New Mexico Regional Haze Support

The New Mexico Environment Department’s Air Quality Bureau is responsible for protecting the public health of New Mexicans and preserving the natural beauty of the state by preventing the deterioration of air quality from sources such as power plants, cement plants, and oil and gas exploration and production activities. Many of these sources emit particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds, which are linked to serious health effects including premature death. In aggregate, emissions from these sources have a negative impact on air quality as they reduce visibility in protected wilderness areas such as the Bandelier Wilderness Area, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and the Salt Creek Wilderness Area.

ERG has been supporting NMED in reviewing four-factor analysis submitted to NMED under the Clean Air Act Regional Haze Program to reduce emissions of visibility-impairing pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter. ERG conducted control technology evaluations and estimated the cost-effectiveness of controlling large-emitting sources such as natural gas turbines, compressor engines, cement kilns, and oil and natural gas-fired boilers. Under the federal Regional Haze Program, regulatory agencies are required to review four factors for each potential control measure: the costs of compliance with the control measure; the time necessary for compliance; the energy and non-air environmental impacts of compliance; and the remaining useful life of the facility. ERG completed these analyses for over 20 facilities and made recommendations to NMED on which cost-effective technologies should be implemented to reduce emissions.