Using Environmental Data

Sean Ryu

November 09, 2023 14:36

INTRODUCTION

IMPLAN has added its Environmental Data by Industry data to the IMPLAN application and Data Library. These datasets show estimates of Criteria and Hazardous Air Emissions, Commercial Non-Hazardous Waste Excluding Construction, Commercial Non-Hazardous Waste From Construction Activities, Commercial RCRA-Defined Hazardous Waste, Greenhouse Gasses, Point Source Industrial Releases to Ground, Land Use, Mineral Extraction, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Releases from Agriculture, Pesticide Releases, Water Withdrawals, and Point Source Releases to Water by Industry for a given Region. Environmental Data is available for all U.S.-based models, including combined regions, aggregated Industry models, and customized models. These data are not available for the Canada Provincial or International Industry Sets.

There are two different ways of viewing the Environmental Data in the application: Regional Environmental Data and Environmental Impact Data. IMPLAN’s Environmental Data provides powerful insights outside of impact modeling. For example, the Environmental Data can help a Region understand how its emissions have fallen over time as its Industry mix has changed over time. Or they can help a company illustrate how its emissions are lower than the Industry-average due to the company’s ESG stewardship practices.

HOW TO ACCESS ENVIRONMENTAL DATA

First, you will need to access your IMPLAN account. From the project tile, click New Project in the top right of the screen.

A popup window will appear to create a new project. The Industry Set should be set to the 546 Industries. This Industry Set is specifically for the U.S. and U.S. Territories data. After the correct Industry Set is selected, name the project, then click Create Project.

After creating the Project, the Regions screen will appear in the Map View of the U.S. Select a Region by clicking on the map, using the Search Bar, or from the List View.

Alternatively you can click the Regions tile on the Dashboard, and select a Region without creating a project to access only the Region Details.

There are three areas where Environmental Data can be accessed in IMPLAN; Regions Details, Data Library, and Project Results.

REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL DATA

The Region Environmental Summary and Region Environmental Details tables located in the Regions Details provide insight into the Region’s Environmental contribution for that Data Year. Descriptions of the data found here are detailed in our Environmental Data - Region Details article. The same data can also be accessed from the Data Library for all U.S. states and counties.

REGIONAL IMPACT DATA

The Environmental Impact Data displays the breakdown of each Environmental Category that accompanies your specific impact or contribution in the Results. It will include the Direct, Indirect, Induced, and Total Environmental Impact. Use the Filters to limit results to desired Environmental Category, Industry, or Impact. Users can select either the 2023 or 2019 Environmental Data Release.

Impact Summary Dashboard has two tables. The Categories by Impact table displays the Direct, Indirect, and Induced Environmental Output by Environmental Category. The Industry Summary displays the Total Environmental Output by Category from each Industry.
Impact Details Dashboard displays the Direct, Indirect, Induced, and Total Environmental Output by Environment Name within an Environmental Category. Use the Filter to change the Environmental Category.
Impact Industry Details displays the Total Environmental Output by Environment Names for each contributing Industry in that Environmental Category. This table displays the Unit per $ of Output ratio used to calculate the Total Environmental Output. Use the Filter to change the Environmental Category.

DATA SOURCES

IMPLAN’s Environmental Data consist of ratios representing physical emissions or inputs per dollar of Industry Output, with the physical unit depending on the particular pollutant or input under consideration. For IMPLAN’s Environmental ratios, we use the EPA’s USEEIO data (version 2.0). The EPA data has somewhat less sector-specificity than the IMPLAN data, so the total amount of emissions/inputs may be mapped to more than one IMPLAN sector. This means that ratios for each IMPLAN sector should be unique, despite sharing the numerator of total emissions across a few Industries.

These ratios can be applied to the IMPLAN modeling system in order to gain insight into the Environmental impacts associated with economic impact scenarios.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Below is the list of the 12 broad categories of Environmental Data we have, listed by satellite table acronym pulled directly from the USEEIO model:

Criteria and Hazardous Air Emissions
Commercial Non-Hazardous Waste Excluding Construction
Commercial Non-Hazardous Waste From Construction Activities
Commercial RCRA-Defined Hazardous Waste
Greenhouse Gasses
Point Source Industrial Releases to Ground
Land Use
Mineral Extraction
Nitrogen and Phosphorus Releases from Agriculture
Pesticide Releases
Water Withdrawals
Point Source Releases to Water

All Unit Values are measures of mass in kilograms (kg) with a few exceptions. Land Use measures are in square meters per year (m2*a), “Peat” listed under Mineral Extraction is measured in megajoules (MJ), and “Radium-226” & “Technetium-99” listed under Point Source Releases to Water is measured in kilobecquerel (kBq).

IMPLAN produces Environmental Results based on the Output Effects in each Industry from an analysis and the ratio of Environment Unit Value per dollar of Output in each Industry.

CONSIDERATIONS

When applying emissions coefficients to IMPLAN economic impact results, the emissions will only be those generated in the study area (or in areas linked via MRIO); they will not include emissions generated in other regions not linked via MRIO. For example, inputs that are purchased from outside the study area will generate emissions in the region where the inputs are produced; if those regions are not included in the study area or linked via MRIO, those emissions will not be accounted for in the analysis.

Weather patterns that distribute emissions from one region to another are not accounted for.

Any emissions generated directly by households (i.e., not accounted for by household expenditures on electricity and not associated with the production of other items purchased by households; for example, emissions generated by households’ burning of wood in a wood-fired stove in the home) are not included in the EPA data set and are thus not accounted for in the IMPLAN emissions data set. What this means is that all induced emissions in IMPLAN stem from household purchases – of energy and of goods and services, all of which require energy to produce and thus create emissions. Any additional emissions generated directly by the household – i.e., not associated with a purchase of energy, goods, or services – will not be accounted for.

Emissions/resource use totals cannot be calculated by running an impact with 100% all sectors because of shared emissions totals across industries. This would cause a vast overestimation of environmental releases.

Recycling has not been taken into account. Any recycling that an Industry does that would ordinarily offset emissions totals is not included in this dataset.

Hazardous waste received from off-site for storage/bulking and subsequently transferred for treatment or disposal is excluded from generation quantities.

There is some overlap between the NPAG and WATREL tables – both show N & P released to waters in IMPLAN sectors 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 17, 18, and 19. This is intentional – according to Dr. Ingwerson, “WATREL is composed of industry reporting releases based on water permits. These are point source releases. NPAG are non-point source releases, modeled from fertilizer application. So they are not double-counting to the best of our knowledge.”

Electricity generation sectors were treated specially in order to ensure that they do not all produce the same amount of GHG’s. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is the exception, as it is produced by each and every electricity sector. It is typically emitted as leaks from electricity distribution and storage equipment, which it is used in as an insulator. Most fluorinated gasses are used in this same way. It is certainly possible that newer electricity production plants use better/less leaky equipment, but the data is not there to break out these gasses any further.