How a leading producer of aggregates proactively monitors dust with APT

One of the nation's largest producers of construction aggregates—primarily crushed stone, sand and gravel—and a major producer of aggregate-based construction materials, including asphalt and ready-mixed concrete - needed a solution for dust management.

For them, maintaining compliance with regulations and ensuring continuous improvement was vital to seamless operations.

Their operations were vulnerable to unjustified dust complaints and NOVs

The Environmental Services Manager for one of the company's regional divisions is responsible for air regulation compliance.  Their primary responsibility is supporting operations teams to manage environmental risks with a focus on continuous improvement. 

Before using Applied Particle Technology (APT), the producer had limited real-time data about fugitive dust.  Recently, APT worked with the producer to launch real-time alerting and notification functionality to help improve data visibility and response time.

“My goal is to always comply. The typical old-style monitors don't do much for you because they provide a single snapshot, it takes weeks to receive the results, and it is backwards-looking data.”
- Environmental Services Manager

Problem 1: Defensible data

One of their sites is located near a residential neighborhood. Because of the proximity, residents were likely to link air quality concerns to the company despite other potential dust sources in the area.

Problem 2: Managing opacity risks

Industry standards for Opacity typically leverage visual indicators and require a certified Method 22 reader on site. Tracking potential visible dust across an operation was challenging. 

The company strives to ensure constant compliance and address elevated dusting quickly. 

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Setting up real-time dust monitoring and LEAP dust management

The Environmental Services Manager and his team partnered with APT to manage fugitive dust more effectively. Within a few weeks, APT installed 10 stationary air quality sensors across its site.

APT's LEAP™ dust management platform collects these sensor data and turns it into actionable insights for the operations team.

Defending against unjustified dust complaints with robust air quality data

With stationary sensors distributed throughout its site, the producer is now capturing real-time air quality data around the clock. APT's algorithms help detect potential risks of dust crossing the fenceline in critical areas across the site before they become an issue. 

Our proprietary platform makes it easy for the Environmental Services Manager to show how the operation impacts the air quality in the surrounding community. More importantly, he can defend the company against unjustified community concerns.

With the help of APT, the producer's team also generated long-term reports showing that their operation had no impact on the community's air quality.

“My goal is to operate offensively but be prepared to have a defense if neighbor concerns arise. Having data from monitors across all four seasons is invaluable to building that narrative and conversing with neighbors.  Being able to confidently say, "Our data shows we are not approaching federal guidelines of the national ambient air quality standards" is the right position for us to be in to start those conversations.”
- Environmental Services Manager

Reliable opacity compliance thanks to real-time monitoring and text notifications

Using the LEAP™ platform, the producer also set up automated email and text notifications for potential elevated opacity readings.

Instead of waiting for emissions or dust to become visible,  their operations team currently has real-time notifications based on sensor readings.

“We set the parameters then get real-time  notifications via texts or email that we immediately address.”
- Environmental Services Manager

Now, whenever the site is at risk of being out of compliance, the operations team receives a notification and can immediately address the situation by sending out water trucks or checking the dust suppression system instead of letting it get out of control.

“Getting a notification and being able to respond immediately allows us to limit our risk and address issues instantly. The daily reports also give me insight into what's happening across the site.”
- Plant Supervisor

Stay compliant with air regulations with APT's dust management platform

As a nationally leading construction aggregate producer, maintaining compliance with air quality regulations is crucial. With real-time dust monitoring and the LEAP™ dust management platform, the producer now captures continuous air quality data, offering robust defense against unjustified concerns and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Are you facing similar air quality compliance challenges? Watch our video demo to learn more about APT's dust management platform, and book a meeting with our team to discuss your application.