Episode 25 - Engineering at an Air Quality Agency

In this episode, Paul explores what it's like to be an engineer at an air quality agency by interviewing Dr. Simin Mehrabani, who works at the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD). The South Coast AQMD is a government agency responsible for improving the air quality for over 15 million people in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties.

Simin received a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Southern California, and currently is a Senior Air Quality Engineer for the South Coast AQMD. In this role she supervises a team of air quality engineers who review engineering evaluation reports and issues permits to industries involved in coating and printing operations.

In the interview, Simin discusses the various divisions within the South Coast AQMD, how the South Coast AQMD works with state and federal agencies to improve air quality, the types of jobs available to engineers at air quality agencies, and how engineering students can gain a foothold in this field.

South Coast AQMD website:
http://www.aqmd.gov/

South Coast AQMD air quality mobile app:
https://www.aqmd.gov/docs/default-source/news-archive/2020/enhanced-mobile-app-dec10-2020.pdf

South Coast AQMD Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP):
http://www.aqmd.gov/home/air-quality/clean-air-plans/air-quality-mgt-plan

West Coast Section of Air & Waste Management Association (AWMA) website:
https://wcsawma.org/

Rule 219 for equipment not requiring a written permit:
http://www.aqmd.gov/docs/default-source/rule-book/reg-ii/rule-219.pdf

Rule 1401 on toxic air contaminants:
http://www.aqmd.gov/docs/default-source/rule-book/reg-xiv/rule-1401.pdf

Have comments about this episode? Send your feedback to TESEpodcast@gmail.com and Paul will personally read your email.

Episode edited by Paul Nissenson. Recorded on December 28, 2021 via Zoom.