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The Baton Rouge HRVOC Workgroup (the Workgroup) was formed in 2003 to address the Baton Rouge Non-attainment Area’s (BRNA) continued non-compliance with the one-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone.
Background
Prior to forming the Workgroup, ozone concentrations in the Baton Rouge non-attainment area (Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston and West Baton Rouge Parishes) had steadily declined over the last two decades as a result of deliberate actions to reduce ozone precursor emissions, as well as research and regulatory work done to understand the causes of ozone formation in the area. While the average number of ozone exceedances had declined, as had the number of monitors exceeding the standard, the area remained out of compliance with the one-hour ozone standard. Moreover, on June 23, 2003, the area had been bumped-up to a severe ozone non-attainment classification by the EPA.
NOx and VOC Emissions 
For 2002 and 2003, exceedances of the one-hour ozone standard occurred during circumstances considered atypical of ozone formation. The results were rapid, excessive ozone formation leading to ozone peaks that the area had not experienced in a decade. The ozone readings for two separate episodes in September 2002 and July 2003 were 164 parts per billion (ppb) and 174 ppb respectively, over 30 percent above the standard. Monitoring results from many of these exceedances indicated a high rate and efficiency of ozone production, which was limited spatially to the immediate Baton Rouge area. These ozone episodes corresponded very well to the kind of episodes that had occurred in the Houston/Galveston area. The Texas Air Quality Study 2000, conducted in the Houston/Galveston area, concluded that the reactivity of the hydrocarbons was most often dominated by low molecular weight alkenes and aromatics resulting in explosive ozone formation. Air quality sampling in the Baton Rouge area also showed substantial quantities of the mentioned ozone precursors. The ozone formation experienced in the Baton Rouge area was similarly thought to be the result of emissions of highly reactive ozone precursors.
As a result of the summer 2002 and 2003 exceedances and the information gathered, a Highly Reactive Volatile Organic Compound (HRVOC) Work Group was formed to further evaluate the specific causes of the Baton Rouge area's ozone problem. The goal of the HRVOC Work Group was to design and oversee studies and recommend solutions to help the area meet its attainment date of November 2005 and avoid additional repercussions of continued non-attainment.
In order to address the ozone problem more effectively, the Workgroup was divided into three subgroups as follows:
- Subgroup 1: Ozone Exceedances/VOC Data Analysis
- Subgroup 2: Emission/Meteorology/Monitoring
- Subgroup 3: Emissions Inventory
Following are links to the presentations, meetings and other activities of the three subgroups. The recommendations made by the subgroups conclude this record.
Presentations
DEQ Ozone Exceedance Assessment Summer 2002 & 2003 presented 9/16/03 
Baton Rouge Ozone: Cause & Effect - presented 10/2/03
Presentation to Industry - Action Plan for Summer 2004 - presented April 1, 2004
Survey
The survey was to be completed by all HRVOC facilities in the 5 Parish Baton Rouge Area by December 23, 2003
HRVOC Initial Survey Letter and Instructions 
HRVOC Initial Survey Document 
Follow-up Survey Letter 
Follow-up Survey Document 
Meetings
Meeting 11/6/03
Houston Area Overview - Doug Deason
Meeting 10/22/03
Agenda and Meeting Notes
BTR Data Analysis - Mark Sather, EPA Region VI
Organizational Meeting - 10/6/03
Agenda and Meeting Notes
Defining the Problem with HRVOC - Jim Hazlett
Updated Exceedance Information
Subgroup Recommendations
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Upgrade the monitoring network to include NOx and VOC at all stations
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Record monitoring data in 5-minute and 1-hour increments
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Develop a database to store all data in one place
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Perform a statistical analysis of the database
For information on more current activities, see the Technical Review Team page.
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