RSB Environmental is the nation's leader in Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments and Due Diligence services by volume. Phase One Environmental Site Assessments Alliance Technical Group is the nation's leader in Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments and Due Diligence services by volume. Fast and Affordable 10 day bank approved Phase 1 (ESA) reports by a licensed engineer with project offices nationwide. Alliance Technical Group provides fast and affordable Phase I Environmental Site Assessments that adhere to industry standards like ASTM E1527-21. Quality Phase One Environmental Site Assessments completed by environmental professionals with a minimum 10-year's experience. Comprehensive Environmental Services – All Under One Roof We provide deep technical expertise and full-scope capabilities to help you solve complex environmental challenges. We provide deep technical expertise and full-scope capabilities to help you solve complex environmental challenges. 1-877-759-1924 Request a Free Quote First name* Last name* Phone* Email* Company name* Address* Type of Service* Reason For Assessment* Submit Laboratory Services NELAP-accredited testing for air, water, soil, PFAS, and waste—fast, accurate, and defensible. On-Site Testing Monitoring Reliable source testing, emissions data, regulatory reporting, and more. Environmental Compliance Site assessments, remediation strategies, compliance audits, and permitting support across industries. We are a new kind of environmental services company—powered by innovation, focused on service, and committed to your success. Our Reach With over 60 testing and laboratory locations across the United States and Canada, we are where you need us.

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Need Stack Testing Fast? Arkansas Teams Ready to Mobilize As the largest stack testing company in the U.S., Alliance brings national scale with established Arkansas crews who understand your requirements and timelines. We support facilities facing last-minute changes and tight compliance deadlines without adding stress. Little Rock: 479-857-2146 Bryant: 501-847-7077 Previous Item Next Item

A Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS) is used to continuously measure and record pollutant emissions — such as SO₂, NOₓ, CO, and opacity — from industrial stacks to demonstrate compliance with air quality regulations. These systems operate in harsh industrial environments where heat, moisture, particulate matter, and corrosive gases degrade equipment over time. Most CEMS failures are preventable. Drawing from years of field experience across power generation, industrial manufacturing, and chemical processing facilities, Alliance technicians have identified the most common failure patterns and the maintenance practices that prevent them. 1. Plugged Probe Filters Probe filters are designed to protect the sample system, but excessive particulate loading can quickly overwhelm them. Common causes: Excessive eductor pressure creating too much suction, incorrect probe selection for the application, missing impingement shields, and high particulate loading from the process itself. How to identify it: Watch for frequent filter replacements, reduced sample flow rates, analyzer instability, and rising maintenance frequency. Any one of these can indicate a filter that’s working harder than it should. How to prevent it: Optimize eductor pressure settings, install probe impingement shields where appropriate, and evaluate process conditions that generate excess particulate. Most importantly, match the probe to the application — a standard probe is not always the right tool. In one facility, a standard probe struggled with high particulate loading from a furnace process. After evaluating the application, technicians recommended replacing it with a dilution probe better suited for harsh conditions, significantly reducing maintenance requirements. Failed Probe Filter Dirty Air Purge Filter 2. Moisture Passing Through the Sample Conditioning System Water slip is one of the most common issues encountered in CEMS sample conditioning systems. When moisture bypasses the chiller, analyzers can experience erratic performance, calibration drift, and potential damage. Common causes: Excessive sample flow rates, chiller temperatures set too high, undersized heat exchangers, and inefficient or degraded moisture removal components. How to identify it: Look for unstable analyzer readings, unexplained calibration drift, or visible moisture in sample lines downstream of the chiller. These symptoms are often misdiagnosed as analyzer problems when the root cause is upstream in the conditioning system. How to prevent it: Verify sample flow rates against system design specifications, maintain chiller temperatures appropriate for your application, evaluate heat exchanger capacity relative to actual process conditions, and inspect moisture removal components on a regular schedule. Even small adjustments to flow rate and temperature can dramatically improve moisture removal and protect analyzers from long-term damage. 3. Dirty Instrument Air Systems Instrument air systems provide clean, dry air to analyzers and other sensitive equipment. When neglected, contaminants such as moisture and oil can impact system performance. Common causes: Poor air dryer maintenance, saturated filters, moisture accumulation, and oil contamination. How to identify it: Unexplained analyzer performance issues affecting multiple instruments at once, visible moisture or oily residue in air lines, and accelerated component wear can all indicate a compromised instrument air supply. Because these symptoms mimic other failure modes, instrument air quality is often the last thing checked. How to prevent it: Replace desiccant and filters routinely, inspect tubing for moisture or contamination, and include air cleanup systems in preventative maintenance programs. A clean instrument air supply is foundational to CEMS reliability. Facilities that treat air system maintenance as optional tend to experience recurring, difficult-to-diagnose analyzer problems that disappear once the air supply is properly addressed. Fresh tubing for this Air Clean up System Fresh desiccant, clean filters and new tubing will go a long way to ensure that your daily drift is kept to a minimum 4. Corrosion from Acidic Condensate Corrosion is often a hidden problem that develops gradually until instrumentation begins to fail. Common causes: Acidic condensate formation, incompatible tubing materials, and harsh operating environments. How to identify it: Green deposits on tubing and fittings are a reliable early warning sign of active corrosion and should never be ignored. Unexplained sample flow restrictions, fitting failures, and analyzer contamination can also indicate that corrosion has progressed beyond the surface. How to prevent it: Use corrosion-resistant materials, routinely inspect and flush sample lines, and address moisture issues before corrosion develops. Corrosion frequently appears as green deposits on tubing and fittings — a warning sign that should never be ignored. 5. Improper Shelter HVAC Systems Analyzer shelters require stable environmental conditions to support reliable measurements. Common causes: Undersized air conditioning systems, lack of heating capability, and large temperature fluctuations. How to identify it: Calibration issues that correlate with outdoor temperature changes, analyzer alarms that appear during summer heat or winter cold, and visible condensation inside the shelter are all signs that environmental conditions are outside acceptable limits. How to prevent it: Install HVAC systems designed for year-round operation, maintain stable shelter temperatures, and monitor environmental conditions routinely. Maintaining shelter temperatures between approximately 72°F and 78°F can help improve analyzer stability and reduce calibration issues. Improper HVAC Proper HVAC 6. Dirty Gas Coolers Gas coolers are often overlooked until performance begins to suffer. Common causes: Infrequent inspections, lack of preventative maintenance, and dirt and corrosion buildup. How to identify it: Rising sample temperatures, increased moisture in the sample downstream of the cooler, and declining analyzer stability can all indicate a cooler that’s no longer performing adequately. Because cooler degradation is gradual, the connection to downstream analyzer problems isn’t always obvious. How to prevent it: Conduct regular visual inspections, establish cleaning intervals, and inspect for corrosion and performance degradation. Dirty Gas Cooler 7. Damaged Umbilicals Umbilicals are critical to maintaining sample integrity between the probe and analyzer. Once moisture enters an umbilical, damage can accelerate rapidly, particularly during freeze-thaw cycles. Common causes: Water intrusion, damaged insulation, poor sealing practices, and aging components. How to identify it: Unexplained moisture in the sample system, calibration instability that can’t be traced to the analyzer or conditioning system, and visible physical damage to the umbilical jacket are all indicators. Problems often surface — or worsen — after the first hard freeze of the season. How to prevent it: Inspect umbilicals regularly, verify heater operation, seal connection points, and address leaks before winter weather arrives. Melted Umbilical Tubing 8. Neglected Probe Tubes and Sample Ports Probe tubes and sample ports often receive attention only after a failure occurs. Routine inspections can prevent complete sample flow loss and unexpected outages. Common causes: Lack of preventative maintenance, particulate accumulation, corrosion, and mechanical damage. How to identify it: Declining sample flow, increased pressure drop across the probe, and unexplained analyzer instability can all indicate that probe tubes or sample ports are partially restricted. Complete flow loss is typically the point at which neglected probes are first discovered — at which point an outage is already underway. How to prevent it: Inspect every 12–24 months, remove buildup before restrictions develop, and replace damaged components proactively. Damaged Tube Damaged Probe Tube Stack Probe Tube Damaged Probe Tube 9. Winter-Related Sample System Failures Cold weather can expose weaknesses throughout a CEMS installation. Common problems: Flange leaks, frozen sample lines, calibration instability, and restricted flow paths. How to identify it: Calibration instability that appears during cold snaps, reduced or lost sample flow, flange leaks that develop or worsen in cold weather, and frozen sample lines are the most common winter failure patterns. Systems that performed adequately through fall may fail quickly once sustained cold arrives. How to prevent it: Verify insulation integrity, maintain adequate heat tracing, and inspect vulnerable areas before winter arrives. Preparing for seasonal changes is often far less expensive than responding to winter-related failures. Exposed Spool Weather Damage 10. Installation Errors Even new systems can experience reliability issues when installation details are overlooked. Common causes: Incorrect flange bolt patterns, poor alignment, and improper component placement. How to identify it: Persistent flow problems, unexplained leaks at flanges or connections, and calibration issues that begin at startup and don’t resolve with standard troubleshooting are often indicators of installation errors. Systems with these characteristics frequently benefit from an installation review before further component-level troubleshooting. How to prevent it: Verify flange drawings before installation, follow installation QA procedures, and perform thorough post-installation inspections. A few extra minutes during installation can prevent hours of future troubleshooting. 11. Disorganized CEMS Racks Poor organization can make troubleshooting and maintenance significantly more difficult. Common causes: Unlabeled components, inconsistent tubing routing, poor documentation, and difficult equipment access. How to identify it: Technicians spending excessive time tracing lines before performing routine maintenance, unlabeled or inconsistently labeled components, tubing runs that don’t match current system diagrams, and difficulty locating isolation points or service connections are all signs of a rack that needs organizational attention. How to prevent it: Label components clearly, maintain current documentation, organize tubing and wiring, and conduct periodic system reviews. A well-organized rack not only looks better — it reduces troubleshooting time and improves long-term maintainability. Disorganized CEMS Rack Alliance's CEMS Craftsmanship What Most CEMS Failures Have in Common While the issues above vary, most share the same underlying causes, including deferred maintenance, inadequate inspection frequency, environmental exposure, improper equipment selection, and small issues that go unaddressed until they become outages. The most effective CEMS programs share three traits: scheduled inspections tied to operational cycles, documentation that tracks component condition over time, and a clear escalation path when field technicians identify emerging issues. CEMS Field Services from Alliance Technical Group Alliance Technical Group provides CEMS field services to industrial and utility facilities across North America. Our technicians perform preventative maintenance programs, system inspections and assessments, analyzer troubleshooting and repair, umbilical replacement, calibration and QA/QC support, emergency field service response, and CEMS upgrades and retrofits. Facilities working with Alliance typically use our field services to address recurring reliability issues, prepare for regulatory audits, evaluate aging equipment, or establish a structured maintenance program where none previously existed. If your facility is experiencing unexplained downtime, calibration drift, or compliance data gaps, a CEMS system assessment is a practical starting point. Alliance technicians can evaluate your current installation, identify emerging issues, and recommend a maintenance approach based on your process conditions and regulatory requirements.

If your facility emits enough air pollution to cross federal thresholds, you need a Title V Operating Permit to legally operate. This guide covers who needs one, how the permit process works, and what it takes to stay in compliance once your permit is issued. Overview of Title V Operating Permits In 1990, Congress authorized the U.S. EPA to require stationary emission sources to obtain an operating permit under Title V of the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA). These permits categorize emission sources as minor or major sources, depending on their annual emissions of key pollutants like NOx, SO2, and CO. What does this mean for your facility? Major sources (100+ tons/year of criteria pollutants) face stricter monitoring and reporting requirements. Facilities must renew permits every five years and maintain compliance through continuous emissions tracking. If your permit requires hourly or minute-by-minute data, a Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS) is essential. Who Must Obtain a Title V Operating Permit? Several categories of facilities and emission sources are required to obtain a Title V Operating Permit. Major Sources Beyond the 100 tons per year threshold for criteria pollutants, a facility also qualifies as a major source if its potential to emit reaches: 10 tons per year of any single hazardous air pollutant (HAP) 25 tons per year of any combination of HAPs Thresholds can be lower in areas that fail to meet national ambient air quality standards, known as nonattainment areas. A facility below these thresholds is considered a minor source. Acid Rain Program "Affected Sources" The Acid Rain Program (40 CFR Part 75) was created to reduce SO2 and NOx from fossil fuel-fired power plants. Any emission source subject to Acid Rain rules must obtain a Title V permit regardless of size, whether it qualifies as a major source or not. Solid Waste Incineration Units Under Section 129 Clean Air Act Section 129 sets standards for solid waste incineration units. All units regulated under Section 129 are subject to Title V permitting regardless of size, including: Municipal waste combustors (large and small) Hospital, medical, and infectious waste incinerators Commercial and industrial solid waste incinerators Sewage sludge incinerators Other solid waste incinerators Non-Major Sources Subject to NESHAP or NSPS The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP, 40 CFR Parts 61 and 63) and New Source Performance Standards (NSPS, 40 CFR Part 60) regulate air pollutants from stationary sources. Sources subject to these standards generally need a Title V permit even if they fall below major source thresholds, although EPA has exempted some area source categories in specific NESHAP subparts. Check the subpart that applies to your facility. How Do I Obtain a Title V Permit for My Facility? If your facility is required to obtain a Title V permit, start with your state or local air pollution control agency. The process generally follows these steps: You submit a permit application, and the permitting authority prepares a draft permit. The draft permit is opened to public comment for 30 days. The permitting authority sends the proposed permit to EPA, which has 45 days to review it and object if it does not meet Clean Air Act requirements. If EPA does not object, the public has 60 days to petition EPA to object. If EPA objects, the permitting authority has 90 days to revise the permit and resubmit. Once issued, the work shifts from obtaining the permit to demonstrating compliance with it. How Do You Demonstrate Title V Compliance? Your permit spells out exactly how your facility must prove it is meeting its emission limits. For most Title V sources, compliance comes down to three things: continuous monitoring, periodic testing, and reporting. Continuous Emissions Monitoring A CEMS paired with a Data Acquisition System (DAS) collects, validates, and stores the emissions data your permit requires, and generates the reports your permitting authority expects to see. Stack Testing Many Title V permits require periodic performance testing, commonly called stack testing, to demonstrate that emission units meet their permitted limits. Testing follows EPA Reference Methods (40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A) and typically covers pollutants such as particulate matter, NOx, SO2, CO, and volatile organic compounds. Facilities operating CEMS also need Relative Accuracy Test Audits (RATAs) to verify monitor accuracy under Part 60 Appendix F or Part 75. Test protocols, agency notifications, and final test reports all carry deadlines tied to your permit conditions, so scheduling matters. Reporting and Recordkeeping Title V facilities must submit monitoring reports at least every six months and an annual compliance certification signed by a responsible official. Any deviations from permit conditions must be reported promptly, and supporting records are typically retained for at least five years. How Can Alliance Technical Group Help You Comply With Your Title V Permit? Alliance Technical Group is a full suite provider for Title V compliance, from testing at the stack to the data and reports your permit requires: Stack Testing: As the largest stack testing provider in the U.S., Alliance performs the compliance tests, performance tests, and RATAs your permit requires. CEMS and DAS: Alliance offers a full suite of CEMS hardware and DAS software, including StackVision and the 8864 Data Controller, plus ongoing maintenance and support. StackVision helps run real-time emissions reports to meet air permit requirements. Managing different permit conditions across multiple sites is complex, but StackVision simplifies compliance by centralizing emissions data and automating reports. As a full suite provider, Alliance also supports the reporting side of your permit, helping keep semiannual monitoring reports and compliance certifications on schedule.

A Data Acquisition System — also called a Data Acquisition and Handling System (DAHS) — is software and hardware designed specifically to collect, validate, calculate, and store emissions data for regulatory compliance. It is the system of record for your facility’s air emissions reporting. If your facility operates a Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS), EPA regulations impose detailed, ongoing obligations on how your emissions data is collected, validated, calculated, and reported. Meeting those obligations accurately — without data gaps, documentation errors, or audit exposure — is harder than it sounds when you’re relying on general-purpose process systems or manual processes. A Data Acquisition System (DAS) is purpose-built to handle those requirements automatically. It’s not the only way to manage emissions data, but it’s the most reliable — and the approach used by the vast majority of regulated facilities for good reason. This guide breaks down what a DAS does, which regulations drive the need for one, how it compares to alternatives, and what Alliance Technical Group provides to regulated facilities across North America. What Does a Data Acquisition System Do? A purpose-built DAS handles the full scope of what compliant operation requires: Continuous data collection from analyzers, opacity monitors, and parametric monitoring equipment Daily calibration drift checks and automated recording, as required under 40 CFR Part 60 § 60.13 Real-time flagging of out-of-control periods and automatic application of data substitution procedures Quarterly audit tracking — RATA, CGA, and RAA — per Appendix F, Procedure 1 of Part 60 Emissions calculations using the specific methodologies your permit and applicable regulation require Long-term data storage with a complete, auditable record — minimum two years under Part 60 Compliance report generation and electronic submissions in agency-required formats, including ECMPS for Part 75 sources These are not optional features. They reflect the functions your CEMS must perform under federal and state regulation. A DAS is engineered around exactly those requirements. Which EPA Regulations Apply to Your Facility? The regulations don’t mandate a DAS by name — they mandate what your monitoring system must do. Use the table below to identify which regulations apply to your facility and what your CEMS is required to handle. Regulation Applies To Key CEMS Obligations Does Alliance's DAS Handle This? 40 CFR Part 60 (NSPS) Power plants, industrial boilers, cement kilns, glass furnaces, chemical plants, and other new source categories Continuous CEMS operation Daily calibration drift checks Documented out-of-control periods Quarterly accuracy audits (RATA/CGA/RAA) Written QC program 2-year minimum data retention Yes. Alliance’s DAS, StackVision, automates daily drift logging, flags out-of-control periods in real time, tracks quarterly audits, and retains your full data record. 40 CFR Part 75 (Acid Rain Program) Electric generating units and other affected units under the Acid Rain Program and NOx mass emission programs CEMS installation and certification Monitoring plan documentation and submission Missing data substitution procedures Quarterly electronic reporting via ECMPS RATAs and QA/QC per Appendix B Yes. Alliance configures StackVision for ECMPS 2.0 submissions (including the JSON format required), manages monitoring plan alignment, and applies correct Part 75 substitution methodology. 40 CFR Part 63 (NESHAP) Hazardous air pollutant sources across chemical manufacturing, petroleum refining, pulp and paper, glass, metals, and others CPMS/CEMS operation during all process conditions Defined handling of data during breakdowns, out-of-control periods, maintenance, and calibration Subpart-specific recordkeeping and reporting requirements Yes. Alliance configures StackVision to the specific NESHAP subpart applicable to your source category, including data handling requirements during out-of-control and maintenance periods. Your facility’s operating permit may also impose requirements more stringent than any federal baseline — tighter limits, additional monitoring obligations, or specific reporting formats driven by state or local air agencies. Alliance will configure your DAS to reflect your actual permit, not just the federal standard. Data Acquisition Systems vs. Alternatives Some facilities manage CEMS data through plant historians, distributed control systems (DCS), PLCs, or spreadsheet-based processes. The regulations don’t prohibit these approaches — but they create meaningful operational and compliance risk. What General-Purpose Systems Lack Plant historians and DCS platforms are engineered for process operations, not EPA compliance reporting. They collect data, but they are generally not built to: Apply EPA-specific emissions calculation methodologies for your source category and permit Automatically track out-of-control periods and apply the correct data substitution under Part 60 Appendix F or Part 75 Generate ECMPS-compliant quarterly submissions or other required electronic reports Maintain the QA/QC audit trail regulators review during inspections Flag calibration drift exceedances and document the required corrective response Building these functions into a process system requires custom engineering that your team then owns — and must maintain accurately as regulations and permits evolve. Where the Risk Shows Up The practical compliance risk isn’t always a hard violation on day one. It’s the accumulation of undocumented gaps — a missed drift check, the wrong substitution methodology applied, a report in a format the agency can’t process, or a data correction that was never re-submitted. These are the issues that surface during audits and cost facilities significant time and exposure. A purpose-built DAS removes most of that risk by design. The regulatory logic is built in and maintained by specialists who track regulatory changes. Your team operates the system rather than engineering it. Utilizing Alliance 's StackVision™ Data Acquisition System™ Ready to evaluate a DAS for your facility? Whether you’re replacing a legacy system, evaluating a DAS for the first time, or not sure if your current setup is still aligned with your permit — Alliance Technical Group can help you find out.