An environmental consultant prepared a report that addressed concentrations of acetaldehyde, hydrogen sulfide, valeric acid, and particulate emissions allegedly generated by 17 facilities in the Kings Park Industrial Complex (KPI). It was the basis of a class action lawsuit accusing four asphalt plants, three compost operations, and nine sand and gravel processors in the Kings Park Industrial Complex of creating nuisance odors. Shapiro/Walden Engineering asked SEA to review the technical data and AERMOD computer modeling to determine whether the inclusion of Kings Park Asphalt Corp. in the lawsuit was justified. SEA concluded that the asphalt plants in the industrial park were not the source of the odor conditions. As a result of SEA’s review and report, the lawsuit did not go forward.
Services
Air Quality
- Reviewed over 9,000 pages of text and data
- Identified errors and inconsistencies in compiling and modeling emissions data for the various pollutant sources:
- Asphalt plants were not operating during the days and hours modeled as the time of maximum pollutant concentrations for acetaldehydes and hydrogen sulfides
- Modeling included a major emitter with a Title V permit and did not separate pollutant contributions by the facilities named in the lawsuit from those of other sources
- Modeling omitted a major composting operation that was the source of numerous odor complaints
- Identified issues in the interpretation and presentation of results
- Modeled concentrations were not compared to state and federal standards or odor detection thresholds
- No data on residents’ complaints were included to determine whether the modeled concentrations corresponded with the pattern of residential complaints
SEA has reviewed other consultants’ work on studies such as Newburgh Marketplace, Atlantic Yards, French American School, Pilot Truck Stop, TVA Paradise Fossil Plant, and Sterling Forest Resort.
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