Air Quality

Including Bulk Solid Materials Storage

Air Quality Monitoring
Amazon Distribution Center – State Fairgrounds
New DDOT Bus Transit Facility – State Fairground
GDRRA Facility Demo & Incinerator Stack Implosion
Bulk Solid Materials Storage

 

Air Quality Monitoring

With the increase in public concern around air quality and a lack of data, a goal of establishing a comprehensive air quality monitoring network was set.  Detroit City Council budgeted $800,000 for air quality monitoring.  Additionally, the City of Detroit applied for and was awarded an ARP federal grant for enhanced air quality monitoring through the EPA.  Detroit was awarded $481,935 for the purchase air monitoring equipment, outreach and education.  The city will purchase Federal Equivalent Method (FEM) Particulate Matter (PM) 10 and 2.5 monitors with near real time reporting. These monitors will be placed around the city. The raw data from the analyzers will then be posted on a public web page.  Additionally, the city will purchase equipment for the collection and analysis of airborne particulate metals and Volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Amazon Distribution Center – State Fairgrounds 

Task 1 – Baseline Air Quality Monitoring (AQM) Phase (Performance Period Completed: November 13, 2020 – March 5, 2021)  

Goal: Characterize facility pre-development concentration levels of target air pollutants including NOx (as NO2), fugitive dust and fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), and VOCs, with respect to prevailing wind directions and speeds (vectors). 

Findings: Data collected during this Baseline monitoring phase are not indicative of a threat to public health or unusual concentrations of the analyzed parameters. 

Task 2 – Construction AQM Phase (Performance Period Completed: April 14, 2021 – October 24, 2021) 

Goal: Collect concentration data from six (6) weekly monitoring events of target air pollutants during construction activities consisting of, but may not be limited to, installation of fencing, striping paved surfaces, concrete work, and steel construction, and assess whether additional mitigation efforts are warranted to reduce pollutant concentrations to below baseline levels. 

Findings: Data collected during each of the above listed 6 weekly monitoring events are not indicative of a threat to public health or unusual concentrations of the analyzed parameters. 

Task 3 – Post-Development Air Dispersion Modeling Evaluation (Performance Period Completed: March 2, 2022) 

 Goal: Conduct an ambient impact analysis utilizing EPA-approved dispersion modeling for particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen oxide (NOx, as NO2) & ozone to predict pollutant impacts surrounding the developed project site during facility post-construction operations.  

Findings: The results of the ambient impact analysis and ozone assessment indicate that the proposed operation of the facility is not anticipated to cause or contribute to a violation of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). 

Task 4 – Post-Construction AQM Phase (Performance Period: May 13, 2023 – Ongoing)  

 Goal: Collect concentration data from four (4) consecutive quarterly events of target air pollutants during regular operation of the facility to assess whether additional mitigation efforts are warranted to reduce pollutant concentrations to below baseline levels. 

Findings: Data collected during the 1st, 2nd & 3rd quarterly monitoring event are not indicative of a threat to public health or unusual concentrations of the analyzed parameters. 

 

New DDOT Bus Transit Facility – State Fairgrounds 

Task 1 – Baseline Air Quality Monitoring (AQM) Phase (Performance Period: July 8, 2022 – July 22, 2022) 

Goal: Characterize facility pre-development concentration levels of target air pollutants including NOx (as NO2), fugitive dust and fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), and VOCs, with respect to prevailing wind directions and speeds (vectors). 

Findings: Data collected during this Baseline monitoring phase are not indicative of a threat to public health or unusual concentrations of the analyzed parameters. 

Task 2 – Construction AQM Phase (Performance Period: July 15, 2023 – Ongoing) 

Goal: Collect concentration data from at least three (3) weekly monitoring events of target air pollutants during construction activities consisting of, but may not be limited to, installation of fencing, striping paved surfaces, concrete work, and steel construction, and assess whether additional mitigation efforts are warranted to reduce pollutant concentrations to below baseline levels. 

Findings: Data collected during each of the 1st, 2nd & 3rd construction air quality monitoring events are not indicative of a threat to public health or unusual concentrations of the analyzed parameters. 

Task 3 – Post-Development Air Dispersion Modeling Evaluation

 Goal: Conduct an ambient impact analysis utilizing EPA-approved dispersion modeling for particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen oxide (NOx, as NO2) & ozone to predict pollutant impacts surrounding the developed project site during facility post-construction operations.  

  • Ambient AQM – 1st Post-Construction Phase Monitoring Event (to be completed)
  • Ambient AQM – 2nd Post-Construction Phase Monitoring Event (to be completed)
  • Ambient AQM – 3rd Post-Construction Phase Monitoring Event (to be completed)
  • Ambient AQM – 4th Post-Construction Phase Monitoring Event (to be completed) 

Findings: To be reported following completion of air dispersion modeling(to be completed). 

 

GDRRA Facility Demo & Incinerator Stack Implosion 

Task 1 – Baseline Air Quality Monitoring (AQM) Phase (Performance Period Completed: August 2022) 

Goal: The city retained a qualified consultant to characterize facility pre-demolition/ construction concentration levels of target air pollutants including nuisance fugitive dust, asbestos/other fiber, lead and fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), with respect to prevailing wind directions and speeds (vectors).  

Findings: Data collected during this Baseline monitoring phase are not indicative of a threat to public health or unusual concentrations of the analyzed parameters. 

Task 2 – GDRRA Active-Demolition & Post-Demolition and Stack Implosion AQM Events (Performance Period Completed: August 23, 2022 - June 11, 2023) 

Goal: Collect concentration data from monitoring events of target air pollutants during facility demolition/ construction/ site restoration activities and incinerator stack implosion to assess whether additional mitigation efforts are warranted to reduce pollutant concentrations to below baseline & National Ambient Air Quality standards (NAAQS). Note, stack implosion was initiated and successfully completed on Sunday June 11, 2023. 

Findings: Data collected during the facility demolition/ construction/ site restoration phase and stack implosion phase air quality monitoring events are not indicative of a threat to public health or unusual concentrations of the analyzed parameters. 

 

Bulk Solid Material Storage

On October 31, 2017, the Detroit City Council passed an ordinance amendment to, then Chapter 22 of the City Code that regulates the storage of bulk solid materials. The 2019 Recodification of the City Code moved this ordinance to Chapter 42: Solid Waste and Illegal Dumping. 

The goal of the ordinance is to minimize the amount of fugitive dust released into the air. Bulk solid materials are any solid materials that can be used as a fuel or as a component in a manufacturing or construction process that may create fugitive dust.  

The ordinance amendment also requires that certain materials that are primarily carbon like coal, petroleum coke, or metallurgical coke are stored completely within a structure.

STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO OBTAINING A GENERAL/ALTERNATE COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE OF OPERATION
Step 1. Preparing All Documentation Needed for Application

The applicant [i.e. Owner/Operator (O/O)] prepares all of the necessary documentation beforehand to submit. Depending on the type of certificate, General Compliance or Alternate Compliance, the applicant will have different requirements for applying and fees. Below are the requirements to be met as laid out in Chapter 42 of the City of Detroit Codes and Ordinances:


Step 2. How to Submit Application

The applicant will submit the completed application and all of the required documents to BSEED Environmental Affairs (EA) at [email protected] or in person at 2 Woodward Ave, Suite 401, Detroit, MI 48202. If applying for Bulk Solid Materials variance, the applicant must submit the variance application in addition to the standard application.

Step 3. How to Pay Application Fee

EA will review the application for content and completeness. The applicant will be contacted if there are any insufficiencies in their application via the supplied phone number or email. Once the application has been deemed to be sufficient an invoice will be generated by EA and sent to the applicant via email. The applicant has 30 days from the invoice being generated to pay their outstanding fees. They can do so through the online payment portal for BSEED or by scheduling an appointment to pay in person via the Qless system.

  • BSEED Fee Payment Portal
  • Qless Appointment Scheduler

Step 4. Preparing for Inspection

At the same time that the invoice has been generated, EA will reach out to the applicant to schedule the initial site inspection. The site inspection should take place within the 30 day period to pay fees. As part of the site inspection, the O/O should have prepared:

  • A copy of the dust control plan/Permit to Install
  • Dust control logs from the past three years minimum
  • Air monitoring logs (if applicable)

If a variance is requested, a public hearing will be scheduled and all evidence collected from the inspection will be presented at the hearing. There will be a public comment period and a decision for variance will be given within 30 days of the hearing.

Step 5. Receiving the General/Alternate Compliance of Operation

After the inspection and all fees have been paid a General Compliance or Alternate Compliance Certificate of Operation will be generated by EA. The permit will be sent to the O/O via mail. The permit is good for one (1) year, at which time the certificate will have to be renewed with EA. As part of the permit compliance a semiannual inspection will be scheduled every six months with the O/O by EA.