Air Quality Permitting and Emission Control Training Courses

Throughout the United States, dozens of new staff are hired or change jobs at state and local air regulatory agencies each year. Providing training for those staff so they fully understand their jobs has always been a challenge. The COVID pandemic exacerbated the challenge by limiting the ability of staff to gather in a classroom setting.

ERG developed training courses for air quality permitting, nitrogen oxides control, and sources and control of volatile organic compounds, which we present remotely or in-person, to help train air quality regulatory agency staff. Our virtual classes replicate the best features of classroom training by engaging students and providing opportunities for them to collaborate, both during and after the class. Participants have included staff from state, local, and tribal agencies, as well as regional air quality organizations. All classes can be customized as appropriate to meet client-specific needs.  

• Permitting. ERG’s permitting course is based on the Air Pollution Training Institute’s Effective Permit Writing Course (APTI 454), with a focus on the fundamentals of writing both Clean Air Act Title I New Source Review preconstruction permits and Title V operating permits. It covers the basic elements of permit writing, the Clean Air Act, New Source Review, Title V permits, and the finer points of limiting potential to emit.
• Sources and Control of Volatile Organic Air Pollutants. This course is based on APTI 482 and provides detailed information on VOC sources, how to calculate the VOC content of paints and coatings and the emission rate from those surface coating operations, and techniques for controlling emissions. A key focus is calculation of VOCs for complying with new source performance standards and with state VOC regulations for attaining or maintaining National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone.
• Control of Nitrogen Oxides. Our NOx control class is based on APTI 418 (now PLAN 361), Control of Nitrogen Oxide Emissions. It provides information about the sources of and control technology for NOx emissions, as well as the regulatory bases for control. The course also includes an introduction to the Clean Air Act’s control technology regimes, including Reasonably Available Control Technology, Best Available Control Technology, and Lowest Achievable Emissions Rate.