Natural Outlook, November 2012 Page: 1
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A" takaCtlost tenkdee(et adtesm aka
lier sut in fute inetgto fte ieb h CPD-020/12-10 NOVEMBER 2012
MAKING AIR
EMISSIONS VISIBL
TCEQ's use of IR cameras to spot emissions continues to growince the TCEQ acquired its first
JR (infrared) camera to track
down and monitor air emissions,
back in 2005, these cameras
have become an indispensable part of the
agency's technological toolbox.
"The GasFind IR cameras make us
more efficient," said Rosario Torres, air
section manager of the Corpus Christi
region, who has spent 15 years in the air
section. "A site might look perfectly normal
to the eye, and then we look at it through
the camera, and suddenly we see things
that we've never been able to see before.
It allows us to pinpoint our investigative
and enforcement efforts."
Pushing the Envelope
The IR cameras "see" infrared light that is
invisible to the naked eye. A special filter
allows the camera to visualize the absence of
infrared energy at the wavelengths absorbed
by hydrocarbon vapors. This spectrum
includes the volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) that the TCEQ is largely concerned
with. The camera shows these emissions
as a light or dark plume, depending on
temperature settings. A skilled operator who
understands the camera and is knowledge-
able about the operations of the facility he
or she is looking at can spot emissions that
warrant further investigation. The camera
can operate in most meteorological condi-
tions, with the exception of heavy moisture
conditions such as rain or fog."Texas is really push-
ing the envelope when it
comes to utilizing science
and technology in protect-
ing the environment," said
Ramiro Garcia, deputy
director of the Office of
Compliance and Enforce-
ment. "When I talk to my
peers at environmental
agencies in other states,
they are often amazed at
the kind of things we are do
way we are adopting techno
tools, the way we are open t
doing things differently to g
better results.";
~~er~s~inI~cae~shve King, the
logical
0
etSharing Our Know-How
At a recent meeting of the
Environmental Council of the
States, TCEQ Commissioner
Carlos Rubinstein discussed ,
the GasFind IR cameras with Rebecca
the chairman of the Puerto with the
Rico Environmental Quality mental a
Board (EQB), Pedro J. Nieves GasFindl
Miranda. Nieves Miranda was potential
so impressed that he invited sions fro
the TCEQ to Puerto Rico to show his
organization how the cameras could
be of use.
In August, Jason Harris and Claudio
Galli of the Houston regional office trav-
eled to Puerto Rico. They and EQB staffWiscovi
Puerto F
uality B
R came
hydroc
m an asa color display. This display is
showing a leak in a propane fitting.K
visited gasoline terminals,
propane terminals,
gasoline storage facilities,
a n and other facilities. Harris
and Galli showed the
EQB staff how the camera
works and what it can
find. After a few days, the
th, investigator EQB staff were able to use
Rico Environ- the camera themselves
oard, using the to conduct their own
ra to evaluate surveys. For the next two
Carbon emis- days, they traveled all over
phalt plant. the island, observing hot
mix asphalt plants, pharmaceutical manu-
facturing sites, lead smelters, and other
gasoline storage and terminal facilities.
Nieves Miranda said his staff "was
impressed by the professionalism and
expertise" shown by Harris and Galli.S I O N O N E N V I R O N M E N T A LI
d
3
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Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Natural Outlook, November 2012, periodical, November 2012; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth576082/m1/1/?q=%22Government+and+Law+-+State+Agencies%22: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.