Latest News

66th Annual IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference Recap

Posted

The 66th annual IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference, held from April 28th to May 2nd at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado, was a cornerstone event for professionals in the cement industry. This year’s conference brought together experts and vendors, providing an enriching platform for networking, learning, and industry advancement.

The conference featured an array of technical sessions and workshops. The event also featured speakers who provided strategic insights into trends and regulatory changes, helping attendees better prepare for the evolving landscape. VIM Technologies showcased their latest technology and solutions. Professionals from all over exchanged ideas, forged new connections, shared their experiences and best practices and a great time was had by all!

The 2024 IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference was a resounding success. It served not only as a platform for presenting current research and technology but also as a catalyst for fostering collaborations for the future. We look forward to next year’s event!

If you would like to learn more about the Portland Cement Association PCA and their technical workshops, please visit https://www.cement.org/. 

April 2024 Steering Committee Session Recap

Posted

On April 11, 2024, Rudi Muenster met with members of the Steering Committee at the Duke Energy office in St. Petersburg, Florida, to discuss business development directives for the year ahead.

It was an action-packed day, with each team member bringing their perspective to the challenges and opportunities facing their organization and industry. Everyone rolled up their sleeves and tackled issues related to cyber security, challenges in staffing, major regulatory initiatives, and employee training. The group concluded the meeting by identifying and prioritizing various CEMLink6 development items in the backlog for the next 24 months. Team members provided valuable input on the timing of the release schedule and major features to be introduced, and they took the lead on writing functional development specifications.

The Steering Committee is a multidisciplinary advisory group of various industry members advising VIM on functional requirements associated with the CEMLink product. We’re eagerly seeking new team members from the pharmaceutical, pulp, and paper, and refining industries to join the team. Your unique perspectives and expertise will be invaluable.

For more information or to reach out to the Steering Committee with any questions, please send an email to steeringcommittee@vimtechnologies.com. To view existing Steering Committee members, visit www.vimtechnologies.com/steering-committee/.

Latest Developments in the LME EDR Utility

Posted

The EPA Clean Air Markets Division (CAMD) has announced a permanent delay in the ECMPS re-engineering project. While they haven’t set a definite start date for the transition to the new web-based ECMPS 2.0 interface with JSON formatted reports, we anticipate it won’t commence until at least the first quarter of 2025. Additionally, the EPA has reiterated that there are no plans to integrate the capability to generate low mass emissions (LME) EDRs into the ECMPS 2.0 client tool. Facilities responsible for reporting LME EDRs are advised to seek alternative solutions and establish a transition plan beforehand.

VIM continues to evolve and provide a solution for generating both XML and JSON formatted EDRs through our web-based LME EDR Utility. Users can use this platform to create XML EDRs for import into the current standalone ECMPS Client tool while exploring the JSON EDR capability for ECMPS 2.0 beta testing. We are committed to staying abreast of all re-engineering work and will provide updates to the LME utility when schemas or API interfaces get changed.

We hope that EPA will clarify the overall progress of the re-engineering project at the upcoming EPRI CEM User Group conference in Scottsdale, AZ, from May 21 – 23, 2024. VIM Technologies Inc. will be on hand and will provide an update on the status of the re-engineering project at the meeting’s conclusion.

If you’re interested in hearing more about the LME utility or have questions about the re-engineering project in general, please get in touch with Rudi Muenster at rudi.muenster@vimtechnologies.com.

VIM Technologies Attended CAPCA Spring 2024

Posted

On April 10-12, VIM Technologies participated in the CAPCA Spring Meeting held at the prestigious Omni Grove Park in Asheville, NC. We were thrilled to engage with attendees and share insights on the latest in environmental monitoring and compliance technologies that we offer. It was an incredible event that proved to be a hub of knowledge-sharing and networking.

The event kicked off with a workshop on the “Hazards and Control of Combustible Dust.” Over the next three days, several technical and regulatory topics were discussed, including stack testing methodologies, fenceline monitoring basics, and the latest updates on environmental regulations from both the EPA and state agencies.

Andrew Rothenberger, our National Sales Manager, exhibited during the conference. It was wonderful to see friends and colleagues in the industry and get up to speed on the latest insights and trends. We are grateful to the organizers of CAPCA for a well-organized and highly informative event. Our team looks forward to returning next year.

VIM Technologies Attended the 2024 4C HSE Marketplace Conference

Posted

Last week’s 2024 4C HSE Marketplace Conference in Austin, Texas, was a wonderful event! VIM Technologies has been a dedicated supporter and participant of this conference for several years, contributing this year with both a technical presentation and an exhibition. The event saw the participation of 350 attendees and more than 50 sponsors from a diverse array of industries and companies. It was delightful to reconnect with numerous clients and customers face-to-face at this annual gathering.

The conference is renowned for addressing key industry topics related to environmental compliance and Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE). Its goal is to advance the adoption of the newest emissions reduction technologies and to disseminate best practices aimed at improving environmental outcomes.

It assembled industry experts and professionals from various regions to network and deliberate on prominent subjects concerning environmental compliance and testing. A variety of papers and technical presentations provided attendees with the latest trends and updates on regulatory changes impacting compliance. The conference placed significant emphasis on the use of AI and advanced spectroscopy for real-time Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPS) analysis, highlighting these as critical areas of focus.

VIM’s Senior Air Compliance Specialist, Eric Wiley, who boasts over twenty years of experience in air quality, delivered a paper titled “Common CEMS Program Audit Findings.” His presentation attracted a large audience. Eric shared best practices for adhering to the specifications of Part 60 and Part 75 CEMS. Both Eric Wiley and Lawrence Fisher, our Regional Sales Manager, were excited to engage with many existing users of VIM DAS and welcomed the opportunity to meet new customers, offering support with their data reporting and Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) program auditing.

VIM Technologies Attended the North American Energy Services (NAES) Annual Environmental Conference

Posted

VIM was grateful for the opportunity to participate at the North American Energy Services (NAES) Annual Environmental Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona! It was incredible to reconnect with familiar faces and forge new connections within the NAES organization.

Our very own Rudi Muenster provided an update to the group on the reengineering of the EPA’s Emission Collection and Monitoring Plan System (ECMPS). His update was well received and stimulated insightful discussions on the innovative solutions addressing these changes. The conference truly showcased the commitment of NAES and its partners to environmental sustainably through compliance.

Thank you NAES for the opportunity to support your organization and the fine people working hard to assure environmental compliance – we are excited about the potential collaborations ahead.

Part 75 ECMPS Re-Engineering Update

Posted

On February 6, 2024, the EPA’s Clean Air Markets Division (CAMD) hosted a webinar to discuss modifications to the existing ECMPS 1.0 Client Tool to accommodate the Good Neighbor Rule and MATS Rule electronic reporting requirements that became effective January 1, 2024.  The deadline for implementing ECMPS 2.0 continues to be postponed indefinitely.  Indications are pointing to either a 2024 Q3 or 2025 Q1 implementation schedule, with 2025 the likely scenario.

The ECMPS 1.0 Client Tool MATS PDF Submit module will be modified to allow the submittal of XML, JSON, and PDF files and will be renamed accordingly.

CAMD stated that the release date for the stand-alone ECMPS Client Tool would follow the usual deployment schedule and take place around “mid-March.”  There were no personnel from EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) to clarify how certain reports would be formatted (XML vs. JSON vs. PDF).

The ECMPS 2.0 schema for the quarterly compliance report has not been finalized and the first report was anticipated to be in JSON format.  CAMD suggested that affected sources contact the delegated authority to obtain guidance on whether a PDF copy of the report could continue to be submitted in lieu of an XML or JSON.  The same confusion applies to the requirements to submit hourly PM CEMS data, hourly PM CPMS data, and 30/90-day rolling averages.  A recording of the webinar will be posted at https://www.epa.gov/power-sector/ecmps-re-engineering-effort but has not been loaded up yet.

All VIM Technologies customers running CEMLink6 who are subject to either the Good Neighbor Rule or the MATS Rule will require a CEMLink6 update before Q1 2024 reporting in April.  We are in the final phase of QC and will be prepared to release CEMLink6 Ver. 6.2.550 in late March.  This release will allow users to generate MATS quarterly compliance reports and PM CEMS quarterly emission reports in JSON format.

VIM recommends that MATS-affected sources contact their stack test contractors to ensure that they will provide the applicable required MATS stack test data elements specified in Sections 17 through 30 of Appendix E to the MATS Rule in XML format.  VIM is not planning to include a CEMLink6 module to generate XML files for MATS compliance tests for elements required in this section of the rule.

VIM Technologies will continue to stay on top of these changes and will provide an update when we know more.  In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our COMPAS group (COMPAS@vimtechnologies.com) if you have any questions.

 

ECMPS 2.0 Start Date Postponed

Posted

UPDATE: ECMPS 2.0 Start Date Postponed

On November 15, 2023, the EPA’s Clean Air Markets Division (CAMD) hosted a webinar to discuss transitioning from ECMPS 1.0 (i.e., the ECMPS Client Tool) to the new web-based ECMPS 2.0 reporting platform. During the webinar, CAMD announced that ECMPS 2.0 would not be used to report quarterly QA and emissions files as initially scheduled for Q1 2024. Additionally, CAMD did not specify a new start date for ECMPS 2.0. The agency does not want to postpone the ECMPS 2.0 implementation date more than once, so they intend to conduct a thorough assessment of the status of the software platform before setting a new realistic start date. CAMD indicated that they hope to complete this assessment before the end of 2023. The webinar was recorded, and a copy will be posted to the ECMPS Re-engineering Effort website at https://www.epa.gov/power-sector/ecmps-re-engineering-effort

Read more »

84th Glass Problems Conference Recap

Posted

VIM Technologies (VIM) thoroughly enjoyed attending the 84th Conference on Glass Problems at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. It was a remarkable event that brought together the best minds in the glass manufacturing industry.

The primary goal of the conference was to equip participants with insights into the existing factors influencing glass manufacturing, available technology options, and upcoming trends. This event was collaboratively organized by the Glass Manufacturing Industry Council and Alfred University, earning an endorsement from The American Ceramic Society.

Participating as an exhibitor afforded our company an exclusive perspective to observe the event’s key moments and interact with its attendees. The conference served as a hub of innovation, featuring diverse sessions, symposiums, and discussions. Notably, the focal point was the symposium entitled “The Future of Glass Manufacturing,” which delved into various technologies for energy and carbon savings, as well as advancements in furnace and refractory design.

It was great to connect with industry leaders, potential clients, and fellow exhibitors, all sharing a common passion for the glass manufacturing industry. We look forward to the next conference.