Compliance and Regulatory Support
Air Quality Analysis, Modeling, and Expert Testimony for TVA Coal-Fired Power Plant
Under the Clean Smokestacks Act enacted by North Carolina’s General Assembly in 2002, emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) from coal-fired power plants in North Carolina will be reduced. The act recognized that sources outside North Carolina also contribute to North Carolina’s air pollution and directed the North Carolina Department of Justice (NCDOJ) to seek similar reductions in nearby states. As a result, the NCDOJ initiated legal action to obtain additional emissions reductions at power plants operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Sonoma Technology staff members served as expert witnesses in NCDOJ’s litigation by performing a set of analyses to characterize and quantify the air quality benefits of additional controls.
Town Of Firestone - Litigation Support and Long-Term Water Supply Planning
LRE Water is assisting the Town of Firestone with litigation support for pending Case No. 19CW3236, which involves a change of water rights, conditional flow and storage water rights, and a plan for augmentation in Water Division 1. LRE Water has also been assisting the Town with long-term water supply planning and conducting diligence on potential water supplies.
Expert Testimony and Reports
Compliance Monitoring and Legal Support for Industrial Facilities
Under the Clean Smokestacks Act enacted by North Carolina’s General Assembly in 2002, emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) from coal-fired power plants in North Carolina will be reduced. The act recognized that sources outside North Carolina also contribute to North Carolina’s air pollution and directed the North Carolina Department of Justice (NCDOJ) to seek similar reductions in nearby states. As a result, the NCDOJ initiated legal action to obtain additional emissions reductions at power plants operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Sonoma Technology staff members served as expert witnesses in NCDOJ’s litigation by performing a set of analyses to characterize and quantify the air quality benefits of additional controls. These analyses included characterization of air quality and pollutant transport in the region, annual photochemical modeling with the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ).
Litigation Support: Motor Vehicle Defeat Devices
Sonoma Technology has worked with EPA and U.S. DOJ on multiple cases related to motor vehicle “defeat devices” that improve in-use fuel economy while detecting and passing emissions tests, leading to higher pollutant levels. Sonoma Technology’s first work in this area dates to the late 1990’s, when we worked with EPA to assess emissions impacts from the use of defeat devices on heavy-duty diesel engines. Seven U.S. engine manufacturers settled the enforcement actions by paying substantial fines and devoting resources to approved environmental projects.
Technical Consulting
Litigation Support and Air Dispersion Modeling for Emissions Violation at Pulp and Paper Mill
Sonoma Technology provided litigation and technical support for the U.S. Department of Justice in legal action against the Westvaco pulp and paper mill in Maryland for violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) due to excessive sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. Sonoma Technology supported the litigation by estimating the air quality impacts from the SO2 emissions using CMAQ modeling simulations at 12-km resolution. Sonoma Technology provided the modeling outputs to other expert witnesses to help quantify the health and ecosystem impacts of the emissions. In the remedy phase of the litigation, Sonoma Technology prepared an expert report in support of relief for Westvaco’s violations that used AERMOD and other analyses to evaluate the air quality benefits of various mitigation alternatives.
Litigation Support for a Louisiana Oil Spill Case
In June 2006, over 50,000 barrels of waste oil overflowed from storage tanks at Citgo’s Lake Charles refinery. In the aftermath of the spill, Sonoma Technology supported legal actions by the U.S. Department of Justice by evaluating air monitoring data collected during spill cleanup operations and by performing independent air quality analyses. Sonoma Technology prepared emissions calculations and performed air dispersion modeling to determine resulting concentrations of benzene and other contaminants in the atmosphere. Sonoma Technology also prepared expert reports summarizing our findings, developed demonstrative graphics for the legal proceedings, and provided expert testimony during the trial.