ISA LDAR Symposium in Houston Feb 2003 was a Huge Success!  

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February 4-6, 2003 - Houston , Texas was the location for the second ISA Fugitive Emissions LDAR Symposium. This event attracted over 100 attendees, making it the industry’s largest conference ever. People came from all over the United States with more than half of them from companies who are affected by air compliance regulations. There were ten speakers and fourteen companies exhibiting their products and services.

In addition to the informative presentations from industry experts, the Symposium featured two special events; a Panel Discussion with regulatory enforcement officials, and an Analyzer Demonstration. Prior to the two-day Symposium, ISA offered a full day workshop on LDAR basics led by Shannon Baker of InspectionLogic Corp. Ken Garing of the NEIC made a surprise appearance at the Workshop and gave an informal and informative presentation on how the NEIC operates. Participants in the workshop earned 0.7 Continuing Education Credits. Symposium attendees earned up to 14 Professional Development Hours that they can apply towards their P.E.

The 2003 Symposium served as the exclusive platform for new announcements of interest to the LDAR community:

• EC Systems, supplier of the popular ORR LeakDAS software for LDAR data management, announced that it has changed its name to InspectionLogic Corporation. According to Bryan Slade, president of InspectionLogic Corporation, “We are in the inspection information management business and this new name effectively conveys our focus.” InspectionLogic also previewed their new LDAR data collection software for Microsoft PocketPC devices.
• EnRUD Resources, Inc. announced their acquisition of the LeakTracker product line. They also unveiled and demonstrated their new wireless AIM cable for the LeakTracker.
• Thermo Environmental Instruments, maker of the TVA 1000 analyzer for fugitive emissions monitoring, showed a prototype of their new TVA data logger and a new ergonomic back-pack and accessory belt for carrying the analyzer.

This Symposium also marked the largest gathering of LDAR-specific vendors in one place. Fourteen companies exhibited their products and services. Attendees were able to obtain information and network with suppliers of LDAR equipment, software, and services.

The event began on February 5^th with some opening remarks by John Cermenaro of InspectionLogic Corp., Chairperson and Moderator for the 2003 Symposium.

The first day included presentations on Consent Decrees, how to use comparative monitoring as a QA tool, changes to Texas Reg V, the possible underestimation of fugitive emissions inventories, and what is possible with the latest LDAR data management software tools.

Also during the first day, the Symposium featured a Panel Discussion on LDAR Regulatory Enforcement. Panelists included Ken Garing, NEIC; Jim Gold, EPA Region 6, Dana Poppa-Vermillion, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; and Philip Frasier, Louisiana Dept of Environmental Quality. Attendees passed their written questions to John Cermenaro who acted as Moderator. By not revealing who posed the question, the discussion was very open and active. Things like, “How do you decide which companies to audit? What are the most common violations found? What’s the rational for the ‘first attempt’ requirements in the refinery global settlements?”  Many attendees found this discussion to be the most valuable part of the Symposium.

The day closed with a hospitality event sponsored by InspectionLogic and EnRUD Resources.

The second day featured presentations on laser imaging systems for detecting leaks (also referred to as Smart LDAR), heroic and extraordinary repair methods, a day in the life of an LDAR technician including what they carry into the field and what’s expected of them, low emissions stem sealing for control valves, and case studies/conclusions from audits where comparative monitoring was done.

There was also an LDAR equipment usability demonstration that used a video camera to give the attendees big-screen close ups of analyzers as they were being demonstrated (a presentation technique never before tried at an ISA conference). The demonstration proved to be very successful, giving attendees a first-hand look at how different types of LDAR equipment is operated. Demonstrations included the new TVA-1000B analyzer prototype with handheld data logger, EnRUD Resources’ new wireless AIM for the LeakTracker, the Cosmos analyzer, and Houston Analytical’s system for performing the El Paso Method (“cooling tower VOC-in-water El Paso stripper with continuous total VOC monitor”).

A survey of the attendees and participants rated the 2003 Symposium the best ever for the LDAR community. Attendees were appreciative of the hard work that went into developing and delivering the program, and the participants derived value from the discussions and debates sparked by the Symposium.

ISA’s next Fugitive Emissions LDAR Symposium will be held in New Orleans in early 2004.

For information about attending or participating as a presenter, contact John Cermenaro at jcermenaro@InspectionLogic.com or 908-685-7662.