Staying Ahead of the Curve
Air pollution control can be an emergency that creeps up on you. Spring comes and you’re busy with projects in every direction, then you find a notice of violation on your desk. Dust emissions? Odor emissions? Hazardous contaminant emissions?
You’ve got a lab running tests on your wastewater effluent, but are you monitoring air emissions from every potential contaminant source? Most likely not. But the solution may be simpler than you think.
Enlist help from your staff. Use your own people who are working around your entire site everyday for air emission monitoring. Who better to identify a potential dust or odor source than those who are in it? Choose certain members to help or get the entire team on board, it’s up to you.
Once you have people keeping their eyes open, you’re well on your way to peace of mind.
What should you do when a member of your staff points out a potential emission source? First, is it a current danger? If people could get hurt, either fix the problem immediately or find someone who can.
If it’s not pressing, bring it up at the next management meeting. Talk about it. Has anyone noticed offsite odor? Is there dust on vehicles in the vicinity? Has anyone tested for hazardous gas?
Your management team should triage potential emission sources to determine which are probably not worthy of attention, which are worth keeping an eye on, and which are real risks.
For potential emission sources that may one day be a problem, your management team could create a treatment plan or you could look to outside consultants or engineers for help in this area.
When an emission source has been identified and your management team agrees that it is a problem that needs to be fixed, again, develop a treatment plan in house or look for outside help. The important thing is to see your next air pollution control problem coming and get ahead of it.
Breathe Easy!
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WORLD AIR FORUM
Environmental news from the Operator’s and Engineer’s Council.
