2703 Socorro Lane, Carlsbad, CA 92009-4334
(760) 438-4221 – Fax (760) 438-8836 – Cell (760) 845-8424
2703 Socorro Lane, Carlsbad, CA 92009-4334
(760) 438-4221 – Fax (760) 438-8836 – Cell (760) 845-8424
Harold J. [Hal] Taback, PE, BCEE, QEP, REA
Senior Executive – Air Pollution & Hazardous Waste Programs
Licenses, Registrations & Honors
Licensed Professional Engineer [Mechanical], California, Arizona & Hawaii
Board Certified by the American Academy of
Environmental Engineers – HW & Air
Qualified Environmental Professional, Institute of
Professional Environmental Practice
Registered Environmental Assessor, California
ANSI-RAB-Certified Auditor for ISO 14000
Environmental Management Systems
Fellow & Honored Member, Air and Waste Management Association
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Member, Scientific Review Committee
Governor’s Task Force – Toxics, Waste & Technology
Award of Excellence California Society of Professional Engineers, 1997
Outstanding Service Award, API, for Toxics Task Force, 1996
Member Tau Beta Pi & Sigma Xi
Education
M.S.E., Combustion Engineering, Princeton Univ.
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Univ. of Rochester
Fields of Expertise
Publications
List of publications, technical papers and other reports available upon request. 145 publications in peer-review literature, including three books and a bimonthly column (30 to date) on environmental practice and ethics of the environmental professional.
Experience Summary
35 years experience as manager and executive in engineering (combustion), manufacturing, environmental regulatory compliance, marketing, QA, and consulting, in petroleum, electronics and aerospace, industries as well as municipal, state & federal agencies. A leader with strong technical and people skills that gains the support of clients, employees and governmental regulators to the financial benefit of the owners.
Senior executive experience
Consultant to Israeli Ministry of Environment and the Haifa, Is. Refinery on implimenting LDAR, Consultant to the American Petroleum Instute 8 yrs., EH&S Director of CENCO Refinery, Chief Engineer of an Aerojet $50-million production effort for Navy Mine Mk 56, Project Manager and chief designer of Aerojet’s large solid rocket motor programVP Marketing for a $17 million/year environmental consulting firm, and president of an environmental consulting firm. As consultant to Los Angeles DWP directed the combustion & air pollution control for the Hyperion Energy Recovery project. Also prepared CEC application for Chino Waste to Energy project and evaluted the performance of 25 Calpine power plants in Northern California.
A strong scientific and engineering background enables achievement of continual improvements in the most cost-effective manner.
Key Projects
In 1998-2000 as EH&S Director for a Los Angeles refinery, handled permitting of $200 million refurbishment and maintained the health and safety of employees and neighbors. Interacted with SCAQMD, EPA, and the California Attorney General, California Department of Toxic Substances Control, California Regional Water Board, City Planning Departments, City Fire Dept Departments and Cal OSHA. Developed legal and outreach strategies to deal with and citizens’ organization opposing the project. Obtained 47 air permits, an EIR and CUP. Conducted noise studies and prepared acoustic suppression barriers to reduce noise experienced by neighbors
In 1990-1998 as air toxic consultant to API coordinated the development of MACT rules for refineries, oil fields and marketing. Prior to that conducted 12 research projects for the CA ARB resulting in many reports and papers affecting rule development.
As consultant to Calpine, Corp. a California private utility, conducted environmental compliance audits on 20 operating and in-constuction electric generating plants. Plants included new co-generaion, old steam and geothermal steam facilties.
As consultant to Microsemi Corp. in Santa Ana, CA obtained Title V permits and small unit permits and ERCs for volitile organic compounds for a plant expansion.
Expert consultant for defense of Beverly Hills High School in a suit filed by Erin Brocovich. Supported law firms Latham & Watkins, Gallagher & Gallagher, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, Haight Brown & Bonesteel and others
Principal consultant to Law Firm on McColl Dump litigation for five years. Permormed analyses, located expert witnesses and helped prepared them for testimony.
As a consultant to Kaiser Steel Company, was engaged to obtain ERCs for a plant in the Los Angeles habor disrict to build offshore oil drilling rigs. Located a family-owned fabric-dying company with an unusually large boiler and facilitated the purchase of NOx offsets between the two firms.
As an American Petroleum Inst. Consultant (API), provided the technical support for negotiating air-toxic regulation [MACT rule] development under the Clean Air Act with USEPA, resulting savings estimated at approximately $500 million annually in emission control costs for the petroleum industry.
Appointed to SCAQMD Scientific Review Committee overseeing LAER & BACT for the South Coast Air Basin.
As consultant to API, saved petroleum industry approximately $50 million in air pollution control costs by convincing EPA to exempt hydrogen plant process vents from the Refinery MACT Rule.
As a consultant, conducted a wide range of research, design, and regulatory programs in air poution control, hazardous waste, air toxics, municipal waste, waste energy recovery and central plant optimization.
Served as a key member of the Governor's Task Force on Toxics, Waste & Technology (California).
As expert witness estimated 30 years of emissions from a refinery to assess health risk exposure to neighbors and successfully defended a Prop 65 case by demonstrating plaintiff’s faulty modeling.
As an expert in NOx control and combustion efficiency conducted research for USEPA and California ARB on stationary and mobile source emissions that became a basis of regulation development & emission factors contained in EPA Pubication AP-42.
Published emission factors for primary and tertiary oil recovery operations and pesticides applications for fugitive as well as point sources.
Directed DOE and DOD programs involving boiler efficiency, central plant management, diesel engine bottoming cycles, and NOx abatement.
Consulted for Haifa (Israel) refinery on installation of LDAR program and the Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection on the same subject. Consulted for the Israel Ministry of Environment assisting them in installing LDAR throughtout the country.
As a Metcalf & Eddy principal consultant provided environmental support for the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment plant conversion to a an energy recovery plant producting digester gas and sludge to dry and burn and raise steam to power a steam-turbine driven electric generators. Also modified a rotary furnace at Water Factory 29 in Fountain Valley, CA for cleaning activated carbon used to remove hydrocarbon used for tertiary water treatment.