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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
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POSITION DESCRIPTION FOR JOB POSTING |
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Position Number: 00255027 |
Description Activated On: 3/18/2026 11:02:47 AM |
Position Purpose: Describe the primary purpose of this position and how it contributes to the organization’s objectives. Example: Provides clerical and office support within the Division to ensure its operations are conducted efficiently and effectively. This position completes technical and administrative work associated with air dispersion modeling that supports the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) statewide air quality permitting and planning functions to fulfill requirements of the federal Clean Air Act and Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act as well as regulations adopted under these acts. Air dispersion models use complex, state-of-the-science mathematical equations to simulate atmospheric physical and chemical processes that disperse pollutants emitted by a source(s) and predict pollutant concentrations at selected downwind receptors typically within a local spatial scale of less than 50 kilometers. |
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Description of Duties: Describe in detail the duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Descriptions should include the major end result of the task. Example: Types correspondence, reports, and other various documents from handwritten drafts for review and signature of the supervisor. 1. Maintains and further develops the DEP’s program for air dispersion modeling. Maintains air dispersion models, associated programs and utilities, and model input data. Further develops the capability to efficiently review and conduct air dispersion modeling. Air dispersion models include the American Meteorological Society / U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regulatory Model (AERMOD) or other acceptable models. Associated programs and utilities include AERSCREEN, AERMAP, AERMET, AERMINUTE, AERSURFACE, and BPIPPRM. Model input may include data associated with source emissions, downwash, ambient monitoring, terrain, land cover, and meteorology. 2. Provides technical support for the DEP’s air quality permitting functions by (1) reviewing, analyzing, interpreting, and commenting on air dispersion modeling of criteria pollutants submitted to the DEP as part of a plan approval application for a proposed new or modified air emission source(s), either to satisfy the requirements of the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) regulations or other requirements and (2) conducting air dispersion modeling of criteria pollutants. 3. Provides technical support for the DEP’s air quality permitting functions by (1) reviewing, analyzing, interpreting, and commenting on air dispersion modeling of toxic air pollutants submitted to the DEP to support inhalation and multi-pathway human health risk assessments and ecological risk assessments submitted as part of a plan approval application for proposed new and modified air emission sources or to satisfy plan approval or operating permit requirements and (2) conducting air dispersion modeling of toxic air pollutants. 4. Provides technical support for the DEP’s air quality planning functions by conducting, reviewing, analyzing, interpreting, or commenting on air dispersion modeling of relatively inert criteria pollutants, e.g., lead, sulfur dioxide, as part of the implementation process for new or revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Air dispersion modeling may be used to support area designation recommendations, attainment demonstrations for nonattainment area State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions, or area redesignation requests to be submitted to the EPA or to support other planning functions. 5. Provides technical support for air quality permitting and planning functions that may include conducting air dispersion modeling and analyzing the resulting data with appropriate tools and techniques to (1) evaluate relationships between atmospheric physical and chemical conditions as well as the dispersion and transport of pollutants from an emission source(s) contributing to measured exceedances of the NAAQS, (2) evaluate air quality trends, (3) assist with developing emission control strategies, or (4) assist with siting of the DEP’s ambient monitoring equipment. 6. Provides technical support by reviewing and commenting on protocols submitted to the DEP for meteorological monitoring programs necessary to obtain representative data for air dispersion model input. 7. Applies federal and state statutes, regulations, policies, and technical guidance relevant to air dispersion modeling. Assists in the review of proposed federal regulations, policies, and technical guidance relevant to air dispersion modeling. Assists in the development of the DEP’s regulations, policies, and technical guidance relevant to air dispersion modeling. 8. Writes clear, concise, and accurate technical support documents, protocols, evaluations, reports, guidance, policy, and correspondence, relevant to air dispersion modeling. 9. Interacts with the EPA, other federal, state, or local agencies, external organizations, industry, and consultants to ensure the appropriate selection of an air dispersion model, model options, and model input data. 10. Interacts and coordinates with the DEP’s air quality permitting staff to ensure that air dispersion modeling is conducted or reviewed in a timely manner to support permitting decisions on plan approval applications or other permitting functions. Interacts and coordinates with the DEP’s air quality planning staff to ensure that air dispersion modeling is conducted or reviewed in a timely manner to support complete and timely submittals of SIP revisions to the EPA or other planning functions. 11. Communicates the results of air dispersion modeling to the DEP’s air quality permitting and planning staff, EPA, other federal, state, and local agencies, external organizations, industry, consultants, the public, or other stakeholders. 12. Serves as an expert witness before the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board on matters relevant to air dispersion modeling. 13. Responds to inquiries from the DEP’s air quality permitting and planning staff, EPA, other federal, state, and local agencies, external organizations, industry, consultants, the public, or other stakeholders relevant to air dispersion modeling. 14. Attends, participates, and/or presents work products in conferences, workshops, training, webinars, meetings, or conference calls relevant to air dispersion modeling. Such events may be held at a state, regional, or national level and be sponsored by the EPA, DEP, Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association (MARAMA), National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA), a professional organization, another federal, state, or local agency, or academic institution. 15. Inputs appropriate data in a prescribed format to meet data quality standards set forth by guidance, training, and policy across all of the DEP’s electronic data systems; to include ensuring accuracy and completeness of entries, and where available, the use of system specific tools to ensure duplicative entries and data quality issues are minimized. 16. Promotes the Department’s mission. 17. This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. The employee will perform other job-related duties as required. |
Decision Making: Describe the types of decisions made by the incumbent of this position and the types of decisions referred to others. Identify the problems or issues that can be resolved at the level of this position, versus those that must be referred to the supervisor. Example: In response to a customer inquiry, this work involves researching the status of an activity and preparing a formal response for the supervisor’s signature. Work is assigned by the Manager of the Air Quality Modeling and Risk Assessment Section according to the employee’s workload with general instructions. Tasks are performed independently with minimal supervision. Most complex project work is submitted to the Section Manager for review and concurrence. Recommendations are made based on regulations, policy, guidance, known principles, and relevant data. Recommendations that impact other sections, other divisions, the Bureau, and/or the DEP are discussed with and approved by the Section Manager, Division Manager, and/or Bureau Director, as appropriate. |
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Requirements Profile: Identify any specific experience or requirements, such as a licensure, registration, or certification, which may be necessary to perform the functions of the position. Position-specific requirements should be consistent with a Special Requirement or other criteria identified in the classification specification covering this position. Example: Experience using Java; Professional Engineer License Experience: Licenses, registrations, or certifications: 1. Class C Driver's License 2. N/A 3. N/A 4. 5. 6. |
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Essential Functions: Provide a list of essential functions for this position. Example: Transports boxes weighing up to 60 pounds.
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