The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) has successfully conducted the “2019 National Air Quality Training Workshop for Policy Formulation in Airshed Management, Permitting and Monitoring” last August 19-23, 2019 at Xenia Hotel in Clark, Pampanga. The event was hosted by EMB Region 3 in collaboration with EMB Central Office-Air Quality Management Section and attended by EMB Regional Office (EMB-RO) personnel nationwide.

The National Air Quality Training Workshop’s main objective is to guide all of the EMB-ROs in the designation of Airsheds, with additional discussion on the Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS) Averaging Exceedance, Emission Inventory and Dispersion Modeling, Operation, Maintenance and Calibration of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Equipment, Create a manual for Air Pollution Source Installation for uniform permitting purposes, and the overview of Stack Testing. Moreover, in support of the above, guidelines on the Air Quality Management Fund (AQMF) with its corresponding Work and Financial Plan for the Calendar Year 2020 was also formulated in the said.

The DENR EMB was privileged by the presence of US Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) Region 10 Air Quality Planner – Ms. Gina Bonifacino, who discussed the US-EPA Airshed Designation Guidelines, Dispersion Modelling Guideline (SCRAM), Emission Inventory, siting Criteria for establishing Monitoring Stations, Air Quality Data Handling and QA/QC procedures and Mr. Jeffrey Burdette of TRC Companies, Inc. from USA who shared his experience in US EPA’s Stack Testing and CEMS methods. Other guest speakers included Dr. Mylene Cayetano of University of the Philippines- Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (UP-IESM), Ms. Everlyn Tamayo of Clean Air Asia, Mr. Floro Junior Roque of De La Salle University (DLSU) and technical personnel/trainers from Electrobyte Environmental Concerns Corporation (EECC).