TANKS 4.09 was a commonly used model for estimating tank emissions, but is no longer supported by the EPA. Excel workbooks have been developed to address the shortfalls in TANKS 4.09, but rely heavily on macros to estimate emissions. The macros make it very difficult for users to troubleshoot when unexpected results are produced. Our client asked JBE to create tool that made it easier for them to perform quality assurance and troubleshoot tank emissions calculations so that they could be confident in their permit limits and emissions compliance.
(1) easily trace back to see where an input was missed or entered incorrectly,
(2) fix the error, and then,
(3) look at the results again to ensure they are
correct – all on the same workbook tab.
(1) indicating exceedances when they aren’t real, and
(2) under-forecasting potential to emit resulting in permit limits that are too low, for example.