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Smoke School: Visible Emissions Evaluators

How to obtain a certificate to evaluate visible emissions from stationary sources.

Visible Emissions Evaluator Information and Requirements

View all Occupational Licensing and Registration Information and Requirements

Visible Emissions Evaluator Certification Overview

State and Federal Regulations:

Review of New Sources and Modifications, each state accepting delegation of authority to prevent interference of attainment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and the prevention of significant deterioration of air quality shall do so by placing legally enforceable procedures in its State Implementation Plan (SIP). One such procedure and its applicability is found in the Texas SIP in Title 30 of the Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Chapter 111 -- control of air pollution from visible emissions and particulate matter. This procedure is called Method 9 -- Visual Determination of Opacity of Emissions from Stationary Sources, and is found in 40 CFR 60, Appendix A. All stationary sources with the potential for emitting visible emissions are required by their permits to be read at prescribed times by certified Visible Emissions Evaluators

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Visible Emissions Evaluator Certification Requirements

Education and Work Experience

  • Education: no minimum educational requirements
  • Work experience: no work experience requirements

Training Course

Visible Emissions Training Providers

  • All new students are required to attend the classroom lecture session before conducting a field certification. If records support previous attendance at an approved classroom lecture session then the student does not need to attend again, but may do so if a refresher is desired. Students who have attended a classroom lecture session will have also met the requirements for being trained in Method 22- the Fugitive Emissions method.
  • All new students must take one complete test run for training before being allowed to take a test run for certification. The student does not have to make a passing score on the training run, but must complete it and hand it in to the field instructor before being allowed to take the second run for actual certification. A student making a passing score on the training run cannot use it to claim certification.

Examination

  • An examination is not required for a Visible Emissions Certification.

Certification Validity

  • Visible Emission Evaluator certification expires after six months; in order to maintain the certification, a Visible Emission Evaluator must subsequently pass the required field testing conducted by one of the approved providers every six months.

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TCEQ Approved Visible Emissions Training Providers

Compliance Assurance Associates, Inc
Telephone: 901-381-9960
Fax number: 901-381-9958
Contact: Arthur Eberle, President
Email: arthur.eberle@compliance-assurance.com
compliance-assurance.com/

Eastern Technical Associates (ETA).
Located at: 3302 Anvil Place, Raleigh, NC 27603
Mailing address is:
Eastern Technical Associates
PO Box 1009
Garner, NC 27529-1009
Phone number: 919-878-3188
Fax number: 919-872-5199
eta-is-opacity.com

Opacity Consultants, LLC (OC)
Contact Person: Curtis Donatelli
Email: curtis@opacityconsultants.com
Phone number: 919-902-8602
opacityconsultants.com

Opaque Smoke School L.L.C.
Contact Person: Keith Clevenger
Located at: 12908 Larsen, Overland Park, KS 66213-3467
Phone number: 913-907-6401
Fax number: 913-825-1292
Email: keith@opaquesmokeschool.com

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