Coming Soon the Emission Inventory (EI)/Tribal Emission Inventory Software Solution (TEISS)

Coming Soon… The Emission Inventory (EI)/Tribal Emission Inventory Software Solution (TEISS) Training Curriculum: Course 1-EI Fundamentals and Course 2-EI Advanced

Thanks for your interest in the EI and TEISS training. ITEP is currently working on the restructuring of the EI/TEISS training. ITEP plans to offer the training in a series of three courses, the first two taught as live, instructor-led webinars that we plan to record. All tribal professionals who need EI training will begin with the first course called EI Fundamentals. Upon completing it, a participant will be able to conduct a Level 4 emissions inventory. The second course, called EI Advanced, will be appropriate for tribes that have more sources and need to conduct a Level 1, 2, or 3 emissions inventory. Upon completion of this second online course, participants can register for the classroom workshop. This workshop allows participants to conduct the emission calculations for their EIs in a workshop setting with in-person instructors.

What are EI Levels? EPA has established four levels of EIs.

Emission Inventory Levels

from EPA Emission Inventory Improvement Program (EIIP) vol. 6, pg. 2.1-5

Tribes should start with doing a Level 4 EI. This usually includes obtaining data from the NEI database for nearby counties. This simple summary is sometimes referred to as a “top-down” approach because you are starting with emissions data that someone else developed as an end product and analyzing it to determine how it affects your area. If you do not have any large sources on your reservation and you determine that the reservation is already adequately covered by the NEI data, this might be your stopping point.

If you determine that there are other sources that you want to include in the inventory or you want to calculate the reservation-level emissions instead of only the county-level emissions, you need to complete a Level 1, 2, or 3 EI. You then obtain original data from the sources and use that data to calculate the emissions for those sources. This comprehensive accounting is sometimes referred to as a “bottom-up” approach because you are starting at the ground level by collecting data from the sources and using that data to calculate emission estimates.

I need this training now because an EI is in my current workplan. What do I do?

1. Begin with completing the EPA Air Pollution Training Institute (APTI) “Introduction to EI” self-directed online training. This training can provide a foundation to work from. The course number is SI-419A.
2. First, you need to establish an APTI profile by registering from the APTI log in page.
3. When you are registered and logged in, click on the My Training icon in the APTI toolbar.
4. In the Filter by Category dropdown box, select Emissions Estimation & Inventory Development.
5. Course SI-419A should then be shown. Click on the Launch icon for this training to start the training.
6. Read existing EIs to get an idea of what an EI is made up of.
7. The Bishop Paiute Tribe recently completed their Air Quality on the Bishop Paiute Reservation Source and Emissions Inventory, September 2012 and posted it to their website.
8. ITEP has several examples of Tribal EIs in our Tribal Documents Library, which can be accessed through our Resource Information Center (RIC). To find the EI documents, search RIC for Tribal Documents, then select Emission Inventories. RIC will instruct you to email an ITEP employee to get the documents you are interested in.
9. Work through the ITEP TEISS self-directed online training. The username and password are itep. You can work through the entire training or only the lessons you are interested in.
10. Start planning your emission inventory
11. Read EIIP Volume I, Introduction to the Emission Inventory Improvement Program, July 1997. Start on Chapter 4, Inventory Planning.
12. Read EIIP Volume VI, Chapter 2, Planning and Documentation, January 1997.
13. Read the EI Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)[a1] that ITEP developed. Start developing your QAPP using the example QAPP as a template. This begins the planning process for your emission inventory.

I think I am ready for the training. Developing an emission inventory takes a huge amount of resources, time, and effort. The new EI Fundamentals and EI Advanced trainings are designed for those that are ready to devote the time and effort into this project. It is important that you are at this point because the training is not going to be effective unless you are actively working on your QAPP and EI as you proceed through the training. The information in the trainings is likely not going to be retained unless you are actively working on your QAPP and EI. Remember that learning to develop an EI and use TEISS is not like learning to ride a bicycle; if you try to get on the EI again after not working on it for months since completing the training, your instincts usually do not kick in.

Our draft modules list[a2] for the first two training courses can give you an idea of what we expect of you as you complete the training. We plan to offer one module every week once the training starts and the estimated length of the modules is an hour to an hour and a half. Working at this pace, we expect participants to complete the first training in approximately three months and the second training in approximately three months. If you have any questions on whether or not you are ready to sign up for the training, please contact Angelique Luedeker at or Melinda Ronca-Battista at , the course instructors.

[a1]Need a hyperlink here.

[a2]Need a hyperlink here.