98,801 Tons per year is a Minor Source of Emissions?

Link to this:
http://blog.shaleshockmedia.org/2012/09/03/98801-tons-per-year-is-a-minor-source-of-emissions/
or http://williamahuston.blogspot.com/2012/09/98801-tons-per-year-is-minor-source-of.html
When I think of a Minor Source of air pollution, I think of something like this:

According to the EPA, an average modern lawnmower produces ~90 lbs of CO2 and other Greenhouse Gasses each year.	A 90 lb woman.

PA DEP is considering the Williams Central Compressor Station in Brooklyn PA a "Minor Source" of Emissions at 98,801 Tons of CO2 equivalent of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Per Year.

The EPA considers 100,000 tpy as the threshold for a "major source" of GHG emissions.
Major sources are regulated at a much higher degree than minor sources, like lawnmowers.

Source: http://protectingourwaters.wordpress.com/2012/08/29/sean-lennon-destroying-precious-land-for-gas/

So having been involved in engineering for ~20 years,
I like to get a visual on what the data looks like.
Because 100,000 tons is a little hard to grasp.

So every one has seen a 100 ton coal rail car:

And everyone has seen a 100-car train: This is what 100 coal cars look like. -------> A 100 car train is about 1 mile long. 100 cars times 100 tons = 10,000 tons.

This is what 1000 coal cars looks like.100,000 tons per year is like TEN TRAINS, Each train is 100 cars long @ 100 tons per car. A 10 mile long train, 1000 coal cars total. This is 100,000 tons = MAJOR source.

BUT since the Williams Central Station compressor
is "only" 98,801 tons per year,
it is a "minor source" and is regulated much less stringently.

Here is what 98,801 tons looks like:

So remember our train that is 10 miles long? Total of 1000 cars @ 100 tons each? REMOVE JUST 12 CARS, and this becomes a "minor source". This is 98,801 tons = MINOR source of GHG emissions. 98,801 tons is 6 orders of magnitude greaterthan emissions of the average lawmower, yet they both are considered "minor sources" of emissions

100 ton coal cars x 1000 cars (10 miles long) = Major Source.
100 ton coal cars x 988 cars (9.9 miles long) = Minor Source.

Do you see the difference?


The EPA says:

EPA’s GHG Tailoring Rule, issued in May 2010, established a common sense approach to permitting GHG emissions -- from  http://www.epa.gov/nsr/ghgpermitting.html

So is it "common sense" to group
practical physical quantities
which are 6 orders of magnitude apart
both under the quantity "small"?

--
May you, and all beings
be happy and free from suffering :)
-- ancient Buddhist Prayer (Metta)