Air Pollution Control

How you can meet or beat air pollution control expectations
By John Williams, Business Writing and Research Though expensive, air quality control can pay off over the long haul. Done properly, your business' control of air pollution can enhance productivity by providing a clean environment with less worker downtime due to sickness or inability to work at 100%.
 

How much of your business’ air pollution prevention and control you want to manage depends on the size and complexity of the operation, as well as the nature of your industry. Are you a heavy manufacturer or deal with volatile raw materials? Do you have several locations spread across the US? Are you running lean with your staff? There are three options available to you, depending on where you lay in the business spectrum:

1. Keep your own air pollution control technician on the payroll to handle interactions with government agencies;

2. Hire in consultants to supervise the set up of your air pollution control system;

3. Engage a specialist to install and run your facilities’ air pollution control equipment.

Stay abreast of air quality control agency policies

Rather than sweating bullets over a clipboard-toting agent stalking your facility, log on to the bureaus' websites for information to guide you on how to meet requirements, even how to save money through air pollution prevention and control.
Try: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a Compliance Assistance Center on their website that allows you to drill down not only by your industry, but within your state, to focus on the exact regulations affecting you directly. The National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA) also lets you home in on state and local air pollution control divisions, for access to more information relevant to where you conduct business.

Confer with air pollution control consultants

Even with the electronic help desk offered by agencies, perhaps you're simply overwhelmed or understaffed to take on air pollution prevention and control oversight yourself. Contact a consultant to review your systems and processes, and utilize their expertise to bring your system up to code.
Try: Korlipara Engineering offers air quality studies, remediation, environmental investigations and engineering software products and support to build your own custom models. Fusion Environmental can thoroughly test your current system with feasibility and emission minimization studies, system optimization reviews and pilot testing to minimize overall costs before you undertake a major overhaul. Contact them for more information.

Hire in an air pollution control specialist

If it looks like you do need a serious upgrade, or if you're in a new building project that requires a new system, subcontract the system to a specialist who focuses on air pollution control devices to create and install the system correctly the first time.
Try: Envirometrics literally wrote the book on air quality control: specifically a cost-benefit analysis of different control methods. They specialize in engineering design, permit support, building design support and environmental management. Indusco Environmental Services, Inc. can take over the entire process from initial design through fabrication and installation to start-up and operator training.

• When reviewing your production system for improving air quality, scrutinize the whole system. The amount you can reduce emissions at the production point where the part is being formed, treated or milled can help save costs not only by reducing the amount of raw materials you run through to produce the goods, but also by curtailing the extent of air pollution control devices capturing emissions after the fact.