08 Oct Local air pollution issues

Air Quality Management

Final applied project on local air pollution issues

This homework will be presented to the rest of the class during week 8.  You should definitely be working on this beginning week 2 because this assignment is a way for you to demonstrate your ability to apply what we have discussed and learned in the classroom.  Note that there are three parts to this final applied project, an outline, a power point presentation with notes, and a class presentation and participation of these final projects.

 

You will present a brief power point with your own voice with the following content:

 

Identify air pollutants of greatest concern in your locality (can be up to four pollutants — whatever you find in your research as air pollutants of greatest concern)

 

Identify the health and welfare effects of the air pollutants

 

Identify the largest source for those pollutants, using a reliable reference as your source of information

 

Investigate the emissions data from this largest source of local air pollutant.  What are the actual emissions data for at least two of the air pollutants emitted by this point source?  If your largest emissions are from non-point sources, please examine what types of pollutants are emitted from these non-point sources and any data that can be obtained from non-point sources.

 

Briefly explain how at least one of the pollutants are sampled and analyzed.

 

Identify meteorological events that must be accounted for in managing this local air quality

 

Identify the relevant local and federal regulations for these air pollutants.

 

How well do the actual emissions meet the regulatory limits?

 

Explain why either the local or federal regulations would be more relevant in this case.

 

Identify regulatory air pollution control strategies for these four pollutants

 

The general grading rubric for this homework is as follows:

 

Clear introduction that addresses the main issues/concerns including a brief history = 10 points possible

 

Clear and correct identification of pollutants of greatest concern in your locality, with supporting data on what these sources are = 10 points possible

 

Clear explanation of why your locality is concerned about these pollutants, with clear supporting data = 10 points possible

 

Clear and correct identification of the largest source for those air pollutants, with supporting data on what these sources are = 10 points possible

 

Clear explanation of how one of the pollutants is sampled and analyzed = 10 points possible

 

Clear identification of meteorological events that must be accounted for in managing this local air quality.  A picture here that is relevant to your local events would be helpful, along with a reference of when this event last occurred = 10 points possible

 

Clear discussion of strategies and tactics used to manage these pollutants = 10 points possible

 

Clear discussion of relevant local and federal regulations for these air pollutants. = 10 points possible.

 

Please connect the regulation with the pollutants you are discussing.  For every irrelevant regulation, one point will be taken out.  In other words, please don’t list a bunch of regulations that you think might be related to the air pollutants you are presenting!

 

Clear conclusions that tie in what we have learned from your presentation = 10 points possible

 

Appropriate references and citations in APA format = 10 points possible

 

The points are converted to percentage and reported as percentage in your portfolio.

 

Implicit in all of the grading rubric is that you will incorporate concepts we have covered in this class as appropriate.  Remember that this project is an assessment of what you have learned in this course, and hence, it is very important that you keep up with the readings and discussions throughout the course. I will be involved with the discussion of these final assessment, and do expect students to be able to answer questions that are clearly related to the concepts we have covered in this class.

 

Please note that clarity typically increases when using the same units to compare X and Y and when data can be provided in percentage as well as actual amounts.  Using appropriate charts, tables, and figures often increase clarity of a presentation.  I would prefer a voice presentation of your power point, but if you are not able to do this, then make sure your power points are easy to follow and that you have notes that clearly expand upon every point you want to make for each bullet point on your power point.  Please note that effective power points are concise and clean, with plenty of white (or any other color that is easy on the eye) space and graphics.

 

For those of you living outside the U.S., you may choose to investigate your present locality or you may choose an area in the U.S. that you plan to come home to.

 

Please review the grading rubric that comes with each assignment to make sure you have fulfilled the requirements in the grading rubric. The grading rubric is used to assess your work, with additional detailed comments provided in addition to the general comments that comes under each of the assessment categories for each grading criteria.  You can view the grading rubric by clicking on the “rubric” associated with each assignment and by clicking on the “feedback” after each assignment has been graded.