South Coast Air Quality Management District

Best Available Control Technology Guidelines Report

SYNOPSIS: 

This report provides new listings added to Part B, LAER/BACT Determinations for Major Polluting Facilities, of the BACT Guidelines in the last six months.

COMMITTEE: 

Stationary Source, October 25, 2002, Reviewed

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

Receive and file updates to BACT Guidelines Part B.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

AQMD's New Source Review (NSR) regulations require applicants to use Best Available Control Technology (BACT) for new sources, relocated sources, and for modifications that increase emissions. Regulation XIII – New Source Review also requires the Executive Officer to periodically publish BACT Guidelines for commonly permitted equipment. On December 11, 1998, the Board approved a new format, process, and procedures for updating the AQMD’s BACT Guidelines. On October 20, 2000, the Board approved an amendment to the NSR regulations to bifurcate the BACT requirements into federal LAER/BACT for major polluting facilities and minor source BACT (MSBACT) for non-major polluting facilities. As a result of that amendment, Part B of the BACT Guidelines now assists staff and the public to determine LAER/BACT for major polluting facilities.

On December 15, 2000, the Board changed the reporting frequency for updates to the BACT Guidelines from quarterly to semi-annually. This is the second semi-annual progress report for the year 2002 and covers the six months since the previous (June 7, 2002) progress report.

New and Updated Listings, Part B of the BACT Guidelines - LAER/BACT Determinations for Major Polluting Facilities

Part B of the BACT Guidelines consists of three sections: Section I contains listings of LAER/BACT determinations that are based on South Coast AQMD permits, Section II contains listings of LAER/BACT determinations that are based on permits granted by other air districts, and Section III contains listings of emerging control technologies.

Thirteen (13) new listings were listed under Section I. Under Section II, one (1) new listing was added, and one (1) existing listing was updated with new information. Under Section III, one (1) new listing was added, and one (1) existing listing was updated with new information.

This work has been in coordination with the BACT Scientific Review Committee (SRC). The SRC is a technical group whose membership includes industry, environmental groups, CARB, and U.S. EPA. The purpose of the new listings is to provide information to permit applicants and permitting staff regarding recent LAER/BACT determinations for major polluting facilities.

Section I – AQMD LAER/BACT Determinations, New Listings

Attached are Thirteen (13) new Section I LAER/BACT determinations for the following categories of equipment: (1) Aluminum Melting Furnaces, (2) Bulk Solid Material Handling and Storage, (3) Dryer or Oven, (4) Flow Coater, Dip Tank and Roller Coater, (5) Heater - Other Process, (6) Ink Jet Printing, (7) I.C. Engine - Compression Ignition, Emergency, (8) Plastic and Resin Extrusion, (9) Screen Printing and Drying and (10) Spray Booths.

Two new listings of LAER/BACT determinations for Aluminum Melting Furnaces are both examples of RECLAIM facilities undertaking equipment modifications resulting in lower NOx emissions and applying for RECLAIM concentration limits. In one case, low-NOx burners were retrofitted, and in the other case a new furnace was designed with low NOx emissions in mind. These concentration limits are significantly lower than had previously been demonstrated for this equipment category.

The new listing under Bulk Solid Material Handling and Storage is a refinery petroleum coke handling system. This refinery chose to update their coke handling system to a wet process employing hydro-bins, which substantially reduces the fugitive particulate emissions as opposed to conventional dry handling systems.

Two new listings under Dryer or Oven are both examples of low-NOx technologies. One is a new laundry dryer with a low-NOx burner. The other is a drying oven used in production of insulation board to which low-NOx burners were retrofitted for purposes of making the facility super-compliant under RECLAIM.

The new Flow Coater, Roller Coater and Dip Tank listing is a roller coater used to apply back-coating in mirror manufacture. This process, in addition to using coating and cleanup materials that meet district rules, is equipped with a VOC collection/destruction device, which is required to achieve 90% control of VOC emissions.

The new Heater - Other Process listing is a hydrogen reforming furnace. This is an additional example of a non-refinery process heater employing selective catalytic reduction technology and thus meeting current LAER/BACT for NOx for this equipment category.

The Ink Jet Printing listing is an example of a large commercial operation using this printing technology being fully enclosed and vented to control equipment meeting a minimum 85.5% VOC control.

The new listing under I.C. Engine - Compression Ignition, Emergency is a diesel engine driving a firewater pump (emergency diesel engine) for which use of the new ultra low-sulfur diesel fuel is required. Ultra low-sulfur diesel fuels are required by Rule 431.2 on and after June 1, 2004; however, the new fuel is now readily available in most regions of southern California (the listing notes that difficult supply logistics may be a legitimate concern in some cases).

The new Plastic and Resin Extrusion listing is an example of an extruder that extrudes a variety of common resins being equipped with a VOC control device while also using zero-VOC cleanup materials.

The new Screen Printing and Drying listing illustrates use of very low-VOC ink in this technology. The ink is custom blended on site, and the listing contains information on the ingredients and composition used to formulate the ink.

There are two new Spray Booths listings. One is a vehicle undercoating facility using water-based enamel while also being fully enclosed and vented to a control device achieving a minimum of 85.5% VOC control. The other is a vinyl screen manufacturer that has a fully enclosed operation vented to a control device with 98% VOC destruction efficiency.

Section II – Other LAER/BACT Determinations, New and Updated Listings

One new listing was added under Section II, and one existing Section II listing was updated. The new listing is a large combined-cycle gas turbine power plant located in the Bay area. This plant is on line and meeting very low NOx, CO and VOC limits. Although a number of plants of this type have been permitted with similarly low emission limits, this is the first to actually demonstrate meeting those limits.

The updated Section II listing is a small simple-cycle gas turbine power plant employing "flameless" (catalytic) combustion to achieve very low NOx emissions. This listing was updated with information on U.S. EPA and CARB certifications of the low emissions of NOx, CO and hydrocarbons. U.S. EPA certified the emissions based on tests performed under its Environmental Technology Verification Program, and CARB certified the emissions under its Equipment & Process Precertification Program based on six months of CEMS data.

Section III – Other Technologies, New and Updated Listings

One new listing was added under Section III, and one existing Section III listing was updated. The new listing is a boiler equipped with a selective catalytic reduction system for NOx control. heretofore been demonstrated. The updated Section III listing is also a boiler equipped with selective catalytic NOx reduction. This listing was updated with source test information.

Conclusion

Staff sincerely extends its appreciation to SRC members and others who assisted in updating the BACT Guidelines. In particular, the commitment of past and present continuing SRC members in the development and review of the attached information is much appreciated. The information in this package is available at the AQMD website at http://www.aqmd.gov/bact.

Attachment

Part B - BACT Listings

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