BOARD MEETING DATE: June 6, 2003
AGENDA NO. 25
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, April 25, 2003, 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 first semi-annual progress report for the year 2003 and covers the six months since the previous (December 6, 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 made by AQMD staff for permits, Section II contains listings of LAER/BACT determinations made by other air districts, and Section III contains listings of emerging control technologies.
Fourteen (14) new BACT determination listings were added to Part B—ten (10) in Section I, three (3) in Section II and one (1) in Section III. Four (4) existing BACT determination listings were updated with new information—three (3) in Section I and one (1) in Section III. Copies of the new and updated listings are attached.
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.
Section I – AQMD LAER/BACT Determinations
The ten (10) new Section I listings are in the following categories of equipment: Abrasive Blasting Room, Aluminum Melting Furnace, Boiler, Brake Pad Grinder, Dryer or Oven, Heater-Other Process, I.C. Engine-Digester Gas-Fired, I.C. Engine-Landfill Gas-Fired, Lithographic Printing-Heatset and Metal Heating Furnace. The three (3) existing Section I listings that have been updated with new information are in the following categories of equipment: Boiler (two listings) and Heater-Other Process.
The new Abrasive Blasting Room listing is the first Part B listing for this equipment category. This listing documents a BACT determination based on AQMD’s existing minor source BACT (Part D) guideline for control of fine particulate emissions from this equipment category, which requires exhaust gas filtration using a baghouse or cartridge filter.
The new Aluminum Melting Furnace listing is another example of low-NOx burner technology meeting AQMD’s achieved-in-practice BACT criteria on this equipment category.
The new Boiler listing is another example of AQMD’s BACT guidelines for boilers and heaters being met by application of ultra low-NOx burner technology.
The new Brake Pad Grinder listing establishes a new equipment category in Part B of the BACT guidelines and is an example of conventional filtration technology for control of fine particulates meeting the achieved-in-practice criteria.
The new listing in the Dryer or Oven category is another example of low-NOx burner technology meeting the achieved-in-practice criteria on this category of equipment.
The new listing in the Heater-Other Process category is another example of AQMD’s BACT guidelines for boilers and heaters being met by application of ultra low-NOx burner technology.
The new listings in the I.C. Engine-Digester Gas-Fired and I.C. Engine-Landfill Gas-Fired categories are the first Part B listings in these equipment categories. These listings document BACT determinations based on AQMD’s existing minor source (Part D) guidelines, which in both cases were met through advanced engine technologies.
The new listing in the Lithographic Printing-Heatset category is the first listing in Part B for this equipment category. This listing documents a BACT determination based on AQMD’s minor source (Part D) guidelines, which require use of low-VOC and low-vapor pressure materials plus 95% control of VOC emissions.
The new listing in the Metal Heating Furnace category is the first listing in Part B for this equipment category. This listing documents low-NOx burner technology meeting AQMD’s achieved-in-practice BACT criteria on this equipment category.
Two listings in the Boiler category and one listing in the Heater-Other Process category were updated with the addition of new source test data, further supporting the effectiveness of the NOx control technology being used in each case.
Section II – Other LAER/BACT Determinations
The three (3) new Section II listings are in the following categories of equipment: Dryer or Oven and Gas Turbine (two listings).
The Dryer or Oven listing documents a BACT determination by another district requiring low-NOx burner technology on an oven. This listing and a similar Section I listing demonstrate NOx levels well below the minor source guideline for this equipment category.
One of the Gas Turbine listings is a combined-cycle power plant demonstrating new lows in NOx, CO and ammonia emissions. The other is a smaller cogeneration power plant using the EMx (formerly SCONOx) emission control technology, which is a zero-ammonia technology.
Section III – Other Technologies
In Section III, one (1) new listing was added in the Lithographic Printing-Heatset category, and one (1) existing listing in the Boiler category has been updated with additional information.
The new listing in the Lithographic Printing-Heatset category documents an AQMD BACT determination based on the minor source guidelines. However, the listing was placed in Section III because the permit requirements went well beyond the BACT requirements in several regards; and, because the equipment only recently started up, AQMD’s achieved-in-practice BACT criteria have not yet been met.
The Boiler listing was updated with new source test data. However, the listing could not be moved to Section I because the facility had closed and information available prior to the facility’s closure was not sufficient to satisfy the achieved-in-practice criteria.
Conclusion
Staff extends its sincere 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.
Part B - BACT Listings
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