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    General Information

    BAQ Functions

    Information about the leadership, divisions, and sections of the Bureau of Air Quality

    Bureau Director

    • Represents Bureau at legislative, press, regulated community and general public functions.
    • Maintains communications within the DEP and outside entities.
    • Manages the Bureau's resources to achieve the goals of the Clean Air Act and the Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act.
    • Establishes Bureau goals, objectives and management policies.
    • Phone: (717) 772-3952.
    • E-mail: Nick Lazor, Director

    Support Services Section

    • Provides accounting, budgeting, purchasing, personnel and contract management assistance.
    • Provides clerical and administrative support related to correspondence, travel arrangements, office management, special projects and records management.
    • Administers and controls various funds and grants.
    • Oversees the preparation of fiscal data and reports.
    • Phone: (717) 772-3433

    E-mail: Jennifer Horst

    Assistant Director

    • Coordinates the Bureau's program development activities as they relate to federal Clean Air Act and state Air Pollution Control Act requirements.
    • Serves as Bureau liaison with other governmental entities, interstate groups and advisory committees in matters related to program development and existing program interface.
    • Represents the Bureau at press, regulated community, program development and general public functions.
    • Phone: (717) 783-9264.
    • E-mail: John Krueger

    Air Information Management Section

    • Manages the air program data systems and hardware.
    • Manages and maintains the Air Quality Point Source Inventory (Plant Emissions) and Area Source Inventory and reporting to EPA and others.
    • Coordinates the Air Information Management System (AIMS) and oversees Air Quality Computer System Analysis, Enhancements, and Maintenance.
    • Coordinates and reports Emissions Reporting Information and Fee Payments
    • Represents Air Quality data and business practices to the Departmental Multimedia Computer System, eFACTS (Environment, Facility, Application, Compliance Tracking System).
    • Coordinates and reports Air Quality Information to management and public.
    • Phone: (717) 783-9241.
    • E-mail: Mark Houser

    Regulatory Development and Training Section

    • Conducts background research for regulation development
    • Performs technical feasibility assessments of regulatory strategies necessary to meet the Air Pollution Control Act and Clean Air Act requirements
    • Coordinates with legal counsel to obtain legal concurrence on planned work projects
    • Develops rulemakings and regulatory State Implementation Plans (SIPs)
    • Assists the Air Quality Bureau Director with establishing Bureau performance standards to ensure Bureau work products and deliverables meet Department and Commonwealth standards
    • Manages and tracks special projects in the Bureau of Air Quality
    • Coordinates technical training for Bureau and Regional Staff
    • Phone: (717) 772-4482
    • E-mail: Joe Martini

    Division of Air Quality Monitoring

    • Collects current and maintains historical data on air pollution.
    • Conducts investigative sampling to determine nature and extent of pollutants.
    • Produces a daily forecast of air quality, the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI).
    • Initiates emergency control programs.
    • Develops new sampling and analysis techniques.
    • Phone: (717) 783-9268.
    • E-mail: Sean Nolan

    Toxic Monitoring Section

    • Conducts ambient air quality studies of toxic pollutants using a variety of portable and stationary monitoring equipment. Parameters monitored include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hydrogen sulfide, mercury, carbon dioxide, aldehydes, combustible gases, particulate matter, and weather elements.
    • Handles air monitoring aspects of hazardous waste. disposal/destruction and of Superfund site work.
    • Arranges for sample analysis by the DEP Bureau of Laboratories if required.
    • Analyzes monitored data and conducts comparison studies for reporting results.
    • Oversees the DEP's acid rain and mercury deposition networks as well as a seasonal ragweed pollen sampling network.
    • Phone: (717) 782-4022.
    • E-mail: Min Zhong

    Quality Assurance & Data Assessment Section

    • Collects and validates ambient air quality data.
    • Conducts quality assurance of ambient air instrumentation.
    • Coordinates with EPA on data reporting.
    • Distributes Pollutant Standards Index.
    • Repairs ambient air equipment.
    • Orders and distributes ambient air equipment parts.
    • Operates and maintains ambient air equipment in Southcentral Region.
    • Phone: (717) 773-8949.
    • E-mail: Brian Oshinski

    Field Operations and Maintenance Section

    • Develops technical aspects of ambient air quality field monitoring programs.
    • Operates and maintains statewide ambient air monitoring field equipment.
    • Evaluates/selects new air monitoring locations, arranges leases, develops site construction specifications.
    • Conducts special study/special investigative sampling.
    • Reviews contractor proposed monitoring plans.
    • Conducts periodic reviews of air monitoring network, identifying data trends used to continually update the location and number of samplers.
    • Phone: (717) 346-8254.
    • E-mail: Robert Valent

    Division of Air Resource Management

    • Develops regulations, policies, and guidance necessary to implement requirements of the federal Clean Air Act (CAA) and the Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act (APCA).
    • Develops strategies and programs to address interstate transport issues.
    • Develops State Implementation Plans (SIPs).
    • Work with regional and national groups on the development and implementation of stationary and area source emission reduction strategies.
    • Phone: (717) 772-3436.
    • E-mail: Kirit Dalal

    Mobile Sources Section

    • Works with PennDOT to implement vehicle emissions inspection/maintenance programs.
    • Implements voluntary and pilot programs to reduce pollution from cars, trucks and offroad sources.
    • Works with metropolitan planning agencies to ensure transportation projects are consistent with air quality plans.
    • Works with national and regional groups on other mobile source issues such as improved gasoline and diesel fuels.
    • Phone: (717) 772-3926.
    • E-mail: Brian Trowbridge

    Stationary Sources Section

    • Prepares projected stationary source SIP Inventories.
    • Develops regulations for stationary and area sources.
    • Develops and administers programs that reduce interstate transport of pollutants.
    • Coordinates the activities of the Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee.
    • Phone: (717) 772-3921.
    • Vacant

    Division of Compliance and Enforcement

    • Develops policy and guidance on air quality rules and regulations.
    • Oversees the Small Business Assistance Program.
    • Coordinates and tracks enforcement actions with the Regional field offices.
    • Operates Continuous Source Emission Compliance Program.
    • Coordinates with the Philadelphia and Allegheny County Departments of Health in administration of their approved air quality management programs.
    • Coordinates with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in administration of inspection and enforcement commitments.
    • Coordinates with EPA in joint enforcements.
    • Phone: (717) 772-3369.
    • E-mail: Nancy Herb

    Compliance Assistance & Monitoring Section

    • Tracks and reports Notices of Violation, enforcement actions and penalty payments.
    • Administers Small Business Compliance Assistance programs.
    • Administers outreach programs for compliance assistance.
    • Administers High Priority Violation program in coordination with Regional Programs and EPA.
    • Administers Compliance Monitoring Strategy in coordination with Regional Programs and EPA.
    • Coordinates with Regional Programs in implementation of Stage I and Stage II Vapor Recovery requirements
    • Develops enforcement policies
    • Develops programs for the regulation of air toxics and provides expertise on air toxic related issues to Regional staff and other bureaus.
    • Phone: (717) 772-2330.
    • Vacant

    Continuous Compliance Section

    • Provides enforcement programs for sources required to monitor emissions using Continuous Source Monitoring Systems (CSMS's).
    • Develops and implements CSMS compliance assurance policies, and guidelines.
    • Provides CSMS enforcement case assistance and policy interpretations.
    • Provides Continuous Source Monitoring workshops for source owners/operators and Regional staff.
    • Provides progress and compliance tracking and reporting of CSMS enforcement cases for Regional Managers and EPA.
    • Applies enforcement policy considerations to CSMS quarterly data through the quarterly reports.
    • Provides presentations and analysis of CSMS information and data.
    • Phone: (717) 772-4482.
    • E-mail: Todd Starner

    Division of Permits

    • Develops policy and guidance on permitting activities required by the Clean Air Act and Air Pollution Control Act.
    • Oversees regional permitting activities for consistency and uniformity.
    • Provides assistance on pollution control technology determinations.
    • Develops policy on air toxics and risk assessment.
    • Phone: (717) 783-9476.
    • E-mail: Viren Trivedi

    New Source Review Section

    • Assists in the implementation of New Source Review (NSR)/Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and other permitting regulations.
    • Develops and provides guidance and oversight for the new Title V operating permit program.
    • Coordinates with other Department permitting programs.
    • Phone: (717) 772-3979.
    • E-mail: Sean Wenrich

    Technical Support Section

    • Participates in all activities involving control technology determinations.
    • Develops comprehensive air permitting criteria documents for various source categories.
    • Assists regions in making determinations of Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT), Best Available Technology (BAT), Best Available Control Technology (BACT), Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT), and Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER).
    • Phone: (717) 772-3977.
    • E-mail: Naishad (Nash) Bhatt

    Air Quality Modeling Section

    • Reviews Prevention of Significant Deterioration air dispersion modeling.
    • Reviews dispersion modeling of air toxics to support human health risk assessments.
    • Provides technical assistance on air dispersion modeling.
    • Develops attainment demonstrations to support State Implementation Plans for nonattainment areas.
    • Phone: (717) 783-9243.
    • E-mail: Andrew Fleck

    Division of Source Testing and Monitoring

    • Verifies pollution emissions from industrial sources.
    • Operates Continuous Emission Monitoring program.
    •  
    • Phone: (717) 783-9479.
    • E-mail: Charles Zadakis

    Continuous Emission Monitoring Section

    • Reviews quarterly data submissions.
    • Generates periodic and special reports from CEM information.
    • Performs on-site inspections of CEM equipment.
    • Conducts phased approval system for design, installation, and testing of CEM systems.
    • Phone: (717) 772-3944.
    • E-mail: Natalie Russ

    Source Testing Section

    • Reviews consultant/company pre-test protocols and test report reviews.
    • Evaluates new EPA testing/analytical procedures.
    • Observes source tests conducted by consultants/companies.
    • Phone: (717) 772-3938.
    • E-mail: Rick Szekeres

    Natural Gas Industry Testing Section

    • Reviews consultant/company pre-test protocols and test report reviews.
    • Evaluates new EPA testing/analytical procedures.
    • Observes source tests conducted by consultants/companies.
    • Phone: (717) 783-7723
    • E-mail: Bryon Richwine