Graduation Date: June 2008
Degree(s): PhD (Georgia Tech); M.S. Civil and Environmental Engineering - Atmosphere/Energy;
B.S. Chemical Engineering (Tecnológico de Monterrey)
Fernando was a member of NRDC's Clean Air Program and assisted their advocacy efforts. This involved analyzing new regulations and decisions from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency relevant to federal air quality standards. He provided technical insight and helped NRDC define its position with respect to these decisions.
Summer 2011 was an exciting time to work on issues related to air pollution regulation. New air emissions regulations were published or proposed for power plants, industrial boilers, and oil and gas extraction operations. A new cross-state air pollution rule was finalized. National air quality standards for ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide were also reviewed by EPA. These new regulations would provide immense public health benefits and greatly contribute to moving energy production in the US towards sustainable sources. Fernando was directly involved in preparing NRDC's public comments about EPA's proposed hazardous air pollutants regulations for coal and oil-fired power plants. In addition, he supported the Clean Air Campaign's efforts to develop materials designed to counter industry's pushback towards new air pollution regulation and debunk false claims.
"I learned a great deal about the different components and actors in environmental policy and decision-making, how to be an effective advocate, and the current status and future or air pollution regulation in the US."
Fernando Garcia Menendez
"Not only did the Fellow contribute substantially to the amount of work we as a project were able to produce, but also the Fellow provided a different perspective based on his technical background that added a new aspect to our team discussions and led us to resources we may not have otherwise known about."
John Walke, Clean Air Project, Director
Natural Resources Defense Council