The West Coast Section of the A&WMA is pleased to present this ACE 2026 Encore Webinar

Tuesday, August 18 @12 noon – 1 pm

For those who were not able to attend the 119^th A&WMA Annual Conference & Exhibition (ACE) in Austin, TX, on June 21-24, 2026, a few of our West Coast Section (WCS) leaders and members have offered to share their ACE presentations in this ACE encore webinar. These presentations will give you a taste of what you missed! Please attend this webinar to support our WCS members.

Following are the featured presentations from the ACE 2026 conference:

Making Scents of Cannabis Odor Control: Evaluating Mitigation Technologies and Trade-Offs

Eva Luu and Armando Hurtado, SCS Engineers

As cannabis cultivation and processing operations expand, the implementation of effective odor control and mitigation strategies has become increasingly important for maintaining good community relations and meeting local regulatory standards. To address cannabis odors, many jurisdictions defer to operators to identify and implement appropriate odor control technologies, yet few comparative evaluations exist to guide these decisions. This study examines the performance, cost, and operational considerations of odor mitigation strategies commonly used in cannabis cultivation and processing facilities, including carbon filtration, vapor-phase neutralizing systems, and photocatalytic oxidation (PCO). We evaluated the odor removal efficiency of various technologies, both on a single-pass basis, as well as in fully equipped greenhouses and processing facilities, collecting in-situ data on each system’s strengths, limitations, and suitability for different operational scenarios. Results highlight that while each technology can achieve measurable odor reduction, performance depends heavily on process characteristics, airflow design, and compound speciation.

As a longtime runner, Eva Luu is a strong advocate for clean air and aims to make a direct impact on the health and air quality of local communities. Eva has worked on air quality projects pertaining to odor, particulate matter, and criteria air pollutants across the nation and internationally. At SCS, Eva plans and manages field projects and data analysis. She is Treasurer for A&WMA’s Channel Island Chapter.

Armando Hurtado has a B.S. Biochemistry from UCLA. He specializes in air quality, ambient air monitoring, and odor mitigation. Since joining SCS four years ago, he has worked on projects involving field data collection, regulatory compliance, and emissions assessments for industrial and municipal clients. His work includes designing and implementing air monitoring programs, analyzing pollutant trends, and developing mitigation strategies to address odor and air quality concerns. He is a Director of A&WMA’s Channel Island Chapter.

Are Warehouse Indirect Source Rules Effective? Background and Early Lessons from SCAQMD’s WAIRE Program

Varalakshmi Jayaram, Danielle Lefante, Kaitlyn Elkind, Jeremy Horne, Tony Wang, and Scott Weaver, Ramboll

Warehouses have drawn increasing scrutiny due to localized air quality and environmental justice concerns associated with heavy-duty truck activity. As long-standing state and federal mobile-source regulations face potential weakening, several U.S. states and air districts are considering Warehouse Indirect Source Rules (ISRs) modeled on South Coast AQMD’s Rule 2305 - Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions (WAIRE) Program, which applies to facilities ≥100,000 square feet and ties annual obligations to truck trip activity. Using the WAIRE Program as a case study, we assess whether ISRs can deliver real, incremental emission reductions and examine cost, administrative, and market implications. Our analysis indicates that most claimed NOx (oxides of nitrogen) and DPM (diesel particulate matter) reductions are attributable to existing mobile-source regulations rather than the ISR. Additionally, emission benefits for zero emission (ZE) trucks and yard hostlers appear overstated, while actual compliance costs are three- to nine-fold higher than SCAQMD’s initial estimates. In addition to high technology transition costs for compliance, most warehouse operators lack direct control over visiting trucks, leading mitigation fee payments to become the dominant compliance pathway. Overall, our findings suggest that warehouse ISRs, when implemented in isolation or as partial substitutes for robust mobile source standards, are unlikely to deliver meaningful air quality improvements and may impose significant economic and administrative burdens on both industry and regulators.

Varalakshmi (Lakshmi) Jayaram is a Principal in Ramboll’s Air & Climate Practice with over fifteen years of experience in air quality management and climate change issues. She has substantial expertise in performing technical evaluations of on-road vehicle policy and rulemaking, evaluating control technologies, developing criteria air pollutant and greenhouse gas emission inventories, performing life cycle GHG assessments, air permitting and compliance including California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)/National Environmental Quality Act (NEPA), air dispersion modeling, and health risk assessments (HRAs). Her clients span a broad range of industries including transportation agencies, seaports, airports, utilities, commercial and residential developers, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. She is a PhD Chemical and Environmental Engineer (University of California, Riverside) and a Certified Permitting Professional in the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD).

Challenges in Onsite Power Production and Carbon Emissions Reduction at Solid Waste Landfill

Matt Dunn, Geosyntec Consultants, CA

Landfills are under pressure to maximize their capacity and function amid climate change and sustainability initiatives. A local municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill has combined multiple goals of operation including a co located Material Recovery Facility (MRF), Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility, and a Compost Management Unit (CMU). The facility also delivers renewable power to the grid, employing best available control technology and best practices for residuals of water and compost. The MSW landfill with power production and potentially odiferous AD and CMU operation has a Title V operating permit with many significant conditions. Facility operations will reduce organic content in the MSW and subsequent methane emissions. The facility in a coastal canyon in Southern California burns landfill gas and AD biogas in two advanced engines with fuel gas pretreatment operations to meet strict air permit discharge limits. The operations of the multiple moving parts at the MSW landfill have overcome significant commissioning and environmental (fire, wind and rain) challenges over the past few years to meet its eventual goal of renewable power and life extension of the landfill. Operational challenges include changing solid waste characteristics, multiple contractors onsite, and dry anerobic digestion dynamics.

Matt Dunn has a BS, Chemical Engineering and has 40 years of experience in environmental consulting. He is currently Senior Environmental Consultant with Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. He has a wide breadth of environmental compliance and project management experience including client management in complex and challenging regulatory settings; auditing, air permitting, spill prevention, water pollution and risk management in industry for major corporations. His early career included upstream oil industry and coal combustion. He has been involved in risk management of chemical and toxic materials for over 20 years. He has worked for international clients in California, New York, Virginia, Alaska, Arizona, Guam, Mexico, and South Korea. During his career, he has presented at regional and national conferences on safety and environmental matters. He is an active member in two professional groups, including the A&WMA where he is currently the Treasurer and Student Committee Chair for the Channel Islands Chapter, and serves on a local citizens advisory committee.

Tickets

$0.00 Member Ticket

$0.00 Non-Member Registration