Profile
Mr. Jon Heuss is a nationally recognized authority on motor vehicle emissions, the relation of emissions to air quality, and the technical basis for air quality and emission standards. With over twenty-six years of research experience at General Motors Corporation, Public Policy Center and Environmental and Energy Staff, Mr. Heuss specializes in the areas of ozone formation chemistry, air toxics risk assessment/health and ecological effects, long range transport and acid deposition, air quality trends, climate change, and the impact of accurate research and analysis on regulatory and legislative activities. Mr. Heuss’ is often called on to present his research in an official capacity, including presentations to panels of the U. S. National Academy of Sciences and the U. S. EPA Clean Air Science Advisory Committee. He has also served in advisory capacity to the U. S. State Department, NIOSH, California Air Resources Board, South Coast Air Quality Management District, and Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.
Professional Experience
- 1999-Present -- Principal Scientist, Air Improvement Resource, Inc.
- 1988-1999 -- Senior Staff Research Scientist, General Motors Corporation Public Policy Center
- 1976-1988 -- Assistance Dept. Head of Environmental Science Department, General Motors Research Laboratories
- 1964-1976 -- Research Engineer and Supervisor, General Motors Corporation
Recent Major Projects
- Prepared written submissions on EPA’s urban air topics strategy, ozone research needs document, and carbon monoxide criteria document.
- Represented clients at EPA briefings on international air pollution negotiations, EPA workshops on health effects, meetings of the Clean Air Science Advisory Committee, and Health Effects Institute meetings.
- Formulated and implemented GM positions on environmental policy, prepared numerous submissions to government agencies, and represented GM in regulatory hearings.
- Provided technical analyses and support for legal and lobbying team that (1) overturned the Ozone Transport Commission Low Emission Vehicle regulatory program in Virginia vs. EPA, and (2) negotiated the industry-sponsored National Low Emission Vehicle Program.
- Prepared technical analyses demonstrating the minimal risk from motor vehicle air toxics that influence EPA to not issue additional regulations.
- Developed technical arguments that led California and EPA to set more robust ozone air quality standards to minimize the influence of weather.
- Represented GM in multi-stakeholder forums, such as the Ozone Transport Assessment Group, the United Nations Convention on Long-range Transport of Air Pollutants, and the Federal Advisory Committee on New Ozone and PM Standards.
- Developed major research programs in emissions characterization, atmospheric transformations, air quality modeling, and field observations related to ozone, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter, visibility, and acid deposition.
- Led research for which GM received American Meteorological Society award for outstanding contributions to atmospheric science.
- Discovered a previously unknown chemical-peroxy benzoyl nitrate-that is a major cause of eye irritation in smog.=
- Led team that carried out the GM/EPA Sulfate Dispersion Experiment, simulating a freeway filled with catalyst cars at the GM Proving Ground. The results of the experiment led EPA to drop plans for a sulfate emission standard which would have cost GM $120 million per year.
Education
M. Sc., (Chemical Engineering), University of California, Berkeley, 1964
B. Sc., (Chemical Engineering), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1962