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PROPOSAL: 

Best Available Control Technology Guidelines Report

SYNOPSIS: 

This quarterly report provides the new BACT determinations/listings that were added to the BACT Guidelines Part B - Clearinghouse in the last quarter (information is available on the AQMD website).

COMMITTEE: 

Stationary Source, November 19, 1999, Reviewed

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

Receive and file.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

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 Governing Board approved a new format, process, and procedures for updating the AQMD’s BACT Guidelines. The Board also directed staff to report back on progress made, on a quarterly basis.

Staff has added twenty-four new BACT listings to Part B of the BACT Guidelines. This work has been in coordination with the BACT Scientific Review Committee (SRC), 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 applicants and permitting staff regarding recent BACT determinations.

Attached are new BACT determinations for the following categories of equipment: (1) boiler, (2) circuit board photoresist developer*, (3) direct injection polystyrene manufacturing, using blowing agent, (4) dryer/oven – direct and indirect fired, (5) heater – refinery, (6) I.C. engine – emergency, compression ignition, (7) I.C. engine – emergency, spark ignition, (8) I.C. engine – portable, compression ignition, (9) liquid transfer and handling – container filling*, (10) liquid transfer and handling – tank truck and/or rail car bulk loading, class A, (11) lithographic or offset printing – non heatset, (12) mixer/blender - wet, (13) rubber compounding, roll mill*, (14) screen printing and drying, (15) spray booth, and (16) storage tank – fixed roof.

The boilers (three examples are attached) use selective catalytic reduction (SCR) or ultra low-NOx burners to achieve NOx emissions at or below 9 ppm, dry, at 3% oxygen. For the SCR installations, the ammonia slip is limited by permit conditions to 20 ppm, dry, at 3% oxygen. The boilers have been operating for several years and each one is equipped with a Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS) to verify compliance with NOx emission limits.

The circuit board photoresist developing equipment (one example is attached) uses two different volatile organic liquids to develop the photoresist coating. This is a test facility that is in the process of developing a new dielectric coating for printed circuit boards, and currently non-VOC developing materials are not available. The BACT requirement is use of low organic vapor pressure developing materials (vapor pressure < 5 mm Hg at 68 degrees Fahrenheit) and equipment VOC emissions not to exceed 20 pounds/month.

The direct injection polystyrene manufacturing equipment (one example is attached) will use a VOC blowing agent and the emissions will be vented to a thermal oxidizer. The permit limits material throughput and facility VOC emissions, and the BACT requirement is use of a thermal oxidizer with a minimum of 98% VOC destruction efficiency. The same manufacturing operation will use a direct fired oven to soften the polystyrene (one example is attached), and the BACT requirement is NOx emissions at or below 30 ppm, dry, at 3% oxygen. Compliance with this requirement will be achieved by using a low-NOx burner.

The heater is part of a hydrogen plant at a refinery (one example is attached), and SCR is used to control the NOx emissions to at or below 7 ppm, dry, at 3% oxygen. The permit limit for ammonia slip is 20 ppm, dry, at 3% oxygen. The heater has been operating since 1995 and a CEMS is used to verify compliance with the NOx emission limits.

* new equipment category

The emergency, compression ignition engines (two examples are attached) use diesel fuel and the NOx and PM10 emissions are below 6.9 and 0.38 grams/bhp-hr, respectively. One of the engines will utilize a diesel oxidation catalyst to achieve the BACT requirement for PM10 emissions (i.e., 0.38 grams/bhp-hr). The emergency, spark ignited engine (one example is attached) uses natural gas and the NOx, VOC, and CO emissions are at or below 0.15, 0.15, and 0.60 gram/bhp-hr, respectively. A 3-way catalyst and air/fuel ratio controller controls the emissions. The portable, compression ignition engine (one example is attached) uses diesel fuel and the NOx and PM10 emissions are below 7.0 and 0.38 grams/bhp-hr, respectively.

The liquid transfer and handling operations, mixing tanks, and storage tanks are part of a large chemical distribution operation (four examples are attached). The permits to construct limit material throughput and the vapor pressure of the volatile organic liquids handled at the facility. The BACT requirement is venting the VOC emissions to a thermal oxidizer with an overall efficiency of 95% VOC control.

The lithographic printing equipment (one example is attached) has permit conditions that limit the VOC emissions to levels below the threshold that triggers add-on controls. The BACT requirements are use of Regulation XI compliant materials and compliance with the equipment VOC emission limit.

The particulate emissions from the rubber roll mill (one example is attached) are controlled by a baghouse. A baghouse is considered BACT for this type of operation. In addition, the permit specifies that no organic solvents can be added to the roll mill.

The screen printing operation (one example is attached) uses UV inks and a small amount of water based ink (<1% of total ink usage). The BACT requirements are use of UV inks that contain a maximum of 0.5 pound/gallon of VOC and a water based scratch-off ink that contains a maximum of 4.9 pounds/gallon of VOC.

The spray booths (five examples are attached) have low facility VOC emission limits (667 pounds/month or less), and the BACT requirements are compliance with applicable Regulation XI rules and the VOC emission limits specified in the permits. The VOC emissions from the spray booths are below the thresholds that require add-on controls.

Attached is a BACT listing for a boiler operating in Corcoran, California. The permit was issued by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. The NOx and CO emissions from the boiler are limited by permit conditions to 12 and 30 ppm, dry, at 3% oxygen, respectively and were confirmed to comply by source tests. The equipment has been operating since 1997, and it is listed in both the CARB and U.S. EPA clearinghouses. Some competing boiler manufacturers have questioned this BACT determination, but staff still finds it to be valid. However, staff will continue to evaluate all relevant information regarding this LAER/BACT determination. Such information includes, but is not limited to, operating history and any issues that have been raised regarding the boiler’s operation.

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.

Part B - BACT Listings

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