Smoke School, also known as Opacity Certification, is the formal training necessary to report visible emissions (i.e. smoke) as required by EPA Method 9.

The ASU Environmental Technology Management (ETM) program has partnered with Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to offer EPA Method 9 Certification training (Smoke School) to regulators, air quality permit holders, environmental consultants and the general public.

This training must be attended by any person who may work for a regulated source that is required to complete periodic visible emissions observations as a condition for air quality permitting. Facility personnel who control any part of the operation where air pollution is a concern may also want to attend the class to help in recognizing potential issues and taking action before an exceedance occurs.

Smoke School is comprised of a classroom session and smoke plume observations in the field. Training sessions are offered bi-annually in the spring and the fall. Please see the On-line Registration page for further information on upcoming dates and locations.

CLASSROOM SESSION

The classroom session is required for persons who have never been certified as an EPA Method 9 Visible Emissions Evaluator and for persons who have not attended the classroom part of smoke school for the past two years. The classroom learning experience is required by the ADEQ Arizona Testing Manual, adopted by ADEQ rules.

The classroom part of smoke school is from 8:30 – 10:45 AM on the first day of each smoke school, except night certification classes.

FIELD OBSERVATION/CERTIFICATION

The field certification part of smoke school includes displays of black and white smoke plumes of varying opacities by a smoke generator machine. Candidates for EPA Method 9 Visible Emission Evaluator certification must demonstrate their ability to judge the opacity of 25 black and 25 white smoke plumes within a prescribed margin of error. A wallet card certifying EPA Method 9 competence will be issued to successful candidates. The certification is valid for six months. At the end of the six month period, persons who are responsible for conducting EPA Method 9 observations must become recertified by attending the field portion of smoke school.

For persons who are attending smoke school for recertification, the field activity starts at 9:00 AM on the first day and at 8:30 AM on the second day of smoke school.

For persons who are attending the classroom part of smoke school, the field certification activity starts at approximately 11:00 AM on the first day and at 8:30 AM on the second day.

Smoke school attendees are free to leave as soon as they pass the field certification and receive a wallet card. Some candidates for recertification choose to arrive for only the second day of smoke school. It is recommended that persons attending smoke school reserve both days for obtaining certification. By keeping your schedule open, there will be multiple chances to successfully receive the certification. Weather can be a factor that inhibits good readings of the smoke plumes. Reserving both days on your calendar provides more chances to get certified.

TO CONTACT US

Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus
Environmental & Emergency Management – Smoke School
6075 S. Williams Campus Loop West
Mesa, Arizona 85212
Phone: 480-727-1322
Fax: 480-727-1684

To contact us: Web site: http://www.poly.asu.edu/smokeschool
E-mail: smokeschool@asu.edu