Air Quality

Emissions of air pollutants have been regulated since the original Clean Air Act of 1970. Since then, regulations are continuously updated and assessment methodologies evolve as science and technology improve. This means that regulated pollutants are added and removed, emissions and concentration standards are revised, and often federal and state regulations differ all of which can be confusing.

Epsilon's air quality experts closely follow regulations and are able to decipher federal, state, and local regulations.

Our clients, including well-known utility companies, colleges and universities, coating and printing facilities, and pulp and paper facilities, turn to Epsilon for our expertise in complying with air quality regulations. We work across disciplines with developers, engineers, and operations staff to guide them through this rapidly changing landscape of air quality standards and regulatory requirements.

We aid facilities in meeting the requirements of the Clean Air Act and are able to help facilities become compliant by updating required permits and/or designing control systems that are efficient and cost-effective.

Epsilon manages air quality permitting, negotiates air permits for large coal- and gas-fired power plants and smaller cogeneration facilities, and provides both on-site support for compliance assistance and environmental inspections. Specifically, our work involves:

• Preparing air permit applications (including PSD/NSR)
• Preparing environmental impact documents
• Preparing siting and licensing applications
• Conducting air quality control assessments
• Conducting due diligence reviews and risk management plans in support of acquisitions and compliance audits
• Preparing and presenting public presentations
• Responding to agency enforcement

Our team of air quality professionals prepares and negotiates operating and pre-construction air permit applications. This includes air emission inventories and Reasonable Available Control Technology (RACT) / Best Available Control Technology (BACT) / Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) analyses / Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) / Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) and evaluation of new technologies.

With many facilities requiring multiple permit applications in order to operate, it can often be hard to keep track of everything. Epsilon is able to ensure a project stays on track by providing permit tracking. This tracking is for all environmental permits and approvals required of a proposed project before construction begins through the close of the project. This enables clients to better manage project schedules and deadlines. Our tracking effort allows clients to track mitigation requirements and ensure that the site contractor and project team are complying with permit conditions and ensures a facility never misses an important deadline.

For public and industrial facilities facing odor complaints, we are well-versed in providing odor control design and odor impact evaluation analyses. We work with local and state environmental regulatory authorities to develop appropriate solutions that achieve cost-effective solutions to mitigate odor impacts while continuing to provide flexible operating conditions.

Our meteorologists use sophisticated dispersion modeling techniques to show accurate predictions of ambient concentrations to meet air quality standards. Our CCMs are experts in complex air dispersion modeling. They use modeling systems such as CALPUFF, AERMOD and CAL3QHC, and three-dimensional meteorological modeling with CALMET. They not only apply the models, but also have experience in model development, model evaluation, and training.

Modeling scenarios include stack emissions, accidental releases, fugitive emission sources, and mobile sources. We also model atypical release scenarios, such as cooling tower modeling with SACTI. By performing these complex air pollution control assessments we are able to guide our oil-, natural gas-, and coal-fired energy projects and industrial clients through how best to meet regulatory requirements.

We are skilled at applying the results of modeling analyses to inform human health risk and environmental justice-related concerns. In support of these analyses, Epsilon’s trusted senior staff have provided expert testimony to state oversight boards, local planning boards, and at public hearings.

Our air modelers use dispersion modeling techniques to estimate ambient concentrations from facilities or new projects on Environmental Justice (EJ) communities. These analyses are used to meet new federal and state environmental justice policies required for permitting. For example, our experts have successfully applied AERMOD to model project-related emissions from stationary and mobile sources and predict Project-related air pollutant concentrations in EJ communities. Comparing the predicted air pollution concentrations to health-based standards, we can address concerns related to any adverse and disproportionate impacts that a project might have on an EJ community. By conducting these analyses, we have successfully secured the necessary permits for projects in EJ communities.