculated.