Advances in software-as-a-service platforms to perform emission inventories for quantifying fugitive emissions and tracking efforts to reduce the dust

In recent years airborne particulate matter and respirable coal mine dust have been at the center of research focused on worker health in the resource and infrastructure industries because of a resurgence of severe forms of lung disease among mine workers. Federal research agencies have heavily invested in finding the root cause. Attempts are also being made to coordinate various research findings. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires maintaining of Emissions Inventory (EI) where a detailed estimate of “criteria” pollutants and “hazardous” air pollutants is performed. Respirable dust falls under the “hazardous” category. However, it is unclear whether there are modern tools to perform emission inventories in the mines where such respirable diseases are prevalent. Performing EI has the potential to increase the awareness about dust footprint in extractive industries. This article is the first of a two-part series in which the authors present available platforms for EIs and their pros and cons. The second part will focus on recent achievements in respirable-dust-related research at various universities and organizations. Introduction Much of the world is currently focused on climate change, the carbon footprint and green energy, and has substantial familiarity with the concept of quantifying the greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions associated with a certain process or product. Companies worldwide face public scrutiny on how sustainable their operations are, how much water they use, and whether their recycling programs are efficient as investors are increasingly concerned about the performance of portfolios in terms of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors (Eccles and Klimenko, 2019). The World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) have created a set of valuable tools to assist companies in calculating their carbon footprint using GHG protocol accounting standards (WRI and WBCSD, 2022) alongside the ISO 14064-1:2018 (ISO, 2018) international standards for environmental management. The tools are primarily Microsoft Excel-based spreadsheets that are regularly updated from the WRI/ WBCSD and can be easily downloaded. The objective is to standardize the way GHG emissions calculations are performed to ensure the results of different processes or goods are comparable. Equally important is the determination of a company’s dust footprint or fugitive emissions, which refers to the quantification of particulate matter (PM) emissions, also known as PM10 or PM2.5, that cannot be readily measured at the source and therefore require the application of estimation techniques. Even though a series of well-established regulations are in place addressing both the maximum permissible limits for human health as well as occupational exposure, and the methodology for calculating these emissions at the source, there is a lack of modern tools to assist in the quantification process. The most-used guidelines are the AP- 42 (USEPA, 2022) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which contains emission factors for various industrial processes. To model emissions from mobile onroad and nonroad sources, the MOVES3 software (USEPA, 2021) can be used. Still, its application is focused on fleets of onroad vehicles, and there is little test data available on nonroad engines. In many instances, onroad emission factors are used to model nonroad vehicle emissions. For fugitive emissions from fixed and floatingroof storage tanks, there is an outdated program called TANKS 4.09D (USEPA, 2012) that the EPA developed to estimate volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants. The need for a standardized tool is crucial because the results of a fugitive emissions inventory are used as an input for air dispersion modeling, and companies are required to go through the lengthy emissions quantification process every year to prove compliance with local regulations. Figure 1 & 2 Modular structure of the Enablon EHS software (left), and an environmental module inventory drop-down menu (right). Emission inventory reporting framework – why it is crucial The importance of an emission inventory (EI) lies in the valuable information that it provides. Using EI, key polluting activities can be identified, and control efforts can be strategically directed to address the sources of major concern. To progressively reduce PM emissions it is essential to quantify them and track their progression over time to determine the effectiveness of the chosen strategy. Reducing the dust footprint is the main objective of every company’s management plan, oriented toward continuous improvement and achieving excellence in its environmental and health and safety best practices. Counting on a well-structured and organized EI allows the company to limit its liabilities, as it can be used as an input to run air dispersion models and determine the impact of the operations on the air quality in the influence area and nearby critical receptors, if any. Challenges to EI reporting Spreadsheets have been used for EI reporting for a long time, and little has changed since their early adoption. They are powerful and flexible tools that can be easily deployed in multifaceted scenarios. However, there is a limit to the amount of data that spreadsheets can process. This is why the use of an online platform developed on a proper database is a game changer. EI data files can become large over the course of a few years, and spreadsheets will eventually fail to display the data either in a tabular or graphical way. With the use of a database, these limitations can be overcome. Online platforms offer the ability to interact with the data displayed, analyze the flow of information and calculations performed, and make changes to the time consolidation interval — this is something that cannot be accomplished in Excel. Currently available platforms It is a challenging task to choose between expensive but comprehensive programs like AQMIS CLOUD [Lakes Software, 2022] and generic environment, health and safety (EHS) risk-management software like Enablon (Wolters Kluwer, 2022), Intelex (Intelex Technologies, 2022) and VelocityEHS (VelocityEHS, 2022), to name a few. AQMIS CLOUD performs the AP-42 calculations based on the inputs users provide. This also has geographic information system mapping capabilities to interface with integrated air dispersion modeling programs. It has been widely used by regulatory agencies and governments to track statewide emissions reported by different companies operating within their jurisdiction. EHS risk-management software like Enablon, Intelex and VelocityEHS are not designed to account for emission inventories. Some of these programs’ modules can be customized to perform emission calculations, but the implementation process is not straightforward and requires effort from the developer and users. These programs are mostly used by large organizations to track the metrics of different mining sites spread around the globe, and it is unusual to deploy them on a small scale: for example, just one site. Small-to medium-size companies will most likely use a simple Excel spreadsheet to track their emission inventories. Although North America is expected to hold the largest market share of EHS software in the next five years, the fastest-growing market could be in the Asia-Pacific region with a forecasted compound annual growth rate of 12.37 percent (Mordor Intelligence LLP, 2022). Figure 3 Enablon scenarios depicting typical mining processes. EHS risk-management software modules Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms are made up of several modules that can be individually purchased to tailor the end user’s needs. The most common modules are generally used to track health-and-safety-related metrics and air-quality monitoring program results to show compliance with applicable regulations and corporate guidelines. Figure 1 shows some of the modules available on the Enablon platform. The author, Zolata, had the experience of working alongside the developers’ team at Enablon to customize the environmental module. These modules are normally used to log events that can have potentially adverse environmental effects like hazardous substance spills or refrigerant gas leaks, but they lack the capabilities to handle EI calculations. During this effort, Zolata provided the team with an Excel spreadsheet with more than 20 tabs that was tailored to the needs of a specific mining company. The spreadsheet is structured in separate tabs to account for the inputs required for each process, the EI calculations performed, and the key outputs to be displayed. Zolata assisted the team in the customization of the module and later populated the module with the information required to build the EI in the online platform. These platforms allow the user to create custom-made reports for an interactive and dynamic visualization of the information so that historical data can be quickly retrieved and visualized in a variety of tabular and graphical formats. Information can also be filtered to narrow down the scope of the search, and results can be drilled down to visualize the inputs used in the calculations in real time. Typical platform data flow For this study, the authors considered some of the features of the Enablon platform that have proven capable of handling the challenging task of performing all the calculations required in a mining-site EI. These features are common to other platforms as well and are useful in these kinds of complex scenarios, where the number of calculations is time consuming and prone to human error. The platform has access privileges, allowing designated users to access only the authorized modules to contribute or validate the information. In the case of an EI, there is a specific data flow to set up the calculation of every macroprocess. For example, in the case of a rock-crushing process, the Enablon calculation would require the following steps: Selection of the input to be used: the amount of ore (material) processed in tons per year.Determination of the airborne pollutants, such as PM10 or PM2.5 (compounds) generated in the crushing process.Association of a specific machinery (equipment) to the process, in case equipment-specific emission factors are required.Review of the parameters to be calculated, defined in the function of the template (unit) used for the emitting process: for example, daily, hourly and yearly emissions.Grouping all the similar processes in the same macroprocess (scenarios), such as material handling.Generation of the calculation pools (subscenarios) for every year assessed.Execution of the calculation in the platform. Figure 2 shows the Enablon environmental module drop-down menu to manage the input data in the three separate categories of materials, equipment and units. The calculations of the different pollutants are executed automatically in the platform, and they require no intervention from the user. It is fundamental upon initial deployment of the solution to perform an extensive quality assessment/quality control analysis to validate all the calculations and emission factors used. The latter can be easily changed in case of an amendment or update of the current factors. That is not the case if a change in the calculation is required, as it involves modification of the formulas used in the templates by the solution administrator. Figure 4 Enablon environmental unit template summarizing inputs and outputs. Data processing Every year, the person in charge of preparing the EI will upload all the required information for the given year, including but not limited to the quantity of combustible used, the specifications of the machinery, the flow of material processed in the different processes, the control efficiency of a given control system, and volumetric flow of the air pollution control devices. Upon completing this first step, the user will launch the subscenarios corresponding to the year assessed and obtain the results in a tabular form. Figure 3 shows a list of macroprocesses responsible for dust fugitive emissions in the mining industry alongside the deployment date and amount of data calculated in the platform. Finally, the user will generate the desired reports to visualize the EI data calculated and validate the entire process. If there are few to no changes over the years, the EI elaboration on the platform will be a straightforward process. If there are substantial changes, the user will have to update the materials, compounds, equipment units, and so on. In the case of changes in the process or the methodology used to estimate the emissions, a change in the calculation template will be required. This means editing the parameters that the units calculate to reflect the above changes, which can be a lengthy and complex process. Input and output data flow The template chosen when creating the environmental unit will determine which inputs will be required from the user and which outputs will be calculated by the platform. Figure 4 shows a typical Enablon template used for selecting inputs and defining outputs in the case of a rock-crushing process. The inputs in this case correspond to all the operational data of the given process, while the outputs correspond to the airborne pollutants the platform will calculate upon running the subscenarios. Inputs can be prefilled with the previous year’s data if the option is selected in the template, and formatting can be added to accept only input values in a specified value range. This lowers the probability of human error while inputting the required data. Input can also be imported in bulk into the platform, filling in a predefined Excel spreadsheet and then uploading it into the platform. Data will be validated and imported if inputs are listed in the correct format. If the process does not change, the inputs will remain the same, and so will the outputs. However, a change in the process may affect the accuracy of the EI calculations, and therefore a change in the template will be required. For example, the installation of a more efficient dust collection system in the primary crusher will lower the amount of controlled emissions calculated in the EI. To account for this, a new emission factor or an equipmentspecific control efficiency shall be specified. Note that the change will be effective only after the chosen start date so that the previous year’s calculation will not be affected retroactively. The change can be tracked as the platform allows for formula history for quality-control and verification purposes. Both the inputs and the outputs can be exported to a variety of formats including Excel, PowerPoint, PDF and JPEG, to verify the information provided as well as the calculation results. Figure 5 Enablon environmental report and data drill-down menu. Advantages There are many advantages to using an online platform, such as ease of access to information, 24/7 availability, redundancy, scalability and a virtually maintenance-free environment with zero downtime. The role of each user can be easily defined so that only the administrator will be able to modify the key elements of the platform, such as the templates, and contributors will be able to enter the inputs required for the calculations without the worry of potentially altering the formula contained in a given spreadsheet cell. Once the validator approves the EI, the process is complete, and output data cannot be changed or recalculated without the approval of the validator. Information stored in the platform database about previous years will not be modified by future changes to the parameters unless the user again runs the corresponding subscenarios. In any case, the platform will keep track of all the changes in the parameter’s history section. Results over the course of months, quarters or years can be easily displayed with the preferred integration time, and the software can instantly calculate trends and average values for a given parameter. Specific results can be drilled down to determine exactly the inputs associated as well as the formulas used in the calculation process, as can be seen in Fig. 5 for the different processes the ore undergoes in the primary crushing circuit. Disadvantages Every time there is a major update in the platform, migration of all the templates created to perform the EI calculations is required. This is not a straightforward process, and it implies that every time a quality assurance/quality control check will be required to ensure the accuracy and consistency of the migrated solution. On top of that, there is no way to automatically perform the migration, and the assistance of a third party is required. This increases costs and reduces the already limited flexibility of the built solution. Graph-editing options are quite limited in the online platform, and often the easiest way to make changes is to export the graph and edit it in PowerPoint. Even the addition of a threshold line can be challenging in most reports. The same concept applies to tabular data, where there is a limited amount of formatting rules that can be added to a given table. Exporting the tables into Excel turns out to be the easiest solution in the majority of cases. The creation of a new template can be quite lengthy, and ensuring that the new parameters are properly calculated may require multiple iterations. This is mainly due to the way the platforms are built, and often help from the software developers’ team is required to set up the template correctly. Literature is limited and does not encompass in detail all the stages of implementation. The learning curve can be relatively steep at the beginning and gets smoother only after constant practice. Conclusion and recommendations There is ample opportunity for the SaaS industry to fill the gap between the current status of software advances and the concrete needs of companies required to file annual EIs. This evolution can only be achieved by acknowledging the current limitations and working in synergy toward a solution that can be globally recognized and used. Existing platforms have the potential to evolve into valuable assets in mining companies’ portfolios, but substantial efforts should be focused on developing software that end users can easily and quickly deploy. In the majority of cases, users have limited resources to dedicate to training and need a ready-to-deploy solution that can easily be implemented and used to effectively track the results of air-pollution control programs. SaaS platforms can become a key element in the decision-making process when assessing environmental metrics and sustainability performance. Excel spreadsheets have proven to be a valuable asset in the past, but there is a need for a state-of-the-art solution to be able to overcome the limitations of the current solutions available. References Robert G. Eccles and Svetlana Klimenko, The Investor Revolution, Harvard Business Review, May-June 2019. https://hbr.org/2019/05/the-investor-revolution. WRI & WBCSD, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, Standards. https://ghgprotocol.org/standards. ISO 14064-1:2018, Specification with guidance at the organization level for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals, 2018. https://www.iso.org/standard/66453.html. USEPA, AP-42, Fifth Edition Compilation of Air Pollutant Emissions Factors, Volume 1: Stationary Point and Area Sources. https://www.epa.gov/air-emissions-factors-and-quantification/ap-42-compilation-air-emissions-factors. USEPA, EPA-420-R-21-004, Overview of EPA’s Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES3), 2021. https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=P1011KV2.pdf. USEPA, TANKS Emissions Estimation Software, Version 4.09D, 2012. https://www.epa.gov/air-emissions-factors-and-quantification/tanks-emissions-estimation-software-version-409d#new. Lakes Software, AQMIS CLOUD, Environmental compliance solution for regulatory agencies, governments and facilities around the world, 2022. https://www.weblakes.com/software/emissions-management/aqmis-cloud/.

Advances in software-as-a-service platforms to perform emission inventories for quantifying fugitive emissions and tracking efforts to reduce the dust

Authored by:
Sekhar Bhattacharyya, Hasan Zolata

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