Basic Air Monitoring Checklist for EPA Licensees
This document is designed as a very basic checklist1
Prior to Site Visit:
Criteria
Has the proposed contractor provided evidence/details of their
qualifications, training and experience in carrying out stack emissions
monitoring, with particular reference to the scope of work to be
completed.
Comment
Has the contractor visited the site to carry out an inspection of the
sampling location and assess suitability for the proposed monitoring?
Review Risk assessment, & Reconnaissance Report if generated.
On-Site:
Criteria
Does the contractor have their own monitoring procedures for the
parameters being monitored? This is a separate procedure to the
actual monitoring method (e.g. CEN method).
Comment
Has the contractor prepared a plan (e.g. site specific protocol) for the
scope of work to be completed as part of the monitoring visit?
Does the contractor have a copy of the monitoring standard (e.g.
CEN, ISO Standard) available?
Has the contractor requested details of process conditions prevailing
on the day of their visit? Are they recording CEMS data in the
monitoring report (if applicable).
Has all portable monitoring equipment been calibrated and are
certificates available (MCERTS, TUV)? Do they carry out a calibration
of the analyser (zero, span) before & after measurements have been
made.
Has monitoring for all necessary supporting parameters (e.g. oxygen
level, stack gas velocity, temperature, moisture, pressure) been
carried out? Is the contractor familiar with the requirements of the
licence in terms of supporting parameters required (do they have a
copy of the licence)?
Is the method being used by the contractor in line with the
requirements of the licence and/or the methods specified in
Appendix 1 of EPA Air Monitoring Guidance Note AG2?
1
See Appendix 2 of AG2 for detailed audit checklist, www.epa.ie/downloads/advice/air/emissions/name,23484,en.html
For any portable analysers, how are the data being logged? Is periodic
data also being logged manually in case of datalogger failure?
Has the equipment sampling train been leak tested and have the
results of the leak test been recorded on a field record sheet?
Note: Health and safety/risk assessment requirements are not addressed as part of this checklist
Monitoring Report:
Criteria
Does the report refer to the appropriate referencing conditions as per
the licence (e.g. reference values for oxygen, moisture content, etc.)
Does the report meet the reporting requirements of EPA Guidance
Note AG2 (section 10)?
Are both raw and corrected (e.g. corrected to required oxygen,
moisture, etc. reference concentration) data included in the report?
Does the report refer to process conditions prevailing at the time of
monitoring?
Is the measurement uncertainty reported for each of the results?
Are details of external laboratories used for sample analysis supplied?
Is the contractor or off-site laboratory accredited for the analysis
which they carried out?
For off-site analysis of samples, what laboratory carried out the
analysis and what is the accreditation status of the laboratory for this
analysis?
Are the monitoring results consistent with previous reports? (This
could highlight either a process issue or a potential monitoring error).
Comment