Development of a Model Training and Accreditation Programme for the European Air Pollution Monitoring Industry

ABSTRACT
This paper describes the ongoing work on the above project “Development of a Model Training and Accreditation Programme for the European Air Pollution Monitoring Industry” (Acronym: EMMTAP). The project was funded by the European Union’s “Leonardo da Vinci” scheme for vocational training. The project aims were to develop programmes to provide guidance to providers of training packages for those involved in environmental monitoring (ie stack emissions testing and ambient air quality monitoring). The project commenced in September 1999 and ends in April 2001. An assessment of current availability of environmental monitoring training packages across Europe has been carried out and a set of performance criteria which can be used as the basis for training course development and which were considered to be essential when establishing and demonstrating competency of personnel has been generated. The details of this multi-national project are set out below.

INTRODUCTION
There are many reasons why an assessment of atmospheric emissions from a process plant might be carried out. A selection is given below.

· Compliance Monitoring
· Environmental Audits
· Environmental Impact Assessments
· Calibration of Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS)
· Sizing of Pollution Control Plant
· Performance Testing of Pollution Control Plant
· Assessment of Process Efficiency
· Investigating Complaints from Local Residents
· Provision of Input Data for Chimney Height/Dispersion Modelling Calculations
· Generating Emissions Inventories

Monitoring exercises to assess ambient air quality are also an increasingly common requirement. They are necessary to enable regulators and local authorities to measure air quality and disseminate the information for
comparison with legislative guidelines or to investigate local pollution incidents.

Whatever the reason for performing the monitoring exercise it is axiomatic that there is a crucial requirement to ensure that the quality of data is as high as possible. This enables inter-comparisons to be made with confidence and well-informed assessments of pollution control options to be performed. As national governments increasingly have to demonstrate compliance with trans-national environmental legislation, the importance of
inter-comparability of environmental monitoring data is enhanced.

There are many aspects to quality assurance of environmental monitoring, but ensuring the competence of personnel is as important as any. When the EMMTAP project was proposed in 1997, there was a perception
among pollution regulators and other organisations involved in environmental monitoring throughout the EU and in Central and Eastern Europe that there was no universally accepted route for the training, assessment and
continuing professional development of environmental monitoring personnel. In order to help address this issue, a proposal for part-funding was submitted to the European Commission Action Programme for the Implementation of Vocational Training – the Leonardo da Vinci scheme[1]. A multinational consortium was formed to undertake the project. Details of the proposal were first published at the international conference, CEM 1998, in London, UK. Funding for the project was granted subsequently and the project was launched formally at CEM 1999 in Warwick, UK with a kick-off meeting attended by the project partners and other interested parties.