Air Pollution Control

The State of Texas and other states have air quality permitting programs. In most cases, a permit is required before a company can begin construction of a new or expanded industrial facility if air emissions are anticipated. Part of the permit application process a demonstration by the Applicant that any increased emissions of air contaminants will not harm public health or welfare or cause a nuisance condition. In Texas, this is done by first performing a computer-based air dispersion model that will predict what the off-property air concentrations of the components of those emissions will be. Then those predicted concentrations are compared to human-health-based air quality standards and guidelines.  It is at this point that Dr. Dydek’s expertise comes into play for his clients.

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) have been set for a limited number of air contaminants. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has long recognized that there is a need for air quality guidelines for more than just those few air pollutants that have NAAQSs assigned to them. To reach this goal, the TCEQ Toxicology Division sets what are called Effects Screening Levels or ESLs. ESLs are airborne concentrations of chemicals at or below which no adverse human health effects or odor nuisance conditions are expected to occur. If your company emits air pollutants into the air of Texas, it is likely that you will be subject to a health and welfare effects evaluation using ESLs.

Dr. Dydek served as Senior Staff Toxicologist for the Texas Air Control Board (a predecessor agency to the TCEQ) for seven years. In that job one of his main duties was the evaluation of the potential for adverse health and welfare effects of air contaminant emissions in air quality permitting projects. In his time at the agency, he reviewed more than 1,000 permit applications. In his consulting work, he has continued working in this area and has added another 50 or so permitting projects to his resume. Many of those latter projects went to Public Hearings at which Dr. Dydek gave expert witness testimony. He is uniquely qualified to assist you if your company is seeking an air quality permit.

For a partial list of companies Dr. Dydek has assisted in successfully obtaining an air quality permit, see the Clients page.