Welcome to
Where we strive to provide technical solutions for a sustainable world.
Welcome to
Where we strive to provide technical solutions for a sustainable world.
Digital Opacity Compliance System (DOCS II)
The DOCS project was initiated by the Department of Defense in 2003, with a goal of reducing the $15 million per
year the DoD spends certifying human Method 9 observers to observe sources regulated with opacity limits.
In 2006, Green Wire Tech and it's partners were contracted to test and validate the DOCS prototype system. Upon completion of the
validation tests the USAF decided that the DOCS system required a technology refresh and business process
improvement. Green Wire Tech and it's partners, working with multiple state inspectors, defined the user experience required to gain
acceptance from visible emission observers.
Green Wire Tech and it's partners completely reengineered the DOCS and released DOCS II in 2008. DOCS II is a familiar, easy to use program
that reduces the time required for a Method 9 observation.
Acceptance of DOCS II required two non-technical components:
1) A consensus standard that would allow the EPA and States to adopt DOCS II for visible emission observations.
2) DOCS II would have to be embraced by the existing smoke school infrastructure, to facilitate training, and distribution.
The ASTM standards committee D22 Air Quality, created ASTM D7520-09 "Standard Test Method to Determine the Opacity of
a Plume in the Outdoor Ambient Atmosphere using a Digital Camera Technique". ASTM D7520-09 was approved by ASTM, at
the October 2009 semi-annual committee week. ASTM D7520-09, is a performance standard dictating the certification
requirements for opacity measurement using digital cameras. DOCS II performed the D7520-09 certification process in 2009.
Green Wire Tech and it's partners worked with the nation’s largest smoke school operator Eastern Technical Associates to train and distribute DOCS II.
Training of DOCS II users began nationally in 2010. DOCS II offers many advantages to the field smoke reader:
field data is electronically acquired where possible, images of the visible emission, as well as, their opacity readings
are stored, along with the observers position relative to the visible emission, direction of view, distance from the
source, weather, and the position of the sun at the date/time/place of the observation.
For nearly 30 years, Green Wire Tech founder Steve Rasmussen was an Air Quality Program Manager for one of the largest industrial facilities in the US Air Force—Hill AFB. Steve led innovative regulatory strategies, IT solutions (like APIMS and EESOH-MIS), and new technologies to develop an award-winning program and one that generated dozens of published papers. This gives Green Wire Tech the ability to help Air Force clients refine their regulatory compliance business practices to meet applicable requirements while still obtaining their mission objectives.
One of Steve’s innovative solutions is the Digital Opacity Compliance System or DOCS II. He managed its development and was instrumental in the development of the related ASTM D7520-09 and EPA Alternative Method 082, which allow use of automated DOCS II solution in place of EPA Method 9 for opacity monitoring. Learn more about Learn more about DOCS II and how it can save your company time and money in complying with your permitted opacity limits and monitoring requirements.
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801.791.5596
steve@greenwiretech.com
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