Smoke School

VISIBLE EMISSIONS EVALUATION TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION (SMOKE SCHOOL), JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) will provide in-person Visible Emissions Evaluation Training and Certification (Smoke School) in EPA Test Method 9 every six months.  First-time training and certification, as well as recertification, are available.  MDEQ Smoke Schools are currently being offered through our contractor, Compliance Assurance Associates, Inc. (CAA).

UPCOMING SMOKE SCHOOL DATES AND INFORMATION

Fall 2024: Tuesday and Wednesday, November 5 – 6, 2024

         Spring 2025: Tuesday and Wednesday, May 6 – 7, 2025

Field Certification Location:    ChristWay Church
                                                                 1501 Old Fannin Road
                                                                 Flowood, MS  39232

Fees:  No Cost for Mississippi Residents or Workers
All fees associated with MDEQ Smoke Schools are paid by MDEQ for Mississippi residents, employees of a company in Mississippi, or contractors directly responsible for evaluating compliance with visible emissions requirements for a company in Mississippi.  All other participants should contact CAA for available space and pricing.

ALL PARTICIPANTS:  ONLINE PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

All participants are required to register online through CAA for each Smoke School.  Space is limited; therefore, it is strongly recommended that registration be completed at least 14 days prior to any Smoke School.

New Participants
Contact the designated client contact for your company (If one exist already), or complete the CAA fast registration form here to register as new client contact for your company.

Returning Participants
CAA will send the primary company contact (Client Contact) associated with your CAA account an auto generated 60-day and 30-day reminder email prior to the Smoke School. The email will include a direct link to register for MDEQ Smoke School.

If you are the primary contact for your company, please enroll each of your participating employees. Client Contacts can also click here to register participants anytime.

IF YOU HAVE REGISTRATION QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT COMPLIANCE ASSURANCE ASSOCIATES AT 901-381-9960.

TRAINING & CERTIFICATION

Required Training for NEW Participants:  Online Lecture
First-time Smoke School participants, or persons holding no recent certification, are required to attend an online lecture prior to the Outdoor Field Certification for an introduction on smoke schools, the principles of opacity, and more.  During registration, participants may choose either a live-stream lecture or a self-paced lecture option.

Required Certification for ALL Participants:  Outdoor Field Certification
Smoke School certification requires attendance at the outdoor field certification session for new and returning participants.  Smoke School begins at 8:00 a.m. and lasts for two days.  Participants may leave the outdoor field session after they have successfully certified.  The second day of the outdoor field session is provided for those who do not certify on the first day.  (Please note, the contractor is not obligated to stay later for participants who start late.)

Digital (i.e., paperless) field certification will be available to complete ALL field certification activities for participants with a smart device.  More information about digital field certification can be found here.

Participants may claim up to 4 professional development hours (PDH) for completing the online lecture (for the first time or as a refresher), and 1 PDH for field certification

QUESTIONS?

For general MDEQ Smoke School information, please call Bryan Williams with MDEQ’s Air Program Support Branch at 601-961-5799.  For questions regarding Smoke School registration or scheduling, please call Compliance Assurance Associates at 901-381-9960.