Air Dispersion Modeling

C.T. Male Associates’ Environmental Services staff has routinely completed Air Dispersion Modeling for industrial and commercial facilities. Proposed projects in New York State have historically been modeled using the NYSDEC “DAR-1” (previously known as Air Guide-1) modeling software. C.T. Male Associates, however, continues to be at the forefront of technology and utilizes the AMS/EPA Regulatory Model (AERMOD). Environmental Professionals worldwide use AERMOD extensively to assess pollution concentration and deposition from a wide variety of sources.

What is Air Dispersion Modeling?

Air Dispersion Modeling can be used to predict emissions from a site, identify potential problems, and help explore the effect of various solutions. Modeling reports often serve as a basis for demonstrating that a particular project is not expected to have a significant adverse impact with respect to EPA or State issued regulatory or guidance values.

Air Dispersion Modeling is completed using actual facility data, including buildings, stacks, property lines and fence lines, as well as operating parameters of emission sources, and known emission rates to calculate concentrations of pollutants over desired monitoring periods (such as hourly and annual periods). Meteorological data from the National Weather Service and area topography (generally from the USGS) are also used in the modeling to account for the actual conditions in the vicinity of the project area. These results are then compared against published EPA values (known as National Ambient Air Quality Standards) or State issued guidance values (such as NYSDEC issued short-term and annual guidance concentrations also known as SGC and AGC, respectively). Upon completion of the air dispersion modeling, a summary report is generated, including the model inputs and results (in either tabular or graphical form).

Air Dispersion Modeling Services by C.T. Male Associates

C.T. Male Associates is dedicated to offering cutting-edge Air Dispersion Modeling services to our clients. Our personnel attended a two-day AERMOD training session along with approximately 20 Local, State and International Air Dispersion Modeling experts and regulators. Our Air Dispersion Modeling professionals use NYSDEC’s DAR-1 (previously Air Guide-1) and USEPA’s AERMOD software to help demonstrate that a project or facility would not be expected to have a significant adverse impact.

C.T. Male Associates also maintains a contractual relationship with Lakes Environmental Software of Waterloo, Ontario (Canada) to provide the most recent updates to the AERMOD software and its associated programs (as approved periodically by EPA).

Interested in learning more about our Air Dispersion Modeling Services? Connect with our Environmental Engineering Division by calling 518-786-7400.