Tarmac technician appointed chair of national emissions and testings group

Paul Firth, Emissions Monitoring Technician at Tarmac Cement and Lime, has been elected as the Chairman of the Source Testing Association’s (STA) Process Operators’ Group for 2018-2020.

Years of dedication to ensuring emissions monitoring and measuring are first class have led to Paul’s appointment to the leading role within the STA, a non-profit making technical trade group. Its membership comprises more than 200 companies including process operators, regulators, equipment manufacturers and test laboratories.

Paul, who has been actively involved with the STA for 13 years, will now chair the group as it continues its mission to help UK industries stay at the forefront of technology and incorporate best practice in emissions monitoring.

It does this through: contributing to the development of industry standards, codes, safety procedures and operating principles; encouraging the personal and professional development of practicing source testers and students; maintaining a body of current sampling knowledge; assisting in maintenance of a high level of ethical conduct; seeking co-operative endeavours with other professional organisations, institutions and regulatory bodies, nationally and internationally, that are engaged in source emissions testing.

Tarmac Cement and Lime’s Senior Environment Manager Dave Shenton said: “We congratulate Paul on his new role with the STA. This news is great recognition for the 13 years Paul has been an active member of the STA. It also highlights the priority approach Tarmac has taken to emissions compliance, especially over recent years with new challenging legislation coming in.”

Paul added: “Emissions monitoring is one of the most important and challenging elements of our operations and it’s important that we stay at the forefront of knowledge and practice. I am delighted to take on this role - it was offered to me after I spoke at the 2017 Air Quality and Emissions Show on a hot topic for the cement industry - ‘Calibration and measurement of particulate at low concentrations’.

“As Chairman of this group, I will represent all the process operators’ topics/issues and collate information and data. At the same time, I will be representing Tarmac’s position on emissions monitoring and encouraging all members to discuss case study experiences to ensure we are all working to the best operating standards.”