DIRECTORATE OF CORPORATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SECTION MACAULAY HOUSE 5 CATTLE MARKET LOUGHBOROUGH LEICESTERSHIRE LE11 3DH
REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF AIR QUALITY IN CHARNWOOD OCTOBER 2000
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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In July 2000 Charnwood Borough Council completed a first review and assessment of air quality within the Borough. The object of the project was to determine whether concentrations of seven pollutants identified by the UK government as being of most concern to public health were likely to be above air quality objectives set in the National Air Quality Strategy. This strategy prescribes objectives for each of the seven pollutants, which together are intended to ensure sufficiently good air quality for all areas of the UK within a practical economic and technical framework.
The work is the first of its kind and involved the collection and manipulation of pollution monitoring results, a borough survey to identify potentially polluting sources and computer modelling of pollution concentrations for future years.
As with any prediction, the results were found to be dependant upon the assumptions made about future developments. In this instance some of the most important predictions related to the numbers of vehicles on the roads of the borough, the emissions to be expected from all of the relevant vehicle types and the way in which the computer models correlate to the information obtained from real time monitoring equipment.
In line with guidance issued from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions the review and assessment took the form of a three-staged approach. Where evidence suggested that there was a risk that the air quality objectives for each of the seven pollutants may be breached the review moved to the next more complex stage. Evidence was derived from existing air quality monitoring data, known activities within the Borough such as industry types and road traffic movements and predictive computer software.
Concentrations of benzene, 1,3 butadiene, lead and carbon monoxide were all considered to be likely to comply with the relevant air quality objectives based on completed stage 1 reviews.
Concentrations of sulphur dioxide are considered likely to comply with the relevant air quality objectives based on the completed stage 2 review. However some concern exists about the potential of emissions from the Great Central Railway to lead to breaches of the 15- minute and 1 hour mean objectives. More work will be necessary to clarify this.
There is evidence that concentrations of nitrogen dioxide may breach the annual average mean objectives in locations within 10 meters of some of the main roads in the Borough due to emissions from road traffic. In particular it is considered that there is a reasonable risk that occupiers of residential properties along the following roads may be subject to breaches of this objective;
In Loughborough all properties on the A6 corridor which includes Leicester Road, High Street, Swan Street, The Rushes and Derby Road. Also some properties on the arterial roads of Ratcliffe Road, Belton Road, Alan Moss Road, Ashby Road, Meadow Lane, Epinal Way and Nottingham Road. Also two properties on Haydon Road.
In Birstall six properties on Saltersgate Drive.
In Syston properties on Melton Road in central Syston and one on Sanford Road.
Some of the larger roads in the Borough do not have residential properties within 10 meters of their kerbside but would be likely to cause breaches of the objective if properties were built mrh//gen/aqrst1.doc 13/07/2011 Page 3 this close. These roads include the M1 motorway and the A46 through Thurmaston.
Concentrations of respirable particulates (PM10) are considered likely to comply with the relevant air quality objectives based on a completed stage 3 review. There are however some uncertainties. Firstly in relation to levels around the Mountsorrel quarry which need monitoring information to back up modelled predictions. Secondly no modelling has been carried out of levels close to busy roads, however it is assumed that traffic derived PM10 levels will be high in the same places where traffic derived nitrogen dioxide is also high.
The report recommends that Air Quality Management Areas are created to cover the areas predicted to be affected by nitrogen dioxide as briefly outlined above. In line with statutory guidance the report also recommends that the findings of the report be subject to a public consultation process and that further work be undertaken to more closely model those areas predicted to be affected by nitrogen dioxide. Finally the report recommends that more work be undertaken to improve predictions of air quality around both the Great Central Railway engine sheds in Loughborough and the Mountsorrel quarry. The findings of the report should also drive a review of the existing pollution monitoring network in Charnwood.
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CONTENTS
Executive Summary
Contents
1 Introduction 1.1 Background 1.2 Statutory Requirements 1.3 National Air Quality Objectives 1.4 Process for Review and Assessment 1.4.1 Community Consultation
2 Aims and Objectives 2.1 Aims 2.2 Objectives
3 The Borough of Charnwood
4 Review and Assessment of benzene 4.1 Introduction 4.2 National Trends 4.3 Stage 1 Review 4.3.1 Exposure locations 4.3.2 Relevant information 4.4 Stage 1 conclusions
5 Review and Assessment of 1,3 butadiene 5.1 Introduction 5.2 National Trends 5.3 Stage 1 Review 5.3.1 Exposure locations 5.3.2 Relevant information 5.4 Stage 1 conclusions
6 Review and Assessment of lead 6.1 Introduction 6.2 National Trends 6.3 Stage 1 Review 6.3.1 Exposure locations 6.3.2 Relevant information 6.4 Stage 1 conclusions
7 Review and Assessment of carbon monoxide 7.1 Introduction 7.2 National Trends 7.3 Stage 1 Review 7.3.1 Exposure locations
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7.3.2 Relevant information 7.4 Stage 1 conclusions
8 Review and Assessment of nitrogen dioxide 8.1 Introduction 8.2 National Trends 8.3 Stage 1 Review 8.3.1 Exposure locations 8.3.2 Relevant information 8.4 Stage 1 conclusion 8.5 Stage 2 review 8.5.1 Determining background concentrations 8.5.2 Road traffic emissions 8.5.3 Monitoring results 8.6 Stage 2 conclusions
9 Review and Assessment of sulphur dioxide 9.1 Introduction 9.2 National Trends 9.3 Stage 1 Review 9.3.1 Exposure locations 9.3.2 Relevant information 9.4 Stage 1 conclusion 9.5 Stage 2 Review 9.5.1 Monitoring results 9.5.2 Predicted industrial emissions 9.6 Stage 2 conclusions
10 Review and Assessment of particles 10.1 Introduction 10.2 National Trends 10.3 Stage 1 Review 10.3.1 Exposure locations 10.3.2 Relevant information 10.4 Stage 1 conclusions
11 Stage 3 Review and Assessment 11.1 Emissions Inventory 11.2 Monitoring 11.3 Modelling 11.3.1 The AIRVIRO dispersion model 11.3.2 The NSCA method for AIRVIRO
12 Modelling Results 12.1 Roadside predictions Loughborough M1 North and South of Junction 23 South Charnwood 12.2 Background predictions Loughborough South Charnwood mrh//gen/aqrst1.doc 13/07/2011 Page 6
12.3 Mountsorrel roadstone coating plant point source predictions
13 Conclusions
14 Recommendations and Proposed Air Quality Management Areas
15 Existing Council Policies that influence local air quality
Appendices
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1.INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
From the mid 1980’s there has been a growing public awareness of environmental issues which, combined with increasing incidence of childhood asthma, and traffic congestion, has led to general concern regarding air quality. In recognising this concern the scientific community also appreciated that there is a multiplicity of factors, which determine air quality in a given area. The ‘simple’ solutions applied to preventing the ‘pea-soup’ smog prevalent in urban areas up until the 1950s and 1960s are no longer available and any solution to the air quality dilemma of the new millennium requires a coherent national strategy applied flexibly at a local level. Addressing the issues will also require the participation of all members of the community and specialist input from many professional groups.
In the early 1990s the Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards (EPAQS) was set up by the Secretary of State for the Environment following the publication of the Government White Paper “Our Common Inheritance”. The remit of the Panel was to advise on the establishment and application of Air Quality Standards based on the effects of pollutants on human health and the wider environment.
The Environment Act 1995 required the Secretary of State to produce a National Air Quality Strategy (NAQS), and this was finally published in April 1997. Following a change in government the NAQS was reviewed in 1999 with the amended revision being published in January 2000. It contained air quality objectives for 7 key airborne pollutants, which are to be achieved in all areas of the UK by 2005. The amended NAQS had included stricter air quality objectives for benzene, 1,3 butadiene, carbon monoxide, lead and nitrogen dioxide than were contained in the 1997 version, but relaxed the objective for respirable particulates (PM10).
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1.2 STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS
Section 82 of the Environment Act imposes a duty on all local authorities within the UK to review air quality within their districts to assess compliance with the air quality objectives contained in the National Air Quality Strategy. The air quality objectives that must not be exceeded are outlined in table 1 (section 1.3 on page 7). As well as reviewing current air quality, local authorities must also predict whether the air quality in their district will still comply with the air quality objectives in 2005. If it is likely that there will be a breach of one or more of the objectives the local authority must issue a legal order designating an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), and develop through community consultation an action plan to ensure that the relevant objective(s) will be met. The Act and its associated regulations recommend time scales for completion of these duties. The timetable proposed for Charnwood is detailed in the table below.
Duty Completion date Complete review and assessment of local August 2000 air quality Public consultation on the review and January 2001 assessment and if necessary issue an Air Quality Management Order Complete further assessments of air December 2001 quality within areas covered by Air Quality Management Orders. Draft an Air Quality Action Plan and December 2001 consult on it Complete Air Quality Action Plan March 2002 Complete second review and assessment December 2003
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1.3 NATIONAL AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES
The table below provides a summary of the air quality objectives contained within the 2000 National Air Quality Strategy.
Table 1. Objectives for Protecting Human Health
Pollutant Concentration Measured As Date to be Limit achieved By -3 Benzene (C6H6) 16.25μg m Running annual 31 December 2003 mean 1,3 Butadiene 2.25μg m-3 Running annual 31 December 2003 mean Carbon Monoxide 1160μg m-3 Running 8 hour 31 December 2003 (CO) mean Lead (Pb) 0.5µg m-3 Annual mean 31 December 2004
0.25μg m-3 Annual mean 31 December 2008 Nitrogen Dioxide 200μg m-3 1 hour mean 31 December 2005 (NO2) (Not to be exceeded more than 18 times a year)
40μg m-3 Annual mean 31 December 2005 Respirable 50µg m-3 24 hour mean 31 December 2004 particulates (PM10) (Not to be exceeded more than 35 times a year)
40µg m-3 Annual mean 31 December 2004 Sulphur Dioxide 350µg m-3 1 hour mean 31 December 2004 (SO2) 125µg m-3 24 hour mean 31 December 2004
266µg m-3 15 minute mean 31 December 2005
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1.4 PROCESS FOR REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT
The Government has issued a set of guidance documents to provide advice to local authorities on how to carry out the review and assessment process. The process can effectively be broken down into three stages:
Stage 1 - A basic desktop study of pollution levels based on known historical sources of pollution, known potential sources of pollution based on local activities, previously collated air pollution data and predicted regional background pollution levels.
Stage 2 - A further more detailed assessment based on relatively low technology monitoring and simple computer screening and prediction.
Stage 3 – A highly detailed prediction of pollution trends based on state of the art pollution monitoring, detailed and complex computer modelling and the collation of an emissions inventory comprising data on all significant local sources of pollution.
This process, involving the above 3 stages, must be carried out for each of the 7 key pollutants identified in the NAQS. If on the completion of each stage it appears that the objectives of the National Air Quality Strategy may be exceeded then the local authority must move onto and complete the next stage. If having completed the stage 3 review it is still considered likely that the objectives will be breached then the local authority must declare an Air Quality Management Order.
1.4.1 COMMUNITY CONSULTATION
All members of society are responsible for generating airborne pollution and therefore any solution to air pollution issues must be with the consensus of the community. Developing an Action Plan or Plans to bring air quality levels to within the objectives of the Air Quality Strategy will necessitate widespread consultation with all stakeholders in the community. This document represents a full technical breakdown of the process of the review and assessment. A non-technical summary has been produced as a means of providing the relevant information in a more digestible format and is intended as the principal vector for the public consultation.
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2.AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE REPORT
2.1 AIMS
a) To investigate present and potential air quality in the Borough of Charnwood.
b) To provide an assessment of air quality based on the methodology outlined in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions’ (DETR) Technical Guidance Paper ‘Review and Assessment: Pollutant Specific Guidance’ reference LAQM.TG4 (00) and associated technical guidance.
2.2 OBJECTIVES
a) To present the results of the review and assessment of the 7 key pollutants in such a manner that demonstrates compliance with the methodology required by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
b) To indicate whether present and potential future levels of pollution may breach the objectives of the National Air Quality Strategy.
c) To provide stakeholders with a quantified technical report on current and predicted air quality within the borough of Charnwood.
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3.THE BOROUGH OF CHARNWOOD
The Borough of Charnwood is located in Leicestershire in the heart of the East Midlands and is situated on the northern county boundary with Nottinghamshire. The Borough covers an area of 108 square miles and consists of a mix of urban settlements and rural farmland.
3.1 The Borough of Charnwood Map
The population of the Borough totals approximately 156,000 residents distributed between the northern towns of Shepshed and Loughborough, the southern towns and villages on the outskirts of the city of Leicester including Anstey, Birstall, Thurmaston and Syston and the villages located along the Soar and Wreake river valleys.
Charnwood has a wide range of commercial and industrial activities. Loughborough is traditionally associated with the engineering sector, whilst the villages along the Soar and Wreake have long associations with the footwear, hosiery and knitwear industries. High technology industries are being rapidly attracted into the Borough, mirroring the national experience of the contraction of the traditional heavy industries. The changing industrial infrastructure of the Borough will continue to create challenges in relation to air quality management.
A substantial and varied transport network serves the Borough. The major road links include the M1 motorway, the A6 and the A46 all of which run to a greater or lesser extent through the Borough. The Ivanhoe and Great Central railway lines run through the central spine of the Borough, and the East Midlands airport is located approximately three miles from the north western boundary of Charnwood. mrh//gen/aqrst1.doc 13/07/2011 Page 13
Generally ambient air pollution has never been considered to be of excessive concern for local residents in the Borough. However, as is the case in many parts of the country, the atmospheric emissions from certain individual point sources have caused considerable nuisance for those residents in the immediate vicinity. Some of these individual point sources will not have been highlighted through this report, as they are not producers of any of the seven key pollutants highlighted in the National Air Quality Strategy. This does not indicate a lack of concern by the authors of the report to generate solutions to these problems, but is simply due to the fact that they fall outside the remit of this report.
3.2 Map of Charnwood Borough in Leicestershire
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4.REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF BENZENE
4.1 INTRODUCTION
Benzene (C6H6) is a volatile aromatic hydrocarbon composed of a ring of carbon atoms with single hydrogen atoms attached to each.
In the UK the main source of benzene is the combustion and distribution of petrol of which it is a constituent. Petrol vehicles are the main source (67% of total emissions) where benzene is released either as an unburnt constituent of the fuel or as the product of the combustion of other hydrocarbons. Other significant sources include other motor vehicles (8%), stationary combustion sources (7%), some industrial activities (7%) and evaporation due to spillage or other loss (5%). Due to the nature of its source and its propensity to rapidly disperse in air, benzene is seen only of concern to human health in the immediate vicinity of its production, transfer and combustion.
Benzene is a carcinogen and long-term exposure to this pollutant can cause leukaemia. There is therefore no level of exposure at which there is zero risk. EPAQS having considered the medical evidence suggested that a level of 16.25μg m-3 as a running annual mean represented an exceedingly small risk to health. This is reproduced as the air quality objective in the National Air Quality Strategy to be achieved by 2004.
4.2 NATIONAL TRENDS
Monitoring in London suggests that there has been a substantial decline in benzene over the past 20 years. The adoption by the UK of European Directives controlling traffic emissions are likely to result in a continued decrease in benzene in the atmosphere to about 35% of its current levels by the year 2004. In view of this, national policies are likely to deliver the prescribed air quality objective for benzene by 2004 unless there are significant local sources of the pollutant.
4.3 STAGE 1 REVIEW
The DETR publication LAQM TG4 (00) “Review and Assessment: Pollutant Specific Guidance” (referred to from here as ‘the Guidance’) prescribes the type of information required for a Stage 1 Review, both in terms of the types of source likely to be of concern and the areas where human activities are such that exposure to the pollutant over the annual averaging period is reasonably foreseeable.
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4.3.1 Exposure Locations
The Guidance describes relevant locations of exposure for an annual running mean as ‘non-occupational, near ground level, outdoor locations. (E.g. in the vicinity of housing, schools or hospitals)’.
4.3.2 Relevant Information
Based on the Guidance the following are the processes/activities, which have the potential to emit significant quantities of benzene: -
1. Relevant Processes prescribed for IPC control under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Part A processes)
Within the Borough there is one process identified by the Guidance as being within an industrial sector with the potential to emit significant emissions of benzene.
a) Astra Charnwood, Bakewell Road, Loughborough (organic chemical manufacture, Authorisation AX 3991).
Based on data supplied by the Environment Agency with regard to emissions to atmosphere from the process this site does not generate any emissions of benzene and as such can be ignored as a likely significant source (source; Charnwood Borough Council Public Register).
Similarly there are no IPC controlled processes within a 40-kilometre radius of the border of the Borough, which generate emissions of benzene, which are likely to have an impact on air quality (source: Environment Agency Emissions Inventory 1998).
2. Relevant processes prescribed for Local Authority Air Pollution Control (LAAPC) under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Part B Processes)
None
Similarly there are no known LAAPC processes within a 5 kilometre radius of the border of the Borough which are considered likely to generate emissions of benzene which will have an impact on the air quality of the Borough ( Sources: Charnwood BC Public Register, Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Air Quality Forum, Nottinghamshire Stage 2 Review and Assessment Report).
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3. Proposed future developments to create new processes prescribed in 1 and 2 above
None
4. Results of any surveys or investigations undertaken to obtain information on relevant pollutants
Monitoring of ambient benzene levels at a variety of sites around the Borough has been undertaken since 1996. Appendix 1 to this report details the results obtained in 1997,1998 and 1999 from the four main monitoring points. The results strongly indicate that existing levels of benzene are below those specified in the National Air Quality Strategy in that none of the monthly average benzene concentrations monitored were above that of the 16.25μg m-3 objective. Monitoring is carried out using Perkin Elmer samplers and Chromosorb 106 as the benzene absorbent. The exposure time at each site is one month. The sampling sites and handling techniques comply with the requirements of clause 3.3.1 of LAQM.TG1 (00) with the exception that no travel blank has historically been used as part of the monitoring regime. The laboratory used up until the end of 1999 was AEA Technology who are accredited to BSEN ISO 9001. Assuming a maximum under read of 40% the results for the period between 1997 and 1999 are still well below the objective.
The background concentration of benzene within the Borough is predicted to be between 0.81 and 4.88 μg m-3 (source - http://www:aea.co.uk/netcen/aqarchive/bkgmaps).
4.4 STAGE 1 CONCLUSIONS
The absence of any identified significant point sources of benzene emissions either within or immediately outside the Borough, combined with historical data from long term monitoring data, leads to the conclusion that the air quality objective for benzene is not currently being breached and will not be exceeded in 2004.
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5.REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF 1,3 BUTADIENE
5.1 INTRODUCTION
1,3 Butadiene is a volatile hydrocarbon composed of four carbon and six hydrogen atoms.
In the UK the main source is from road vehicles with petrol engines emitting 67% of the total annual mass and diesel a further 11%. The compound is not present itself in fuel, but is formed as a product of the combustion of the olefines in the fuel. Approximately 17% of 1,3 butadiene is derived from a few industrial sources primarily specialising in the production of synthetic rubber for tyres. Similar to benzene, 1,3 butadiene disperses fairly rapidly in air and is only of concern in the immediate vicinity of its source.
1,3 butadiene is a carcinogen which can cause cancers of the bone marrow, lymphomas, and leukaemia. There is therefore no level of exposure at which there is zero risk. EPAQS set a level of 2.25μg m-3 as a running annual mean as representing an exceedingly small risk to health. This is reproduced as the air quality objective in the National Air Quality Strategy to be achieved by 2004.
5.2 NATIONAL TRENDS
Due to the increase in the use of olefines in petrol, the amount of 1,3 butadiene in the atmosphere is thought to be increasing. However, three-way catalysts have been shown to decrease emissions by 90%, and due to their increase of use within the national vehicle fleet 1,3 butadiene emissions across the UK should reduce by 55% by the year 2000, and 73% by 2010. In view of this, national policies are likely to deliver the predicted air quality objective by 2004 unless there are significant local sources of the pollutant.
5.3 STAGE 1 REVIEW
The DETR publication LAQM TG4 (00) “Review and Assessment: Pollutant Specific Guidance” (referred to from here as ‘the Guidance’) prescribes the type of information required for a Stage 1 Review both in terms of the types of source likely to be of concern and the areas where human activities are such that exposure to the pollutant over the annual averaging period is reasonably foreseeable.
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5.3.1 Exposure Locations
The Guidance describes relevant locations of exposure for an annual running mean as ‘non-occupational, near ground level, outdoor locations (e.g. in the vicinity of housing, schools or hospitals).
5.3.2 Relevant Information
Based on the Guidance, the following are the processes/activities which have the potential to emit significant quantities of 1,3 butadiene.
1. Relevant processes prescribed for IPC control under the Environmental Protection Act 1990
Within the Borough there is one process identified by the Guidance as being of within an industrial sector with the potential to emit significant emissions of 1,3 butadiene.
a) Astra Charnwood, Bakewell Road, Loughborough (organic, chemical manufacture, Authorisation AX 3991).
Based on data supplied to the Environment Agency, this process does not generate any emissions of 1,3 butadiene and as such can be ignored as a likely significant source (source; Charnwood Borough Council Public Register).
Similarly there are no IPC controlled processes within a 40 kilometre radius of the border of the Borough which generate emissions of 1,3 butadiene which are likely to have an impact on air quality (source: Environment Agency Emissions Inventory 1998).
2. Relevant processes prescribed for LAPC control under the Environmental Protection Act 1990
None
Similarly there are no known LAPC processes within a 5 kilometre radius of the border of the Borough which are considered likely to generate emissions of 1,3 butadiene which will have an impact on the air quality of the Borough.
3. Proposed future developments to create new processes described in 1 and 2 above
None
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4. Results of any surveys or investigations undertaken to obtain information on the relevant pollutant
No local studies have been undertaken to quantify 1,3 butadiene concentrations. However, national estimates suggest that the annual mean background concentration of 1,3 butadiene in Charnwood is between 0.225 and 0.5 μg m-3.
5.4 STAGE 1 CONCLUSIONS
The absence of any significant identified point source of 1,3 butadiene emissions combined with national monitoring data and predictions, leads to the conclusion that the air quality objective for benzene is not currently being breached and will not be exceeded in 2004.
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6.REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF LEAD
6.1 INTRODUCTION
Lead is an elemental metal. Most lead found in the atmosphere is in the form of very fine particulates of less than 1 micron (one thousandth of a millimetre) although some sources of lead generate larger particulates that tend to fall relatively quickly out of the atmosphere. The lead in particulates may be in its elemental form or as an alloy or compound.
The majority of lead emissions in the UK come from petrol driven road vehicles (72%) where it is emitted in the form of fine particulates in the exhaust fumes. Lead in the form of tetraethyl lead is added to petrol to enhance its octane rating. The other important source of airborne lead is primarily from smelting activities (9%). Human exposure to lead is primarily through ingested food. However, whilst the percentage absorption of lead in the gastrointestinal tract is only 10% in adults, the level of absorption through the respiratory tract may be as high as 60%. Consequently, the inhalation of airborne lead has the potential to act as a significant vector for lead exposure.
Lead is bio-accumulative, concentrating within body tissue once absorbed, primarily in the bones, teeth, skin and muscle. It exhibits toxic effects by interfering with haemoglobin synthesis, causing neurological damage and affecting the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, joints and reproductive system.
A 1987 a World Health Organisation (WHO) Guideline for lead set a figure of 0.5 µg m-3 as an annual mean, and it is this figure that was adopted for the purposes of the Strategy to be achieved by 2005.
The current air quality objective for lead is 0.5 µg m-3 as an annual mean to be achieved by 2004, and a further objective of 0.25 μg m-3 (proposed by EPAQS in 1998) to be achieved by 2009.
6.2 NATIONAL TRENDS
Levels of atmospheric lead have dropped dramatically in the UK since the early 1980s due to a reduction in the amount of lead allowed in petrol and the need to remove lead altogether from petrol used in cars equipped with catalytic converters. As more cars fitted with catalytic converters replace the leaded petrol fleet, levels of atmospheric lead should continue to reduce. By 2005 emissions of lead are likely to have decreased by 90% based on 1995 levels. In view of this, national policies are likely to deliver the Air Quality objective by 2005 unless there are significant local sources of lead.
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6.3 STAGE 1 REVIEW
The DETR publication LAQM TG4 (00) “Review and Assessment: Pollutant Specific Guidance” (referred to from here as ‘the Guidance’) prescribes the type of information required for a Stage 1 Review both in terms of the type of source likely to be of concern and the areas where human activities are such that exposure to the pollutant over the annual averaging period is reasonably foreseeable.
6.3.1 Exposure Locations
The Guidance describes relevant locations of exposure for the annual running means as ‘non-occupational, near ground level, outdoor locations (e.g. in the vicinity of housing, schools or hospitals).
6.3.2 Relevant Information
Based on the Pollutant Specific Guidance, the following are the processes/activities that have the potential to emit significant quantities of lead.
1. Relevant processes prescribed for IPC control under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. (Part A processes)
Within the Borough of Charnwood are two types of industrial process identified by the Pollutant Specific Guidance procedure as having the potential to emit significant quantities of lead:
a) Fisher Scientific (UK) Ltd, Bishop Meadow Road, Loughborough (inorganic chemical manufacture, Authorisation no AO 2639).
b) Trent Valley Water Systems Ltd, Swingbridge Industrial Estate, Loughborough ( inorganic chemical manufacture, Authorisation no AQ3385).
Neither of the above processes generates any emissions of particulate lead (source; Environment Agency public register data) and as such can be ignored as likely significant sources.
Similarly there are no IPC controlled processes within a 40-kilometre radius of the border of the Borough that generate emissions of lead which are likely to have an impact on air quality (source: Environment Agency Emissions Inventory 1998).
2. Relevant processes prescribed for LAAPC control under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Part B processes)
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Following the closure of the Eurocast Bar metal foundry in April 1999 there are no LAAPC processes that are considered likely to generate significant emissions of lead. (Source; Charnwood Borough Council).
Similarly there are no known LAAPC processes within a 5-kilometre radius of the border of the Borough that are considered likely to generate emissions of lead which will have an impact on the air quality of the Borough.
3. Other non-prescribed processes with the potential to emit significant quantities of lead
None.
Other foundries exist within the borough which have been determined to be trivial’ with regard to emissions of lead, i.e. their emissions are so small as to be of no significance to health.
4. Known or predicted background concentrations of lead
The background levels of lead in the region vary from between 0.01 to 0.02μg m-3 for sites remote from large road sources up to a predicted range of 0.02 to 0.04μg m-3 for sites immediately adjacent to large trunk roads (source (http://www:aea.co.uk/netcen/aqarchive/bkgmaps). This compares favourably with the air quality objective of 0.5 µg m-3.
5. Proposed new developments in the area likely to give rise to significant emissions of particulate lead
There are no known proposals to establish new industry sectors within or in close proximity to the Borough that will generate significant emissions of particulate lead.
6. Local surveys of lead pollution
No local surveys of lead in the atmosphere have been completed.
6.4 STAGE 1 CONCLUSIONS
The absence of any significant identified point sources of lead emissions combined with regional predictions of relatively low level background concentrations, leads to the conclusion that the air quality objective for lead is not currently being breached and will not be exceeded in 2005 or 2009.
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7.REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF CARBON MONOXIDE
7,1 INTRODUCTION
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colourless and odourless gas consisting of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom.
Carbon monoxide is largely produced due to the incomplete combustion of fuels containing carbon. The main source of emissions in the UK is road transport that produces 75% of total UK emissions, and of this 71% comes from petrol vehicles.
CO is best known as a pollutant in restricted areas with poor ventilation - in particular domestic houses with badly maintained gas fired appliances where it can reach dangerously high concentrations. However, these sources only contribute 6% of the total CO generated in the UK. Similarly, CO is only a significant pollutant in the wider environment near to heavily trafficked or congested roads. Concentrations fall away rapidly with distance from roads and CO is only therefore a pollutant of concern in the immediate vicinity of its production.
Prolonged exposure to high levels of CO can lead to death as it inhibits the distribution of oxygen around the body by blocking the carrier molecule in red blood cells. At lower levels the effect, whilst not fatal, can lead to impaired mental performance and coronary stress. Short-term exposure causes reversible effects whilst long-term exposure may lead to chronic health effects.
The current air quality objective for CO is 11.6 μg m-3 measured as an 8 hour average to be achieved by 2004. This was proposed by EPAQS and is a concentration at which there is unlikely to be any significant risk to health.
7.2 NATIONAL TRENDS
Emissions of CO in the UK increased by 13% between 1970 and 1990, but they have been decreasing ever since. There is clear evidence of this in rural areas, but less so in urban areas. This improvement is largely attributed to stricter emission standards for road vehicles. Unlike some of the other pollutants, no objective estimates have been produced regarding the likely national trends up to 2004.
7.3 STAGE 1 REVIEW
The DETR publication LAQM TG4 (00) “Review and Assessment: Pollutant Specific Guidance” (referred to from here as ‘the Guidance’) prescribes the information required for a Stage 1 Review both in terms of the types of source likely to be of concern and the areas where human activities are such that exposure to the pollutant over the 8 hour averaging period is reasonably foreseeable. It is not within the remit of this review and assessment to address the potential effects of carbon monoxide
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7.3.1 Exposure locations
7.3.2 Relevant Information
Based on the Guidance, the following are the processes/activities that have the potential to emit significant quantities of carbon monoxide.
1. Road links with current or projected annual average daily traffic flow (AADF) above those detailed in the Guidance
The Pollutant Specific Guidance indicates that an initial screen can be applied to assess the risk posed by individual road links that may breach the objective for Carbon monoxide. This screen is dependant upon the traffic flow on the road and the type of road:
Type of Road Annual Average Daily Traffic Flow Single carriageway Greater than 80,000 vehicles Duel carriageway Greater than 120,000 vehicles Motorway Greater than 140,000 vehicles
Appendix 2 details the existing and projected traffic flows of the main road networks in the Borough. From this data it can be seen that none of the roads in the Borough are subject to such usage that they may be considered to pose a significant risk of breaching the national air quality objective for carbon monoxide.
2. Relevant processes prescribed for IPC control under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Part A processes)
Within the Borough of Charnwood are two industrial processes identified by the Pollutant Specific Guidance procedure as having the potential to emit significant quantities of carbon monoxide:
a) Trent Valley Water Systems, Swingbridge Industrial Estate, Loughborough (inorganic chemical process, - Authorisation No.SK527209). b) Fisher Scientific (UK) Ltd, Bishop Meadow Road, Loughborough (inorganic chemical process, Authorisation No.AO2639).
Neither of the above premises emits any CO and as such they can be ignored as likely significant sources (source - Environment Agency public register).
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There are no IPC controlled processes within a 40-kilometre radius of the border of the Borough that generate emissions of carbon monoxide which are likely to have an impact on air quality (source: Environment Agency Emissions Inventory 1998).
3. Relevant processes prescribed for Local Authority Air Pollution control under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Part B processes)
None
There are no known LAAPC processes within a 5-kilometre radius of the border of the Borough that are considered likely to generate emissions of carbon monoxide which will have an impact on the air quality of the Borough.
4. Planned developments of the types mentioned in 1, 2 and 3 above or those likely to influence traffic flows to a significant extent
There are no current proposals within the local plan for Charnwood that are likely to involve the generation of carbon monoxide to any significant degree.
5. Known or predicted background concentrations of carbon monoxide
Predicted background levels of carbon monoxide within the Charnwood Borough are generally considered to be below 0.233μg m-3. Levels in Loughborough and in the towns to the north of Leicester are predicted to be at a level up to 0.446μg m-3. (Source; http://aeat.co.uk/netcen/aqarchive/bkgmaps).
6. Data from surveys within the Borough
No local studies have been carried out which have assessed local concentrations of carbon monoxide. Researchers at the University of Leeds have monitored CO at a busy junction in Loughborough for the past three years, but the data has not yet been analysed.
7.4 STAGE 1 CONCLUSIONS
The absence of any significant identified road or point sources of carbon monoxide emissions combined with regional predictions of relatively low level background concentrations, leads to the conclusion that the air quality objective for carbon monoxide is not currently being breached and will not be exceeded in 2004.
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8.REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF NITROGEN DIOXIDE
8.1 INTRODUCTION
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a gas formed from one nitrogen molecule and two oxygen molecules.
Nitrogen dioxide is formed to a small extent directly in combustion processes. However, most nitrogen based combustion products are emitted as nitric oxide (NO). Nitric oxide is relatively unstable and is rapidly oxidised to nitrogen dioxide in air. When low level ozone (another atmospheric pollutant) is present, it is often the ozone molecule that contributes to this process. The relative proportions of nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide generated from any source can be very variable and as such when both gases are being emitted they are often referred to as ‘oxides of nitrogen’ (NOx) The most significant source of these gases is road transport which accounts for 46% of the total UK emission. The electricity supply industry produces another 22%, other industrial sources 12% and domestic sources 3%. Nitrogen dioxide is of concern both locally and globally. Accumulations of the gas in the vicinity of sources can give rise to direct health effects whilst the gas also acts indirectly as a greenhouse gas.
The principal health effects of nitrogen dioxide relate to impaired lung performance from changes in structure and function and suspected hyper reactivity to allergens (causes of allergic response). Effects are reversible; however, ongoing exposure may lead to poorer lung function later in life. Exposure to high concentrations for short periods is considered more toxic than low concentration exposure for long periods.
EPAQS recommended that short-term concentrations below 287µg m-3 should be avoided. They did not recommend a desirable level over a longer averaging period but commented on the possibility of the cumulative effects of longer-term exposure. In response to this the National Air Quality Strategy has two objectives for nitrogen dioxide. To avoid the potentially significant effects of short-term exposure the objective is 200µg m-3 as an hourly mean that should not be exceeded more than 18 times a year. To combat the cumulative effect of low level long-term exposure the Strategy also gives an annual mean of 40µg m-3. Both are to be achieved by 2006.
8.2 NATIONAL TRENDS
A total of 106 automatic monitoring stations operate at various locations around the country (to March 1998). In addition, the National Environmental Technology Centre (NETCEN) co-ordinates the collation of data from passive diffusion tube samplers collected from approximately 300 different local authorities across the country. Trends indicated from the automatic stations vary depending on local influences. From the diffusion tube surveys there appeared to be a 34% increase in NO2 levels in the period 1986-1991, which intruigingly corresponds with a 30% increase in road traffic. NETCEN are cautious about drawing national trends from more recent data. However, 1995 results indicated that 326 of the 1220 sites monitored exceeded the then WHO annual average guideline of 40µg m-3.
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Road Traffic NOx emissions are predicted to drop by 46% by 2005 due to a variety of EU Directives. However, the local and national trends are still very difficult to predict.
8.3 STAGE 1 REVIEW
The DETR publication LAQM TG4 (00) “Review and Assessment: Pollution Specific Guidance” (referred to from here as ‘the Guidance’) prescribes the type of information required for a Stage 1 Review, both in terms of the types of source likely to be of concern and the areas where human activities are such that exposure to the pollutant over the averaging period is reasonably foreseeable.
8.3.1 Exposure Locations
The pollutant specific guidance describes relevant locations as those where exposure periods of a year and an hour may reasonably be expected. For the annual mean this means background locations, roadside locations close to the facade of occupied buildings and other buildings occupied for significant periods of time, for example schools, hospitals and housing estates. For the one hour mean objective the assessment must account for any non- occupational ground level locations where a human presence may reasonably be anticipated for a period of one hour or more.
8.3.2 Relevant Information
1. The estimated 2005 annual mean background concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NOx)
Maps predicting the background concentrations of both NO2 and NOx in 1 kilometre grid squares covering the whole of the country have been produced by AEA Technology and are available on their web site (http//www.aeat.co.uk/netcen/airqual/). These maps predict the 2005 -3 background concentrations of NO2 to be between 14.5 and 24µg m across most of Charnwood and NOx concentrations to be between 17.5 and 36 µg m-3. The maximum and minimum predicted background levels are outlined in table 2 below:
Table 2. Maximum and minimum predicted background -3) concentrations of NO2 and NOx in Charnwood in 2005 (µg m
Grid Reference Location NO2 NOx 459500 308500 Birstall (south) 26.3 42.6 469500 310500 South Croxton 14.3 17.2
2. Emissions from road traffic
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The technical guidance suggests that roads with fewer than 10,000 average annual daily traffic (AADT) movements are unlikely to have a significant impact and as such can be ignored. Appendix 2 provides estimates of the predicted 2005 traffic flows on the major traffic routes within the Borough and it can be seen that most are above this level. For roads of greater than 10,000 AADT flow the technical guidance provides a screening method to determine the potential significance of each as a source. This screening method is based on the use of nonograms (reference tables), which compares predicted traffic flows, average traffic speeds and predicted background NOx concentrations. Table 3 below provides a summary of the results of the screening method when applied to Charnwood.
Table 3. Summary of predicted significance of the major road links in Charnwood to breach NO2 objectives based on the TG 4(00) stage 1 methodology.
Road Potential to Breach Objective M1 motorway Yes A512 through Shepshed Yes A512 through Loughborough Yes A6 through Hathern No A6 through Loughborough Yes A6 Loughborough to Birstall No A6 through Birstall Yes A46 Leicester northern bypass Yes A46 Syston Yes A60 Hoton to Loughborough No A607 Rearsby to Queniborough No A6004 Loughborough ring road Yes
This method did not take into account the cumulative effects of roads meeting at junctions and as such it did not necessarily highlight all of the roads of concern. However, the picture produced is one of a number of road links within the Borough that must be considered capable of causing a breach of the NO2 objectives.
3. Industrial Sources of NO2.
The following processes were identified by the guidance as belonging to sectors of industry that are capable of emitting significant quantities of NO2:
a) Astra Charnwood, Bakewell Road, Loughborough (organic chemical manufacture, Authorisation AX3991). b) Astra Charnwood, Bakewell Road, Loughborough (large boiler plant, Authorisation BA0790). c) Fisher Scientific Ltd, Bishop Meadow Road, Loughborough (inorganic chemical manufacture, Authorisation AO2639). mrh//gen/aqrst1.doc 13/07/2011 Page 29
d) Trent Valley Water Systems, Swingbridge Road, Loughborough (inorganic chemical manufacture, Authorisation AQ3385)
Actual emissions data relating to the four processes identified is available through the public register kept by the Environment Agency. According to this database no emissions have been detected as emanating from the AstraZenica organic manufacturing process or the inorganic manufacturing process at Trent Valley Water Systems. Similarly, emissions from the Fisher Scientific inorganic manufacturing plant have been determined to be 49.3, 41.8 and 40.7 kilograms per year for 1995, 1996 and 1997 respectively. In the 1998 Environment Agency emissions inventory of the Midlands region none of these processes were recognised as being significant nitrogen dioxide generators. Due to the negligible emissions from these sites they are therefore considered to be of no risk as regards their potential to breach air quality management objectives.
The large boiler plant at AstraZenica is not yet fully commissioned and as such no emissions monitoring data exists for it. However, as part of the company’s application to the Environment Agency to operate the plant a modelling exercise to predict the ground level impact of emissions from the boiler stack was carried out using ADMS Urban software. The model was only used to predict the maximum hourly concentration from the stack, which indicated that the maximum ground level exposure due to the boiler emissions would be 139.03 μg m-3 (67.8 ppb). The footprint of the plume from the stack was not predicted to impact on any area subjected to any other significant source of nitrogen dioxide. Based on this data the boiler is not considered of significant potential to breach the objective value.
4. Existing sources acting in combination indicated to be currently exceeding an annual mean of 30ppb
None
5. Activities outside the Borough likely to be adversely influencing air quality
No fixed sources have been identified.
8.4 STAGE 1 CONCLUSION
Having identified a number of potential areas where National Air Quality Objectives may be breached, it is necessary to carry out a second and third stage review and assessment of Nitrogen Dioxide.
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8.5 STAGE 2 REVIEW
The Stage 2 review and assessment requires a more detailed analysis of the likely significant sources of the pollutant, the potential interaction of these sources and the likely variation in the emissions from these up to 2005.
There are two principal sources of Nitrogen dioxide that must be accounted for in the more detailed review:
• Industrial emissions • Road traffic emissions
The Guidance provides a methodology for carrying out a stage 2 review and assessment based on derived data relating to the above two types of source, and how they should be considered together with the estimated background concentrations of nitrogen dioxide.
The second stage methodology requires far greater consideration to be made of the emissions of NOx as well as NO2, and an assessment of their relationship in different situations.
Based on research from other parts of the country a general relationship has been found to exist between the annual mean concentration of nitrogen dioxide and the 99.8th percentile figure. The 99.8th percentile is the level at which 18 breaches of the hourly mean would occur. In general it appears that where there is no significant industrial emission of nitrogen dioxide it can be assumed that the 99.8th percentile air quality objective is unlikely to be exceeded where the annual mean objective is not breached.
8.5.1 Determining Background Concentrations
One method of determining the likely background NOx and NO2 concentrations in 2005 is to use existing monitoring data derived from those sites considered likely to be subject only to background concentrations of these pollutants. Suitable correction factors can then be applied to these to produce a predicted level for the future. This method was applied to data obtained during 1998. Another suggested procedure involves extracting data from maps generated by NETCEN, which are available on the Internet, that predict background NO2 concentrations in 2005 for every 1 by 1 kilometre square grid of the country. The results from both predicted methods are outlined in table 4 below:
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-3 Table 4. Predicted background NO2 concentrations (µg m ) in 2005 based on methodologies in clauses 6.34 and 6.35 of LAQM TG4 (00)
Site 1998 mean Correction Predicted NETCEN factor mean for Predicted 2005 mean 2005 Cotswold 32.1 0.8 25.7 21.2 Close, L’boro Beacon 24.7 0.8 19.8 21.1 Road, L’boro Rosebery 29.7 0.8 23.8 21.2 school, L’boro Southfields 25.4 0.8 20.3 21.2 Park, L’boro Market 36.7 0.8 29.4 21.2 Place, L’boro
Results from passive diffusions tubes have been found to under or over read pollution concentrations by up to 30%. The results are useful, but care must be taken in their interpretation. The quality assurance and quality control procedures undertaken by Charnwood and its contracted analytical laboratories complies with the requirements of the UK Nitrogen Dioxide Survey operated by AEA Technology, with the exception that a blank tube is not used for each batch of samples.
8.5.2 Road Traffic Emissions
LAQM TG4 (00) describes a method for estimating concentrations of NO2 at kerbside or roadside locations near to road corridors that are considered to have a potential risk of breaching air quality objectives. This method can be applied to data collected at locations at which monitoring has been taking place and can be used to calculate their anticipated highest exposure.
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-3 Table 5. Predicted background NO2 concentrations (μg m ) in 2005 based on the methodology in clause 6.41 of LAQM.TG1 (00)
Site 1998 Correction 2005 Prediction mean factor
Leicester 49.5 0.84 41.6 Road, L’boro
Ratcliffe Rd, 47.1 0.84 39.6 L’boro
Shelthorpe 50.9 0.84 42.8 Rd, L’boro
Melton Rd, 40.4 0.84 34.0 Syston
Loughboro’ 38.8 0.84 32.6 Rd, Birstall
The Nook, 36.8 0.84 30.9 Anstey
Humberstone 54.8 0.84 46 Lane, Thurmaston
Three of the sites monitored in 1998 are predicted to be subject to breaches of the objective based on this method.
The Guidance also recommends the use of the “Design Manual for Roads and Bridges” (DMRB) to provide assistance in predicting roadside or kerbside NO2 and NOx concentrations. This is a model produced by the Highways Agency that uses a relatively simple method to estimate pollution concentrations in the vicinity of roads by analysing the quantity of the traffic flow, the average speed of the traffic, the distance to the nearest receptor, and the proportion of heavy goods vehicles within the traffic and the background concentration of the pollutant. The results of a full DMRB assessment of all of the major road arteries in Charnwood was undertaken and the results are contained in Appendix 3. The predictions do indicate that some sites may be subject to exceedances of the air quality objective. Table 6 below summarises those roads predicted to breach the annual average NO2 objective at the facade of the nearest residential property to the road in question.
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Table 6. Summary of Road links in Charnwood predicted to breach the NO2 air quality objectives based on the DMRB model
Road Link Receptor Point Predicted NO2 concentration (μg m-3) M1 Junction 23 to Shepshed Mill Farm 50.3 23A A512 Shepshed. Cow Hill Lodge 44.3 Leicester Road to M1 roundabout A512 Loughborough, Snells Nook Lodge 41.3 M1 to Old Ashby Road A6 Loughborough, Properties on Derby Road 40.5 Alan Moss Road to Bridge Street A6 Loughborough, Properties on Leicester Road 41.5 King St to Shelthorpe Rd A6 Loughborough, Properties on Leicester Road 41.9 Shelthorpe Rd to Quorn A6 Rothley Hill top farm 45.2 A6 Birstall Properties on Loughborough 43.1 Road A46, Syston to A607 44.7 junction
Clearly the DMRB predictions of breaches of the one-hour maximum and annual average objectives are of concern. In order to test the accuracy of these predictions, calculations were carried out to predict annual mean NO2 concentrations at five points at which Charnwood Borough Council has monitored NO2 levels over the last few years. This approach would effectively test the DMRB model against actual monitored data from diffusion tubes. The DMRB model was run for 1998 and compared against the annual means monitored by diffusion tubes at the same locations. The results are detailed in graph 1 below:
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Graph 1 Comparison of measured and predicted annual average NO2 concentrations for 1998
45 40 35 30 N 25 DMRB Diffusion Tubes O 20 15 10 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 Sites
It is clear from these figures that there is a significant difference between the modelled and monitored data, even taking into account the predicted 30% variability in the accuracy of diffusion tube results.
8.5.3 Monitoring Results
Monitoring of NO2 in Charnwood has demonstrated a gradual reduction in concentrations over the past four years. This is evidenced by the year on year monitoring data from the five sites in graph 2 below which have all experienced a decline in levels:
Graph 2 NO2 Diffusion tube results 1993-98
Annual NO2 concentrations 1993-98
70.0 Leicester Rd 60.0 Cotswold Cl 50.0 Rosebery Road 40.0 Beacon Road 30.0 Ratcliffe Rd 20.0
NO2 conc (microg/m3) 10.0 Southfield Park
0.0 Melton Rd, Syston 123456 Loughborough Rd, Birstall Year
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8.6 STAGE 2 CONCLUSIONS
The data indicating a gradual decline in NO2 levels in the Borough seems- to conflict with the estimates provided by the DMRB model. Indeed in some instances the monitored 1998 NO2 concentration is below that of the predicted 2005 concentration. With these apparent anomalies occurring it was considered necessary to move onto a more detailed stage 3 assessment of the road links identified as having the potential to breach the objectives.
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9.REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE
9.1 INTRODUCTION
Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is a soluble gas consisting of one sulphur and two oxygen atoms. On dissolving in water it gives rise to an acidic solution of sulphuric acid.
The principal source of SO2 is the electricity generating power stations (67%) followed by other industrial combustion plant - in particular refineries and iron and steel processes. Domestic sources of SO2 can be significant in areas where there is still extensive use of solid fuel fires.
Sulphur dioxide gives rise to concerns due to its local and global effect. Trans- national transportation of SO2 in the atmosphere followed by its dry and wet deposition (“acid rain”) has accounted for deforestation and lake acidification in continental Europe. In terms of its health effects the acidic nature of dissolved SO2 causes irritation to lung tissue and may provoke attacks of asthma. The onset of these clinical effects can be very rapid after exposure to a sufficiently high concentration of the gas. With these points in mind, EPAQS decided on the following air quality standard that incorporates a short averaging time and an ambient concentration below which levels of SO2 are unlikely to have any significant health effects.
266µg m-3 expressed as a 15 minute mean which must not be exceeded more than 35 times a year by 2006.
In addition, the following additional objectives were also adopted:
350µg m-3 expressed as a 1 hour mean which must not be exceeded more than 24 times a year by 2005.
125µg m-3 expressed as a 24 hour mean which must not be exceeded more than 3 times a year by 2005.
9.2 NATIONAL TRENDS
The move throughout the middle part of the century to relocate heat and power raising sources from multiple small, solid fuel fired units (e.g. domestic coal fires and solid fuel boilers) to large, closely regulated sources sited in rural areas (e.g. power stations) has dramatically decreased ground level SO2 concentrations in the UK. Since 1970 there has been a 63% decrease in total SO2 emissions. The risk of exceedences of the National Air Quality Standard for SO2 is therefore greatly dependent upon the influence of individual local combustion sources and the type of domestic fuels used in local areas.
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9.3 STAGE 1 REVIEW
The DETR publication LAQM TG (4) 00 “Review and Assessment Pollutant Specific Guidance” (referred to from here as ‘the Guidance’) prescribes the type of information required for a Stage 1 Review both in terms of the types of source likely to be of concern and the areas where human activities are such that exposure to the pollutant over the averaging period is reasonably foreseeable.
9.3.1 Exposure Locations
Exposure for a period of 15 minutes and one hour is reasonably foreseeable in any location within the borough. The 24-hour exposure period is only foreseeable in a location occupied for a substantial period of the day.
9.3.2 Relevant Information
1. One or more Part A prescribed processes controlled under the Environmental Protection Act 1990
The following processes are those industry types identified by the Pollutant Specific Guidance that have the potential to emit significant quantities of sulphur dioxide:
a) Astra Charnwood, Bakewell Road, Loughborough (organic chemical manufacture, Authorisation AX3991).
Based on data supplied to the Environment Agency with regard to emissions to atmosphere from the process, this site does not generate any emissions of sulphur dioxide (source, Charnwood Borough Council public register).
b) Astra Charnwood, Bakewell Road, Loughborough (large boiler plant, Authorisation BA0790). c) Fisher Scientific, Bishop Meadow Road, Loughborough (inorganic chemical manufacture, Authorisation AO2639).
The only Part A process within 40km of the Borough boundary which is likely to generate significant emissions of sulphur dioxide is the Ratcliffe on Soar power station, South Nottinghamshire.
2. One or more Part B prescribed processes controlled under the Environmental Protection Act 1990
a) Charnwood Brick and Tile Co., Station Road, Shepshed (heavy clay goods manufacture, Authorisation 001) b) Lafarge Redlands, Mountsorrel Quarry, Loughborough Road, Mountsorrel (roadstone coating plant, Authorisation 21A). c) Midlands Quarry Products, Groby Quarry, Newtown Linford, (roadstone coating plant, Authorisation 015)
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3. Solid fuel or fuel oil combustion systems of thermal power greater than 5MW.
There are no known solid fuel or heavy fuel oil boiler plant known to fall within this category remaining within Charnwood. This is based on a survey of industrial and commercial sites around the Borough known by Environmental Health Officers to have large or medium sized boiler plant. The survey received responses from 45% of the sites approached (14 out of 31). Of these responses information relating to 30 boiler plant or similar large combustion plant was received. Based on this information and local knowledge of the sites that did not respond, the only significant source of sulphur dioxide is likely to be the combustion of coal in steam locomotives at the Great Central Railway steam heritage site in Loughborough.
4. Domestic Sources
Use of solid fuel for domestic heating purposes is known to be relatively low within the Borough. Information was sought from all of the local coal suppliers to try to quantify the total number of domestic sources supplied and the total quantities provided. Only one supplier out of six responded and in this instance he was unable to provide any more detailed information than the total volume of coal supplied per annum to the area. Similar information obtained from the National Fuel Concessionary office demonstrated that they supplied solid fuel to only 81 properties across the Borough.
Data was obtained regarding the Councils own housing stock. This indicated that out of a total stock of 7133 only 107 (1.5%) properties still used solid fuel as the primary heating method. The densest area of use is in Loughborough where 71 of 3405 (2%) of Council owned properties use coal.
As clause 7.20 of TG (4) 00 outlines a method for determining the likely significance of domestic sources to breaches of the objectives, a surrogate calculation can be used to assess the significance of domestic sources to SO2 generation in Charnwood.
Taking the Council stock as representative of the total housing stock, the total number of properties using coal within the most densely populated and highest coal using area within the Borough can be calculated:
Number of residences in Loughborough 21,925 Proportion of solid fuel heated properties 2% Size of area 16 km2
This equates to 27 coal burning properties per square kilometre. TG (4) 00 suggests that this figure would need to be above 300 coal burning properties to cause a breach of the SO2 objectives in an area.
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This calculation, along with local knowledge confirms therefore that domestic sources of SO2 are not a significant concern.
5. Predicted Road Traffic Contribution
The Guidance suggests that whilst the contribution from road vehicles is likely to be fairly minimal it will contribute to increases in SO2 concentrations close to main road links. The Guidance predicts that each 10,000 vehicles per day expressed as the annual average daily traffic flow will contribute 5µg m-3 to the 99.9th percentile of 15 minute mean averages. Appendix 2 details the current and predicted traffic flows for the major road links in the Borough. Based on this data the maximum contributions to this objective from road traffic will be 59µg m-3 close to the M1 motorway, whilst the largest contribution in built up areas close to receptors will be approximately 24µg m-3 along the A6 to the southern end of Loughborough.
9.4 STAGE 1 CONCLUSION
There are enough uncertainties in the stage 1 review to warrant a more detailed stage 2 review.
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9.5 STAGE 2 REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT
The stage 2 review and assessment for sulphur dioxide requires a more detailed analysis of the identified likely significant sources of the pollutant, the potential interaction of these sources and the likely variation in emissions from them up until 2005.
Only point sources were identified from the stage 1 process as being capable of causing on their own a breach of the objectives. These must now be considered in more detail but the potential additional effects of minor sources such as road traffic cannot be ignored.
9.5.1 Monitoring results
Charnwood Borough Council has for some years carried out monitoring of sulphur dioxide at two sites within the district. This has involved the use of 8 port bubbler type monitors, which have been located at sites within the two areas of greatest population density to monitor town centre concentrations. The sites were not established with the intention of monitoring emissions from specific sources. These bubblers operate on a net acidity titration method to determine the total sulphur dioxide concentrations. Based on the methodology in TG (4) 00 paragraphs 7.29 to 7.32 this data can be used to predict whether the objectives required for 2005 and 2006 would have been breached in recent years:
Table 7. Number of predicted breaches of the air quality objectives for SO2 based on historical 8 port bubbler sampling results from monitors at Loughborough and Thurmaston
Loughborough Year Max daily Predicted Predicted Predicted mean (x) number of number of number of (μg m-3) breaches of breaches of one breaches of 15 the 24 hour hour mean minute mean mean {(x.1.25).1.369} {(x.1.25).1.896} (x.1.25) 1996 81 0 0 0 1997 70 0 0 0 1998 48 0 0 0 1999 78 0 0 0
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Thurmaston Year Max daily Predicted Predicted Predicted mean (x) number of number of number of (μg m-3) breaches of breaches of one breaches of 15 the 24 hour hour mean minute mean mean {(x.1.25).1.369} {(x.1.25).1.896} (x.1.25) 1996 113 0 0 0 1997 50 0 0 0 1998 91 0 0 0 1999 45 0 0 0
9.5.2. Predicted Industrial Emissions
Most industrial SO2 emissions are derived from solid fuel and heavy fuel oil fired combustion plant. In addition to the industrial sources identified in section 9.3.2 no other solid fuel or heavy fuel oil combustion plant above a thermal rating of 5MW have been identified within the Borough. The Guidance suggests that there is not likely to be any significant impact from plant below a 5MW rating.
Inorganic Chemical Manufacture Of those processes highlighted in section 9.3.2 those at Fisher Scientific and AstraZenica are considered to be negligible with respect to SO2 emissions. The total mass emission of SO2 from the Fisher Scientific plant during the years 1995,1996 and 1997 were 2.3kg, 4.9kg and 2.2kg respectively (source: Charnwood Borough Council public register). In addition, the Environment Agency in their summary of 1998 emissions data relating to significant sources of the eight key pollutants do not mention this site.
Brick Manufacture In the case of the brick manufacturing process at Charnwood Brick and Tile, the primary fuel to fire the kilns is natural gas that contains insignificant quantities of sulphur, while the fired clay also has a low sulphur content. Minimal emissions of sulphur dioxide are therefore expected to be generated. No monitoring of stack emissions is required as part of the authorisation for the process as the net rated thermal input of the kilns is below 2MW.
Roadstone Coating The roadstone coating plant at the quarries in Mountsorrel and Groby are all identified as potentially significant SO2 sources. As a means of predicting the ground level impact of these sources the Guidance recommends using the calculation method issued by the Environment Agency in 1999 called “Guidance for Estimating the Air Quality Impact of Stationary Sources” (GSS). Of the three roadstone coating
mrh//gen/aqrst1.doc 13/07/2011 Page 42 plant only one is in such a location and of such a nature as to allow this guidance to be applicable. This plant is the main coating operation at the Redland LeFarge quarry in Mountsorrel. The summary of the GSS calculation for this plant is outlined below:
Predicted Process 4.8 (μg m-3) Contribution Distance to Maximum 160 metres Impact Point Ambient Concentration 28.9 (μg m-3) (2×annual daily average of all bubbler results 1996-99) Predicted Environmental 33.7 (μg m-3) - 11.8 ppb Concentration (PEC) National Air Quality 266 (μg m-3) - 100ppb Standard (NAQS) PEC as % of NAQS 11.79 %
Based on the Environment Agency model the Redland Lafarge main coating plant is not considered to be of any concern with regards to the potential breach of the objective. The two other plant are both of smaller stack height and of considerably lower capacity than the plant to which the above data applies. It is considered unlikely that these will pose any significant risk to air quality.
Large Boiler Plant The large boiler plant at the AstraZenica site is not yet fully commissioned. However, as part of the application to carry out a prescribed process to the Environment Agency, a modelling exercise using ADMS Urban modelling software was undertaken to estimate the maximum ground level concentrations of SO2. The model predicted a 99.9th percentile 15 minute maximum of 116.8 μg m-3 (40.9ppb) at a point to the south-east of the surrounding industrial estate where there were no other locally significant sources of SO2 (source: Charnwood Borough Council Environmental Protection Act public register). This source is not therefore considered to be of significance with regard to potential breaches of the objective.
Power Stations The Environment Agency has carried out model predictions of the impact of emissions from the Ratcliffe on Soar power station. Ten model runs using ADMS version 3 software and meteorological data from 1987 to 1996 were carried out. The model was run to determine the predicted ground level impact across Leicestershire, and then a more detailed run carried out to find if north Leicestershire was subject to any small hot spots not identified in the larger geographical prediction. Appendix 5 has a contour map of the worst-case scenario predictions of emissions from the power stations.
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The maximum 99.9th percentile ground level concentrations within Charnwood were in the range 78 to 83 μg m-3 for the years 1987-1996, with these levels generally found in the part of the Borough located between Loughborough and Burton on the Wolds. The only significant occupied area in this region is the village of Cotes. No other local sulphur dioxide sources impact on this area and predicted background concentrations for 2005 based on maps from NETCEN are 8.7 μg m-3. The power station is not therefore considered likely to lead to a breach of the air quality objectives for sulphur dioxide.
Steam Railway Activities One of the largest users of solid fuel within the Borough is the main line steam heritage railway of the Great Central Railway. This is primarily operated as a tourist attraction and runs regular trains from Loughborough in the North to its Southern most station in Leicester. Locomotives often spend considerable periods of time at the engine sheds in Loughborough where they are maintained and remain “in steam” during periods of inactivity. Steam trains are relatively low level emission points operating as manually controlled combustion sources with natural draft discharge of combustion products. As such the emissions are often poorly dispersed, relatively difficult to control and more concentrated when the train is not moving. Residential development and commercial premises very closely surround the engine sheds and as such emissions frequently give rise to complaints from local residents.
To date information requested regarding the type and quantities of fuel burnt in the area of the engine sheds has not been received from the railway company. It is therefore not known whether the activities of the railway are likely to be significant with regards to causing potential exceedences of the air quality objectives for sulphur dioxide. In September 1999 Charnwood Borough Council carried out a low technology assessment exercise to provide indicative data as to the amount of SO2 produced at the site by the railway. The monitoring involved the use of sulphur dioxide diffusion tubes sited at the nearest receptor location to the sheds, together with another site in the town centre site approximately a mile away to provide a comparison. The results are outlined below:
Table 8. Comparison of sulphur dioxide diffusion tube monitoring results at two sites in Loughborough (μg m-3)
Site 9/99 10/99 11/99 12/99 01/00 02/00 03/00 04/00 05/00 06/00 Town 1.5 5.1 12.5 7.8 13.6 7.2 7.9 11.7 31.4 15.2 Centre Adj 12 13 14.2 41.3 49.6 20.6 16.8 15 49.2 47.9 Railway sheds
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This assessment exercise has given a clear indication of elevated monthly average sulphur dioxide levels in the vicinity of the engine sheds. Modelling of emissions has not been possible due to the absence of necessary information to run the model. Additional higher quality monitoring work has been hampered by a lack of success in obtaining permission to use sites within an appropriate distance of the source. Further work involving real time monitoring with “type tested”-technically approved- equipment is proposed to provide more accurate data on the possibility of air quality objective breaches in this area. Negotiations are currently underway with the railway and neighbouring landowners to install locally situated monitors that will provide results over shorter averaging periods, rather than the monthly averages obtained from diffusion tubes.
9.6 STAGE 2 CONCLUSIONS
Based on this information most individual point sources within the Borough are not considered likely to cause any exceedences of the objectives. The Environment Agency have been consulted with regard to individual point sources outside the boundaries of the Borough which they consider may have the potential to produce emissions which may impact on the Charnwood area. Their response indicates that there are no sources that are of concern.
The possibility of the steam heritage locomotives of the Great Central Railway leading to air quality breaches has only recently emerged as a possible cause for concern. Considerable further work involving monitoring and possibly modelling will need to be undertaken to provide a robust stage 3 review of this source. The outcome of this work will take at least a year and the Borough Council will make a decision at this time as to whether to issue an Air Quality Management Order for the relevant area.
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10.REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF PARTICLES
10.1 INTRODUCTION
Unlike all other pollutants discussed in this report, particulate matter in the atmosphere is composed of a wide range of materials from many different of sources. The particles of interest for the purposes of the review and assessment are those smaller than 10µm (microns), which equates to a thousandth of a millimetre. These particles are collectively known as PM10. This pollutant is therefore defined by its physical characteristics rather than its chemical composition.
There are a multitude of potential sources of particles, both man-made and natural. In general, man-made emissions tend to be of a smaller size range. Man-made sources include carbon based particles from incomplete combustion, ash, recondensed metallic vapour, dust from mining, quarrying and construction, motor vehicle brake and tyre wear and secondary particulate formed from the condensing reactions of gaseous airborne pollutants (typically ammonium sulphate and nitrate). Natural sources include wind blown dust and soil, sea-salt and biological particulates such as fungus spores and pollen.
The largest man-made source in the UK is road transport. However, the contribution of all sources to pollutant levels will vary depending on the characteristics and activities in the surrounding area.
Traditionally, particulate pollution was thought to be a localised problem around its source. Recent evidence does, however, suggest that whole regions can simultaneously experience elevated particulate levels.
A lot of research has recently focused on the health effects of particulates. It is now believed that even low levels can be associated with respiratory and cardio-vascular illness and asthma.
Researchers have not been able to identify a ‘no effects’ level of exposure to particulates. EPAQS therefore sought to identify levels at which the effects on the population would be relatively small. They viewed the figure of 50µg m-3 as a running 24-hour mean as representing an appropriate standard, but added an overall recommendation that PM10 levels should be reduced overall. There has been some debate nationally as to whether this standard should be applied as a 99th percentile of the running 24 hour daily means, which was previously proposed in the 1997 National Air Quality Strategy, or as a fixed 24 hour mean which is contained within the EC Air Quality Daughter Directive relating to particulates which was formulated after the Strategy was published. There is a significant difference with regard to which standard is used. The objective in the original 1997 strategy would effectively allow only 4 exceedences of the 50µg m-3 level, whilst the EC Directive permits 35 annual exceedences. In its review in early 2000 the National Air Quality objective was brought into line with the less stringent EC Daughter Directive.
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10.2 NATIONAL TRENDS
Detailed monitoring of PM10 has only been carried out for the last few years, but results have indicated widespread breaches of the objective across the UK. Numerous European Directives aimed at reducing emissions from vehicles and large industrial plant are expected to reduce emissions. However, this is likely to be offset by the continued increase in the numbers of vehicles on UK roads.
10.3 STAGE 1 REVIEW
Particles are likely to be generated from three distinct sources. Primary particles are created as direct products from combustion processes such as motor vehicles and industrial and domestic heating plant. Secondary particles are those that are created due to chemical reactions in the atmosphere. Finally, coarse particles are those produced from non combustion sources such as resuspended road dust, dust from construction and mineral extraction, wind blown dust and soil, pollen and sea salt.
Accurately assessing existing emissions from all of these sources and predicting trends in particle generation until 2004 is not an easy task. There is no predicted national trend for PM10 levels as there are for other pollutants since local sources can potentially play a large role in the levels of particle concentrations in a particular area. However, recent research has indicated as a matter of guidance that breaches of the objectives are anticipated in the following types of location:
• Urban background sites in London. • Areas adjacent to busy roads, in particular those in urban areas. • Areas with significant emissions from domestic solid fuel heating appliances. • Areas in close vicinity to relevant industrial sites
10.3.1 Exposure Locations
Relevant locations are those where a person might reasonably be expected to be exposed over a 24-hour period.
10.3.2 Relevant Information
The guidance on estimating levels requires information to be gathered and analysed from a number of potential particulate sources. The assessment method applying to these outlines a method to determine the potential significance of each possible source.
1.Background Predicted Particulate Concentrations
NETCEN have derived annual background predicted PM10 concentrations for each square kilometre of the UK for 2004. The predicted levels for Charnwood lie in the range 21.2 to 23.0 µg m-3 .
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2.Road Traffic Emissions
TG4 (00) provides a basic methodology for assessing the risk of PM10 emissions from road traffic, based on a simplified version of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges.
Each of the main road links identified within the Borough were reviewed against this screening method taking the facade of the nearest residential building to represent the relevant receptor point. A summary of the findings of the road links considered as potentially significant by this screening method is outlined below:
Table 9. Road links identified as potentially significant sources of PM10 based on the method described in TG4 (00
Road Link Reason M1, junctions 23 to 23A HGV proportion>12% Traffic flow>5,000 vehicles/day Residential property within 100m of road A512, M1 roundabout to Old Ashby Traffic flow>30,000 vehicles/day -3 Rd, Loughborough Background NO2 concentration 22 µg m A6 Shelthorpe Road to Quorn Traffic flow>32,000 vehicles/day roundabout Background NO2 concentration 21.7µg m-3
All of these roads will require further assessment as part of the Stage 2/3 process.
3.Domestic Solid Fuel Use
The contribution of emissions from large quantities of low level domestic solid fuel appliances is known in some parts of the Country to be of considerable significance with respect to local PM10 concentrations. The guidance provides a method to determine the potential significance of such sources to lead to breaches of the EC Limit Value contained in the Daughter Directive. The method requires the population density of each conurbation in the Borough to be determined along with the proportion of households burning coal. Based on the number of people living in coal burning households, the size of the town/village and the predicted background concentration of PM10 in 2004, a look up table in the guidance allows the significance of domestic coal burning to be assessed. A summary of the data relating to Charnwood is outlined in Appendix 6 . From this calculation domestic coal burning is not considered to be a significant risk in contributing to breaches of the EC Limit Value contained in the Daughter Directive.
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4.Industrial Emissions
The guidance lists a variety of industrial operations considered to have the potential to emit significant quantities of particulates. Summarised below are those processes within Charnwood that fall within these catagories:
1. Relevant Part A prescribed processes under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 a) AstraZenica, Bakewell Road, Loughborough (organic chemical manufacture, Authorisation AX3991). b) AstraZenica, Bakewell Road, Loughborough c) (Large boiler plant, Authorisation BA0790). d) Fisher Scientific, Bishop Meadow Road, Loughborough (inorganic chemical manufacture, Authorisation AO2639). e) Trent Valley Water Systems, Kiernan Drive, Loughborough (inorganic chemical manufacture, Authorisation AQ3385)
TG4 (00) provides a screening method to determine the potential significance of these processes in contributing to local particulate concentrations.
Data is available regarding the emissions of particles from all of the Part A prescribed processes. Data on emissions from the organic and inorganic chemical manufacturing sites can be derived from the public registers relating to each site.
The public register emissions inventory relating to the AstraZenica organic chemical plant indicates that no emissions of particles were detected in 1997, 1998 or 1999. The process can therefore be seen to be of little consequence to local levels of PM10 and need not be considered further.
The inorganic manufacturing plant at Fischer Scientific is recorded as having two emission points capable of generating particles. In the three years of 1995 to 1997 these points are recorded as having generated a total of only 21.2kg of particles between them. No particle emissions have been detected since 1997. This data has been confirmed by independent stack testing commissioned by the Environment Agency. The process can therefore be seen to be of little consequence to local levels of PM10 and need not be considered further.
No data is available regarding the particle emissions from the Trent Valley Water site. The process does not have any emission limits stipulated by the Environment Agency as part of its IPC authorisation and as such it is not believed to emit particles from the process. The process can therefore be seen to be of little consequence to local levels of PM10 and need not be considered further.
The large boiler plant at AstraZenica has not yet been fully commissioned. As part of the application for authorisation under IPC the company submitted an assessment of PM10 emissions from the plant based on the ADMS Urban computer model. This assessment predicted the maximum ground level mrh//gen/aqrst1.doc 13/07/2011 Page 49
concentrations against the objectives in the 1997 National Air Quality Strategy. This modelling was used to impose conditions as part of the IPC authorisation designed to ensure that the plant did not cause or contribute to a breach of the objectives. A summary of the model results is outlined below:
Table 10. Summary of ADMS Urban predictions of ground level PM10 impacts of the large boiler plant at AstraZenica Ltd
Fuel Type Max 24hr Mean 99% ile 24 hr Predicted mean Background Oil 3.91μg m-3 1.83μg m-3 21.6μg m-3 Gas 0.78μg m-3 0.37μg m-3 21.6μg m-3
There are no other significant sources of PM10 within the considered area that are likely to exceed the 1 μg m-3 maximum 24-hour mean contribution from the boiler plant. The process can therefore be seen to be of little consequence to local levels of PM10 and need not be considered further.
2. Relevant Part B prescribed processes under the Environmental Protection Act 1990
a) MQP Quarry, Newtown Linford Road, Groby (Quarry and roadstone coating process, Authorisation No.015) b) MQP Quarry, Ashby Road West, Shepshed (Quarry process, Authorisation No.016) c) Redland Aggregates Ltd, Mountsorrel Quarry, Loughborough Road, Mountsorrel (Quarry process and roadstone coating process, Authorisation No.021)
Emissions from the quarrying activities at the three sites above can all be considered to constitute fugitive and uncontrolled emission sources and are discussed later in this Chapter.
Calculations to identify the potential significance of emissions from the two chimney stacks serving the road stone coating plant at the Mountsorrel quarry and the one stack at the Groby quarry were carried out in line with the guidance in paragraphs 8.27 to 8.34 of TG4 (00). The results of these calculations are summarised in table 11 below:
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Table 11. Assessment of PM10 emissions from roadstone coating plant
Mountsorrel Batch Mounsorrel Groby Quarry plant Standard Haven plant plant Effective 18m 30.2m 17.1m Stack Height Stack 0.8m 1.9m 0.91m Diameter Discharge 105 oC 145 oC 70 oC Temperatur e Average 59.6 mg m-3 23.6 mg m-3 20 mg m-3 Discharge rate Annual 2.2 tonnes per year 2.4 tonnes per year 0.086 tonnes per year Average PM discharge “Significant” 0.8 tonnes per year 9.5 tonnes per year 3.7 tonnes per year discharge rate (from TG4 (00)
Based on this data further assessment needs to be made of the significance to local air quality of the Mountsorrel batch plant.
3. Uncontrolled and Fugitive Emissions
A number of activities are known to generate substantial quantities of particulates in the form of uncontrolled emissions. Such sources include mineral extraction and stockpiling, landfill sites, materials handling operations and long term construction operations. Most of the relatively large particles from these sources will not be transported far by the wind before falling out due to gravity. The guidance does produce some basic criteria to review such sites to determine their likelihood to give rise to significant particulate emissions. Table 12 below summarises the principal sources of uncontrolled emissions within the Borough, and a brief assessment of their potential significance in line with the guidance contained in paragraphs 8.35 and 8.36 of TG4 (00):
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Table 12. Summary of the significant sources of fugitive particles in Charnwood
Site Circumstances Background PM10 Significance (μg m-3) Mountsorre Properties 200-400m 21.5 No l landfill away no previous complaints Charnwood Non operational 22.1 No landfill Bradgate Properties more than 21.8 No landfill 400m away Ennemix Properties more than N/A No sand & 400m away gravel British Enclosed source No Gypsum Swithland Properties 200-400m 21.4 No sand & away no previous gravel complaints Hathern Non operational No sand & gravel Flesh Hovel Non operational No sand & gravel Wanlip Properties 200-400m 21.9 No sand & away no previous gravel complaints MQP Properties 200-400m 22.1 No Charnwood away no previous quarry complaints MQP Groby Properties more than No quarry 400m away LaFarge Properties within 21.5 Yes Redland 200m of relevant Mountsorre working areas. Some l quarry previous complaints
Most of the fugitive sources of particles within Charnwood can therefore be seen as insignificant with regard to their likely contributions to breaches of the air quality objective. Only the Mountsorrel quarry falls within the criteria of the Stage 1 review and assessment, which indicates potentially significant emissions.
Determining the impact of the Mountsorrel quarry on local air quality is very difficult. Emissions derived from fugitive sources on the site cannot be predicted and the large quantity of historical data regarding monitoring with dust deposit gauges cannot be used to assist in this process. mrh//gen/aqrst1.doc 13/07/2011 Page 52
A very rough prediction process was therefore carried out using ADMS Urban software. The method was based on a similar process used at the nearby Bardon quarry by North West Leicestershire District Council as part of their review and assessment. Each significant piece of plant on the site with the potential to act as an emission point was included on the model and assumed to -3 be continuously emitting PM10 at a rate of 50mg m at a nominal emission height of 2 metres above ground level. The model was then run to determine its predicted effects on the nearest receptor point, namely number 55 Hawcliffe Road, using meteorological data from 1996. The results are summarised in the following table:
Table 13. Summary of impact of fugitive PM10 emissions on 55 Hawcliffe Road, Mountsorrel
-3 Measurement Average PM10 level-(μg m ) Annual mean 20.97 Max daily mean 72.68 No. of daily means >50μg m-3 13 Max hourly mean 143.57
10.4 STAGE 1 CONCLUSIONS
The stage 1 review indicates that a small number of road sources have the potential to lead to a breach of the objectives for PM10. It is therefore conceivable that there may be failures to achieve the 24-hour mean objective particularly in close proximity to the major road networks. However, any areas affected by road traffic emissions of particulates will also be more significantly affected by NO2 from this type of source. It is therefore intended to absorb any areas of exceedence within the stage 3 review of nitrogen dioxide.
The stage 1 review indicated that two of the three roadstone coating plant within the Borough could be considered as insignificant as regards their emissions of PM10. The third plant could not be properly assessed using the GSS model and so further more complex modelling is required.
It is considered that it is impossible to accurately predict the air quality levels around a large area source such as the Mountsorrel quarry. However, very rough computer modelling indicates that the objectives are likely to be met. This computer modelling must be backed up with more robust monitoring to assist in validating the model. A real time particle analyser is in the process of being installed close to the quarry to make progress with this.
11. STAGE 3 REVIEW
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Stages 1 and 2 of the review and assessment represent a basic method of assessing the liklihood of any possible breaches of the air quality objectives within the Borough and identifying where these are most likely to occur.
Stage 3 review and assessments require further “accurate and detailed” (LAQM.G1 (00) para 2.03) investigations using the best current scientific evidence to precisely predict the likelihood of breaches of the objectives. The same document also concedes that local authorities are not expected to “achieve absolute accuracy in their reviews and assessments of air quality”. This provides a welcome acceptance that the discipline of predicting trends in air quality is not an absolute science but rather a new and developing practice.
There are three principal parts to obtaining sufficient information to allow this process to be completed.
1.Emissions inventory. This involves carrying out an exercise to collate data relating to sources of the seven key pollutants of interest within a particular geographical area of concern. It must be carried out in an organised and meticulous manner in order to generate as high quality data as possible.
2.Monitoring. Monitoring of pollutants for the purpose of a stage 3 review and assessment requires the use of more accurate methods than are used for stages 1 and 2. The methods used must be capable of measuring pollutant concentrations to a level of accuracy within 10% over the relevant averaging period for each pollutant (e.g. 15 minutes for SO2, 1 hour for NO2 etc.). Other methods used for the stage 1 and 2 purposes still perform a useful function at this stage in the assessment, but are not considered to be accurate enough to justify the final determination of an Air Quality Management Area. The monitoring carried out must be quality assured and quality controlled to an acceptable level.
3.Modelling. Appropriate, validated dispersion models must be used to predict current and future air quality. These are complex computer models that use data relating to meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, topography and the nature of the known or predicted emissions to estimate pollution concentrations.
All three of the above factors interact to allow an accurate assessment of air quality to be made. Data from the emissions inventory helps to establish the locations of greatest concern, which in turn allows monitoring locations and areas for modelling to be chosen. Monitoring will establish current pollution levels and can be used to validate predictions made by the model. Modelling can establish the best locations for monitoring, and those areas in which to focus the most energy in producing an accurate emissions inventory.
The work completed during stages 1 and 2 had produced sufficient information to allow the stage 3 review and assessment to focus on the following pollutants and areas;
Nitrogen dioxide and PM10 • Loughborough
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• Thurmaston • Syston • Birstall • M1 corridor • Mountsorrel
Charnwood Borough Council recognised at an early stage in the review and assessment process that the science of ambient pollution prediction was still in its infancy. As with any form of scientific prediction many uncertainties come into play, and it is known that relatively minor changes in certain important parameters can substantially influence any outcomes. Accurate prediction of short-term weather trends proves difficult enough as any weather presenter will testify. It therefore goes without saying that predicting hour-by-hour trends in pollution levels in five years time is an immensely difficult task. The Council took the view that every effort should be made during the third stage review and assessment to achieve where possible the standards laid down by the DETR for this part of the process. It was recognised that the information would form the baseline for future work to enhance on the precision of this review and assessment process and thus predict future pollution trends with greater accuracy.
The following work was undertaken during 1999 to facilitate the completion of the stage 3 review:
11.1 Emissions Inventory
Traffic sources Regular liaison with the Leicestershire County Council and The Highways agency established a database relating to traffic movement on all of the major arterial roads through the Borough. This information was used initially as part of the stage 2 screening process and then fed into the modelling described below.
Point sources Discussions with agencies with experience of modelling work helped identify those specific types of source that were likely to have a significant influence on air quality. It also enabled other sources, such as the emissions from domestic heating, to be discounted at an early stage and thus saved a lot of wasted effort in obtaining information relating to these. The very large individual industrial sources that may have led to breaches of the objectives on their own had been identified through the stage 1 and 2 process. As a follow on from this it was considered necessary to also identify any other potential point sources that may act in tandem with these to cause breaches. This involved scouring the public register of processes authorised for control under part 1 of the Environmental Protection Act for any activities considered likely to generate significant NO2 or PM10 emissions. Enquiries were also made with local industry to establish the existence of any boiler plant of net rated thermal capacity greater than 1.5MW (5million BTU) as evidence from Leicester City Council demonstrated that any boiler plant below such a capacity had no effect on the model predictions. The enquiries were based on Environmental Protection Officers knowledge of the area and information derived from file documents relating to chimney height calculations and complaint investigations. Appendix 7 provides a
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summary of the data received from this inventory of large combustion plant.
11.2 MONITORING
From the completed stage 2 review and assessment it was evident that monitoring of NO2, PM10 and SO2 would be necessary to determine the concentration of these pollutants at the following locations; • Loughborough • Thurmaston • Syston • Birstall • M1 corridor
At the time of this report Charnwood is monitoring pollutants at the following locations:
Table 14. Location of all existing pollution monitoring locations within Charnwood as of June 2000
Pollutant Technique Location NO2 Chemilluminescence Durham Road, Loughborough Diffusion tube Leicester Road, Loughborough Cotswold Close, Loughborough Beacon Rd, Loughborough Rosebery St, Loughborough Southfields, Loughborough Ratcliffe Rd, Loughborough Shelthorpe Rd, Loughborough Snells Nook Lodge, Loughborough Forest Rd, Loughborough Nottingham Rd, Loughborough Market Place, Loughborough Britannia St, Shepshed Ashby Rd Central, Shepshed Shepshed Lodge, Shepshed Loughborough Rd, Hathern Melton Rd, Syston Leicester Western Bypass, Syston Loughborough Rd, Birstall Bentleys Roses, A6, Birstall The Nook, Anstey Melton Rd, Rearsby Humberstone Lane, Thurmaston
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Pollutant Technique Location SO2 UV fluorescence Durham Road, Loughborough Diffusion tube Wolsey Way, Loughborough Cattle Market, Loughborough Active sampler Melton Road, Thurmaston PM10 TEOM Durham Road, Loughborough Osiris dust monitor Various
In 1999, Charnwood Borough Council purchased a real time monitoring station using NETCEN “type tested” equipment including the following monitors; • TEOM ambient particulate monitor • Chemi-luminescence nitrogen oxides analyser • Ultra violet fluorescence sulphur dioxide analyser.
The commissioning of the station has been subject to a number of delays and the station did not finally become operational until July 2000. The data from this station would have been of great value to this report since with no local real time data to use, validation of the model used was based on data derived from monitoring stations in Leicester (see next section). Future revisions of this report should, however, benefit from results provided by the station.
Historically Charnwood Borough Council has operated two sulphur dioxide samplers. Unfortunately, one had to be removed from its existing location in 1999 and the authority is still trying to find a suitable location at which to re-commission this monitor.
Following the completion of the stage 2 review and assessment in September 1999 Charnwoods’ existing monitoring network was revised and expanded. Nitrogen dioxide diffusion tubes were located at new sites in areas identified by DMRB as being at risk of exceeding the annual mean objective. Sulphur dioxide diffusion tubes were also deployed to provide indicative data relating to a point source at the Great Central Railway and to provide comparable background levels in Loughborough town centre. All of these generate results as monthly averages.
Since September 1999 the NO2 tubes have been supplied and analysed by Gradko Ltd. The quality control techniques used by Charnwood are in compliance with the UK NO2 Survey Instruction Manual with the exception that blank tubes are not used. It is understand that Gradko have applied for UKAS accreditation reflecting their confidence in the quality of their analysis. The most recently published (1998) UK NO2 Network survey indicated that Gradko had performed well against test standards of solution doped tests and are within the 25% acceptance range of such test methods.
The Osiris PM10 monitor is not “type tested” and it is not therefore appropriate to base any stage 3 decisions on the results from this equipment. It is, however, useful for indicative purposes. The monitor has to date been used primarily for short term monitoring exercises in various locations to investigate nuisance type complaints of dust or smoke emissions. The results of these are not appropriate for discussion in this document. The monitor is likely to be used in the future for longer term monitoring
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around one of the quarries within the Borough.
The sulphur dioxide diffusion tubes are also supplied and analysed by Gradko Ltd. DETR technical guidance does not mention these or indicate the quality of data to be expected from them. The data generated is considered to be useful for indicative purposes, but not on which to base stage 3 decisions.
The operational 8-port sulphur dioxide monitor is operated in accordance with the UK smoke and SO2 Network Instruction Manual with data analysis carried out by AEA Technology. The location has been used historically for monitoring of background urban concentrations.
11.3 MODELLING
In determining which was the appropriate model to use the Council made reference to the DETR Technical Guidance Note TG3 (00) “ Selection and Use of Dispersion Models”. In conjunction with other members of the Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Air Quality Forum it was decided to utilise existing resources held by Leicester City Council to carry out the modelling. Leicester City Council were therefore contracted to carry out the modelling for Charnwood using the AirViro dispersion model.
The benefits of using Leicester City Council as a joint resource were obvious. It ensured that all authorities in Leicestershire used the same model, bringing a consistency to the results even down to including the same inaccuracies. Leicester were also experienced in using the model and had achieved a good rate of success in matching predicted results from the model to those obtained from monitoring within the city.
The model operated by the City Council is in a permanent state of development as air quality practitioners introduce incremental improvements into the model. Initially modelling was undertaken to determine predicted concentrations of particulate and nitrogen dioxide based on the objectives contained in the 1997 National Air Quality Strategy. The Air Quality Regulations changed these objectives in early 2000. In order to provide adequate time for all model runs to be completed and to allow appropriate amendments to be made to the model, participating local authorities decided to focus on determining the predicted annual average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide. The objective for this was generally considered the most likely to be breached due to road traffic emissions, and therefore any area needing to be declared as an Air Quality Management Area due to annual average NO2 levels would probably also cover areas subjected to maximum hourly NO2 breaches and breaches of the 24 hour mean PM10 objective.
11.3.1 The AIRVIRO Dispersion Model.
a) Description of the Model
AIRVIRO is a Swedish dispersion model, originally developed by INDIC, but now
mrh//gen/aqrst1.doc 13/07/2011 Page 58 distributed, supported, and further developed by the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI). The model is capable of grid, gaussian, or canyon dispersion calculations. The model operates on a UNIX workstation, and includes modules for data collection, dispersion calculations and an emissions database. Dispersion calculations are performed in the Dispersion Module, using meteorological data collected from the Leicester meteorological mast together with emissions data from the emissions database. Emission sources for modelling using AIRVIRO are defined as point (e.g. industrial and commercial buildings), line (roads), or area (residential estates, or large industrial) sources.
The Leicester AIRVIRO model can be run on either a City or County map, zooming into a smaller area where greater detail is required. Emissions from sources within the entire selected map area are used for the dispersion calculations: even where the zoom function has been used to select a smaller area for any subsequent post modelling display. b) Model Inputs
1.Emissions Data. The model includes several databases, each of which includes details of emissions from each identified source in the database. Most databases include source and emission details from a specific year using particular emission factors (including databases that predict emissions for 2005). Emissions factors from both the Institute for Traffic Studies (University of Leeds) and the London Research Centre (LRC) were included in different databases. LRC factors were used for all review and assessment runs. The time varying emissions of NOx, PM10, CO, SO2, CO2, VOC’s and C6H6 were calculated for each individual source in the entire database.
2.Traffic (line source data): - Hourly emissions for each link of a length of road are used by AIRVIRO for dispersion calculations. Hourly traffic flows are derived from daily average flows by applying the known flow pattern for the particular road type used to classify the link under consideration. Hourly flows are multiplied by a pollutant specific emission factor for each vehicle type included in the model database to obtain an emission rate at different speeds (in steps of 10 km per hour). Traffic flows were obtained from both the County Council and the Highways Agency. The emission factors used were obtained from the London Research Centre.
The emissions factors for six different vehicle types identified by the LRC were used in the emission database. The vehicle types, as classified in the model, together with definitions are as follows:
BUS……………….Buses DIE-C……………..Diesel cars HGV………………Heavy Goods Vehicles LGV-D……………Light Goods Vehicles with diesel engines LGV-P………….…Light Goods Vehicles with Petrol Engines PET…..……………Petrol Cars
Petrol cars were not classified according to those with or without a catalytic converter, since the emission factors used accounted for the proportion of each within the overall petrol car fleet. mrh//gen/aqrst1.doc 13/07/2011 Page 59
3.Traffic Flow data: -The data for modelling the air quality review and assessment was obtained from baseline data held by the County Council and the various Highways Agencies. Both provided count data for the significant larger road lengths in the Borough. The count data was obtained in various years between 1995 and 1999. In a number of instances there was more than one data set relating to each of the road lengths. In these instances the largest of the counts were taken in order not to underestimate emissions. A numerical factor, based on guidance from the County Councils Transport Engineers, was then applied to each of these counts to provide predicted variations in traffic flows on each of the roads for 2005. Data produced by the County Council also related to the proportion of the flow on each road of the six vehicle types described above. No changes in the vehicle type mix were assumed when factoring up the flows to 2005.
4.Point Source data: Only one point source has been included on the AirViro model. The stage 2 review established that there are no significant point sources of nitrogen dioxide within the Borough that are likely to lead to a breach of the objectives. Similarly no point sources are considered likely to act in conjunction with other sources to lead to a breach. The point source that was included was a proposed thermal catalyst due to be installed at Anstey Wallpaper Ltd, Beeches Road, Loughborough. The plant has caused some local concern and is relatively close to the A6 corridor through Loughborough. It was therefore considered to have the potential to influence local air quality in combination with emissions from the road. The following information was obtained in relation to this source:
Dynamic information - predicted emissions data including time and seasonal variations.
Static information - stack details including location, stack dimensions and flue gas temperature.
Emissions data - predicted emissions rates based on the authorisation conditions.
The model was also used to derive PM10 predictions for the roadstone coating plant identified as being a potentially significant source through the stage 2 study. In order to generate meaningful results from this, information relating to both of the plant on the Mountsorrel site was included as was data relating to the nearby A6 road link. Background PM10 levels for the area were taken from the NETCEN national maps and the model was run to determine maximum daily PM10 emissions and annual averages based on 1996 metereological data. c) Model Validation
Due to the absence of type tested monitoring data for Charnwood, the model validation used by Leicester was also applied to the Charnwood model. The following is an extract from the review and assessment produced by Leicester City Council relating to the validation technique used.
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11.3.2 Extract from Leicester City Council review and assessment: National Society for Clean Air (NSCA) method for running AIRVIRO model 21/05/00
Roadside Stations
Following the approach outlined in the NSCA guidance document, the monitored and modelled annual mean values were compared at each of the roadside monitoring stations. A factor was derived at each of the stations, which represented the systematic error in the model prediction. An average correction factor of 1.36 was calculated and this was used to correct the raw data from the output model and bring it into line with the measured values. By plotting the measured and the corrected- modelled values, a best-fit line was then produced. The equation of this line was then used to give a final correction to the modelled data, and give a better fit between modelled and measured data. The following table and graph demonstrates the result of this approach:
Station Measured Modelled Correction Corrected Final Concentration concentration factor for bias model corrected Model Abbey 25.74 22.2 1.16 34.41 34 Lane
Imperial 39.21 21.3 1.84 33.01 33 Avenue
Melton 33.36 23.8 1.40 36.89 37 Road
Glenhills 36.07 20 1.80 31 31 Way
Average 34 22 1.55 34.1 result
M onitored against Corrected M odel for Roadside Sites
40 m odelled 35 corrected m odel
30
25 y = -0.1094x + 25.5 20 y = -0.1697x + 39.56
15 20 25 30 35 40 45 mrh//gen/aqrst1.doc 13/07/2011 Page 61
A scatter plot of measured and modelled concentrations shows that some of the bias within the modelled values has been accounted for. However, despite the corrections that have been applied, the model is still showing a significant negative bias at the roadside stations. This means that the model is continuing to underpredict the measured values. It is difficult to take further account of this because of the limited amount of monitoring data that are only available for 1 year. This bias therefore remains within the model predictions. A regression analysis was then carried out to assess the uncertainty within the modelling. This should account for random errors and associated uncertainty within the model.
U = SD/mean of monitored data U= 1.47/34 =0.04
SDM=U x AQ STANDARD =0.04 x 21 =0.84
The AQ contours to be applied for roadside sites are as follows:
Station Corrected Contours Assessment model Abbey Lane 34 24 +2SD Probably will exceed objective Imperial Avenue 33 22 +1SD Uncertainty Melton Road 37 21 AQ
Glenhills Way 31 20 -1SD Uncertainty
18 -2SD Probably will not exceed objective
These contours are to be applied to the corrected model output.
Background Stations
The NSCA approach was again adopted for the background sites. There are fewer background monitoring stations (3), and so the method departs slightly from that used for the roadside sites.
Station Measured Modelled Correction Corrected Model factor for bias Basset Street 20.63 22.7 0.91 19.07
Marydene 11.53 14.3 0.81 12.01 Drive
AUN 21.63 27.3 0.79 22.93
Average 17.93 21.43 0.84 18.00
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In contrast to the roadside sites, the model is overpredicting at the background sites, and is more precise at estimating the monitored values. This means that the corrected model values are very close to the measured values, and the scatter plot indicates that correction has accounted for most of the bias within the model.
Further uncertainties within the model must now be accounted for. As there are only 3 of these sites, it is not possible to carry out a regression analysis. The NSCA guidance document provides listed U values, and the standard deviation of the model can then be calculated.
SDM = 0.15 x 21 = 3.15
The air quality contours to be applied to the corrected model output for background sites are therefore as follows:
Station Corrected Contours Assessment Model Basset Street 19 +2SD 27 Probably will exceed objective Marydene Drive 12 +1SD 24 Uncertainty AUN 23 AQ 21 -1SD 18 Uncertainty
-2SD 15 Probably will not exceed objective
Monitored against Corrected Model for background sites
corrected model 35.00 30.00 modelled y = 0.9551x + 0.7893 25.00 20.00 15.00 10.00 y = 1.1427x + 0.9444 5.00 0.00 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
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13. CONCLUSIONS
Perhaps not unsurprisingly for a new technique still very much in its infancy, the process of carrying out the review and assessment of air quality has generated more questions than it has produced answers. The methods applied have evolved rapidly and continuously since the project was started in early 1998 and all parties involved from central government to local air quality practitioners accept that this will continue to happen.
The results of this report must therefore be seen in context. The findings are not intended to be an absolute statement of fact. They are a ‘best guess’ that can be made at this point in time but they are still valuable tools to be used to influence local and regional policy to promote improvements in air quality.
The findings of the review and assessment can best be summarised as follows;
1) There is no indication to suggest that levels of pollution of benzene, 1,3 butadiene, lead, or carbon monoxide are having or are likely to have an impact on human health within the Borough of Charnwood.
2) There is evidence to suggest that levels of nitrogen dioxide will not generally breach the air quality objectives other than in close vicinity (within 10 to 20 meters) of roadside locations along the following road lengths; • The A6 corridor through Loughborough and Birstall. • The M1 corridor through the borough. • Ashby Road, Alan Moss Road and the Epinal Way in Loughborough. • Newark Road in Thurmaston • Melton Road in Syston
3) There is no current evidence that the objectives for sulphur dioxide are being breached. However, the authority remains concerned that the as yet unquantified emissions from the Great Central Railway may have a significant impact on air quality in its immediate viscinity.
4) There is no current evidence that the objectives for PM10 will be breached. However, Charnwood Borough Council remains concerned that traffic
derived PM10 will impact on the same areas as is predicted for traffic derived nitrogen dioxide.
5) The findings summarised above are based on available data up until June 2000. They do not take account of the additional development proposed in the Deposit Plan, nor the likely effect of measures included in the Local Transport Plans to improve public transport facilities and opportunities for cycling and walking in the Borough. It is intended to carry out a repeat assessment in the forthcoming year that will seek to take account of proposed development and Local Transport Plan initiatives to predict the likely impact on air quality trends within the Borough. As proposals are implemented regular ongoing monitoring will enable any impacts on air quality in the Borough to be identified.
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14. RECOMMENDATIONS
1) That the Charnwood Borough Council consider issuing Air Quality Management Orders with respect to the areas outlined in figure 14.1 below. The decision as to whether to issue any or all of these Orders should be taken following the action described in points 2 to 4 below.
2) That the findings of this report be the subject of a public consultation exercise to include all relevant stakeholders and interested parties. The purpose of the exercise should be to explain the findings of the review and assessment and to determine the level of community support to the action proposed in point 1) above.
3) That a further review and assessment be carried out over the next 12 months to determine the impact of the proposals in the Charnwood Local Plan on future air quality trends.
4) That any relevant pollution monitoring and modelling be carried out to more accurately determine the local air quality impacts of the Great Central Railway and the LaFarge Redlands quarry at Mountsorrel.
5) That the existing air pollution-monitoring network in Charnwood be reviewed in the light of the findings of the review and assessment in order to produce results that most accurately assist all future reviews.
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14.1 Proposed Air Quality Management Areas
The following are a list of the land and properties proposed to be covered by Air Quality Management Areas within the Borough of Charnwood.
LOUGHBOROUGH
The land within the following highways including all publicly owned land within 10 meters of the kerbside of each; Leicester Road (Crematorium entrance OS map reference 454465E / 318292N to High Street) High Street Swan Street The Rushes Derby Road (The Rushes to Warwick Way) Warwick Way Epinal Way (Warwick Way to Forest Road) Ashby Road (Greenclose Lane to Epinal Way) Alan Moss Road (Epinal Way to Derby Road) Greenclose Lane Belton Road Ratcliffe Road Nottingham Road (Ratcliffe Road to Queens Road)
In addition the residential land of all the following addresses along those road lengths described above; Leicester Road – All properties High Street – All properties Swan Street – All properties The Rushes – All properties Derby Road – All properties Ratcliffe Road – All properties Alan Moss Road numbers 117 – 123 (odd ) numbers 154 & 156 Haydon Road numbers 1 & 2 Ashby Road numbers 31 to 75 ( odd ), 217 & 219 numbers 12 – 48, 62 – 108, 216 ( even ) Field House Belton Road numbers 1 – 46 Meadow Lane numbers 130 –134 (even)
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BIRSTALL The residential land of all the following addresses.
Saltersgate Drive numbers 61, 65, 69, 73, 77, 81 & 85
SYSTON
The land of the A607 highway between the junctions with Wanlip Road and High Street, Syston including all publicly owned land within 10 meters of the kerbside of the highway.
In addition the residential land of all the following addresses along the road lengths described. Melton Road, Syston numbers 1108-1126, 1182-1190, 1238-1260 (even) numbers 0191-1109, 1121-1141, 1163 (odd) Midland Railway Hotel Sandford Road 2A
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15. EXISTING COUNCIL POLICIES INFLUENCING AIR QUALITY
THE COUNCIL’S VISION:
The Borough Council’s vision for Charnwood is of a Borough where everyone enjoys the highest achievable quality of life in respect of housing, work, health and the environment. One of the Council’s key strategic objectives is to improve the quality of life in the Borough by ensuring that proposals to meet current needs in Charnwood are sustainable, and that plans take fully into account the environmental, social and economic effects of proposed actions.
Local Transport Plan
For the Charnwood area there are two relevant Local Transport Plans (LTP’s). The Central Leicestershire LTP is focused on Leicester and includes the southern Charnwood villages. The Leicestershire LTP covers the remainder of the County including that part of Charnwood falling outside Central Leicestershire.
LTP’s are a key part of Government’s proposals for achieving an integrated transport system to tackle the problems of congestion and pollution. The LTP sets out the strategies of the local Highway Authorities for delivering local transport locally and is a mechanism for local authorities to bid to central Government for capital funds for transport improvement and maintenance. It is important to emphasise the important links between transport policies and land use policies as a vital element of an integrated transport policy.
A key objective of both LTP’s is to seek to improve health through improvements in air quality. One of the aims of the Central Leicestershire LTP is to provide for more energy efficient, healthier and less polluting movement. The LTPs include a range of measures, including land use planning initiatives, transport measures and partnerships, promotion and campaigning as part of a strategy for reducing the impact of transport on air quality.
Charnwood Local Plan
At a national level, planning policy guidance emphasises the link between land use planning and transport and the scope to influence the scale of greenhouse gas emissions and air quality through locational policies designed to:
• reduce the growth in the length and number of motorised journeys;
• encourage alternative means of travel which have less environmental impact; and hence
• reduce the reliance on the private car.
Guidance advises local planning authorities in preparing their local plans to have regard to not only the traditional environmental concerns but also to more recent issues such as the effect of policies on global warming and the consumption of non renewable resources.
The Deposit Draft Borough of Charnwood Local Plan pursues a strategy that has at its heart sustainable development concepts. One of the key aims of the Plan’s strategy is to encourage
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patterns of development which minimise the emission of pollutants and promote the conservation of energy. This objective is primarily addressed through a strategy for the location of development aiming to reduce the dependence on the private car. The Plan seeks to focus new housing and employment development in locations where alternative transport modes are available. Through the location of major development proposals, the Plan has also sought to secure improvements to the public transport network in the Borough. This strategy has resulted in the proposed allocation of two major sites for additional housing development:
• at Loughborough- a southern extension for some 720 houses which will help deliver the Epinal Way extension and enable more efficient bus services along the A6;
• at Birstall- the development of some 600 houses and 4 hectares of employment land along with a park and ride facility and measures to enable more efficient bus services along the A6.
In combination these two major allocations offer the prospect of enabling meaningful Improvements at either end of the A6 corridor to aid the efficiency of bus services operating between Loughborough and Leicester.
The Plan also proposes additional housing at Barrow Upon Soar, Sileby and Syston where the reinstated suburban rail services have delivered improved transport choice options for these communities.
More general policies in the Plan aim to encourage energy efficient housing developments and to support renewable energy initiatives where compatible with landscape and environmental factors.
An independent environmental appraisal of the Local Plan was undertaken by David Tyldesley and Associates in 1997. This concluded that the broad locational principles of the Local Plan were environmentally sound and should contribute towards sustainable development in the Borough. For the two major allocations the appraisal concluded there would be generally beneficial effects on energy efficiency and pollution levels. In 1998 a Local Plan Inquiry into objections to the Deposit Plan was held, conducted by an independent Inspector. The Borough Council has now received the report of the Inspector, who has endorsed the overall strategy of the Plan and all but one of the proposed housing allocations. The Council have to consider the Inspector’s recommendations and will publish any necessary Proposed Modifications to the Plan early in 2001.
Action For a Better Charnwood
Action for a Better Charnwood (ABC) is the local response to Agenda 21, the agreement reached by world governments at the Earth Summit in 1992 to work towards sustainable development. ABC is supported by a wide ranging group of local organisations and individuals from the education, community and business sectors. It has been working since 1996 to develop and Action Plan which will help to secure a better quality of life for people who live in, work in or visit Charnwood.
The ABC Action Plan, adopted by Charnwood Borough Council in 1999, addresses Sustainability under five Topic Areas:
• Planning, Natural and Built Environment • Social, Community and Health Care • Waste Minimisation, Recycling, Energy and Pollution
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• Learning and Work • Transport and Access
The issue of local air quality resonates with all five of ABC’s Topic Areas and with many of the detailed concerns which underpin them. The ABC group would see the objectives set for the seven pollutants of most concern to public health as a minimum to strive for on the way to achieving an even better quality of life for Charnwood.
ABC is now moving from policy making into Action using two-pronged approach. Firstly by taking each of the five Topic Areas in turn and applying them Borough-wide, starting with the Transport and Access Topic which has great relevance to AQM. The second line of attack is to address all five Topic Areas focussed on one urban and one rural community (St Peter’s, Loughborough and Sileby Village). Again, air quality, transport and health are major considerations in the focus communities.
Sustainability requires an integrated approach to social, economic and environmental issues and this does not mean a trade-off. Clean air is a prerequisite to the improvement in quality of life sought by ABC and so a strategy such as this which takes systematic steps to evaluate and manage an improvement in air quality has the full support of ABC.
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LIST OF APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1 RESULTS OF BENZENE MONITORING IN CHARNWOOD 1997-1998
APPENDIX 2 PREDICTED TRAFFIC FLOWS ON THE MAIN ROADS IN CHARNWOOD IN 2005
APPENDIX 3 ANNUAL NITROGEN DIOXIDE CONCENTRATION ESTIMATES IN 2005 BASED ON THE DMRB METHODOLOGY
APPENDIX 4 PREDICTED WORST CASE SCENARIO OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE IMPACT FROM THE RATCLIFFE ON SOAR POWER STATION
APPENDIX 5 CALCULATION OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DOMESTIC SOURCES OF PM10
APPENDIX 6 INVENTORY OF LARGE BOILER PLANT IN CHARNWOOD
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APPENDIX 1
RESULTS OF BENZENE MONITORING IN CHARNWOOD 1997/ 99
Annual Average Benzene Results 1997-99
9 8 7 6 1997 5 1998 4 1999
(microg/m3) 3 2 1 Average benzene concentration benzene concentration Average 0 Leicester Ratcliffe Shelthorpe Mar ket Road Road Road Plac e Site
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APPENDIX 2
TRAFFIC FLOWS IN CHARNWOOD BOROUGH
The following are predictions of the traffic flows to be found on all of the significant roads within the Borough in the year 2005. The predictions are based on multiplying traffic count data obtained for each road by a predicted growth factor supplied by Leicestershire County Council. The growth factor depends on the type of road and the year of the original count data.
Road Road links from To No of carriage AADT Designation ways (2005) M1 M1 Junctn 22 M1 Junctn 23 3 100970 M1 M1 Junctn 23 M1 Junctn 23A 3 105559 A512 Thringstone Charnwood Road 1 9001 A512 Charnwood Rd Leicester Rd 1 19970 A512 Leicester Rd M1 roundabout 1 23089 A512 M1 roundabout Old Ashby Rd 1 30691 A512 Old Ashby Rd Epinal Way 2 19997 A512 Epinal Way Broad St 1 16754 A512 Broad St Green Cl 1 15590 B591 Inglenook Rd 1 4227 A6 Hathern Bishop Meadow Rd 1 20702 A6 Bishop Meadow Rd Alan Moss Rd 1 20020 A6 Alan Moss Rd Bridge St 1 22410 A6 Bridge St Baxter Gate 1 23343 A6 Baxter Gate Southfield Rd 1 19867 A6 Southfield Rd King St 1 21154 A6 King St Shelthorpe Rd 1 25859 A6 Shelthorpe Rd Quorn roundabout 1 41856 A6 Quorn roundabout Granite Way 2 30368 A6 Granite Way Rothley 2 30360 A6 Rothley A46 roundabout 2 34694 A6 A46 roundabout Sibson Rd 2 26680 A6 Sibson Rd Red Hill roundabout 1 24386 A46 Glenfield Anstey 2 54711 A46 Anstey A6 roundabout 2 47152 A46 A6 roundabout Syston 2 53365 A46 Syston A607 junction 2 35380 A46 A607 junction B676 junction 2 27477 A60 Rempstone Hoton 1 8349 A60 Hoton Cotes (B676) 1 8071 A60 Cotes (B676) Ratcliffe Rd 1 16086 A60 Ratcliffe Rd Queens Rd 1 16754 A60 Queens Rd Sparrow Hill 1 7621 A607 Rearsby Queniborough 1 16276 A6004 Warwick Way 1 20658 A6004 Warwick Way Alan Moss Rd 2 18677 Road Road links from To No of carriage AADT mrh//gen/aqrst1.doc 13/07/2011 Page 73
Designation ways (2005) A6004 Alan Moss Rd Ashby Rd 2 26660 A6004 Ashby Rd Forest Road 1 25310 A6004 Forest Rd Shelthorpe Rd 1 19699 A6004 Shelthorpe Rd 1 20107 Newark Rd Syston Thurmaston 2 25688 Newark Rd Melton Rd Humberstone Lane 2 42325 Melton Rd Humberstone Lane Leicester 2 41695 Melton Rd A607 Barkby Rd, Syston 1 12294 Melton Rd Barkby Rd, Syston Fosse Way, Syston 1 18369 Melton Rd Fosseway, Syston Newark Road, 1 18599 Thurmaston Melton Rd Newark Rd Humberstone Lane 1 6640 Alan Moss Rd 1 13370 Ratcliffe Rd 1 12106 Belton Rd 1 18002 Broad St 1 11031 A6006 Wymeswold Rempstone 1 7403 A6006 Hathern Sutton Bonnington 1 8715 B676 Burton on the Wolds 1 13300
N.B This data is based on the most current information available to Charnwood Borough Council as of July 1999.
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APPENDIX 4
The following data is a summary of the stage 2 calculations predicting the impact of the annual concentration of nitrogen dioxide from road traffic on the main roads in the Borough upon the nearest receptor point. The predictions are based on the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges model (DMRB) and were generated from a spreadsheet format obtained from the Stanger Science web site (www.stanger.co.uk/airqual/modelhlp). Flow = annual average hourly traffic flow % HGV = percentage of heavy goods vehicles in the total flow KmPH = average velocity of traffic in kilometres per hour Background = predicted background concentration of NO2
Road From Kerb to Flow % HGVKmPH Back NO2 Designation receptor ground (m) M1 M1 Junctn 22 70 4210 17 113 33.6 45.0 M1 Junctn 23 130 4402 17 113 36.3 30.7 A512 Thringstone 10 375 9 64 No data N/A Charnwood Rd 10 833 9 48 29.2 37.0 Leicester Rd 10 963 13 24 31.3 44.3 M1 roundabout 10 1280 7 48 33.6 41.6 Old Ashby Rd 10 834 7 48 35.1 36.4 Epinal Way 5 699 4 32 28 29.7 Broad St 5 650 4 32 28.1 29.2 B591 Inglenook Rd 20 176 12 64 A6 Hathern 5 863 7 48 31.2 34.8 Bishop Meadow Rd 10 835 7 48 31.2 35.1 Alan Moss Rd 10 934 7 24 27.9 40.5 Bridge St 5 973 7 24 27.9 39.9 Baxter Gate 5 828 7 24 27.9 37.4 Southfield Rd 5 882 7 24 27.9 38.4 King St 5 1078 7 24 26.4 41.5 Shelthorpe Rd 10 1745 6 48 26.4 41.9 Quorn roundabout 10 1266 5 97 24.7 36.7 Granite Way 40 1266 8 97 23.4 27.5 Rothley 5 1447 9 97 29.1 45.2 A46 roundabout 10 1113 9 48 35.7 41.6 Sibson Rd 10 1017 9 48 42.6 43.1 A46 Glenfield 175 2281 11 113 27.7 19.8 Anstey 50 1966 11 113 32.8 37.0 A6 roundabout 90 2225 11 97 29.7 26.8 Syston 20 1475 11 97 26.7 44.7 A607 junction 50 1146 11 113 23 26.5 A60 Rempstone 10 348 6 64 21.9 Hoton 5 337 6 64 Cotes (B676) 5 671 6 48 24.8 29.4 Ratcliffe Rd 5 699 6 24 24.8 32.9
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Road From Kerb to Flow % HGVKmPH Back NO2 Designation receptor ground (m) Queens Rd 5 318 6 24 28.6 A607 Rearsby 5 679 10 48 21.5 32.3 A6004 Warwick Way 20 861 5 32 27.4 31.7 Warwick Way 20 779 5 32 28.1 30.9 Alan Moss Rd 10 1112 5 32 28.1 35.3 Ashby Rd 10 1055 5 32 28.1 36.6 Forest Rd 10 821 5 32 28.1 33.0 Shelthorpe Rd 10 838 5 32 28.1 33.4 Newark Rd Syston 20 1071 5 81 28.9 31.3 Melton Rd 20 1765 5 48 35.7 39.4 Humberstone Lane 20 1739 5 48 35.7 38.8 Syston, A607 10 513 5 48 24.3 24.6 Melton Rd Barkby Rd 10 766 5 32 28.9 32.9 Fosseway 10 776 5 48 28.9 31.5 Thurmaston Melton Rd 5 277 5 32 23.8 L’bro Alan Moss Rd 10 558 5 48 28.1 26.8 Ratcliffe Rd 5 505 5 16 26.4 30.7 Belton Rd 10 751 5 32 27.9 32.2 Broad St 5 460 4 48 27.9 24.7
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APPENDIX 5
The map below represents the maximum predicted ground level concentrations of sulphur dioxide arising from the Ratcliffe on Soar power station.
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mrh//gen/aqrst1.doc 13/07/2011 APPENDIX 5
CALCULATION OF ESTIMATED EMISSIONS OF PM10 FROM DOMESTIC SOURCES Stage 1 Calculation of PM10 Emissions From Domestic Sources LOCATION AREA TYPE AREA KM sqd POP'N DENSITY OPEN SPACE (%) % Coal Use D Threshold Wymeswold Small village (=1km2) 35 0.35 1159 3311.429 0.05 0.1 122 1100 Hathern Small village (<1km2) 45 0.45 1919 4264.444 0.00 0.1 192 1100 Burton Small village (<1km2) 27 0.27 1012 3748.148 0.06 0.1 108 1100 Loughborough Small town (=16km2) 1624 16.24 4192 258.1281 0.14 0.1 487 750 Shepshed Small village (<1km2) 333 3.33 4098 1230.631 0.11 0.1 460 1100 Barrow Small village (<1km2) 162 1.62 5256 3244.444 0.09 0.1 578 1100 Quorn Small village (<1km2) 161 1.61 5159 3204.348 0.09 0.1 567 1100 Woodhose Eaves Small village (<1km2) 61 0.61 1812 2970.492 0.07 0.1 195 1100 Mountsorrel Small village (<1km2) 233 2.33 4180 1793.991 0.14 0.1 486 1100 Sileby Small village (<1km2) 163 1.63 4186 2568.098 0.09 0.1 460 1100 Rearsby Small village (<1km2) 42 0.42 967 2302.381 0.08 0.1 105 1100 East Goscote Small village (<1km2) 73 0.73 3010 4123.288 0.12 0.1 342 1100 Cossington Small village (<1km2) 16 0.16 680 4250 0.04 0.1 71 1100 Rothley Small village (<1km2) 140 1.40 3281 2343.571 0.14 0.1 382 1100 Thurcaston Small village (<1km2) 81 0.81 2040 2518.519 0.07 0.1 219 1100 Syston Small village (<1km2) 297 2.97 3550 1195.286 0.13 0.1 408 1100 Queniborough Small village (<1km2) 71 0.71 2352 3312.676 0.09 0.1 258 1100 Anstey Small village (<1km2) 129 1.29 3727 2889.147 0.06 0.1 396 1100 Birstall Small village (<1km2) 251 2.51 2367 943.0279 0.07 0.1 255 1100 Thurmaston Small village (<1km2) 245 2.45 2772 1131.429 0.05 0.1 292 1100 Data Sources B - OS Maps C - Charnwood Mid Year Population Estimates 1999, Electoral Registration, CBC NB - For Small Towns the following population density calculation was used; Parish popn/town area(km2) multiplied by 1.2
Mrh//gen/aqrst1.doc 13/07/2011 APPENDIX 6
EMISSIONS INVENTORY DATA OBTAINED
Thermal Premises Address Plant type Rating (MW) Loughborough College Radmoor Rd, Lbro Boiler 3.5 Loughborough University Ashby Rd, Lbro Boiler 8.76 Loughborough University Ashby Rd, Lbro Boiler 3.5 Loughborough University Ashby Rd, Lbro Boiler 5.26 Loughborough University Ashby Rd, Lbro Boiler 1.75 Loughborough University Ashby Rd, Lbro Boiler 1.46 Pukka Pies Halfcroft, Syston Boiler 1.75 Parema Ltd Sullington Rd, Shepshed Boiler 1.46 Parema Ltd Sullington Rd, Shepshed Boiler 1.75 Charles Hall Forest St, Shepshed Boiler 1.42 Charles Hall Forest St, Shepshed Boiler 0.44 British Gypsum Pawdy Lane, Barrow Heating kettles83.6 British Gypsum Pawdy Lane, Barrow Crushing mills 32.4 Insufficient Charnwood Brick Old Station Cl, Shepshed Brick kiln information Thermal Insufficient Anstey Wallpaper Beeches Rd, Lbro catylist information Bentley Brushes Jubilee Dr, Lbro Wood burner <1.46 British Gas R&D Ashby Rd, Lbro Various boilers <1.46 Cooper Bussman Burton on the Wolds Boiler 2.83 No information 3M Ltd Derby Road, Loughborough Boilers returned Insufficient Fisher Scientific Bishop Meadow Rd, Loughborough Boilers information No information BOCM Ashby Rd, Shepshed Boiler returned No information Walkers Crisps Melton Rd, Thurmaston Boiler returned No information Dunlop Ashby Rd, Loughborough Boiler returned No information Brush Nottingham Rd, Loughborough Boilers returned Boilers and No information Westertex Derby Rd, Loughborough Stenter returned Steam No information GCR Great Central Rd, Loughborough locomotives returned Boilers and No information City Fabric Finishers Earls Way, Thurmaston Stenter returned Premises Address Plant type Thermal Mrh//gen/aqrst1.doc 13/07/2011 Page 80
Rating (MW) Boilers and No information Sitex Earls Way, Thurmaston Stenter returned Boilers and No information Richard Roberts Nottingham Rd, Loughborough Stenter returned Loughborough No information Grammar Leicester Rd, Loughborough Boilers returned County Council No information Schools Various locations Boilers returned Harry Roberts, No information Anstey The Jetty, Anstey Boiler returned
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