Robert Ontko, P.E. (AZ, LA, TX)

Compliance Assurance Practice Lead

Education: BS Chemical Engineering – Case Western Reserve University

Years Experience: 12+

Key Project Experience:

Air Permitting

  • Capital Project Permitting - Managed the preparation of NSR/PSD/NNSR, GHG-PSD and Title V permit applications for two new combined-cycle power plants in Texas. Project work included emission estimation, BACT and LAER evaluation, regulatory analysis, managing air dispersion modeling for NAAQS and MERA, and offset strategy. Other capital project permitting projects include a gypsum mill replacement, a crude oil pipeline station expansion, and new or expanded chemical manufacturing plants.

  • Title V Operating Permits - Assisted a Texas refinery with review of existing applicability information in its Title V permit including Refinery Sector Rules. Also led the preparation of the Title V permit renewal application. Other Title V permitting projects include power plants, pipeline stations and terminals, and a gypsum wallboard manufacturing plant in Texas.

Key Project Experience, continued:

Air Permitting

  • Biofuel Project Support - Supported a major Oil & Gas client with estimating emissions and understanding regulatory requirements for biofuel projects in Texas, Arkansas, and Oregon.

  • Consent Decree Pollution Control System Permitting - Managed preparation of Standard Permit registrations, including PSD applicability analysis, for Consent Decree-required replacement incinerators at two Carbon Black facilities in Texas.

Environmental Compliance

  • Emission Inventory Assistance - Managed an emissions inventory standardization project for a Power client for 25 facilities in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Work includes creation of an Excel-based emission calculation template, site-configured workbooks, and training for environmental personnel. Other emission inventory projects included annual reporting for a steel mill, power plants, gypsum wallboard manufacturing facilities, and oil & gas production sites in Texas and Oklahoma.

  • Auditing– Led or supported air environmental compliance audits for a refinery, two power plants, gas fractionation plant, polymer manufacturing facility, eight organic and inorganic chemical plants, and over 100 oil & gas production sites. Tasks included review of NSR and Title V permits, PBRs, and associated reports and records including those for NSPS, NESHAP and MACT regulations.

  • Regulatory Applicability – For a chemical plant transitioning from an area source to a major source of HAPs, worked as part of a team to assess and document the potential implications for each NSPS and MACT regulation that might potentially apply.

  • Advocacy for EPA Methane Rules – Provide ongoing technical support in advocacy efforts in response to federal methane regulations. Advised in meetings with trade group committee members, drafted comments for agency submittal, and conducted relevant data collection and analyses.

Sector Experience:

Oil and gas (upstream, midstream, downstream), Power, Chemicals, Metals, Building Construction Materials, Biofuels, Carbon Black, and Manufacturing.

Publications/Presentations

  1. Robert Ontko and Donald Bradley (2013), The Great Emissions Roundup: Strategies for Permitting Maintenance, Startup and Shutdown (MSS) Emissions at Upstream Oil & Gas Facilities (SPE 13HSSE-P-186-SPE), 2013 Society of Petroleum Engineers Americas E&P Health, Safety, Security, and Environmental Conference.

    https://onepetro.org/SPEHSSE/proceedings-abstract/13HSSE/All-13HSSE/SPE-163762-MS/178678

  2. Severin Travis, Robert Ontko, and Donald Bradley (2012), Feasibility and Benefits of Voluntary Emission Reduction Strategies for New Oil and Gas Sites (2012-A-296-AWMA), 2012 Air and Waste Management Association Conference.

    https://www.awma.org/store_category.asp?id=9