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Increased Automobile Fuel Efficiency and Synthetic Fuels - Background Paper #3 Environmental Issues of Synthetic Transportation Fuels from Coal - 1982

Office of Technology Assessment

Table of Contents

Section 1
335kb		 Introduction 1

1.0

 Overview of Environmental Concerns 5
  1.1 Mining 7
1.2 Coal Liquefaction and Refining 8
    Air 9
Trace Organic Compounds 12
Water 13
Solid Wastes 15
Other Impacts 16

1.3

 Product Transport and End-Use 18

2.0

 Are There Significant Environmental Differences Among the Coal Liquefaction Processes? 24
Section 2
597kb
  

2.1

 Emissions During "Routine" Operating Conditions 29
    Air Emissions 29
Water Effluents 29
2.2 Upset/Accident Risks 30
2.3 Environmental Health Risks 33
2.4 Product and Conversion Efficiency Differences 36
2.5 Upgrading and Refining 42

3.0

 What are the Important Locational Factors Affecting Environmental Impacts? 46
  3.1 Coal Characteristics 46
3.2 Regional Differences in Environmental Impacts 50
Section 3
328kb		     Air Resources 55
Water Resources and Aquatic Ecosystems 55
Terrestrial Ecosystems 57
Linkages Between Air, Water, and Land Resources: Acid Rain 62
Overall Ecological Characteristics 64

3.3

 Local Factors Affecting Environmental Impacts 65

4.0

 Are Our Institutional Mechanisms Adequate to Ensure Environmental Protection? 71
  4.1 Monitoring Difficulties 72
4.2 Environmental Standards and Compliance Incentives 74
    Construction Quality Control 75
Environmental Standards 76
Industrial Consensus Standards 77
Section 4
306kb		 4.3 Public Perceptions 78
4.4 Environmental Research Programs 82
    Technical Research Gaps 83
Social and Policy research Gaps 83
Research Program Organization 85

5.0

 What are the Environmental Risks of an Accelerated Synfuels Commercialization Program? 86
  5.1 Risks Due to Technical Uncertainties 88
5.2 Difficulties in Monitoring 90
5.3 Regulatory Lag 93
5.4 Impacts From Rapid Construction 94
References 97