Materials used in the aerospace industry range from specialty metals, components, plastics and coatings, to solid or liquid rocket fuels. The manufacture, testing, and use of these materials presents a wide range of environmental risks. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates these activities to prevent harm to human health and the environment. Aerospace industries are subject to permitting, on-site evaluations, and facility specific testing and monitoring. Testing requirements to address a range of aerospace constituents include oil, diesel, gas, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs), asbestos, heavy metals, and perchlorate.
The Clean Water Act of 1972 (CWA) formed the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. Under NPDES, industries are required to meet specific criteria for discharging into US waters. To meet NPDES requirements, regulatory bodies administer testing requirements for permit application and compliance monitoring. Authorities use this data to determine if pollutants are present and if effluent limits are needed in a discharge permit. Depending on discharge composition and permit plan, a monitoring program may be implemented.
Scheduled monitoring as part of a management plan is designed to mitigate risk, manage water quality, and ensure compliance. Additionally, remediation efforts for accidental spills or legacy contamination may require periodic testing to monitor remedial effectiveness or plume migration. Testing frequency can vary or be a set periodic program. No matter what testing frequency is implemented, Alpha provides site specific testing for compliance programs.
