Peer Review

Preparing an air quality assessment involves a range of technical components—monitoring, meteorology, emissions estimation and dispersion modelling—all of which are critical and can be inherently intricate. For many, these reports can be difficult to interpret, and errors that may be obvious to experts often go unnoticed by general or even technically advanced readers.

Estimating emissions and configuring meteorological and dispersion models requires careful judgment and technical nuance, adding further layers of complexity beneath the surface of the report.

Astute is regularly engaged by proponents, law firms, and government agencies (state and local) to conduct peer reviews of air quality assessments. Our reviews typically include:

• 🔍 Evaluation of the available information including commentary on how the methodology aligns with local, state, and national requirements.

• ⚙️ Reviewing key inputs:

  • Emissions – Estimation methods and underlying assumptions

  • Meteorology – Observed data sources and data processing, model selection and configuration

  • Dispersion Modelling – Suitability of the model, appropriateness of source setup, and accuracy of model configuration as described

We also assess the model outputs in the reports—both predicted meteorology and pollutant concentrations—using our technical expertise and a practical lens to answer the question: “Does this make sense?”.

Our peer review experience spans a wide range of sites across Australia, including refineries, landfills, intensive livestock operations, horticulture, road traffic corridors, quarries, industrial facilities, composting operations (small and large scale), and wastewater treatment plants.

With our proven expertise, we help clients save time and money through efficient, high-quality reviews.