Lakes Environmental e-Newsletter
In this issue:
- News & Events
- Upcoming Courses
- Modeling Tip: Tracking AERMOD and AERMET Versions
- Articles
- Upcoming Conferences & Trade Shows
News & Events
US EPA Updates Guideline on Air Quality Models
On December 20, 2016, the US EPA Administrator signed a final rule revising the Guideline on Air Quality Models (Appendix W to 40 CFR Part 51). The Guideline defines EPA-recommended models and techniques for predicting ambient concentrations of air pollutants. Guidance for use of these models is also provided. Details of the final rule including technical support material can be found on the EPA’s website.
As part of the final rule, new versions of the AERMOD, AERMET, AERSCREEN, and MAKEMET models (dated 16216) were published to the EPA’s website. Changes include:
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In addition to the above, the EPA published further updates to the AERMOD and AERSCREEN models (version 16216r) on January 18, 2017 to address issues discovered after the initial publishing. These changes include:
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A full list of changes for each model can be found on the US EPA AERMOD, AERMET, and AERSCREEN web pages.
Lakes Environmental is hard at work updating AERMOD View, AERMET View, and AERSCREEN View to incorporate these new models and associated changes. Be on the lookout for emails from Lakes Environmental announcing these new releases upon their availability.
If your copy of AERMOD View or AERSCREEN View is no longer in maintenance, please contact our sales team at sales@webLakes.com for pricing to update your software.
Lakes Environmental & APCAS CALPUFF Course in Montreal – One Spot Left!
Lakes Environmental will be in Montreal, Quebec, for two days of CALPUFF training from January 23 to 24, 2017.
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This course will be hosted by APCAS (Association pour la prévention de la contamination de l’air et du sol). Presentation of the course as well as all course materials (presentation slides, course notes, etc) will be in English. Course: CALPUFF (Jan 23-24, 2017) |
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AERMOD & CALPUFF Courses in Toronto – Space Filling Quickly!
Lakes Environmental will hold four days of AERMOD and CALPUFF training in Toronto from February 27 to March 2, 2017.
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The AERMOD portion of this course will feature a special section and case study regarding the dispersion modeling requirements of Ontario Regulation 419/05: Air Pollution - Local Air Quality. Register Now to take advantage of our early registration discount! Available until January 27, 2017. Course: AERMOD (Feb 27-28, 2017) |
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AERMOD and CALPUFF Courses in Dallas, Texas – Mar 20-24, 2017
Lakes Environmental will be in Dallas, to present a full week of AERMOD and CALPUFF training from March 20 to 24, 2017.
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CALPUFF course students will have the opportunity to complete a Do It Yourself Case Study using WRF processed data for a location of their choice making this course of great benefit to their modeling work. Early Registration Ends: February 20, 2017 Course: AERMOD (Mar 20-21, 2017) |
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AERMOD & CALPUFF Courses in London, United Kingdom – Apr 3-6, 2017
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Lakes Environmental is pleased to be traveling to the United Kingdom for four days of AERMOD and CALPUFFtraining in London from April 3 to 6, 2017. Early Registration Ends: March 3, 2017 Course: AERMOD (Apr 3-4, 2017) |
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Lakes Environmental Closed for Ontario’s Family Day Holiday
Lakes Environmental's Waterloo office will be closed on Monday, February 20th, 2017 to observe Ontario’s Family Day Holiday. Our Dallas office will remain open on this day. If you have any needs during that time, please e-mail us at support@webLakes.com and we will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible.
Upcoming Courses
Date |
Course |
Location |
Registration |
Jan 23-24, 2017 |
Montreal, QC |
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Feb 27-28, 2017 |
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Mar 20-21, 2017 |
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Apr 3-4, 2017 |
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May 1-2, 2017 |
For more information on the above courses, including registration information, location, and course outlines, please visit our web site: https://www.weblakes.com/courses.html.
Modeling Tip
Tracking AERMOD and AERMET Versions
Since the AERMOD model was first promulgated by the U.S. EPA as the preferred regulatory model back in 2005, numerous versions of the model executable and its meteorological pre-processor, AERMET, have been published. The U.S. EPA periodically releases new versions of these models to fix bugs, include new features, and to account for recent changes in environmental regulations. While numerous versions of AERMOD and AERMET have been released, only the most recent version is maintained on the EPA’s SCRAM website.
The current releases of AERMOD and AERMET have the version number 16216r (released January 18, 2017). The five-digit version number is based on the following:
- 2-digit year (16 = 2016
- 3-digit Julian day (216 = August 3rd)
The r defines that the executable was revised from the previous version (16216 released December 20, 2016) but maintains the core elements of the model.
So that users can keep track of which version of the model was used to produced output for a specific project, the output files keep track of the model version numbers. Below represents where you can locate which version of the model was used to produce a specific output file.
AERMOD Main Output File
Throughout the main output file, AERMOD writes the version of the model and the version of the meteorological data files used.
AERMOD Additional Output Files
AERMOD can produce a variety of output files such as contour plot files (PLOTFILE), post-processing files (POSTFILE), and more. These files also contain version information in their header. The image below shows a header from a sample AERMOD PLOTFILE.
AERMET Surface File
The version of AERMET used to create a meteorological dataset can be verified in the SFC file header.
Submit Your Modeling Tips Today!
We are currently accepting submissions for the Monthly Modeling Tip section that appears in our newsletters. If you have a modeling tip that may benefit our readers, please send it to us at support@webLakes.com. Your name and the name of your organization will appear below the tip providing you with an opportunity for increased exposure.
Articles
Brixton Road in London has Already Breached its Yearly Air Pollution Limit
January 9, 2017 - Brixton Road, South London, has breached its annual air pollution limit only five days into the new year.
Levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) on Brixton Road repeatedly breached the EU limit, according to research by King’s College London.
EU law states that the average hourly level of NO2 must not exceed 200 micrograms per cubic metre more than 18 times a year. KCL, which runs the London Air Quality Monitoring network, found that Brixton road exceeded this annual limit 19 times in the first five days of 2017. At one point, NO2 levels were nearly double the legal limit.
Volkswagen Official Arrested on Conspiracy Charge Over Emissions Scandal
January 9, 2017 - The Volkswagen executive who once was in charge of complying with U.S. emissions regulations was arrested during the weekend in Florida and accused of deceiving federal regulators about the use of special software that cheated on emissions tests.
Oliver Schmidt, who was general manager of the engineering and environmental office for VW of America, was charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and wire fraud.
Schmidt is the second VW employee to be arrested as part of an ongoing federal investigation into the German automaker, which has admitted that it programmed diesel-powered vehicles to turn pollution controls on during tests and to turn them off in real-world driving. The scandal has cost VW sales and has tarnished its brand worldwide.
Michigan DEQ (MDEQ) Updates Rules Governing Air Emissions
January 3, 2017 - In an effort to streamline regulations governing toxic chemicals from industrial air emissions, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) announced an update of the state air program rules this week.
The new rules clarify existing language, maintaining the strong emphasis of protection MDEQ has employed in its air program for the last 25 years. The rules will also now alleviate some of the burden on companies with emissions that do not pose a public danger as well as aim to make MDEQ’s chemical toxicity assessments more transparent for the public.
EPA Improves its Risk Management Program for Chemical Facilities
December 21, 2016 - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule amending its Risk Management Program (RMP) regulations to reduce the likelihood of accidental releases at chemical facilities and improve emergency response activities when those releases occur.
This rule is the latest in a series of actions the federal government has taken in consultation with industry, local and state governments, and other stakeholders to improve chemical process safety; assist local emergency authorities in planning for, and responding to, accidents; and improve public awareness of chemical hazards at regulated sources.
“This rule is based on extensive engagement with nearly 1,800 people over the last two and a half years,” said Mathy Stanislaus, EPA's assistant administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management. “These changes are intended to protect the lives of emergency responders and the public, while preserving information security.”
Upcoming Conferences & Trade Shows
Jan 22-26, 2017 |
American Meteorological Society (AMS) 97th Annual Meeting |
Seattle, WA, USA |
Feb 8-10, 2017 |
Energy, Utility & Environment Conference (EUEC) 2017 |
San Diego, CA, USA |
Feb 23-24, 2017 |
19th International Conference on Air Pollution and Control |
Paris, France |
Mar 21-23, 2017 |
Americana 2017 |
Montréal, QC, Canada |
Apr 2-4, 2017 |
2nd International Conference on Air, Water, and Soil Pollution and Treatment (AWSPT'17) |
Barcelona, Spain |
Apr 9-14, 2017 |
41st Stationary Source Sampling & Analysis for Air Pollutants Conference |
Tucson, AZ, USA |
May 2-3, 2017 |
CANECT 2017 |
Mississauga, ON, Canada |
May 25-26, 2017 |
19th International Conference on Air Pollution and Control |
London, UK |
Jun 5-8, 2017 |
110th Air & Waste Management Association's Annual Conference & Exhibition (ACE) |
Pittsburgh, PA, USA |
About this Newsletter
This newsletter contains information gleaned from various sources on the web, with complete links to the sources cited. Organizations cited are in no way affiliated with Lakes Environmental Software.
Lakes Environmental Software is a leading environmental IT company that offers a complete line of air dispersion modeling, risk assessment, emissions inventory, and emergency release software as well as training and custom software services. With satisfied users located around the globe, Lakes Environmental Software will continue to revolutionize the environmental software field.
For more information please visit our web site at: www.webLakes.com. You may also contact us by phone at (519) 746-5995 or by fax at (519)746-0793.
All comments and suggestions are welcome. You can e-mail us at: support@webLakes.com.