One of the principal activities at RTP is applying atmospheric dispersion models for permitting, EIS development, facility de­sign, health risk assessments and other special purposes. RTP’s experience and knowledge allows us to provide the best possible modeling scenarios for individual project needs.  We define the operational flexibility essential to your business and then work closely with your project team to achieve regulatory compliance thresholds.  RTP provides services that address project needs including the initial discussions of project specifics, agency approvals of modeling protocols and databases, defending the results and obtaining final project approvals.

Our staff have  been and continues to be  intimately involved in the development and improvement of air quality models including the Beta testing of models. RTP staff have also  developed air quality models for specific applications to resolve difficulties with contemporary EPA approved models.  RTP is knowledgeable and adept at performing anal­yses that are accurate, cost effective and meet project schedules.  RTP can provide full contract services in these areas or be included as a specialty air modeling service within a major project team.

RTP regularly performs a variety of standard regulatory modeling and special study dispersion analyses.  We maintain an extensive library of computer models and associated data bases and have participated in the development and evaluation of the latest models including ISCPrime, AERMOD, and CALPUFF.  ­In addition to the stan­dard EPA dispersion models, RTP maintains special purpose models to comply with various State and user re­quirements.  We have developed programs to derive site-specific receptor grids of varying densities directly from USGS DEM data files, as well as programs and digitizing techniques for developing terrain profiles for CTDMPLUS and CTDM Screen.  Our internal and external state-of-the-art computer resources allow for cost effective and timely completion of each project.  We can even host modeling applications at a web site to meet your specific needs.

Modeling protocols are critical and must assure the applicants’ operational requirements are fully incorporated to avoid delays in project approvals.  Modeling protocols and analyses prepared by RTP staff have involved a variety of locations in rural and urban environments, ranging from simple single-point analyses to complex multi-source industrial applications, from simple flat terrain analyses to complex and urban topography.  Modeling has also been performed for various time and spatial scales from short-term analyses to multi-year assessments over varying distances to meet project requirements.  Diverse source treatments have been developed, including continuous and intermittent sources, surface fugitive area and line source releases, volume release sources, and accidental release scenarios.