Fugitive Dust Handbook

3.0   CONSTRUCTION & DEMOLITION

Fugitive dust emissions from construction and demolition may have a substantial temporary impact on local air quality. Emissions during the construction of a building or road can be associated with land clearing, drilling and blasting, ground excavation, cut and fill operations (i.e., earth moving), construction of a particular building or road, and construction vehicle traffic driving over temporary roads at the construction site. Section 13.2.3 of AP-42 addresses emissions from "heavy construction operations." However, because this methodology provides an emission factor for total suspended particulate, TSP, (and not for PM10) that is based on only one set of field tests, the methodology developed by the Midwest Research Institute for the USEPA in 1999 was adopted as the primary emission estimation methodology for construction and demolition. Section 13.2.3 of AP-42 references PM10 emission factor equations developed for western surface coal mines that might be applicable to construction as a possible gap filling measure. These emission factor equations are presented in section 11.9 of AP-42 and in Chapter 10 of the handbook. Section 13.2.3 of AP-42 also references PM10 emission factor equations developed for materials handling and unpaved roads that are applicable to construction. PM10 emissions from these two source categories are addressed in Chapters 4 and 6, respectively, of the fugitive dust handbook. Methodologies adopted by the California Air Resources Board for building construction (last updated in September 2002) and road construction (last updated in August 1997) are included as alternate PM10 emission estimation methods in the fugitive dust handbook. The sample control measure cost-effectiveness calculation spreadsheet presented for this source category involves installing a gravel apron at trackout egress points.