SAVE THE DATE

Air Quality Forum

Come out to learn about the legislation in City Council to regulate
pet-coke and how to prevent dust from coming into our
communities.

Thursday, April 27th at 6:00pm

Location: Delray Peoples Community Services
420 S. Leigh Detroit, MI 48209

Come out to learn how the law will protect our air
quality and keep our neighborhoods clean.
We deserve to have dust free homes and breathe clean
air!

For additional information contact:

Nicholas Leonard (313) 782-3372, Nicholas.leonard@glelc.org

 Detroit Fugitive Dust Ordinance Fact Sheet
Basics of the Ordinance

1.) BasicsThe fugitive dust ordinance regulates any facility that processes, handles on-site, transfers, loads,
unloads, stockpiles, or stores bulk solid materials. The phrase bulk solid material is defined by the ordinance
to be any solid substance or material that can be used as a fuel or as an ingredient or component in a
manufacturing or construction process that may create fugitive dust and that is accumulated in an amount of 25
cubic yards at any one time. It includes, but is not limited to, petroleum coke, asphalt millings, ores, iron and
steel slag, gravel, sand, and limestone. It does not include salt, grains, commercial solid waste, or garbage.

2.) General Requirements for All Bulk Solid Material Facilities All bulk solid material facilities:
a. Must obtain a certificate of operation from BSEED
b. Prohibited from permitting visible fugitive dust to be discharged into the atmosphere or beyond the
property line of the facility and is prohibited from allowing any fugitive dust at the facility to exceed an
opacity limit of 5%. The facility must test conduct opacity tests at least quarterly.
c. Must submit and follow a fugitive dust plan, which is subject to the approval of BSEED
d. Must install, operate, and maintain PM10 monitors at the facility
e. Must install, operate, and maintain wind monitors at the facility
f. Must utilize at least one fugitive dust control measure at each conveyor and material transfer point
g. All outgoing material transport trucks must pass through a wheel wash station and over a rumble strip
h. Must use a street sweeper to clean any paved road that is used to transport material inside or within
one quarter mile of the perimeter of the facility

3.) Specific Requirements for Carbonaceous Material Facilities Requirements only for facilities that store any
carbonaceous bulk solid material, which is defined to include nut coke, coke breeze, petroleum coke, and
metallurgical coke:
a. Must store all carbonaceous material in a fully enclosed structure in accordance with an enclosure plan
prepared by the facility and subject to BSEED approval
b. Must conduct all material loading and unloading in regards to trucks and railcars in an enclosed
structure

4.) Specific Requirements for Outdoor Storage Piles Requirements for facilities that store bulk solid material other
than carbonaceous material outdoors:
a. Pile height cannot exceed 35 feet
b. Piles must be set back at least 100 feet from any waterway
c. Must suspend all handling activities when wind speeds exceed 25 MPH
d. Must install dust suppressant systems to control fugitive dust from all outdoor piles

5.) VariancesA facility may apply to BSEED for a variance from any requirement of the ordinance. The request for
a variance must be in writing and granting a variance is in the discretion of the BSEED director. The BSEED
director shall not grant any variance until after a public hearing at which members of the public have had an
opportunity to comment on the variance application. BSEED shall provide notice of all variance applications.

 Detroit Fugitive Dust Ordinance Fact Sheet
Talking Points

1.) A study commissioned by the City of Chicago found that bulk material piles can, in general, be a significant
source of particulate matter and contribute to localized exceedances of ambient air quality standards. The
national ambient air quality standard for PM10 is 150 micrograms per cubic meter of air. The study found that
that maximum predicted concentration of PM10 from a facility storing petcoke would be as high as 5,297
micrograms per cubic meter of air.

2.) The EPAs 2009 Integrated Science Assessment for particulate matter linked short-term PM10 exposure to
increased hospital and emergency department visits for cardiovascular and respiratory health issues.

3.) According to the EPAs 2009 Integrates Science Assessment, the evidence from scientific studies linking short-
term increases in PM concentration with respiratory hospitalizations and emergency department visits is
consistent across studies. Recent studies have provided further support for this relationship and have found
children and the elderly to be particularly vulnerable. More specifically, recent scientific studies have shown a
significant association between short-term PM10 exposure and respiratory-related emergency department visits
and hospitalizations, particularly amongst children. Another study conducted in Detroit found that increased
particulate matter pollution is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for congestive heart failure
amongst seniors.

4.) Detroit has been labeled the epicenter of asthma by the Michigan Department of Community Health. The rate
of asthma hospitalizations in Detroit are three times the state average. The rate of asthma deaths in Detroit is
two times the state average. The rate of asthma hospitalization for Detroit children is 50% higher than that of
Detroit adults.

5.) Chicago has adopted similar regulations to those included in the proposed fugitive dust ordinance. The
regulations have resulted in reductions in particulate matter pollution from petcoke storage facilities. Residents
in Los Angeles have complained about the negative health impacts caused by an outdoor storage pile of asphalt
millings, which blows into the homes of nearby residents.