CEMS Training Doesn’t Have to Be Boring

The Inaugural CEMS Academy Training Workshop Shares An Exciting Approach To Learning About Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS).

The inaugural CEMS Academy Training Workshop kicked off with the Welcome Reception the evening of March 30.  The CEMS Academy is instructed and sponsored by VIM Technologies, Air Hygiene, Inc., Universal Analyzers, and STI CEMS.  The reception was an excellent opportunity to meet and network with several engineering and environmental professionals before the training the following day.Read more »

VIM Technologies Attended The 2022 Analyzer Technology Conference

Galveston Island Convention Center

The conference was the first in-person gathering for many in the industry after a 2-year hiatus.

The largest North American conference for process analyzer technology, the Analyzer Technology Conference (ATC), was held in Galveston, Texas from May 15 to May 18, 2022. As a major provider of emissions compliance software for CEMS and PEMs,  VIM Technologies was proud to be in attendance to support the ATC organization, as well as our current and future clients.Read more »

PADEP CSMM Revision 8 Requirements

VIM Technologies is offering an intermediate level, fully online Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) CSMM Revision 8 Requirements training course, by instructors Bill Mitchell (Sr. Environmental Engineer) and Ashley Partington (Compliance Specialist), February 22-23rd, 2022.

This course is designed to provide a summary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) quality assurance, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements. The course will begin Day 1 with an introduction to PADEP Revision 8 reporting requirements, monitoring specifications, certification/recertification process, and initial/ongoing QA testing requirements. Day 2 will explore the requirements of the quarterly PADEP EDR, data elements, and will also include a discussion of hourly validation and data substitution. An overview of RACT III will also be provided.

The course would be beneficial to Environmental Managers as well as Instrument & Control Technicians with CEMS responsibilities. The training would be valuable to personnel with limited PADEP experience, or as a refresher for more seasoned environmental professionals. The course will be presented in two(2), three-hour sessions over two consecutive days for $399. 

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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP)

The Environmental Quality Board (EQB) is moving forward on the Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) III rule that was proposed to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) on October 17, 2019. The purpose of this rule was to revise the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for compliance with the primary and secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone. RACT applies to major sources of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and/or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted statewide. This revision to the rule will provide additionally reduced emissions limits for NOx and VOCs from the previous PA RACT rules. The compliance deadline for RACT III will be January 1, 2023.Read more »

New SCAQMD CEMS Rules 218.2 and 218.3 Update

South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has amended CEMS Rule 218 Continuous Emissions Monitoring and adopted new Rule 218.2 CEMS: General Provisions and Rule 218.3 CEMS: Performance Specifications.

The amended Rule 218 and the new Rules 218.2 and 218.3 provide specifications for both former RECLAIM CEMS that are previously certified according to the RECLAIM program, as well as non-RECLAIM CEMS that are previously certified according to Rules 218 and 218.1.Read more »

2021 Alberta CEMS Code Finalized

UPDATE:
As a follow-up to the April 27 webinar, AEP issued the 2021 CEMS Code Questions and Responses on May 5, 2021. AEP also posted a recording of the April 27th webinar. A copy of the latest Q&A document is available here.

On April 7, 2021, Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) finalized the 2021 Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) Code. The 2021 Alberta CEMS Code becomes effective on or before January 1, 2022, to provide affected units the flexibility to comply with the new Code prior to the effective date. Otherwise, the 1998 CEMS Code will remain in effect until December 31, 2021.

A copy of the 2021 CEMS Code is available here. Supporting documents are available at www.alberta.ca/continuous-emissions-monitoring.aspx.

AEP is hosting a Revised CEMS Code Information Webinar on April 27, 2021, to provide information and to field questions concerning the 2021 CEMS Code.  The webinar will include changes from the 1998 CEMS Code and changes made from draft 2. Click here to register for the Revised CEMS Code Information Webinar.

EPA Publishes Final CSAPR Group 3 Rule In The Federal Register

On April 30, 2021, just one day prior to the 2021 ozone season, EPA published the final 40 CFR Part 97, Subpart GGGGG, CSAPR NOx Ozone Season Group 3 Trading Program in the Federal Register. The CSAPR Group 3 rule requires additional NOx reductions from power plants located in twelve (12) states beginning with the 2021 ozone season. The twelve (12) affected States are Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The new Group 3 Trading Program is in addition to the existing Groups 1 and 2 NOx Ozone Trading Programs. The rulemaking also includes minor technical/administrative changes to the other CSAPR subparts.

Subpart GGGGG defines distinct Group 3 NOx ozone season State budgets for 2021, 2022, 2023 and “2024 and Beyond.” In general, one sees a reduction in the State budgets each year until the State budgets become fixed for the 2024 and Beyond ozone seasons. For example, reference the Group 3 State Budgets for the 2021 ozone season compared to the State budgets for 2024 and Beyond, as listed in the rule [FR-Vol. 86-No. 82, pages 23123-23124].

EPA also finalized Federal Implementation Implementation Plans (FIPs) for 22 states to address interstate transport of ozone pollution under the Clean Air Act’s “good neighbor” provisions. The final rule becomes effective on June 29, 2021. A copy of the Federal Register publication is available here.