2021 S. Smith Griswold Outstanding Air Pollution Control Official Award
S. Smith Griswold (1909–1971) served as chief air pollution control officer for the Los Angeles Air Pollution Control District between 1954 and 1965. In 1965, he became chief of the Abatement Branch of the Division of Air Pollution Control in the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and later served as associate director for abatement and control before leaving in 1967 to work as a consultant. As President of the Association in 1962, he focused international attention on air pollution control officials’ activities, problems, and achievements. The S. Smith Griswold Outstanding Air Pollution Control Official Award is presented by the Association for outstanding accomplishments in the prevention and control of air pollution. The recipient must be or have been a government agency staff member whose contributions to the prevention and control of air pollution have been widely recognized.
A&WMA presents the 2021 S. Smith Griswold Outstanding Air Pollution Control Official Award to the following individuals for their contributions to the prevention and control of air pollution:
David Thornton
JEFF KOERNER
Throughout his career, A&WMA has been an integral part of Mr. Koerner’s education and career by providing up-to-date technical training sessions, regulatory updates directly from EPA staff, and a professional forum to discuss current air quality issues. In addition, A&WMA offered Mr. Koerner a unique communications platform to address environmental professionals throughout Florida as well as new recruiting opportunities.
As a graduate from the University of Florida in 1985, Mr. Koerner’s first job was for a consulting firm as a computer-aided designer of low-volume irrigation systems for multi-million-dollar projects in the citrus industry. Mr. Koerner began his environmental career in 1990 serving in the Air Pollution Control Section of the Palm Beach County Health Department. Mr. Koerner developed the air permitting program for the Health Department, which required close coordination with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). He developed specific operating procedures for the proper processing of air permit applications.
Working for one of Florida’s approved local air programs, Mr. Koerner worked closely with staff in the Florida DEP’s Division of Air Resource Management. He assisted a statewide Air Division workgroup with the modernization of their new state, an electronic permit application and review tool, and development of the new Title V air permit program. In 1999, Mr. Koerner joined the New Source Review permitting team at the Air Division’s headquarters office in Tallahassee, the organization he leads today. This section handled air permit applications for new, and major modifications to, major stationary sources of air pollution. Working with a variety of industries and consultants, Mr. Koerner has participated in more than 750 air permit projects over the last 30 years.
In 2020, EPA re-designated a small area on the border of Hillsborough County and Polk County as attainment for the 2010 sulfur dioxide National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). This area was one of the first areas in the U.S. to be designated as non-attainment based on air dispersion modeling rather than ambient air monitoring data in accordance with EPA’s 2016 Data Requirements Rule. Mr. Koerner is proud of the efforts and cooperation of his team with the EPA, the DEP district offices, the local air programs, and the industries for working hard to regain attainment for this area, which placed Florida in attainment with all NAAQS.
Mr. Koerner is a licensed Professional Engineer in Florida and a graduate of the 2014 class of the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute, which is sponsored by the Florida Engineering Society and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida. In addition to membership in A&WMA and the Florida Engineering Society, Mr. Koerner represents Florida as part of the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies and the Southeastern State Air Resource Managers.
Jeff Koerner
