PROPOSED RULES
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 10-17-126.
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: Revisions to chapter 173-401 WAC, Operating permit regulation.
This rule making proposes amendments to chapter 173-401 WAC to align Washington's air operating permit rule with the federal tailoring rule. Revisions to 40 C.F.R. 70.2 establish thresholds for greenhouse gas emissions that define when a permit is required under the federal air operating permit program.
Hearing Location(s): Department of Ecology, 300 Desmond Drive, Lacey, WA 98503, on November 10, 2010, at 6:30 p.m.
Date of Intended Adoption: December 1, 2010.
Submit Written Comments to: Elena Guilfoil, Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600, e-mail elena.guilfoil@ecy.wa.gov, fax (360) 407-7528, by November 17, 2010.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Tami Dahlgren at (360) 407-6830, by November 2, 2010. Persons with hearing loss, call 711 for Washington relay service. Persons with a speech disability, call 877-833-6341.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: Under the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) light-duty vehicle rule (adopted May 7, 2010), greenhouse gases become subject to regulation under the federal Clean Air Act beginning January 2, 2011. Because of this deadline, EPA adopted rules in June 2010 (known as the tailoring rule) establishing thresholds for greenhouse gas emissions that define when a permit is required under the federal air operating permit program. Chapter 173-401 WAC contains the state rules implementing the federal air operating permit program. Ecology must update the state rule to align with the federal greenhouse gas emissions thresholds in 40 C.F.R. 70.2 by revising the definition of "major source" and adding the definition of "subject to regulation."
The federal rules establish greenhouse gas emission thresholds at 100,000 tons per year or more for each existing air operating permit source beginning on January 2, 2011. Sources currently with an air operating permit must address their greenhouse gas emissions when applying for, renewing or revising their air operating permits. Beginning on July 1, 2011, sources that emit 100,000 tons per year or more of greenhouse gases become subject to the air operating permit program, regardless of their emissions of other pollutants. These newly subject sources must apply for an air operating permit on or before July 1, 2012.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: Ecology must align its rule with the federal rule by January 2, 2011, when the federal greenhouse gas thresholds become effective. Without these new, higher thresholds, many sources in Washington would unnecessarily become subject to federal permits for emitting greenhouse gases at or above one hundred tons per year (the existing thresholds for certain criteria pollutants).
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 70.94.161 and 70.94.510.
Statute Being Implemented: RCW 70.94.161 and 70.94.510.
Rule is necessary because of federal law, 40 C.F.R. 70.2 as revised by 75 Federal Register 31514 on June 30, 2010.
Name of Proponent: Washington state department of ecology, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Elena Guilfoil, Lacey, (360) 407-6855; Implementation: Crystal Alford, Spokane, (509) 329-3595; and Enforcement: Benton Clean Air Agency, Kennewick, (509) 783-1304, Northwest Clean Air Agency, Mount Vernon, (360) 428-1617, Olympic Region Clean Air Agency, Olympia, 1-800-422-5623, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Seattle, 1-800-552-3565, Southwest Clean Air Agency, Vancouver, 1-800-633-0709, Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency, Spokane, (509) 477-4727, Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency, Yakima, 1-800-540-6950, Department of Ecology - Central Regional Office, Yakima, (509) 575-2490, Department of Ecology - Eastern Regional Office, Spokane, (509) 329-3400, and Department of Ecology - Industrial Section, Lacey, (360) 407-6800.
No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. With this rule making, ecology is updating the state rule to comply with a federal rule, 40 C.F.R. 70.2. Under RCW 19.85.025(3), the requirement to evaluate small business impacts does not apply to a rule adoption that is not required to comply with RCW 34.05.310.
A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328. With this rule making, ecology is updating the state rule to incorporate requirements in a federal rule, 40 C.F.R. 70.2, without material change. RCW 34.05.328 (5)(b)(iii) exempts a rule making from the requirement to prepare a cost-benefit analysis for any rule making that adopts federal rules by reference or incorporates federal rules without material change.
October 1, 2010
Polly Zehm
Deputy Director
OTS-3505.2
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending Order 02-02, filed 9/16/02,
effective 10/17/02)
WAC 173-401-200
Definitions.
The definitions of terms
contained in chapter 173-400 WAC are incorporated by
reference, unless otherwise defined here. Unless a different
meaning is clearly required by context, the following words
and phrases, as used in this chapter, shall have the following
meanings:
(1) "Affected source" means a source that includes one or more affected units.
(2) "Affected states" are the states or federally-recognized Tribal Nations:
(a) Whose air quality may be affected when a chapter 401 permit, permit modification, or permit renewal is being proposed; or
(b) That are within fifty miles of the permitted source.
(3) "Affected unit" means a fossil-fuel fired combustion device or a source that opts-in under 40 CFR part 74, that is subject to any emission reduction requirement or limitation under the Acid Rain Program.
(4) "Applicable requirement" means all of the following as they apply to emissions units in a chapter 401 source (including requirements that have been promulgated or approved by EPA, ecology or a local authority through rule making at the time of permit issuance but have future-effective compliance dates):
(a) The following provisions of the Federal Clean Air Act (FCAA):
(i) Any standard or other requirement provided for in the applicable implementation plan approved or promulgated by EPA through rule making under Title I of the FCAA (Air Pollution Prevention and Control) that implements the relevant requirements of the FCAA, including any revisions to that plan promulgated in 40 CFR 52;
(ii) Any term or condition of any preconstruction permits issued pursuant to regulations approved or promulgated through rule making under Title I, including parts C (Prevention of Significant Deterioration) or D (Plan Requirements for Nonattainment Areas), of the FCAA;
(iii) Any standard or other requirement under section 111 (New Source Performance Standards) of the FCAA, including section 111(d);
(iv) Any standard or other requirement under section 112 (Hazardous Air Pollutants) of the FCAA, including any requirement concerning accident prevention under section 112 (r)(7) of the FCAA;
(v) Any standard or other requirement of the acid rain program under Title IV of the FCAA (Acid Deposition Control) or the regulations promulgated thereunder;
(vi) Any requirements established pursuant to section 504(b) or section 114 (a)(3) of the FCAA;
(vii) Any standard or other requirement governing solid waste incineration, under section 129 of the FCAA;
(viii) Any standard or other requirement for consumer and commercial products, under section 183(e) of the FCAA;
(ix) Any standard or other requirement for tank vessels, under section 183(f) of the FCAA;
(x) Any standard or other requirement of the program to control air pollution from outer continental shelf sources, under section 328 of the FCAA;
(xi) Any standard or other requirement of the regulations promulgated to protect stratospheric ozone under Title VI of the FCAA, unless the administrator has determined that such requirements need not be contained in a Title V permit; and
(xii) Any national ambient air quality standard or increment or visibility requirement under part C of Title I of the FCAA, but only as it would apply to temporary sources permitted pursuant to WAC 173-401-635.
(b) Chapter 70.94 RCW and rules adopted thereunder. This includes requirements in regulatory orders issued by the permitting authority.
(c) In permits issued by local air pollution control authorities, the requirements of any order or regulation adopted by the authority.
(d) Chapter 70.98 RCW and rules adopted thereunder.
(e) Chapter 80.50 RCW and rules adopted thereunder.
(5) "Chapter 401 permit" or "permit" means any permit or group of permits covering a chapter 401 source that is issued, renewed, amended, or revised pursuant to this chapter.
(6) "Chapter 401 source" means any source subject to the permitting requirements of this chapter.
(7) "Continuous compliance" means collection of all monitoring data required by the permit under the data collection frequency required by the permit, with no deviations, and no other information that indicates deviations, except for unavoidable excess emissions or other operating conditions during which compliance is not required. Monitoring data includes information from instrumental (e.g., CEMS, COMS, or parameter monitors) and noninstrumental (e.g., visual observation, inspection, recordkeeping) forms of monitoring.
(8) "Delegated authority" means an air pollution control authority that has been delegated the permit program pursuant to RCW 70.94.161 (2)(b).
(9) "Designated representative" shall have the meaning given to it in section 402(26) of the FCAA and the regulations promulgated thereunder and in effect on April 7, 1993.
(10) "Draft permit" means the version of a permit for which the permitting authority offers public participation or affected state review.
(11) "Emissions allowable under the permit" means an enforceable permit term or condition determined at issuance to be required by an applicable requirement that establishes an emissions limit (including a work practice standard) or an enforceable emissions cap that the source has assumed to avoid an applicable requirement to which the source would otherwise be subject.
(12) "Emissions unit" means any part or activity of a stationary source that emits or has the potential to emit any regulated air pollutant or any pollutant listed under section 112(b) of the FCAA. This term is not meant to alter or affect the definition of the term "unit" for purposes of Title IV of the FCAA.
(13) The "EPA" or the "administrator" means the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or her/his designee.
(14) "Federal Clean Air Act" or "FCAA" means the Federal Clean Air Act, also known as Public Law 88-206, 77 Stat. 392. December 17, 1963, 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq., as last amended by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, P.L. 101-549, November 15, 1990.
(15) "Final permit" means the version of a chapter 401 permit issued by the permitting authority that has completed all review procedures required by this chapter and 40 CFR §§ 70.7 and 70.8.
(16) "General permit" means a permit which covers multiple similar sources or emissions units in lieu of individual permits being issued to each source.
(17) "Insignificant activity" or "insignificant emissions unit" means any activity or emissions unit located at a chapter 401 source which qualifies as insignificant under the criteria listed in WAC 173-401-530. These units and activities are exempt from permit program requirements except as provided in WAC 173-401-530.
(18) "Intermittent compliance" means any form of compliance other than continuous compliance. A certification of intermittent compliance under WAC 173-401-630(5) shall be filed where the monitoring data or other information available to the permittee shows either there are periods of noncompliance, or periods of time during which the monitoring required by the permit was not performed or recorded.
(19) "Major source" means any stationary source (or any group of stationary sources) that are located on one or more contiguous or adjacent properties, and are under common control of the same person (or persons under common control) belonging to a single major industrial grouping and that are described in (a), (b), or (c) of this subsection. For the purposes of defining "major source," a stationary source or group of stationary sources shall be considered part of a single industrial grouping if all of the pollutant emitting activities at such source or group of sources on contiguous or adjacent properties belong to the same major group (i.e., all have the same two-digit code) as described in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987.
(a) A major source under section 112 of the FCAA, which is defined as any stationary source or group of stationary sources located within a contiguous area and under common control that emits or has the potential to emit, in the aggregate, ten tons per year (tpy) or more of any hazardous air pollutant which has been listed pursuant to section 112(b) of the FCAA, or twenty-five tpy or more of any combination of such hazardous air pollutants. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, emissions from any oil or gas exploration or production well (with its associated equipment) and emissions from any pipeline compressor or pump station shall not be aggregated with emissions from other similar units, whether or not such units are in a contiguous area or under common control, to determine whether such units or stations are major sources; or
(b) A major stationary source of air pollutants, as defined in section 302 of the FCAA, that directly emits or has the potential to emit, one hundred tpy or more of any air pollutant subject to regulation (including any major source of fugitive emissions of any such pollutant). The fugitive emissions of a stationary source shall not be considered in determining whether it is a major stationary source for the purposes of this section, unless the source belongs to one of the following categories of stationary source:
(i) Coal cleaning plants (with thermal dryers);
(ii) Kraft pulp mills;
(iii) Portland cement plants;
(iv) Primary zinc smelters;
(v) Iron and steel mills;
(vi) Primary aluminum ore reduction plants;
(vii) Primary copper smelters;
(viii) Municipal incinerators capable of charging more than two hundred fifty tons of refuse per day;
(ix) Hydrofluoric, sulfuric, or nitric acid plants;
(x) Petroleum refineries;
(xi) Lime plants;
(xii) Phosphate rock processing plants;
(xiii) Coke oven batteries;
(xiv) Sulfur recovery plants;
(xv) Carbon black plants (furnace process);
(xvi) Primary lead smelters;
(xvii) Fuel conversion plants;
(xviii) Sintering plants;
(xix) Secondary metal production plants;
(xx) Chemical process plants;
(xxi) Fossil-fuel boilers (or combination thereof) totaling more than two hundred fifty million British thermal units per hour heat input;
(xxii) Petroleum storage and transfer units with a total storage capacity exceeding three hundred thousand barrels;
(xxiii) Taconite ore processing plants;
(xxiv) Glass fiber processing plants;
(xxv) Charcoal production plants;
(xxvi) Fossil-fuel-fired steam electric plants of more than two hundred fifty million British thermal units per hour heat input; or
(xxvii) All other stationary source categories, which as of August 7, 1980, were being regulated by a standard promulgated under section 111 or 112 of the FCAA;
(c) A major stationary source as defined in part D of Title I of the FCAA, including:
(i) For ozone nonattainment areas, sources with the potential to emit one hundred tpy or more of volatile organic compounds or oxides of nitrogen in areas classified as "marginal" or "moderate," fifty tpy or more in areas classified as "serious," twenty-five tpy or more in areas classified as "severe," and ten tpy or more in areas classified as "extreme"; except that the references in this paragraph to one hundred, fifty, twenty-five, and ten tpy of nitrogen oxides shall not apply with respect to any source for which the administrator has made a finding, under section 182 (f)(1) or (2) of the FCAA, that requirements under section 182(f) of the FCAA do not apply;
(ii) For ozone transport regions established pursuant to section 184 of the FCAA, sources with the potential to emit fifty tpy or more of volatile organic compounds;
(iii) For carbon monoxide nonattainment areas (A) that are classified as "serious," and (B) in which stationary sources contribute significantly to carbon monoxide levels, sources with the potential to emit fifty tpy or more of carbon monoxide; and
(iv) For particulate matter (PM-10) nonattainment areas classified as "serious," sources with the potential to emit seventy tpy or more of PM-10.
(20) "Permit modification" means a revision to a chapter 401 permit that meets the requirements of WAC 173-401-725.
(21) "Permit program costs" means all reasonable (direct and indirect) costs required to develop and administer a permit program (whether such costs are incurred by the permitting authority or other state or local agencies that do not issue permits directly, but that support permit issuance or administration).
(22) "Permit revision" means any permit modification or administrative permit amendment.
(23) "Permitting authority" means the department of ecology, local air authority, or other agency authorized under RCW 70.94.161 (3)(b) and approved by EPA to carry out a permit program under this chapter.
(24) "Potential to emit" means the maximum capacity of a stationary source to emit any air pollutant under its physical and operational design. Any physical or operational limitation on the capacity of a source to emit an air pollutant, including air pollution control equipment and restrictions on hours of operation or on the type or amount of material combusted, stored, or processed, shall be treated as part of its design if the limitation is enforceable by the administrator. This term does not alter or affect the use of this term for any other purposes under the FCAA, or the term "capacity factor" as used in Title IV of the FCAA or the regulations promulgated thereunder.
(25) "Proposed permit" means the version of a permit that the permitting authority proposes to issue and forwards to the administrator for review in compliance with 40 CFR 70.8.
(26) "Regulated air pollutant" means the following:
(a) Nitrogen oxides or any volatile organic compounds;
(b) Any pollutant for which a national ambient air quality standard has been promulgated;
(c) Any pollutant that is subject to any standard promulgated under section 111 of the FCAA;
(d) Any Class I or II substance subject to a standard promulgated under or established by Title VI of the FCAA; or
(e) Any pollutant subject to a standard promulgated under section 112 or other requirements established under section 112 of the FCAA, including sections 112 (g), (j), and (r), including the following:
(i) Any pollutant subject to requirements under section 112(j) of the FCAA. If the administrator fails to promulgate a standard by the date established pursuant to section 112(e) of the FCAA, any pollutant for which a subject source would be major shall be considered to be regulated on the date eighteen months after the applicable date established pursuant to section 112(e) of the FCAA; and
(ii) Any pollutant for which the requirements of section 112 (g)(2) of the FCAA have been met, but only with respect to the individual source subject to section 112 (g)(2) requirement; and
(f) Any air pollutant for which numerical emission standards, operational requirements, work practices, or monitoring requirements applicable to the source have been adopted under RCW 70.94.331, 70.94.380, and 70.94.395.
(27) "Regulated pollutant (for fee calculation)," which is used only for purposes of WAC 173-401-900, means any "regulated air pollutant" except the following:
(a) Carbon monoxide;
(b) Any pollutant that is a regulated air pollutant solely because it is a Class I or II substance subject to a standard promulgated under or established by Title VI of the FCAA; or
(c) Any pollutant that is a regulated air pollutant solely because it is subject to a standard or regulation under section 112(r) of the FCAA.
(d) Any regulated air pollutant emitted from an insignificant activity or emissions unit as determined under WAC 173-401-530.
(28) "Renewal" means the process by which a permit is reissued at the end of its term.
(29) "Responsible official" means one of the following:
(a) For a corporation: A president, secretary, treasurer, or vice-president of the corporation in charge of a principal business function, or any other person who performs similar policy or decision-making functions for the corporation, or a duly authorized representative of such person if the representative is responsible for the overall operation of one or more manufacturing, production, or operating facilities applying for or subject to a permit and either:
(i) The facilities employ more than two hundred fifty persons or have gross annual sales or expenditures exceeding forty-three million in 1992 dollars; or
(ii) The delegation of authority to such representative is approved in advance by the permitting authority;
(b) For a partnership or sole proprietorship: A general partner or the proprietor, respectively;
(c) For a municipality, state, federal, or other public agency: Either a principal executive officer or ranking elected official. For the purposes of this part, a principal executive officer of a federal agency includes the chief executive officer having responsibility for the overall operations of a principal geographic unit of the agency (e.g., a regional administrator of EPA); or
(d) For affected sources:
(i) The designated representative in so far as actions, standards, requirements, or prohibitions under Title IV of the FCAA or the regulations promulgated thereunder and in effect on April 7, 1993 are concerned; and
(ii) The designated representative for any other purposes under 40 CFR part 70.
(30) "Section 502 (b)(10) changes" are changes that contravene an express permit term. Such changes do not include changes that would violate applicable requirements or contravene enforceable permit terms and conditions that are monitoring (including test methods), recordkeeping, reporting, or compliance certification requirements.
(31) "Small business stationary source" means a stationary source that:
(a) Is owned or operated by a person that employs one hundred or fewer individuals;
(b) Is a small business concern as defined in the Federal Small Business Act;
(c) Is not a major source;
(d) Does not emit fifty tons or more per year of any regulated pollutant; and
(e) Emits less than seventy-five tons per year of all regulated pollutants.
(32) "Solid waste incineration unit" (for purposes of this chapter) means a distinct operating unit of any facility which combusts any solid waste material from commercial or industrial establishments or the general public (including single and multiple residences, hotels, and motels). Such term does not include incinerators or other units required to have a permit under section 3005 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6925). The term "solid waste incineration unit" does not include:
(a) Materials recovery facilities (including primary or secondary smelters) which combust waste for the primary purpose of recovering metals;
(b) Qualifying small power production facilities, as defined in section (3)(17)(C) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796 (17)(C)) or qualifying cogeneration facilities as defined in section (3)(18)(B) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796 (18)(B)), which burn homogeneous waste (such as units which burn tires or used oil, but not including refuse-derived fuel) for the production of electric energy or in the case of qualifying cogeneration facilities which burn homogeneous waste for the production of electric energy and steam or forms of useful energy (such as heat) which are used for industrial, commercial, heating, or cooling purposes; or
(c) Air curtain incinerators provided that such incinerators only burn wood wastes, yard wastes, and clean lumber and that such air curtain incinerators comply with opacity limitations to be established by the administrator by rule.
(33) "State" means any nonfederal permitting authority, including any local agency, interstate association, or statewide program.
(34) "Stationary source" means any building, structure, facility, or installation that emits or may emit any air contaminant. For purposes of this chapter, air contaminants include any regulated air pollutant or any pollutant listed under section 112(b) of the FCAA.
(35) "Subject to regulation" means, for any air pollutant, that the pollutant is subject to either a provision in the FCAA, or a nationally applicable regulation codified by EPA in subchapter C of 40 CFR chapter 1 (in effect on October 6, 2010), that requires actual control of the quantity of emissions of that pollutant, and that such a control requirement has taken effect and is operative to control, limit or restrict the quantity of emissions of that pollutant released from the regulated activity. Except that:
(a) Greenhouse gases (GHGs), the air pollutant defined in 40 CFR 86.1818-12(a) as the aggregate group of six greenhouse gases: Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride, shall not be subject to regulation unless, as of July 1, 2011, the GHG emissions are at a stationary source emitting or having the potential to emit 100,000 tpy CO2 equivalent emissions.
(b) The term "tpy (tons per year) CO2 equivalent emissions" (CO2e) shall represent an amount of GHGs emitted, and shall be computed by multiplying the mass amount of emissions (tpy), for each of the six greenhouse gases in the pollutant GHGs, by the gas's associated global warming potential published at Table A-1 to subpart A of 40 CFR part 98 - Global Warming Potentials, and summing the resultant value for each to compute a tpy CO2e.
(36) "Title I modification" or "modification under any provision of Title I of the FCAA" means any modification under Sections 111 (Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources) or 112 (Hazardous Air Pollutants) of the FCAA and any physical change or change in the method of operations that is subject to the preconstruction review regulations promulgated under Parts C (Prevention of Significant Deterioration) and D (Plan Requirements for Nonattainment Areas) of Title I of the FCAA.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 70.94.161(2). 02-19-078 (Order 02-02), § 173-401-200, filed 9/16/02, effective 10/17/02. Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.94 RCW. 94-11-105 (Order 93-30), § 173-401-200, filed 5/17/94, effective 6/17/94; 93-20-075 (Order 91-68), § 173-401-200, filed 10/4/93, effective 11/4/93.]