Coal Fugitive Dust Emissions

On July 1, 2004, the amended chapter NR 445, Wis. Adm. Code, became effective. In this chapter, section NR 445.10 addresses the control and compliance requirements for the handling and storage of coal. Companies stockpiling coal must address requirements for outdoor fugitive coal dust emissions, non-fugitive coal dust, and compliance certification by June 30, 2007.

DNR completed an inventory of fugitive dust emitting sources for large coal burning facilities in September 2004. This analysis was also used as a starting point for determining how coal burning facilities would meet compliance requirements listed in NR 445.10, Wis. Adm. Code, by June 30, 2007.

The inventory showed large inconsistencies regarding fugitive coal dust reporting across Wisconsin. In order to address these inconsistencies, DNR developed a December 2005 guidance document (PDF, 140KB) which used data from the United States Protection Agency in determining emission factors for coal fugitive dust emitting sources. An outside source found errors in the guidance document regarding the calculation of coal pile wind erosion and a unit error for any material transfer operation that is totally enclosed and vents to a baghouse. The original guidance document was amended in March 26 to address these errors. (PDF, 61KB)

DNR added coal fugitive dust emitting sources to a facility's 2005 emission inventory if they had not reported those coal fugitive dust emitting sources in the 2004 calendar year. The facility could have up to seven coal fugitive dust sources added as shown in a table. The table lists these seven sources and shows those sources that were added and those sources that were determined to be optional. The optional sources may or may not be part of the facility's 2005 air emission inventory update information.

All numbers in the table were developed from the guidance document and an Excel workbook which was also corrected in March 2006. The Excel workbook contains two spreadsheets, "calculation" and "summary_crs":

• The "calculation_crs" spreadsheet traces the calculation from the formula supplied in the guidance document. The spreadsheet contains two areas. Columns A through M show how the emission factor was calculated. Columns N through P allows a user to input a value in Column N and see the results in Columns O and P based on the emission factor calculated for that fugitive coal source.
• The "summary" spreadsheet shows information used in calculating fugitive coal emissions that may have been added to a facilty's inventory if those sources were not present in the facility's 2004 emission inventory. If the fugitive dust source's particulate matter emissions were influenced by the weather, a fugitive control efficiency of 50% was assigned to that source. DNR uses a 50% control efficiency as a default to account for precipitation events in Wisconsin that limit fugitive dust emissions.

DNR expects owners and operators of coal burning facilities to adjust this information so that it is compatible with their operation.

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