Learn how to address the significant air quality challenges posed by increasing urbanization and development. Designed for planning and environmental protection professionals who manage, review, and prepare air quality and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions analyses, this course presents the principles of air quality and GHG assessment and regulation for land use and transportation projects. Through lectures and case studies, build your knowledge of air quality basics including a summary of criteria air pollutants, toxic air contaminants, and GHGs; their sources; and related health effects.
Additional topics include:
• Brief history of air quality regulation
• Federal, state, and regional regulatory framework
• Construction and operational emission source categories and a brief guide to data collection
• Current emission inventory modeling tools, including a real-time run-through of the California Emissions Estimator Model (CalEEMod)
• Overview of health risk assessments and dispersion modeling, including an introduction to AERMOD and HARP 2
• Components of air quality and GHG/climate change assessments under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), including a discussion of thresholds
• Recommendations for post-2020 GHG emissions analyses and other challenges associated with relevant case-law