Jamaica Strengthens Air Quality Monitoring and Regulatory Framework

For 15 years, Jamaica has steadily strengthened its air quality monitoring and regulatory framework.

This has been done through a sustained partnership between the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and Eastern Technical Associates (ETA), an internationally recognised environmental training firm based in North Carolina, United States.

At the centre of this collaboration is the Visual Emission Observer Training Programme, commonly referred to as ‘Smoke School’, which certifies observers to conduct opacity assessments using the Visual Determination of the Opacity of Emissions from Stationary Sources – United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Method 9.

According to Manager of NEPA’s Air Quality Management Branch, Jody-Ann Marston, the partnership has played a key role in building national capacity and supporting compliance with Jamaica’s air quality standards.

“Prior to this partnership with ETA, NEPA, along with operators of industrial facilities, had to send their staff overseas to be trained, at a very high cost. Bringing the training to Jamaica has significantly reduced the cost incurred by both the Agency and industry,” Mrs. Marston shares with JIS News in an interview.

She explains that the programme has also strengthened collaboration between regulators and industry, as both groups are trained and certified together.

“We train in the same space, and that has allowed us to build strong partnerships with industries. It has also been a good partnership with ETA, and where there are challenges, we work together to ensure that the training continues to run smoothly,” she notes.

Mrs. Marston says the Smoke School programme has proven to be one of the most cost-effective tools for assessing emissions and supporting regulatory compliance.

“Facilities are now more readily able to identify breaches and address them quickly, before they become exceedances of the ambient air quality standards. That is a national goal we are all working towards,” she explains.

She adds that Method 9, which measures the opacity of emissions from stationary sources, is a critical enforcement tool for NEPA.

“It is a quick way to assess whether facilities are complying with the 20 per cent opacity standard under the regulations, and it has been very useful in helping us determine compliance,” Mrs. Marston informs.

Since the programme’s introduction, NEPA has observed improvements in reporting and operational responsiveness, as facilities are now conducting opacity measurements more frequently.

It also allows them to identify operational offsets early and rectify them before they become actual breaches of the standard.

The Air Quality Manager further explains that Visual Emission Observers are required to be trained and certified every six months to ensure the accuracy and validity of the data collected, noting that “over time, visual calibration can change, so constant retraining and recertification are necessary to ensure the data remains valid and defensible”.

In addition to this, certified facilities are required to submit monthly opacity reports to NEPA, which are reviewed to ensure compliance with the approved method and regulatory standards.

“Where we see exceedances, facilities are required to indicate how they plan to come into compliance. If exceedances persist, NEPA can apply enforcement instruments to ensure adherence to the opacity limits,” Mrs. Marston tells JIS News.

The most recent staging of the programme in early January saw strong participation across sectors.

“We had over 80 persons registering, all of whom were certified. These participants included persons from various industries, other ministries, departments and agencies, including NEPA, as well as the sugar, power generation and bauxite industries,” Mrs. Marston says.

She also highlights the benefits of transitioning the theoretical component of the training to an online webinar format.

“The webinar reduces the number of days officers and operators have to be away from the job, and it allows more persons to participate. The theory is a very critical part of the training, because if you are not taught the proper procedures, the measurements would not be valid,” Mrs. Marston explains.

Participant feedback, she says, has been largely positive, as “facilities have indicated that the training is a quick and effective way to monitor their emission sources.

It also helps them validate whether their emission monitors and control devices are functioning properly and to identify operational challenges more quickly”.

Mrs. Marston points out that NEPA remains committed to strengthening the partnership with ETA and continuously improving air quality management.

“We plan to continue the partnership and constantly evaluate where we can improve. Air quality is a pressing public health matter, and we all have to do our part to safeguard the health of our people and our environment,” she says.

Providing the international and technical context, Environmental Consultant with the ETA, Marty Hughes, says Jamaica’s consistent implementation of the programme stands out globally.

“Method 9 has been used since the early 1970s because the human eye, when properly trained and calibrated, is very capable of detecting particulate matter. Jamaica has proven to be highly successful in applying this tool,” Mr. Hughes tells JIS News.

He describes the programme as a unique model of cooperation, noting that “this is one of the only certification programmes in the world where industry operators and regulators train together. It builds rapport, trust and shared responsibility for protecting the environment”.

Reflecting on the past 15 years, Mr. Hughes says the programme has had “tremendous” impact across Jamaica.