What’s Happening Now
EPA News
Nothing new to note on the EPA modeling front.
Conferences and Workshops
There are a significant number of upcoming technical conferences, meetings, and workshops in 2025/2026. So, without any further ado….
Rocky Mountain States AWMA – The Rocky Mountain States Section – Air & Waste Management Association (RMSS-A&WMA) is hosting a one-day Air Quality Technical Conference on September 25, 2025. This will be held at the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, located at 4300 Cherry Creek South Drive in Denver. Click here for more information.
PNWIS AWMA Annual Conference – The annual conference of the Pacific Northwest International Section (PNWIS) of AWMA will be held October 15-17, 2025 in Boise, ID. For more information on this conference, go here.
CAPCA Fall Meeting – The annual Fall Meeting of the Carolinas Air Pollution Control Association (CAPCA) will be held October 22-24, 2025 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Click here for details.
Louisiana Section AWMA Fall Conference – The 2025 annual fall conference of the Louisiana section of AWMA will be held October 29-30, 2025 at the L’Auberge Casino and Hotel in Baton Rouge, LA. Check here for more details as they become available.
AWMA New Source Review Workshop – The next stop on AWMA’s New Source Review (NSR) Workshop tour will be November 12-13, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. Providence’s own Robynn Andracsek will be one of the presenters. You can find out more about the conference by going here.
106th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) – The 106th Annual Meeting of the AMS will be in Houston, Texas at the George R. Brown Convention Center January 25-29, 2026. This meeting will include the 24th Joint Conference on the Applications of Air Pollution Meteorology with AWMA. For more information on the annual meeting, click here.
If your company, organization, agency, State, etc. has an upcoming modeling or air quality-related event (virtual or otherwise) and you’d like it publicized in Providence/Oris Notes, please send that information to us at info@providenceoris.com, and we’ll be happy to include it.
Providence Products
Simply the best!
BEEST Suite
*HOT* BEEST 12.13 is out! This new version fixes bugs that were found in BEEST 12.12.
*Also, if you downloaded BEEST 12.13 before Monday May 5th – you have an early release version and need to update. Please download the latest BEEST 12.13 from our website now.*
As always, users in maintenance can download the most recent version of BEEST from https://www.providenceoris.com/software-downloads/.
“Go BEEST Mode !” We still have plenty of Go BEEST Mode t-shirts! You can request one of those by emailing us at info@providenceoris.com.
AerScreen for Windows
AerScreen for Windows 4.05 is now here! The update has these new features/enhancements:
- Runs AERMOD 24142
- Runs AERMAP 24142
Users in maintenance can download the most recent version of AerScreen for Windows from https://www.providenceoris.com/software-downloads/.
AerScreen for Windows 5.0 is coming very soon! This version will have an updated look with these new features:
- Added two tabs to Preferences screen: Display and Other. Display allows selection of font size and a theme. Other allows the selection of the number of recent files, ranging from 3 to 20.
- Sources entry screens (source, building, met, receptors, etc) use on-screen validation. When an invalid value is entered, the textbox is outlined in red, after leaving the textbox.
- Line and Sector graphs changes: Added a check mark in menu options for current selection. Added option of light green in colors. When you click on the color indicator in the Title, it will show/hide the line.
- And more!
AERMOD Wizard
AERMOD Wizard 1.09 is out and includes these features:
- Updated AERMET version to 23132
- Ability to download all of the EPA 2023 ambient monitoring data
- Ability to export Class I areas and Class I area receptors to Google Earth
- Ability to download ASOS data from the new NCEI website
- Inclusion of the 2020 National Emissions Inventory (NEI) data set (and ability to export them to Google Earth)
New features that will be in AERMOD Wizard 1.10 include:
- AERMET 24142 and AERSURFACE 24142 now supported
- Ability to export circles (e.g., 10km radius circle about a monitor) to Google Earth
- New download routine for Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive (IGRA) upper air data
- Updated ambient air data (EPA data through November 2024)
- Added an option for specifying thresholds for NEI sources on the Options form
- PM2.5 annual SIL updated in MERPs Analysis form
* Expect to see AERMOD Wizard 1.10 come out very soon! *
Users in maintenance can download AERMOD Wizard from https://www.providenceoris.com/software-downloads/.
We’re off to use the Wizard!
If you have suggestions for an enhancement to any of our modeling software products, please let us know and we’ll do our best to incorporate it into the software ASAP!
Modeling Tip of the Month
This month, we’re going to look at the Split GRF Files utility in BEEST. As you know, when you set up your AERMOD Output Options in BEEST, if you go to the Plot tab, the default is to have the Write Master Graphics File box checked:
In doing so, AERMOD will write a single GRF output file that includes all combinations of source groups, averaging periods, and concentration ranks. It can make for a large file that you may not want to laboriously scroll through to find the information/results that you need. That’s where Split GRF Files comes into play. Split GRF Files will take the Master Graphics File and split it into each of the components – by source groups, by averaging periods, and by ranks. The Split GRF Files icon is circled in red:
Once you’ve opened Split GRF Files, just browse to the directory where your master graphics file is located, and select it:
Then go to the Run tab, click Run and Split GRF Files will write out the split *.grf files and tell you how many individual *.GRF files it generated:
Providence Training
Modeling skills ready for an upgrade? We can help!
We want to note that many folks use our classes as credit toward professional engineer continuing education requirements. Check with your state’s licensing board or the National Society of Professional Engineers (see here or here) for more information on what is required.
*NEW* Providence Presents Advanced Topics in NSR Permitting – We’re excited to announce a new series of 1.5 hour short courses focusing on specific New Source Review topics. These begin October 1, with the topic of “Applicability”, followed by “Netting” on October 8, and then “BACT” on October 15. All classes will run from 11:30 am to 1 pm CDT and will be online. For more information, and to register for the course(s), please visit https://www.providenceoris.com/events/category/training/air-permitting/.
**NSR Essentials**
Providence’s next NSR Essentials air permitting class will be December 8, 2025, and it will be online. This class is tailored to those folks who are new to air permitting or perhaps new environmental managers who need a good overview of the basic issues related to air permitting. Topics such as statutes, applicability, netting, emission calculations, and Title V are just some of the areas that are covered. To register for this NSR Essentials class, click here.
AERMOD Modeling for Permits
Our next AERMOD Modeling for Permits class will be December 9-10, 2025, and it will be online. If you are wanting to get started in air modeling, then this class is for you! If you want to register, please click here.
Advanced AERMOD
Similarly, our next Advanced AERMOD class will be December 11-12, 2025, and it will also be online.
Advanced AERMOD covers those topics that are near and dear to modelers, such as:
- NAAQS modeling for 1-hour NO2, 1-hour SO2, and 24-hour PM2.5 (including the new MaxDCont Viewer)
- Meteorological data processing with AERMET/AERMINUTE/AERSURFACE
- Culpability Determination
- Background Concentrations
- Emission scalars and Hourly Emission Rate files
- Changes in Terrain Data Processing
- AERMOD Wizard and its uses
To register for Advanced AERMOD, click here.
Just as a reminder, if you register more than 30 days before your training class(es), you will receive a $100 discount on the course fee (per class, per registrant).
Here are the rest of our class dates for 2025:
We will be announcing our 2026 class dates in the November edition of Providence/Oris Notes.
Don’t forget, if our schedule of classes doesn’t mesh with your schedule, or if you have several people that need to be trained at once, contact us about setting up your own onsite or online class. Have laptop, will travel! (including virtually)
Providence Services
BeestXpress
**BeestXpress now runs AERMOD 24142**
If you’ve never used our super-fast cloud-based BeestXpress before, now is the time. We have an on-demand webinar that steps you through the process of setting up an BeestXpress account and sending off your first BeestXpress run. You can view the webinar here. New BeestXpress users can complete their first run with up to 50 partitions absolutely FREE. Instructions about receiving the free run are given at the end of the webinar. Beyond the starter run BeestXpress will give you a per-run cost estimate before you begin. If you need help budgeting for BeestXpress, contact us for additional daily rate pricing options.
To date, BeestXpress has processed over 500,000 AERMOD runs.
BeestXpress users can log on at www.beestxpress.com to take advantage of our AERMOD “force multiplier”. That AERMOD run that might have taken a day or two to process on your desktop computer can finish in an hour or less on BeestXpress. When time is money, BeestXpress is the best modeling return on investment there is!
Meteorological Data Processing Services
Do you need AERMOD-ready meteorological data? If so, we can help! Whether it’s running national weather service data or onsite monitor met data through the AERMET/AERMINUTE system, Providence has the background, know-how, and experience to have your data processed and ready for you ASAP. If you’d like more information, contact us at info@providenceoris.com or jamesred@providenceeng.com.
Consulting Solutions
One thing that we’re very proud of is the depth and range of our modeling experience and expertise. The kinds of air quality models we’ve used include all types, ranging from simple screening tools like SCREEN and AERSCREEN to plume models like ISC and AERMOD. The types of analyses include basic Significant Impact Level, NAAQS, PSD increment consumption, Class I analyses, air toxics and SIP attainment demonstrations. So, we’ve seen it all. To that end, should you or your clients need additional modeling assistance or just a second set of eyes to QA or peer review your modeling (ranging from initial protocol up to final submission), we stand ready to help. Feel free to contact us at 512‑258‑8855, 828‑628‑0634 or info@providenceoris.com.
OR . . . maybe you just need advice about a particular project OR you need someone to do a QA review, OR you have a very small modeling task to complete. It would be too much of a hassle to set up a contract for just a few hours of work. What to do?
Easy! Now you can purchase individual air modeling consulting hours with a credit card online through our website! Just contact us first so we’re on the same page about the scope and schedule. Go to https://www.providenceoris.com/product/1-hour-of-expert-air-modeling-consulting/
For clarity, this small-job purchasing option is for air modeling consulting only. Software customers may receive help from us at any time for software-related issues at no cost (this is included in the maintenance fees). Recent trainees may also call to ask us training-related questions at no cost.
Calendar
Rocky Mountain States Section of AWMA Air Quality Technical Conference
September 25, 2025
Denver, CO
Advanced Topics in NSR Permitting-Applicability
October 1, 2025
Online
Advanced Topics in NSR Permitting-Netting
October 8, 2025
Online
Advanced Topics in NSR Permitting-BACT
October 15, 2025
Online
PNWI Section of AWMA Annual Conference
October 15-17, 2025
Boise, ID
Carolinas Air Pollution Control Association Fall Meeting
October 22-24, 2025
Myrtle Beach, SC
Louisiana Section AWMA Fall Conference
October 29-30, 2025
Baton Rouge, LA
AWMA New Source Review Workshop
November 12-13, 2025
Pittsburgh, PA
NSR Essentials
December 8, 2025
Online
AERMOD Modeling for Permits
December 9-10, 2025
Online
Advanced AERMOD
December 11-12, 2025
Online
106th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society (AMS)
January 25-29, 2026
Houston, TX
Our complete class schedule can always be found at https://www.providenceoris.com/training/
For More Information:
Phone: (512) 258-8855
Email: info@providenceoris.com
Visit our websites:
www.providenceoris.com (software, support, and training)
www.beestxpress.com (cloud-based high speed AERMOD)
