KENNETH MASON

Senior Engineer

B.S., Mechanical Engineering, 1968

California State University, Los Angeles

REGISTRATION:

Certified Permitting Professional (CPP), South Coast AQMD, 1993

BACKGROUND:

Mr. Mason worked as an Air Quality Engineer for the South Coast AQMD from 1972 through 1983. In that capacity he evaluated applications for permits to construct and operate a variety of equipment while working in the Metallurgical Operations Unit and the Resource Recovery Unit of the AQMD's Engineering Division.

From 1983 to 1991 he served as a Senior Air Quality Engineer at the South Coast AQMD. In that capacity he worked in Petroleum Operations Unit, Cogeneration/Resource Recovery Unit, Mechanical Operations Unit, and the Training Unit. As a Senior engineer he was responsible for assigning, scheduling and reviewing engineers' works on the evaluations of equipment for permits. He acted as the lead contact for all engineers of the unit to resolve permitting issues, and was involved in all negotiations with the industry representatives over the terms and conditions of the permits. He represented the SCAQMD at meetings and at the AQMD Hearing Board to present engineering facts and potential solutions for various issues specific to individual groups or industries. He also trained engineers in the methods of evaluating permit applications and indoctrinated them as to how the agency functioned overall.

While a Senior Engineer at the SCAQMD, Mr. Mason wrote a paper on the inaccuracies of using the Lambert-Beer Law for the purposes of determining the mass rate of particulate emissions based on opacity readings of the source.

Mr. Mason served as a Supervising Air Quality Engineer of the Petroleum operation Unit of the SCAQMD from February 1991 to March 1992. His duties included supervision, scheduling and assignment of projects to engineers and clerical staff. He met continually with WOGA (Western Oil and Gas Association) and oil industry representatives to devise a permitting approach for floating roof storage tanks to allow seal replacement without requiring applications for alteration of the tanks to be filed with the AQMD. He also developed four teams of engineers to facilitate application backlog reductions mandated by rule changes, to determine facility emissions balances, and to process Emissions Reduction Credit (ERC) applications.

From March 1992 through August 1993 Mr. Mason served as an Air Quality Analysis & Compliance Supervisor for the SCAQMD. He reviewed and approved applications for permits and met with the regulated community to resolve problems. He supervised engineers, inspectors, and clerical staff in the course of his work. He developed a coordinated Enforcement/Engineering facility compliance inspection and outreach program to better meet the needs of the regulated community, while maintaining compliance with the rules and regulations.

Mr. Mason created the Permit Application Training Program (PTAP) from inception through training sessions and the examination process to certify outside consultants and industry representatives as "Certified Permitting Professionals" (CPP). This task was conducted as part of the privatization program of the SCAQMD's permit processing functions. The CPPs are considered proficient in the preparation of application submittal packages to obtain permits to construct and operate for equipment covered under SCAQMD rules and regulations.

Mr. Mason rewrote the "Administration of the Permit systems" booklet to standardize permit unit boundaries and permit descriptions and wordings. He also co-authored the "Permit Application Training Program Student Manual". This manual was used as a textbook for the Permit Application Training Program and walks the students through the SCAQMD's application evaluation procedures.

As a Senior Engineer with ATI he performs various duties including: environmental audits of facilities; permit application preparation; AB2588 Toxics plans and reports; Annual Emissions Reports; Air Quality Modeling; Air pollution control equipment selection and design; etc.