Air


Know Your Enemy

Regenerativer thermal oxidizers (RTOs) that control volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by a wide variety of industrial processes are widely accepted. As a general rule, RTO technology has been very successful with most installations, operating trouble-free for extended periods. In some cases, however, operation has been troublesome, and a good proportion of these problem applications have been on biomass dryers.

This article originally appeared in the 07/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.

Georgia Tech Researchers: Vehicle Emissions Monitoring Validates Inspection Program

This article originally appeared in the 06/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.

Mercury's Rising Impact

Mercury is getting a lot of attention, both in the popular press and in state and federal regulatory agencies. Combustion systems, like coal-fired power plants, industrial boilers, incinerators, and cement kilns, are sources of mercury emissions to the air. This article outlines the mercury emission regulations that apply to different combustion systems and the best demonstrated means to control these emissions from combustion sources. This article focuses on utility and industrial combustion systems because they are the highest emitters and face the greatest reductions and tightest scrutiny.

This article originally appeared in the 06/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.

The Greening of U.S. Industry

This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.

One Fine Mess

On Sept. 21, 2006, Stephen Johnson, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), signed the latest revisions to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM), also known as PM-2.5.

This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.

The Paradox of Politics

Just as "it takes two to tango," it has taken two political parties working in tandem over the last few decades in the United States to produce the vast majority of major federal environmental laws.

This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.

Coming Into Compliance

For years, fiberglass-reinforced baths and showers have been perceived as “commodity” products. Of course -- as with any product -- there have always been quality differences between brands. Nevertheless, the manufacturing methods employed and the materials used have been roughly similar.

This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.

On the Road to Greater Compliance

Facilities across many industry sectors are turning to mobile technology software designed for PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) handheld devices to meet various environmental compliance demonstration requirements. This article discusses the capabilities of mobile technology in this regard and describes several situations in which facilities fulfilled regulatory requirements by utilizing software designed for handheld devices.

This article originally appeared in the 04/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.



Setting Up a Digital Control Center

When considering entities that manage hazardous waste generated at a large number of generating sites, most people think of billion-dollar national or multinational corporations, with factories and facilities distributed over a wide area.

This article originally appeared in the 04/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.

A Cure for Healthy Computing

Did you ever notice that advertisements for environmental, health and safety (EH&S) software products sound like commercials for pain relief?

This article originally appeared in the 04/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.

Time for Some Fresh Air

Change is in the air. Congress changed in November from Republican to Democratic leadership. A pending U.S. Supreme Court case and new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules probably will change the New Source Review requirements. These and other changes may affect how you operate your facility in 2007.

This article originally appeared in the 01/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.

A Sensitive Electronic Nose

A new type of electronic nose, based on ultra-fast gas chromatography, can perform analytical measurements of volatile organic vapors in near real-time with part-per-trillion sensitivity.

This article originally appeared in the 11/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.

The Scoop on Sensor Selection

Meteorological monitoring for air quality studies has evolved over the past four decades. During the summer of 1956 an experimental program to study micrometeorology and dispersion from near-surface releases was conducted near the town of O'Neil in north-central Nebraska.

This article originally appeared in the 10/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.

ESA Rules: Plain English Version (Part 1)

The following is the first of a two-part series that analyzes new Phase 1 ESA requirements and their impact on consultants and their clients. The second part is scheduled to be published in the November/December 2006 issue of Environmental Protection.

This article originally appeared in the 10/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.

Meeting MACT Head-On

The DuPont Front Royal plant has been the leading name in the automotive refinishing industry. DuPont Performance Coatings, formed from DuPont Automotive finishes and DuPont's acquisition of Herberts, is the world's largest supplier of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and aftermarket coatings and the world's third largest coatings company, overall.

This article originally appeared in the 09/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.

Blight to Bright

Insurance companies are helping turn contaminated sites turn into solar energy producers

This article originally appeared in the 07/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.

Weathering the Storm

Aug. 25, 2005: Hurricane Katrina, the 11th named tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and first Category 5 hurricane of the season, makes landfall north of Miami, Fla., killing dozens. Four days later, the slightly weakened system touches down on the Central Gulf Coast of Louisiana.

This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.

Speeding Up Meth Lab Remediation

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez has called it "a unique and deadly threat to our nation -- which destroys lives far beyond those of just the addicts and the users."

This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.

Still Hazy After All These Years

2006 promises to be a contentious and litigious time in the air pollution control area. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced some significant new hazardous and traditional pollutant regulatory programs that will be legally challenged as either too stringent or too lax, depending upon the litigant.

This article originally appeared in the 01/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection.

(H+)eir Apparent

It took years and years of designing, planning, and problem-solving before a vehicle that wasn't powered by a gasoline engine actually made it onto the market in quantities sufficient to satisfy more than the most adventurous or environmentally conscious of consumers.

This article originally appeared in the 11/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.