Pod Technologies

Overview:

Pod Technologies provides product development and engineering services for air pollution measurement and control technologies. Areas of experience include:

Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS);
Combustion and air pollution control; and
Air pollution regulations and test methods.

Update:

Recent energy and air quality news, information, and opinion:

Edison Proposes Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Reductions

Southern California Edison has proposed $23 million in projects to reduce greenhouse gases by powering California cars, forklifts, and agricultural pumps with electricity, as well as other steps to offset CO2 emissions. The projects could cut the equivalent of 3.7 million metric tons of emissions, an amount comparable to taking 800,000 cars off the road. See the Cool Planet Project for more information on Edison's efforts.

5/18/2008

Fine Particle Rule

US EPA issued a Final Rule for Implementation of the New Source Review (NSR) Program for Particulate Matter Less Than 2.5 Micrometers (PM2.5). US EPA's NSR program requires industrial facilities to obtain permits outlining emissions controls for target air pollutants before they begin construction. Requirements include:

Installation of Best Available Control Technology (BACT); and
Air quality monitoring and modeling analyses to ensure that a project’s emissions will not cause or contribute to a violation of any NAAQS or maximum allowable pollutant increase.

For sources in nonattainment areas for PM2.5, requirements include:

Installation of Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) control technology;
Offsetting new emissions with creditable emissions reductions;
Certification that all major sources owned and operated in the State by the same owner are in compliance with all applicable requirements under the Act; and
An alternative siting analysis demonstrating that the benefits of the proposed source significantly outweigh the environmental and social costs imposed as a result of its location, construction, or modification.

PDF document Fact Sheet (pdf, 4pp., 56kB)
Final Rule (pdf, 117pp., 425kB)

5/11/2008

Monitor Data Checking Software Version 4.2.58

US EPA Monitor Data Checking (MDC) Software has been revised. MDC Version 4.2.58 supports January 24, 2008 revisions to continuous emission monitoring requirements for Clean Air Markets Programs (40 CFR 75), and addresses other minor bug fixes. Changes and fixes are detailed in the Release notes for MDC v4.2.58 (pdf, 1 pp., 11 kB).

5/07/2008

Clean Air Markets ECMPS Reporting Tutorials

US EPA is begining to provide tutorials to help in the transition to the new Emissions Collection and Monitoring Plan System (ECMPS). Beginning with the first quarter of 2009, all industry sources regulated under Clean Air Markets Programs must submit monitoring plan, quality assurance, and emissions data to US EPA using this new system.

5/05/2008

EPA Urged to Consider Value of Life in Air Pollution Rules

A national panel of experts urged the US EPA to continue considering the economic value of lost lives when comparing the costs and benefits of setting new air pollution rules. The White House Office of Management and Budget has questioned the reliability of the science linking air pollution to deaths, and has instructed US EPA staff to remove mortality benefits when setting some rules.

4/24/2008

Measurement and Monitoring Projects

The US EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) posted a status report of current activities:

PDF document OAQPS Measurement and Monitoring Projects (pdf, 15pp, 56kB)

Activities include new and revised:

Test methods, including instrumental Methods 3A, 6C, 7E, 10, and 20;
Performance specifications and quality assurance procedures for Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems; and
Tools for improved monitoring and testing.

3/04/2008

Clean Air Markets Data: 4th Quarter 2007

Fourth Quarter 2007 EDR data from US EPA Clean Air Markets are available from Emissions Data Prepackaged Data Sets or the US EPA FTP site. Data include hourly sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO2), and heat input data for each unit in the Clean Air Markets programs. These data can be can be reviewed and analyzed with US EPA's Monitoring Data Checking (MDC) Software, as well as with EDR Trend

Also, MDC CAMD Export Files are updated, and Acid Rain Hourly Emissions Data 2007 is available from NTIS.

2/20/2008

Clean Air Mercury Rule Tossed Out by Court

On February 08, 2008 the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that US EPA must rewrite the Clean Air Mercury Rule. The court ruled that US EPA violated the Clean Air Act in 2005 when it exempted coal-fired power plants from emission controls and adopted a market-based approach to regulate mercury emissions. It could be years before US EPA can enact new rules on mercury. In the meantime, regulating mercury emissions will likely be left to states, which in many cases have set their own limits for power plants.

State of New Jersey, et al., Petitioners v. Environmental Protection Agency, Respondent and Utility Air Regulatory Group, et al., Intervenors. US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 02/08/2008
EPA must rewrite utility mercury rule: U.S. court. Reuters, 02/08/2008
Court tosses Bush program on utility mercury emissions. Power News, 02/20/2008
Court restores stiffer coal plant mercury control rules. Power News, 03/26/2008
Ruling on Mercury Emissions Is Appealed. The Associated Press, 03/26/2008

2/10/2008

AQMD Ammends Stationary IC Engine Rule

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) ammended Rule 1110.2—Emissions from Gaseous- and Liquid-Fueled Internal Combustion Engines. The amendments were developed to:

Improve the compliance record of engines with better monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting;
Achieve further emission reduction based on the cleanest available technologies; and
Address recommended source testing, inspection, and monitoring plan changes to the rule by US EPA.

PDF document Rule 1110.2 Emissions from Gaseous - and Liquid-Fueled Internal Combustion Engines (pdf, 34 pp., 131kB)

2/09/2008

Note: JavaScript is disabled or not supported by your browser.For Previous Updates, please use the following links:
Edison Proposes Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Reduction... Fine Particle Rule Monitor Data Checking Software Version 4.2.58 Clean Air Markets ECMPS Reporting Tutorials EPA Urged to Consider Value of Life in Air Polluti... Measurement and Monitoring Projects Clean Air Markets Data: 4th Quarter 2007 Clean Air Mercury Rule Tossed Out by Court AQMD Ammends Stationary IC Engine Rule Clean Air Markets Presentations & Reports For Monthly Archives, please use the following links:
02/2003 03/2003 04/2003 05/2003 06/2003 07/2003 10/2003 01/2004 02/2004 03/2004 04/2004 05/2004 06/2004 07/2004 08/2004 09/2004 10/2004 11/2004 12/2004 01/2005 02/2005 03/2005 04/2005 05/2005 06/2005 07/2005 08/2005 09/2005 10/2005 11/2005 12/2005 02/2006 03/2006 04/2006 05/2006 06/2006 07/2006 08/2006 09/2006 10/2006 11/2006 12/2006 01/2007 02/2007 03/2007 04/2007 05/2007 06/2007 07/2007 08/2007 09/2007 10/2007 12/2007 01/2008 02/2008 03/2008 04/2008 05/2008

Events:

Upcoming energy and air quality events:

15th Annual Cal/EPA Environmental Cross Media Enforcement Symposium. May 27-30, 2008. Long Beach, CA.
Air & Waste Management Association 101st Annual Conference & Exhibition. June 24-27, 2008. Portland, OR.
Power Plant Air Pollutant Control "Mega" Symposium. US Department of Energy, the Electric Power Research Institute, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Air & Waste Management Association. August 25-28, 2008. Baltimore, MD.