About Us

Bureau of Air Monitoring and Mobile Sources (BAMMS)

Air Monitoring and Mobile Sources is responsible for coordinating the statewide ambient air quality and emissions monitoring programs and various activities related to the control of air pollutant emissions from motor vehicles and area sources.

Ambient Monitoring, Emissions Monitoring and Mobile Source Control are the sections within the Bureau of Air Monitoring and Mobile Sources.

Ambient Monitoring

This section ensures that all state, county, and city programs operating ambient air monitors in the state meet the federal criteria for air monitoring network design, instrument siting and operation, and quality assurance.  These are critical elements in the determination of compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

Ambient Monitoring ensures that all ambient air quality data collected by these programs and those programs operated by private industry are properly compiled, verified, entered into the state's air quality database, and then submitted to the EPA for inclusion in its Air Quality System where it is available for use nationally.

The section provides a quality assurance overview for all of the ambient air quality monitoring conducted throughout the state.  Auditors visit each monitoring site annually to assess the accuracy of the data being produced.  The auditors perform triennial management systems audits of each of the state's and local agency's monitoring programs to evaluate the general condition of the quality assurance functions.

The section further supports the state-operated air quality monitoring network with calibration,  maintenance, and repair of all the equipment used in that network which currently consists of 50 monitoring sites supporting 73 monitors located statewide.  Local air programs operate an additional 97 sites with 151 monitors.

A calibration Standards Laboratory is maintained to support the statewide auditing and monitoring programs.

Various reports regarding air monitoring activities, quality assurance audit results, monitoring site and criteria pollutant reviews, special studies, and data summations are published.

Emissions Monitoring

This section works with EPA to certify, re-certify and assure the quality of data collected by monitoring systems at stationary sources subject to EPA's acid rain program such as electric power plants.

Emissions monitoring also works with other state offices and local program offices to assure the quality of data from emission monitoring systems and emission tests required by other state and federal programs.

The section evaluates requests for alternate sampling procedures and assists with writing permit conditions related to emission sampling and monitoring.  Also, the section acts as a technical resource for special testing protocols and emerging emission sampling and monitoring technologies.  The section formerly administered the visible emissions certification program (smoke school); more information is available on the Smoke School program page.

Mobile Source Control

This section manages the rules governing vapor control, tampering with motor vehicle air pollution control equipment, motor vehicle refrigerant recovery, and the impact of transportation planning, and projects on air quality.

Mobile Source Control also oversees: 

• the air general permitting program for Title V area sources of air pollution, such as Chromium Electroplaters, Perchloroethylene Dry Cleaners, Ethylene Oxide Sterilizers, Halogenated Solvent Degreaser, and Secondary Aluminum Sweat Furnace; and
• the air general permitting program for non-Title V area sources of air pollution, such as Mercury Recovery and Reclamation, Bulk Gasoline Plants , Heating Units and General Purpose Internal Combustion Engines, Surface Coating Operations, Plastic Products Fabrication, Cast Polymer Operations, Concrete Batching Plants, Human Crematory, Animal Crematory, and Nonmetallic Mineral Processing Plants.

Mobile Source Control manages the Clean Air Act mandated Small Business Assistance Program, which provides technical and state and federal regulatory assistance to small businesses.  The section also promotes pollution prevention.

Small Business Environmental Assistance Program

This section was established by Title V of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.  The program provides technical and regulatory assistance to small businesses.

Although SBAP is primarily air-focused, staff either provide direct assistance on multi-media questions or refer them to other Florida Department of Environmental Protection divisions.  Learn more at the SBEAP - Small Business Environmental Assistance Program web pages.

The SBEAP promotes the Pollution Prevention (P2) Act which defines pollution prevention as "source reduction"  Source reduction is defined as any practice which:

• Reduces the amount of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment (including fugitive emissions) prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal; and
• Reduces the hazards to public health and the environment associated with the release of such substances, pollutants, or contaminants.

See more of the definition at out Pollution Prevention (P2) web page or learn more at the Florida Pollution Prevention Program main page.

Air Toxics

The Air Toxics staff keep abreast of regulations developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the reduction and prevention of toxic air pollutant emissions and assist other air program staff throughout the state with interpretation and implementation of those requirements. Staff also review air toxics monitoring, emissions inventory, and risk assessment studies conducted by the EPA and others to support strategic planning and public education activities related to toxic air pollutant concerns.