Air Quality & Climate Implications of Options for Woody Biomass
ORCAA, working with a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has luanched an indepth study of the climate implications of using woody biomass in a variety of ways.
The primary purpose of this project is to comprehensively analyze and quantify life-cycle air emissions of various options for using or disposing of woody biomass generated in conjunction with forest management and land clearing operations in the Pacific Northwest including Alaska (PNW). The resulting report(s) and products will help states, local air agencies, USEPA, federal and state land managers, local governments and others make more informed choices, reduce emissions and balance multiple objectives when selecting, approving or promoting options for the management of woody biomass.
SCOPE OF WORK
The project will be completed in three separate phases. Final reports for each phase must be completed sequentially meaning that Phase I must be completed before Phase II and so on. Each Phase has a distinct objective and will be funded separately. The objective of Phase I will be to analyze the life-cycles of feasible woody biomass management options for each industry category (land development, silviculture, and logging) and estimate the life-cycle emissions of specific air pollutants for each based on assumptions and other inputs characteristic of operations in the PNW. The Phase II objective will be to develop an interactive computer interface to enable executing the life-cycle analyses (LCA) with different input variables and assumptions. The Phase III objective is to use the interactive computer interface in evaluating cost effectiveness of each option in reducing air emissions.
Phase I
The outcome of Phase I will be a final report comparing life-cycle emissions of feasible woody biomass management options available to each of the three industries.
Phase II
The outcome of Phase II will be a computer interface in EXCEL format for executing the life-cycle emissions analyses. In addition to computing emissions, the computer interface will also be capable of calculating the total direct cost of each option. The models will provide a means to calculate total air emissions and costs for each option considering variables such as transport distance and methods used. Data input fields will be readily identified and described in the interface and adequate instructions for data input should be provided. Brief written descriptions and instructions for using each model will be provided with the final Phase II product.
Phase III
The outcome of Phase III will be a report that provides an evaluation of cost effectiveness of each woody biomass management option.