Special Report No. 87-08: An Examination of Monitored and Modeled One Hour Average Ambient SO2 Concentrations in the Vicinity of Pulp and Paper Mills

This special report draws upon sulfur dioxide monitoring data collected in the vicinity of a number of mills and air quality modeling studies carried out for several mills to examine the potential impact of a one hour standard on pulp and paper mill emission limits. The information is used to identify the types of mills, emission rates, stack heights, and terrain settings conducive to producing one hour ground level concentrations in excess of 0.2 ppm. The results suggest mills (a) sulfur dioxide producing acid sulfite pulps, (b) located in complex terrain, (c) with short stacks subject to downwash, and (d) located adjacent to other significant sulfur dioxide emission sources or in areas with relatively high background concentrations are the types of facilities most likely to be affected by a one hour standard.