DCOT - TERMINOLOGY
The term agencies use in correspondence for a camera-based opacity observation. If a permit, inspection report or agency letter refers to DCOT, this is what it means.
The Digital Camera Opacity Technique
ANATOMY
How a DCOT observation is built
Certified capture
A camera configuration certified under ASTM D7520, recertified every 3.5 years
Calibrated analysis
Per-region contrast and luminance scoring, checked against known opacity values from smoke school
Field metadata
Position, bearing, distance, weather and solar angle, logged at the moment of observation
Certified operator
Trained in the principles of visible emissions and in DCOT-specific procedure
What a completed observation contains
The opacity readings and their average; the source imagery they were derived from; the observer's position relative to the emission; direction of view; distance from the source; weather conditions; and the position of the sun at the date, time and place of the observation.
Who can take one
A DCOT operator completes the visible emissions lecture course and the training specified by the equipment manufacturer. Certification is on the configuration and the operator both — neither alone is sufficient.
Bring us a source and we'll show you the record.
Tell us what you operate or regulate, and we'll walk through a real observation end to end — capture, analysis, confirmation, and what you're left holding.