Minutes of the TAG Meeting

Minutes of the TAG Meeting Landfill Gas Odor Modeling Project

Meeting Date and Time: June 19, 2007, 9:00 a.m.

Attendees: TAG Members: Ron Beladi, Jim Bradner, Bob McCann, Dan Morrical, Debra Reinhart Researchers: David Cooper, Veronica Figueroa Hinkley Center Representatives: Tim Vinson, Rhonda Rogers

Today’s Date: June 21, 2007

Notes:

The conference-call meeting opened with Dave Cooper welcoming everyone to the call and thanking the TAG members for their time and participation. The objectives of the project were reviewed briefly. Veronica then reviewed her work progress to date, talking from points outlined in the status report (Attachment 1). In the discussion that arose, it was mentioned that GIS could be used in place of Surfer, and that GIS could read in aerial photos or CAD files as background for the graphics. Also, the software from the Lakes company was mentioned for AERMOD. However, because CALPUFF is so reliant on Surfer, we will continue to use Surfer at this time to display AERMOD results, and this will make for easier comparisons later on.

The status of the literature review was discussed (see Attachment 2), and TAG members were asked to review the list and provide titles of other articles that they think would be helpful.

Plans for future work were discussed. The TAG discussed the landfill gas emissions flux data and corresponding air concentration data available from Dr. Reinhart’s recent and on-going projects. Because of existing agreements and existing data, we decided that the Seminole County landfill was the best one to start with for our project. We briefly discussed some key differences between the ways that AERMOD and CALPUFF model dispersion of air pollutants.

Dan Morrical expressed his support and interest in the project, and asked that we discuss a general projected schedule for the next year or so. The discussion included finalizing an AERMOD model by the end of this year and creating a CALPUFF model early next year. Dave Cooper mentioned that the project received second-year funding from the Hinkley Center, to run from January to December of 2008. Bob McCann kindly invited Veronica back to Gainesville later this summer to do some more training at Golder, and specifically to learn more about CALPUFF. We intend to hire a PhD student to start in August who will focus on CALPUFF, but it is important that Veronica also understand

1 that model as well. Also, Rhonda Rogers invited Veronica to come by the Hinkley Center during her trip.

We discussed the availability of meteorological data, including sub-hourly data, and Jim Bradner said he would contact Tom Rogers to involve him to some extent with our project.

We discussed possible outcomes of the project. It will be complicated, but our main thrust is to develop a simplified way to represent odor (or methane or smoke) concentrations around landfills as functions of distance, time, and meteorology. The purpose is to help landfill owners/operators predict appropriate buffer distances. For example, we may end up producing probability-distance curves such that we can display an A% chance of exceeding some particular odor level at X distance, or a B% chance of exceeding it at Y distance. Two TAG members mentioned that early mornings with calm winds were typically the worst times (after a night inversion), so we may want to include time-of-day as another functional parameter in our final product.

We briefly discussed our next meeting, and agreed that it should be a face-to-face meeting at UCF in perhaps the 2nd week of December (after students are gone). Dave Cooper will follow up on this.

Dave Cooper again thanked everyone for their help and participation, and the meeting adjourned at 9:50 a.m.

2 Attachment 1: Status Report Meeting of the Technical Awareness Group – Summer 2007 Landfill Odor Modeling Project

 Veronica Figueroa was hired as the graduate assistant in January 2007; she immediately helped create a website to showcase the research project. The purpose, goals, and achievements of the project are posted on the site: http://cee.ucf.edu/odormodeling/

 A literature review was conducted on landfill odors and emissions, atmospheric modeling, and air modeling methodologies. See Attachment 2: Working Bibliography

 Veronica first became familiarized with EPA’s older air dispersion model, ISCST. ISCST has been EPA’s regulatory dispersion model for more than twenty years, and has recently been succeeded by AERMOD.

 Veronica then reviewed the basics of the air dispersion model, AERMOD. After some knowledge of the model was gained, she visited Golder Associates Inc. (a leading environmental consulting firm that specializes in air modeling) in Gainesville for informal training and to gain experience running the model. Mr. Bob McCann, a member of the project TAG, kindly offered to help Veronica learn the model.

 AERMOD input data needed to successfully complete an AERMOD run were identified. Inputs include: input runstream file, Orlando meteorological files, DEM (Digital Elevation Model) files specific to the chosen landfill, defining gridded emission source types/locations/amounts, defining networks of receptors, and defining desired outputs.

 With respect to choosing the appropriate landfill to model, both Dan Morrical of Orange County, and David Gregory of Seminole County were contacted, and both are interested. There are pros and cons to each site. Some, but not all of the considerations that will go into choosing the appropriate landfill include existing or recent odor problems, availability of data, terrain, land use, meteorological data, ease of accessibility to the site, and others. Currently, the Seminole County landfill looks like our best choice.

 Currently we are in the beginning stages of developing the AERMOD model for a Florida landfill (base-model). We are also documenting the methodology of obtaining the needed data and input files.

 The computer software program, Surfer, is being learned. Surfer is a mapping and graphical display program which will be used to display all of the modeling results.

3 Attachment 2: Working Bibliography Meeting of the Technical Awareness Group – Summer 2007 Landfill Odor Modeling Project

Literature on Air Dispersion Models 1. Thé, Jesse, Hilverda, and Mark, 2003. “Proposed Guideline for Air Dispersion Modeling Ontario Ministry of Environment.” Lakes Environmental Consultants Inc. RFP #SSB-034875.

2. “User’s Guide fro the Industrial Source Complex (ISC3) Dispersion Model,” EPA-454/B-95-003a, OAQPS, USEPA, Research Triangle Park, NC, 1995.

3. Holmes, N.S., and Morawska, L., 2006. “A review of dispersion modeling and its application to the dispersion of particles” An overview of different dispersion models available.” Atmospheric Environment, 40: 5902-5928.

4. Sax, T., and Isakov, V., 2003. “A case study for assessing uncertainty in local- scale regulatory air quality modeling applications.” Atmospheric Environment, 37: 3481-3489.

Literature on AERMOD 1. Lakes Environmental Software Demo CD. 2006. www.weblakes.com.

2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2004. “User’s Guide for the AMS/EPA regulatory Model – AERMOD.” EPA-454/B-03-001.

3. Kumar, A., Dixit, S., Varadarajan, C., Vijayan, A., Masuraha, A, 2006.

4. “Evaluation of the AERMOD dispersion model as a function of atmospheric stability for an urban area.” Environmental Progress, 25:141-151.

5. Touma, J., Isakov, V., Cimorelli, A., Brode, R., and Anderson, B., 2007. “Using Prognostic Model-Generated Meteorological Output in the AERMOD Dispersion Model: An Illustrative application in Philadelphia, PA.” J. Air & Waste Management Assoc., 57: 586-595.

6. Brizio, E., Genon, G., and Poggio, M., 2004. “Results of atmospheric dispersion model for the location of a MSW incineratior.” Development & Application of Computer Techniques to Environmental Studies X, 148-156.

7. Westbrook, J.A., and Sullivan, P.S. “Fugitive Dust Modeling with AERMOD for PM10 emissions from a municipal waste landfill.”

8. Orloff, K.G, Kaplan, B., and Kowalski, P., 2005. “Hydrogen cyanide in ambient air near a gold heap leach field: Measured vs. modeled concentrations.’ Atmospheric Environment, 40: 3022-3029.

4 Literature on CALPUFF 1. Scire, Joseph S., Strimaitis, David G., and Yamartino, Robert J. 2000. “ A User’s Guide for CALPUFF Dispersion Model.” Earth Tech, Inc.

2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “A Comparison of CALPUFF with ISC3,” EPA-454/R-98-020, OAQPS, USEPA, Research Triangle Park, NC, 1998.

3. Pfender, W., Graw, R., Bradley, W., Carney, L., and Maxwell, L. “Use of a complex air pollution model to estimate dispersal and deposition of grass stem rust urediniospores at landscape scale.” Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 139:138-153, 2006.

4. Marks, S.R. and Mohammad, S.K.; “Use of CALPUFF in Short-Range Impact Assessment,” Florida AWMA Conference, 2005.

Literature on Odor 1. Henshaw, P., Nicell, J., and Sikdar, A., 2006. “Parameters for the assessment of odor impacts on communities.” Atmospheric Environment, 40:1016-1029.

2. Lisboa, H., Guillot, J.M, Fanlo, J.F., and Cloirec, P., 2006. “Dispersion of odorous gases in the atmosphere- Part I: Modeling approaches to the phenomenon.” Science of the Total Environment, 361: 220-228.

3. Schiffman, S., and Williams, C.M., 2005. “Science of Odor as a potential health issue.” J. Environmental Quality, 34: 129-138.

4. Smeets, M., and Dalton, P., 2005. “Evaluating the human response to chemicals: odor, irritation and non-sensory factors.” Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, 19: 581-588.

5. Schlegelmilch, M., Streese, J., and Stegmann, R., 2005. “Odor management and treatment technologies: An overview.” Waste Management, 25:928-939.

Literature on Landfill Odor 1. McGinley, C.L. and McGinley, M.A.; “Odor Quantification Methods & Practices at MSW Landfills,” Proceedings of the Air & Waste Management Association 91st Annual Meeting and Exhibition, San Diego, CA, 14-18 June 1998.

2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste Landfills-Background Information and Proposed Standards and Guidelines, Draft EIS, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, NC, 1990.

3. Hurst, C., Longhurst, P., Pollard, S., Smith, R., Jefferson, B., and Gronow, J.; “Assessment of municipal waste compost as a daily cover material for odor control at landfill sites”, Environmental Pollution, 135:171-177, 2005.

5 4. Tagaris, E., Sotiropoulou, R.E., Pilinis, C., Halvadakis, C., 2003. “A methodology to estimate odors around landfill sites: The use of methane as an odor index and its utility in landfill siting.” J. Air & Waste Management Assoc, 53:629-634.

5. Tchobanoglous, G., Theisen,H., and Vigil, A.S. Integrated Solid Waste Management; McGraw-Hill: New York, 1993.

6. El-Fadel, M.; Findikakis, A.N.; Leckie, J.O. Environmental Impacts of Solid Waste Lanfilling; J. Environ. Manage. 1997, 50, 1-25.

7. Parker, T., Dottridge, J., Kelly, S., 2002. “Investigation of the composition and emissions of trace compounds in landfill gas.” Environment Agency R&D Technical Report P1-438/TR.

8. Barboza, M.J., “Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Gas Emissions”, Air Pollution Engineering Manual, Air & Waste Management Association, Van Nostrand Reinhold, pp863-874, 1992.

9. Kim, K.H., Choi, YJ., Jeon, EC., and Sunwoo, Y., 2004. “Characterization of malodorous sulfur compounds in landfill gas.” Atmospheric Environment, 39: 1103-1112.

10. Sironi, S., Capelli, L., Centola, P., Del Rosso, R., and Grande, M., 2005. “Odor emission factors for assessment and prediction of Italian MSW landfills odor impact.” Atmospheric Environment, 39: 5387-5394.

11. Califano, R. J. and Barboza, M. J. “MSW Landfill Expansion: Air Toxics Emissions and Health Risk,” a paper presented at the 84th Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the Air and Waste Management Association, Vancouver, British Columbia, June 1991.

12. Red, J. A. “Modeling Techniques for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills,” a paper presented at the 82nd Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the Air and Waste Management Association, Anaheim, CA, June 1989.

13. Drivas, P.J., Raabe, K., Daly, L. C., and Zuke, L. K. “Air Toxics Modeling of Excavation and Landfilling Activities,” a paper presented at the 86th Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the Air and Waste Management Association, Denver, CO, June 1993.

14. Nicolas, J., Craffe, F., and Romain, A.C., 2005. “Estimation of odor emission rate from landfill area using the sniffing team meathod.” Waste Management, 26: 1259-1269. 15. Young, P.J., and Parker, A., 1983. “The Identification and possible environmental impact of trace gases and vapors in landfill gas.” Waste Management & Research, 1, 213-226.