Metro4 - SESARM

On September 18, Joseph Kahn was appointed the Director of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Air Resource Management. He had served in an acting capacity since mid-May. He was previously headed up the Bureau of Air Monitoring and Mobile Sources since May 2002, where he directed the activities of the ambient monitoring, emissions monitoring, mobile source, and small business assistance programs. He has worked for DEP for about 18 years, primarily in the air program, although he also worked in the drinking water and solid waste programs. Joe also worked as a water and wastewater consultant in West Palm Beach. He is a Florida registered professional engineer. Joe is a native of Miami and received a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. After graduation, he worked in the air pollution program of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation before returning to Florida to work for DEP. We welcome Joe to his new position and wish him much success.

EPA Region 4 will host a NETI-based training course on the Miscellaneous Organic NESHAP October 3 in Atlanta at the EPA offices. Course capacity is limited to 50 staff and the course is being marketed nationwide. The course begins at 8:30 and ends at 4:30 on October 3.

The course is targeted to inspectors, permit writers, and enforcement personnel. It will provide information on changes to the MON rule as finalized July 14. The compliance date for MON-subject facilities is May 10, 2008.

You may find references to this course here. There are hot links to the Atlanta course at the NETI site that will provide you with more information on the agenda and area hotels. There is no official block of rooms at a hotel so you are free to find a room wherever it is convenient.

(7/2007) Maya Rao has been named Director of Mississippi’s Air Division. Maya has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Ravi Shankar University in India and an MBA from the University of Kentucky. She has a Mississippi PE license and a Diplomate Environmental Engineering certification. Maya has worked at MDEQ for the last 16 years, beginning as a Permit Engineer in the Air Division in 1990 and then moving to the Environmental Permits Division in 1998. She has worked as a Manager in EPD’s Energy & Transportation Branch on multimedia projects, served as an interface between EPD and the Air Division, and provided assistance to all Branches of EPD regarding air regulations. We welcome Maya to her new position.

(7/2007) Dwight Wylie, Director of the Air Division in Mississippi DEQ’s Office of Pollution Control, has announced his retirement effective July 1, 2006. Dwight has worked in the environmental programs in Mississippi for many years and has cooperated with other Southeastern States in a significant number of joint air quality initiatives. A successor has not been named. We wish Dwight a healthy and enjoyable retirement.

(6/2006) Joseph Kahn has been named interim director of the Florida Division of Air Resource Management effective May 22. The process for naming a permanent director is expected to take several months. We welcome Joe to this interim position.

(6/2006) Heather Abrams has been named Chief of the Georgia Air Protection Branch, effective June 1, 2006. Heather has served the past three years as manager of the stationary source permitting program and has approximately eleven years of experience in Georgia’s permit program. We welcome Heather to this new position.

(6/2006) Ron Methier, Chief of the Georgia Air Protection Branch since 1995, retired May 31, 2006. During his tenure, Georgia was an active participant in national policy matters, worked aggressively to implement programs to improve air quality, attained the 1-hour ozone standard, and saw levels of 8-hour ozone and fine particles substantially reduced. We wish Ron the best in his retirement years.

(6/2006) Michael Cooke, director of the Florida Division of Air Resource Management, left DARM May 19 to become General Counsel to the Florida Public Service Commission. He had been director at DARM for about three years. We extend our best wishes to Mike for success in his new career at FL PSC.

(1/20/2006) David A. Brigman was appointed Director of the Western North Carolina Regional Air Quality Agency at the January 9th meeting of the Agency's Board. Mr. Brigman has worked for the agency for sixteen years and has served as Enforcement supervisor for the past ten years. He has been serving as Interim Director since July of 2005 following the retirement of Robert L. Camby. The Regional Air Quality Agency is responsible for air quality permitting and enforcement in Asheville and Buncombe County.

(7/2005) David Brigman was appointed acting director of the Regional Air Quality Agency in Asheville effective July 1.

(6/2005) Hamp Pridgen is the new air pollution control program director for Orange County, Florida. He replaces Marie Driscoll who has left the Orange County program.

(6/2005) Bob Camby has announced his retirement effective June 30. He has been the air pollution control director for the agency in Asheville, North Carolina for several years and is ending a long career of public service in the Buncombe County area. Our best wishes go to Bob for a healthy and enjoyable retirement.

(5/2005) On May 10, Metro 4 voted to accept a new member, the Air Quality Management Program of Orange County, Florida’s Environmental Protection Division. Orange County becomes the 17th member of Metro 4. Orange County began its air quality program in the early 1960’s and today has 12 full-time employees conducting a variety of air pollution control activities. Marie Driscoll is the agency director. Metro 4 welcomes Orange County into its organization.

(12/14/2004) The agencies involved with the VISTAS project have scheduled a meeting of the state and tribal air directors December 14-15 in Charleston, South Carolina. Please visit the VISTAS web site http://www.vistas-sesarm.org and review your personal e-mail for details of the scheduled events on those two days.

(9/2004) SESARM’s contractor has completed work on the project to develop methodologies for compiling railroad emissions. Final documents and supporting information are posted on this web site under “Special Projects.”

Fall Air Directors Meeting Scheduled

(9/2004)Metro 4, SESARM, and U.S. EPA Region 4 will hold the fall regional air directors meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina November 8-10. Please see “Training and Meetings” for more information. Agenda topics for this meeting are being solicited at this time and should be sent to John Hornback.

Memphis-Shelby County Tennessee Air Director Moves to Arizona

(6/27/2004) On June 3, 2004, Diane L. Arnst left her position as Technical Manager of the Pollution Control Section in the Memphis-Shelby County Health Department. She has assumed the position of Planning Manager of the Arizona Air Quality Division in Phoenix. Diane had been responsible for the Memphis air quality program since February 2001. She previously worked for the local air pollution control agencies in Kansas City and Chattanooga. The local and state air directors in the Southeast and the staff of Metro 4 and SESARM wish Diane the best as she assumes her new position in Arizona.

Welcome to new South Carolina Air Director

(6/27/2004) Myra C. Reece has accepted the position of Bureau Chief for the Bureau of Air Quality. Myra has been the Director of the Edisto Savannah EQC District Office since 1991. She began her career with DHEC as the Lab Manager in the Edisto Savannah District in 1985, and then served as the District Air Section Manager before becoming the District Director. Myra received a bachelor's degree in microbiology from Clemson University and a master's degree in public health with an emphasis on hazardous materials management from the University of South Carolina. She has been the recipient of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Fellowship and has completed the Management Academy for Public Health and the Southern Center of Excellence in Environmental Health Practice at Emory University. Myra also has obtained professional certification as a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM). She is a native of Edgefield County, is married and has two sons. The local and state agencies in the Southeast welcome Myra to her new position.

South Carolina Air Director Accepts New Position

(2/13/2004) Jim Joy has accepted the position of Assistant Deputy Commissioner of South Carolina’s environmental agency. Jim has been with the agency since 1977 and has served as the Bureau Chief of Air Quality for the past 13 years. Prior to his most recent position, he was the Bureau Chief for the water pollution control program. He is currently Vice President of the Carolinas Air Pollution Control Association (CAPCA) and serves as the President of the State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators (STAPPA). Good luck to Jim as he assumes his new responsibilities.

Metro 4/SESARM Hosts Emissions Inventory Training

(2/12/2004) Metro 4 and SESARM recently hosted a week-long series of emissions inventory courses and a workshop in Atlanta. This January 12-16 training focused on how to prepare fine particle and hazardous air pollutant emissions inventories. A one-day workshop on the National Emissions Inventory was also conducted. Approximately 65 individuals participated in this training which was made possible through the generosity and cooperation of U.S. EPA’s Region 4 and OAQPS offices.
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Upcoming Training Coordinators Meeting

(2/12/2004) Metro 4 and SESARM will hold a training coordinators meeting April 13-15 in Clearwater, Florida. Please see the Training section of this web site for meeting information and to complete meeting registration. At this meeting, southeastern agencies will discuss ongoing training efforts and plan the training calendar for FFY 2005. Participation of agency training coordinators is encouraged. Training instructors and providers are also invited to participate in portions of the meeting.

Upcoming Spring Grants/Planning Meeting

(2/12/2004) Metro 4 and SESARM, along with U.S. EPA Region 4, will host a condensed spring air directors meeting immediately after the STAPPA/ALAPCO meeting in Point Clear, Alabama. The meeting will begin after lunch on May 19 and will conclude at 11:00 a.m. on May 20. This meeting will primarily address updates on grant commitments and requirements and other issues of major concern to the local and state agencies.

Metro 4 Receives Enforcement Training Grant

(2/12/2004) Metro 4 recently received final confirmation of a grant award in the amount of $150,000 to provide enforcement training to the local and state agencies in the Southeast. This grant will fund 10-11 presentations of a “Fundamentals of Compliance and Enforcement Course” over the next two years. This grant was awarded competitively by the U.S. EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. Instructional services will be provided through a cooperative effort with the California Air Resources Board’s Training Office. Details of the course agenda and updates to the course schedule will be made available to the training coordinators at their annual meeting in Clearwater in April. The first course is expected to be presented later this spring.

South Carolina Air Director Elected President of STAPPA

(11/8/2003) James A. Joy III, chief of South Carolina DHEC’s Bureau of Air Quality, was elected president for the coming year of the State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators, a national organization of state air pollution control agencies known as STAPPA at their recent meeting in San Francisco. Jim is a 1977 graduate of The Citadel and a professional engineer. He has served as chief of South Carolina’s air pollution control program since 1991. STAPPA represents a total of 54 states and territories at the national level. Jim’s term as president will extend until the fall of 2004.

SESARM Welcomes New Florida Air Director

(8/1/2003) Michael B. Cooke began his new duties as the Director of the Florida Division of Air Resource Management on August 1. He has a BS and MS in biology from George Mason University and a law degree from Catholic University of America School of Law. His career has included serving as an environmental attorney for General Motors and for the law firm of Carlton Fields. Mike has worked extensively with the Florida air program over the past few years. We welcome him to his new position.

Florida Air Director Announces Retirement

Howard Rhodes, director of the Florida DEP’s Division of Air Resource Management since October, 1992, has announced his retirement effective June 30, 2003. At a recent gathering of Region 4 directors and staff in Atlanta, Howard was honored for his service to Metro 4 and SESARM. Good luck, Howard! Your colleagues will miss you!

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John Hornback presents Howard (left) with a gift during the meeting.	Howard poses with EPA staff who presented him an appreciation-of-service plaque