About RWDI

RWDI is an international consulting engineering firm specializing in wind dynamics, air quality, risk analysis, noise and industrial flow studies. The firm opened in 1972, is headquartered in Guelph, Ontario and now has more than 400 employees. With offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Guelph, Sudbury and Ottawa, the company is positioned to respond to our clients' needs across Canada, and internationally. RWDI is the largest air quality consulting service in Canada and an international leader in the field.

The Challenge

Air quality issues are among the most difficult environmental problems societies currently face.  Degraded air quality is caused by many compounding factors and can result in significant environmental and health impacts.  Responding effectively to concerns about degraded air quality is a challenge for many cities and regions and requires sound assessments and innovative strategic and tactical advice.

RWDI is a leader in developing air quality solutions and providing decision support for public and private sector clients.  We believe that reliable decisions and policies depend critically on sound analysis of facts and their context - appropriately communicated.

RWDI's Team

RWDI has assembled a strong team with a depth of both policy and technical expertise in air quality issues, including atmospheric scientists, geographers, meteorologists, and engineers.  A number of our team members have experience spanning more than 20 years in these areas, and experience both internationally and in Canada. Our team is well equipped to provide integrated analysis and advice for a wide range of air quality issues.  With team members located in Vancouver, Calgary, Guelph and Ottawa, we are capable of responding to clients' needs across the country, and internationally.

We have worked effectively in collaboration with corporate managers and executives, environmental biologists and health scientists, physicians, lawyers, planners and economists in a variety of assignments.

RWDI's Air Quality Management Capabilities

Policy Analysis & Issue Assessment

RWDI offers high-level policy analysis for a wide range of air quality issues.  With expertise and experience on both the scientific and policy side of air quality issues, RWDI is uniquely positioned to provide issues analysis, critical review and support for policy development for air quality and climate change matters.

RWDI has prepared discussion papers, issues review and synthesis, expert testimony, consultations with governments, industry and ENGOs, and strategic advice in support of:

• Government policy development
• Airshed management
• Emission reduction strategies
• Energy-environment interface
• Health & environmental impacts
• Emissions trading
• Corporate issue analysis & strategic planning 
• Expert panels (coordination and participation)

Emission Inventory Analysis & Technical Information Support

RWDI's team of experts provides scientific and technical information support for decision-making and policy development based on emission inventory data.  Our experience includes development, analysis and forecasting of emission inventories, including assessing the impacts of proposed regulatory measures.  We have also developed desktop applications to assist the decision making and planning process. 

RWDI has provided extensive development and testing to Environment Canada for a desktop utility to provide policy-relevant indicators of air quality changes resulting from emission inventory scenarios.  RWDI also provided the Vancouver 2010 Olympics Bid Corporation with a desktop tool to determine emission implications of potential planning scenarios. 

RWDI has recently completed a gap analysis for air quality information for the Beaufort Sea, reviews of the effectiveness of vehicle inspection & maintenance and older vehicle scrappage programs, and the quantification of air quality benefits of public transit options.  Internationally, we completed a comprehensive emission inventory and modelling study for Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region of China and analysis for vehicle emission strategies for Taipei, Taiwan.

RWDI developed the detailed, gridded emission inventory southwestern Canada and the northwestern US that supports current ozone and particulate matter modelling in this large region.

RWDI has developed innovative geographic information system (GIS) approaches to analysing and visualising emission inventory information (for example, for the Canadian national RDIS II inventory system).

Regional Airshed Modeling

RWDI is the leading provider of regional airshed modelling in Canada.  Our modelling group is a fully integrated component of our air quality management team, providing unparalleled decision-support guidance on air quality issues.  Regional airshed modelling provides the basis for informed evaluation of impacts of emission management strategies on resulting air quality. Modelling of emission inventory forecasts enables air quality planners to evaluate the probable effects of emission reduction strategies - and, very importantly, to visualise the changing spatial and temporal patterns.

Examples of RWDI's work in this area include:

• Development of a new generation regional airshed photochemical dispersion modeling system for the Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia
• Application of the US EPA's Models-3 modeling system to evaluate impacts of power generation facilities in eastern Canada
• Application of the Models-3 system to estimate current and future impacts on air quality of electric vehicle use in the Vancouver, BC region
• Development and application of the CMAQ regional modeling system to emission changes in central Canada

Climate Change & GHG Mitigation

RWDI personnel are well-versed in climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) issues, and have provided analytical and decision-support services for GHG mitigation.  With RWDI's expertise, the firm is uniquely qualified to provide evaluation and strategic advice on GHG and common air contaminant co-management issues and to assess air quality benefits from GHG mitigation strategies.  Examples of climate change and GHG management work RWDI has completed include:

• Estimation and reporting methods for co-management of GHGs and common air contaminants
• Prospecting for and identifying GHG reduction offset opportunities
• Quantifying industrial and transportation system GHG reductions

RWDI Market Sector Experience

• All levels of government, in Canada and internationally
• Non-government organizations 
• Crown corporations
• Power generation
• Transportation
• Oil & gas
• Mining & metallurgy

Specific Examples of Work and Clients

• Clean Air Issues in British Columbia, a discussion paper in support of a legislative review of the BC Waste Management Act (BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection)
• Assessment of emission changes in the Lower Fraser Valley due to external regulations (Environment Canada, Pacific and Yukon Region)
• Expert testimony at the EFSEC and NEB hearings for the Sumas Energy II  power generating station (Province of British Columbia, City of Abbotsford)
• Updating BC Provincial Air Quality Objectives: An Options Discussion Paper (BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection; Water, Air and Climate Change Branch)
• Determining boundaries for entities and corporate level greenhouse gas inventories and reporting (GHG Verification Centre, Environment Canada)
• Greenhouse gas emissions reporting protocol for the Canadian iron and steel industry (GHG Verification Centre, Environment Canada)
• Review of methods for estimating and applying relationships between air pollution and health effects (BC Lung Association)
• 2010 Vancouver Winter Games air quality impact assessment (Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation/ EBA Consulting)
• Gap analysis for air quality portion of Devon offshore environmental impact assessment (Devon Energy Inc./Axys Environmental)
• Cumulative effects assessment and management framework for northeastern British Columbia (BC Oil & Gas Commission/Axys Environmental)