Streamlining Texas Air Permitting: Westward Offers Compliance, Efficiency, and Cost-Effective Solutions

Dave Knollhoff, CCM, Modeling Team Leader

Navigating the air permitting process in Texas can be complex, but Westward is here to simplify it for you. Our experienced team specializes in securing air permit authorizations efficiently and cost-effectively, ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements.

Certain air permit actions may trigger the need for a public notice process, which can be challenging. Westward's expert air permitting team is well-equipped to manage this process on your behalf, alleviating the burden from your operations.

Additionally, some air permits may require air dispersion modeling, particularly for case-by-case authorizations, also known as New Source Review (NSR) permits. Westward’s skilled air dispersion modelers are ready to perform these analyses when needed, ensuring all technical components are addressed seamlessly.

Air dispersion modeling is a computational tool used to simulate how air emissions spread within the lower atmosphere, known as the boundary layer. While the process involves numerous intricate details, Westward utilizes proprietary and advanced software to perform these analyses efficiently and accurately, all at competitive rates.

Key inputs for the model include emission rates, surface and upper-air meteorological data, terrain, and emission source characteristics. The model then calculates the concentration impacts both at and beyond the property boundaries of your proposed facility, providing crucial data for regulatory compliance and environmental protection.

The concentration impacts are required to be below the EPA’s federal National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for pollutants such as PM10, PM2.5, NOx, SO2, CO, Pb and O3.  Or if your air permit action requires compliance to TCEQ’s air quality guidelines, then you could be dealing with a state-level property line standard such as Regulation II for SO2 or an Effects Screening Level (ESL) for potentially hundreds of toxic air emissions that the TCEQ regulates.

Whether your project requires air dispersion modeling for a major source federal air permit or a minor source state air permit, Westward has the expertise to conduct these analyses.

Before pursuing an air permit authorization, we encourage you to consult with us first. Our objective is to streamline the process, ensuring a timely authorization while providing you with a clear assessment of your operations’ compliance with all relevant regulations. This approach minimizes challenges and potential complications.

Westward's expertise ensures that these complex assessments are handled with precision and professionalism, allowing you to focus on the successful development and operation of your project.