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RFS Consulting, Inc. has over 23 years of experience assisting customers with assorted environmental project needs. We provide professional environmental services to industry and government agencies in the fields of air quality, water quality, wastes, as special environmental studies and investigations. Below are examples of services performed by RFS. Please contact us for further details on any of the projects described. To jump to relevant portions of the page, please use the menu selections below. |
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Database Development RFS has successfully designed, developed, and implemented a comprehensive solution to the management of environmental information called REMIS. REMIS, a relational database system built by environmental professionals, is a tool to organize and process information needed to produce reports used for annual air pollutant emission reporting required by various state environmental agencies (i.e., DEQ).. Using facility specific information, such as equipment design and operating data, along with analytical data for manufactured, processed and used materials, site conditions, manufacturing and sampling data, and more, REMIS generates a complete estimate of emissions for each of the sources at a facility for as many facilities as are being managed. Data is processed quickly, cleanly, and consistently, with a high level of quality control and quality assurance. Emission estimates are generated for criteria pollutants, hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), greenhouse gases, or any other materials to be tracked. REMIS was developed around the information management needs of the oil, gas, and chemical manufacturing industries. Source types generally found in these industries are pre-programmed into REMIS, along with the standard scientific and engineering calculations widely accepted by state agencies and EPA. Based on the user-supplied information, standard reports are generated, allowing the completion of required annual emission inventory reports. Standard reports include general facility information, facility summaries, and detailed emission reports on each source, documenting the basis used for the estimates. Some state report forms may be completed and printed by REMIS, ready for signature and submittal. Back to top... Multimedia Permit Applications RFS has prepared and submitted numerous applications for state and federal permits on behalf of a wide variety of industries. Permit applications include rigorous reviews of process engineering, facility history, and extensive calculations to provide the best possible permit for any given facility. RFS has experience with all media, including Hazardous Waste (see RCRA Permitting). RFS also has experience in obtaining permits within states across the U.S. RFS is one of the few consulting companies that can boast familiarity with the permitting process in so many states. RFS has also used the REMIS database internally to handle the form population and data management requirements for the permitting process. Back to top... Air Permitting RFS has completed literally hundreds of permits for the installation and operation of thousands of air pollutant emission sources. Permit complexity has included minor sources (below major sources thresholds, i.e., <100tpy criteria or <10/<25tpy HAPs, as well as major sources, including Title V and PSD facilities . Services have included detailed process engineering reviews, regulatory applicability determinations, facility inspections, compliance assessments, data collection, compilation, and evaluation, estimates of material properties, material balance, process simulation, pollutant dispersion modeling, impact analyses, and risk assessment. Throughout the permit cycle, RFS interfaces with appropriate agency staff to assure timely and successful completion of each permit project. Back to top... Multi-media permitting RFS performed multi-media permitting for a sand mining and feldspar extraction process. The project included detailed process review, development of material balances around each process operation, and preparation of the permit applications. Permit applications included non-coal mining, air pollutant emission source construction, waste water discharge, surface water use, groundwater use, and solid waste disposal. Back to top... RCRA Permitting RFS prepared Part B permit applications and Class 2 and 3 permit modifications for several petroleum refineries. RFS scientists compiled unit information on programs and procedures, waste analyses, geology, and soils for the locations. Engineering reports, closure plans, and exposure information reports including air emission estimates, fate and transport studies, and exposure assessment for land storage and disposal units were prepared (using REMIS) and submitted to clients. Projects also included detailed groundwater quality investigations or assessment programs, contaminant plume studies and mapping, and other related tasks. Back to top... RFS performed investigative
services and provided technical support related to the assessment of odors
associated with a sour gas processing facility and a petroleum refinery.
Services included detailed engineering reviews of processes, emissions
estimates, source identification, source monitoring, ambient monitoring,
pollutant dispersion modeling, plume mapping, and assessment of risks. The
investigation involved the preparation of environmental response and
emergency procedures to address regulatory agency and public concerns, and
participation in public hearings. RFS has prepared many release reports for assorted facilities. SARA reports submitted on behalf of industry included petroleum refineries, natural gas compressor stations, pipeline terminals, metal fabricators, surface coaters, wood preservers, and foundries. Projects included release estimates, custom database programming, specialized data processing, and generation of release reports (EPA Form Rs) based on facility operating records and design. RFS also prepared backup documents for the client's files outlining calculation procedures. Back to top... Air Emission Inventories RFS has been responsible for the completion of annually air pollutant emission inventory reports for hundred of facilities, involving thousands of sources, belonging to many different source types. Each emission inventory is based on site and equipment specific information. Inventories have be prepared for an assortment of industries including petroleum refineries, terminals, storage facilities, gas gathering systems, compressor stations, processing plants, metal foundries, metal fabricators, smelters, surface coating facilities, and aerospace. Projects have included detailed process engineering reviews, source identification, emission estimates for criteria pollutants and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), and the completion of state required reporting forms with necessary information, and preparation of backup documents. Each year emission estimates are updated by adjusting equipment or operating data for the desired reporting period (generally, calendar year).. Back to top... RFS provided technical support to a general counsel in a multi-million dollar law suit involving co-located industrial facilities, with multi-media environmental impacts (air, water, land, and waste) being considered. Services included the reconstruction of operating history over ninety (90) plus years of operations for facilities occupying the site, review of analytical data for all media, evaluation of each facility with respect to pollution potential, and allocation of contamination to facilities involved. Principal contaminants included heavy metals. Back to top... Detailed process engineering reviews were conducted for areas of mid-sized petroleum refineries where selected toxic chemicals exist. The project included preparation of mass material balances and identification and quantification of sources releasing to air, water, and land. Engineering solutions were formulated to reduce material losses, prioritized to consider technical feasibility, and evaluated in terms of cost and environmental acceptability. The project resulted in the elimination of material losses equating to over a million pounds of toxic chemicals. Other pollution prevention projects on a smaller scale have included similar studies for less complicated facilities. Back to top... RFS prepared documentation seeking a variance to land disposal restrictions under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The project involved multiple land treatment units (LTUs) at a petroleum refinery. The project scope included identification of sources of hazardous constituent releases, quantification of releases for solid and gaseous phase pollutants, ambient air quality monitoring, constituent mobility studies, fate and transport modeling, and assessment of risk to health and the environment. The petition and supporting technical information was submitted to the EPA headquarters in Washington, D. C. See also "RCRA Permitting" above. Back to top...
RFS performed initial site characterization of solid waste management units (SWMUs) and prepared RFI work plans (including project management, data collection, quality assurance, and community relations components). The project included review of analytical results for over 180 analyses from samples collected at multiple depths from seventy soil borings. RFS used the data collected from the samples in a database to conduct normality tests and tests for statistical significance (using parametric and non-parametric methods). Progress reports were prepared presenting investigation results and directions for subsequent investigations. Back to top... Emission Banking RFS prepared emission estimates for petroleum refinery process units being shutdown. Emission estimates for affected units were documented for possible use in future startup, facility expansion, or pollutant offset credits. Back to top... Site Assessment/Characterization RFS performed site assessment/characterizations on industrial and municipal property subject to real estate transfers (Phase I and II) and environmental impact assessment. Projects have included reviews of site history, determination of regulatory compliance status, evaluation of contamination potential from on-site and off-site sources, development and execution of multi-media sample collection programs, data review and reporting, assessment of environmental risk, and preparation of recommendations for remediation actions to reduce further environmental impact, as well as non-intrusive ground penetrating radar and electromagnetic surveys, soil borings, and groundwater monitoring. Back to top... RFS prepared of Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) Facility Response Plans and Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) plans for petroleum refineries and terminals. SPCC projects included process reviews, evaluation of worst case spill potential, prediction of spill impacts, evaluation of response resources, preparation of response procedures, and recommendations for spill prevention. Back to top... RFS has designed and constructed models for over 300 gas transmission and processing facilities located in six different states. Data for each facility was entered into facility models that were in turn used to generate air emission inventories (on state specific forms), semi-annual monitoring reports, and annual compliance reports. RFS has also customized opsAir to generate Compliance Action Checklists to assist facilities with routine regulatory compliance actions or permit conditions by providing a schedule for activities required by specific permits. To view a fact sheet detailing our opsAir project experience in more detail, click here. Back to top...
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