Jim Lindner

Jim Lindner

Principal Engineer

Throughout my career, first at EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality and now with ERG’s clean transportation group, the best part of my work has been helping others—for example, by analyzing available data (which never seem to be ideal), explaining the results to technical and non-technical audiences in ways they can readily understand, and providing options for moving forward. It also seems to help if I try to listen more than I talk, not to take myself too seriously, and share a few laughs along the way.


For more than 25 years, Dr. Jim Lindner has helped shape successful automotive emission control strategies used by state and federal agencies to keep our air clean. Jim launched his career at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he worked for 18 years to improve vehicle testing programs and fine-tune innovative fuel and engine technology. At OTAQ, Jim developed guidance for states implementing vehicle inspection and maintenance programs and using remote sensing and other tests to evaluate program effectiveness.

Since joining ERG in 2007, Jim has helped air quality and public health agencies in states as disparate as Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Texas meet their air quality goals by evaluating current practices, technologies, and standards; improving testing protocols; and communicating effectively with regulated stakeholders. He has also supported a variety of other air quality programs, including EPA’s SmartWay and Diesel Emission Reduction Act initiatives, and quantification of off-road greenhouse gas emissions for two agencies: Transport Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada. His ability to manage diverse teams of technical, IT, administrative, and communications personnel is one of his strongest assets and wins him admiration from ERG clients across the country. 

Jim has a B.S. in chemistry from Haverford College, an M.S. in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan.