REGULATIONS UNDERGO REVISION TO REDUCE NOX EMISSIONS

Regulations Undergo Revision to Reduce NOx Emissions from Boilers, Steam Generators and Process Heaters
Ventura County Air Pollution Control District Amends Rule 74.15.1

Senior Air Consultant, Susana Perez has been closely tracking regulatory changes for our clients. In the latest of recent air quality regulatory changes, the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (APCD)  is continuing their efforts to implement reductions in NOx and is developing new NOx standards for boilers, steam generators and process heaters greater than 1 mmBTU/hour and less than 5 mmBTU/hour. The NOx reductions sought through the Amendment of Rule 74.15.1 is a part of the Ventura County’s APCD 2007 Air Quality Management Plan which requires All Feasible Measures (CA Clean Air Act H&SC Section 40914) be adopted to attain the ambient ozone air quality standards.

The planned rule revisions, presented in public hearing on February 12, 2015, will set NOx limits in Ventura County APCD in alignment with those in the South Coast AQMD and San Joaquin Valley APCD. The existing regulation, proposed for modification, currently requires applicable equipment in this range to meet 30 PPM NOx at 3% O2. The modifications will require 70% to 16% reduction from the current standard, depending upon the equipment category. Unlike South Coast AQMD, this rule is not a retrofit rule. The amendment will only affect new, or replaced boilers, steam generators, or process heaters greater than 2 mmBTU/hour and less than 5 mmBTU/hour. New or replaced units in this category will need to meet the following:

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Category

• Natural Gas Fired Units Atmospheric
• Natural Gas Fired Units – Pressurized

• Units Fired on Landfill gas 

• Units Fired on Biogas

• Units Fired on LPG 
  

Limits

• 12 ppmv or 0.015 lbs/mmBTU heat input 

• 9 ppmv or 0.001 lbs/mmBTU heat input 

• 25 ppmv or 0.031 lbs/mmBTU heat input 

• 15 ppmv or 0.019 lbs/ mmBTU heat input 

• 30 ppm or 0.037 lbs/mmBTU heat input
  

Smaller units equal to or greater than 1 mmBTU/hour and less than or equal to 2 mmBTU/hour will remain at the current limit of 20 ppm for NOx and 400 ppm for CO.

The revisions to the rule will also clarify which process heaters are not subject to the rule. The process heaters which are exempt include: kilns, calciner, cooker, roaster, furnace, afterburner, thermal or catalytic oxidizers, glass melting furnace, tenter frame, fabric or carper dryers.

If your facility is looking to purchase or replace a boiler, steam generator or process heater greater than 1 mmbtu/hr or less than 5 mmbtu/hr, and you are within the jurisdiction of the Ventura APCD, you will need to prepare and file an application for an ‘Authority to Construct’ permit. Alta can assist in the preparation of the permit filing and compliance determination for your next purchase.  Please give us a call if you would like more information. We are here to help keep you in compliance.