Air Quality Assessment Consultants: Ensuring Compliance and Innovation

As air quality regulatory requirements increase in number and stringency, businesses and organizations need expert guidance to navigate the complexities of environmental compliance. Air quality assessment consultants play a crucial role in helping clients strategize and implement compliance solutions using innovative approaches and advanced technology.

Leading Air Quality Consulting Firms

Several firms stand out in the field of air quality assessment and consulting:

AECOM: With a large full-service global air quality practice, AECOM delivers air quality services by more than 400 professionals on four continents. Their scientists assist in the development and validation of air quality models, and their engineers design and implement cutting-edge emissions control strategies.
SCS Engineers: SCS Engineers is a leader in providing air quality services, offering a wide variety of services to meet clients’ air compliance and permitting needs. Their staff consists of professional engineers, chemists, scientists, and technicians experienced in understanding regulatory requirements, solving environmental problems, and providing innovative solutions.
SWCA Environmental Consultants: At SWCA, decades of experience and cutting-edge expertise help clients navigate every aspect of air quality and noise management. SWCA air quality experts conduct air quality critical issues analyses to assess air permitting feasibility for proposed projects.

Services Offered by Air Quality Consultants

Air quality consultants offer a wide range of services to help clients achieve and maintain compliance with environmental regulations. These services include:

Air Quality Monitoring Techniques

Air Permitting: Consultants assist clients in obtaining necessary permits for air emissions from industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities. This includes minor source air construction permitting and major source Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Non-Attainment New Source Review (NNSR) permitting.
Air Quality Modeling: Air dispersion modeling is performed to assess the impact of air emissions on ambient air quality. This helps in determining compliance with air quality standards and identifying potential impacts on sensitive receptors. SWCA performs air quality modeling using AERMOD to assess nearfield (<50km) impacts and CALPUFF to assess far field impacts in Federal Class I areas and on a case-by-case basis for certain near-field applications involving complex meteorological conditions.
Compliance Support: Consultants help clients maintain ongoing compliance with air quality regulations through services such as monthly recordkeeping, emission tracking, and compliance matrix development. They also provide comprehensive air quality reporting services, including preparation of quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reports.
Odor Monitoring and Control: Odor pollution is a significant aspect of a region’s air quality and is often regulated as a nuisance. Consultants offer odor monitoring and control services to help clients minimize odor emissions and comply with odor regulations.
Landfill Air Quality Management: The primary air quality concern at landfills involves landfill gas (LFG) emissions, and the main compliance tool is the Gas Collection and Control System (GCCS). Consultants provide services related to landfill air quality management, including LFG monitoring, GCCS design and optimization, and compliance reporting.
Noise Monitoring and Assessment: Consultants offer noise monitoring using state-of-the-art equipment to measure ambient noise levels, assess project-related impacts, and verify compliance with regulatory thresholds. Our monitoring capabilities include the use of highly sensitive microphones, precision sound level meters, and advanced real-time data loggers to capture accurate noise levels.

The Clean Air Act (CAA)

The Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) touches virtually every aspect of economic activity in the United States. The Act provides a comprehensive set of regulations to monitor air toxins and requires major sources of air pollution to obtain detailed operating permits. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses the CAA to establish national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for certain pollutants to protect public health and welfare nationwide.

Air Quality Feasibility Studies

Air Quality Feasibility Studies are extremely beneficial during the development of a proposed project not only in identifying potential “fatal flaws” but to also better define the permitting approach. SWCA reviews the proposed project equipment/design, calculates preliminary potential air emissions, reviews any applicable federal, state, or local air regulatory requirements, and conducted air screening modeling to assess compliance with ambient air standards.

Air Quality Planning Services

SWCA offers comprehensive air quality planning services to support compliance with CEQA, NEPA, FERC, and local requirements. They specialize in optimizing energy projects under FERC regulations, facilitating smooth approval processes. SWCA also customizes air quality planning to meet local standards, promoting community health and sustainability.

Expertise and Experience

Air quality consultants bring a wealth of expertise and experience to help clients navigate complex air quality issues. For example:

Bill: has more than 30 years of professional experience in environmental consulting, specializing in air regulatory assessment, permitting, and compliance. His experience includes federal and state air regulatory review and assessment, development of compliance strategies, preparation of air quality construction and operating permit applications for minor and major sources in both attainment and nonattainment areas, and on-site training.
Erin: has 11 years of experience providing air quality assessments and permit services, including the preparation of regulatory and non-regulatory air pollutant emission inventories and conducting air quality dispersion modeling.
Carlos: is an environmental specialist providing noise permitting, modeling, engineering, and compliance services.

Noise Impact Assessment Services

Our impact assessment services encompass both operational and construction phases. We utilize SoundPLAN and other advanced modeling and mapping software to predict noise propagation, evaluate mitigation measures, and develop strategic solutions tailored to project-specific requirements. Our assessments account for a range of factors, including topography, existing noise sources, atmospheric conditions, and project-specific operations based on the new ISO 9613-2:2024 standard, to create highly accurate models.

Here is a summary of key services provided by air quality assessment consultants:

Service	Description
Air Permitting	Assisting clients in obtaining necessary permits for air emissions.
Air Quality Modeling	Assessing the impact of air emissions on ambient air quality.
Compliance Support	Maintaining ongoing compliance with air quality regulations.
Odor Monitoring and Control	Minimizing odor emissions and complying with odor regulations.
Noise Monitoring and Assessment	Measuring ambient noise levels and assessing project-related impacts.