Air Quality Services

ERG’s internationally recognized air quality specialists support federal, regional, state, local, and tribal government agencies in their work to ensure that all citizens have safe, healthy air to breathe. To understand air pollution sources and levels, we identify and characterize point, nonpoint (area), mobile, and natural air pollution sources; develop emission factors and air emission inventories; and perform air quality modeling. In parallel, we support regulatory development and implementation to reduce ambient air pollution. For example, we identify, evaluate, and recommend viable emission control options; analyze regulatory impacts; provide technical support for drafting rule language and responding to comments; and develop guidance and training for regulated communities. In addition, ERG air quality engineers and scientists review and prepare permits, work that covers hundreds of facilities nationwide and spans virtually every major air quality rule.

Regulatory Development

New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) rule development support
National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants/Maximum Achievable Control Technology (NESHAP/MACT) rule development support
GHG rule development and implementation support
Pollution control feasibility evaluations
Primary and secondary environmental and energy impact analyses
Cost and economic impact analyses
Compliance monitoring and recordkeeping procedures development
Response to public comments
Rule implementation assistance, guidance, and training

Source Characterization and Modeling

Characterization of emission processes and sources
Correlation of emission sources and ambient concentrations
Analysis of emission and ambient concentration trends
Emission, air dispersion, and photochemical modeling

Projects

Photo from above looking down onto a street in downtown Paterson, New Jersey

Collecting Data on Air Toxins in Paterson, New Jersey

Rutgers University

Photo of a Petroleum Refinery

Expansion of Petroleum Refinery Model for Life Cycle Assessment

National Energy Technology Laboratory

Screenshot of EPA's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Tool webpage showing four dropdown menus and images illustrating relative percentages of GHG emissions by emission type and economic sector

Digital Transformation of EPA's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Bustling city street crowded with cars and pedestrians, with visible clouds of steam or air pollution

Collecting Air Toxics Data Nationwide

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Crane operator cab, with one man inside and two others standing right outside, as part of an in-use emissions and activity measurement study

Bringing Real-World Vehicle Emissions Data into Emissions Models for Cleaner Air

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Output of Spatial Emissions Estimator model that uses color coding to show Houston area onroad vehicle nitrous oxides emissions by links, zone, and hour on a GIS map of the area

Development of an Innovative Tool to Help Regional Air Quality Districts Model On-Road Emissions

Houston-Galveston Area Council

Example output of innovative risk-based method to identify facilities whose emissions may be exceeding permit limits. Output shows satellite view of an area overlaid with windrose showing pollution emissions from a point source.

Development of an Innovative Method to Target Likely Non-compliers

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Petroleum refinery pipes with emissions pouring into the ambient air

Clean Air Act Enforcement Support

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Petrochemical plant below a blue sky with clouds

Air Quality Permitting Support

State, Local, and Tribal Permitting Agencies

Chemical plant with vapor or smoke plumes rising into the clear blue sky

Clean Air Act Regulatory Development Support

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

A drilling rig set up in a cleared dirt lot with trucks and trailers around, and trees in the background

Oil and Gas Emission Inventory Development

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Service Area Leads

Monika Chandra

I am inspired every day by my work with clients and colleagues dedicated to improving our environment—and by our shared goal of developing superior, technically sound solutions to some of our nation’s most challenging environmental issues.

Jason Huckaby

I love the challenges and diversity of the air regulatory development work I do at ERG. To help clients protect human health and the environment, while also being mindful of the relevant economic and technical realities, I am continually learning new and emerging information about industrial and air pollution control processes relevant to affected industrial sectors. I enjoy discovering and applying this information to help our clients achieve their goals. I can, and often do, learn something new every day!

Regi Oommen

As a kid, I loved baseball, especially the statistics and data behind it. I would go through box scores in the paper the next day to keep track of my favorite team and players, logging the information into my Commodore 64. I enjoyed exploring the data and looking for trends. Working at ERG on a variety of emission inventory, ambient monitoring, and air quality modeling projects has allowed me to continue my passion for analyzing big data sets. And now I get to tell the story behind the data too.

Roy Oommen

Most of us come into this profession with a healthy sense of idealism, wanting to make a positive contribution to the environment. Looking back at the last 25 years, I can honestly say that what we do at ERG has made a difference. Sometimes small, sometimes big, but always positive. The type of work we do matters to the environment. I am fortunate to be working with people who genuinely care about doing good and doing a good job.

Mike Pring

I gained an appreciation for the environment growing up in Florida, where I enjoyed spending time in the great outdoors—camping, hiking, surfing, and working on the ‘farm’ at the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station. At ERG, my career has allowed me to contribute to the protection of our environment, while continually being challenged to learn new skills and become familiar with the wide variety of industrial activities that give rise to air pollution.

Darcy Wilson

I started working as an environmental scientist when the environmental impacts of acid rain were of great concern. Not long after that, I assisted on a project that examined how effectively fast-growth tree farms could remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. I soon realized I was very good at ‘counting things’ and that, in the air quality field, emission inventories form the basis of almost every project. My career focus on emission inventory development has been very diverse and continually offers new challenges and learning opportunities.