(1) Applicability.

(a) WAC 173-400-110, 173-400-111, 173-400-112, and 173-400-113 apply statewide except where a permitting authority has adopted its own new source review regulations.

(b) This section applies to new sources and stationary sources as defined in RCW 70.94.030, and WAC 173-400-030, but does not include nonroad engines.

(i) "Establishment" means to begin actual construction;

(ii) "New source" includes:

(A) A modification to an existing stationary source, as "modification" is defined in WAC 173-400-030:

(B) The construction, modification, or relocation of a portable source as defined in WAC 173-400-030, except those relocating in compliance with WAC 173-400-036;

(D) A major modification to an existing major stationary source, as defined in WAC 173-400-710 and 173-400-810.

(d) New source review of a modification is limited to the emission unit or units proposed to be modified and the air contaminants whose emissions would increase as a result of the modification. Review of a major modification must comply with WAC 173-400-700 through 173-400-750 or 173-400-800 through 173-400-860, as applicable.

(e) The procedural requirements pertaining to NOC applications and orders of approval for new sources that are not major stationary sources, as defined in WAC 173-400-710 and 173-400-810, shall not apply to any person conducting a remedial action at a facility pursuant to a consent decree, order, or agreed order issued pursuant to chapter 70.105D RCW, Model Toxics Control Act, or to the department of ecology when it conducts a remedial action under chapter 70.105D RCW. The department of ecology shall ensure compliance with the substantive requirements of this chapter through the consent decree, order, or agreed order issued pursuant to chapter 70.105D RCW using the procedures outlined in WAC 173-340-710(9) or during a department-conducted remedial action, through the procedures outlined in WAC 173-340-710(9).

(2) Preconstruction approval requirements. The applicant must evaluate the proposed project and submit an application addressing all applicable new source review requirements of this chapter.

(a) A notice of construction application must be filed and an order of approval must be issued by the permitting authority prior to the establishment of any new source or modification except for those new sources or modifications exempt from permitting under subsections (4), (5), and (6) of this section.

(b) If the proposed project is a new major stationary source or a major modification, located in a designated nonattainment area, and if the project emits the air pollutant or precursors of the air pollutant for which the area is designated nonattainment, and the project meets the applicability criteria in WAC 173-400-820, then the project is subject to the permitting requirements of WAC 173-400-800 through 173-400-860.

(c) If the proposed project is a new major stationary source or a major modification that meets the applicability criteria of WAC 173-400-720, then the project is subject to the PSD permitting requirements of WAC 173-400-700 through 173-400-750.

(d) If the proposed project will increase emissions of toxic air pollutants regulated under chapter 173-460 WAC, then the project must meet all applicable requirements of that program.

(3) Modifications.

New source review is required for any modification to a stationary source that requires:

(a) An increase in a plant-wide cap; or

(b) An increase in an emission unit or activity specific emission limit.

(4) Emission unit and activity exemptions.

The construction or modification of emission units or an activity in one of the categories listed below is exempt from new source review, provided that the modified unit continues to fall within one of the listed categories. The construction or modification of an emission unit or an activity exempt under this subsection does not require the filing of a notice of construction application.

(a) Maintenance/construction:

(i) Cleaning and sweeping of streets and paved surfaces;

(ii) Concrete application, and installation;

(iii) Dredging wet spoils handling and placement;

(iv) Paving application and maintenance. This provision does not exempt asphalt plants from this chapter;

(v) Plant maintenance and upkeep activities (grounds keeping, general repairs, house keeping, plant painting, welding, cutting, brazing, soldering, plumbing, retarring roofs, etc.);

(vi) Plumbing installation, plumbing protective coating application and maintenance activities;

(vii) Roofing application and maintenance;

(viii) Insulation application and maintenance;

(ix) Janitorial services and consumer use of janitorial products;

(x) Construction activities that do not result in new or modified stationary sources or portable stationary sources.

(b) Storage tanks:

Note:

It can be difficult to determine requirements for storage tanks. Ecology strongly recommends that an owner or operator contact the permitting authority to determine the exemption status of storage tanks prior to their installation.

(i) Lubricating oil storage tanks. This provision does not exempt wholesale distributors of lubricating oils from this chapter;

(ii) Polymer tanks and storage devices and associated pumping and handling equipment, used for solids dewatering and flocculation;

(iii) Storage tanks, reservoirs, pumping and handling equipment of any size containing soaps, vegetable oil, grease, animal fat, and nonvolatile aqueous salt solutions;

(iv) Process and white water storage tanks;

(v) Operation, loading and unloading of storage tanks and storage vessels, with lids or other appropriate closure and less than 260-gallon capacity (35 cubic feet);

(vi) Operation, loading and unloading of storage tanks, ≤ 1100 gallon capacity, with lids or other appropriate closure, not for use with materials containing toxic air pollutants, as listed in chapter 173-460 WAC, max. VP 550 mm mercury at 21°C;

(vii) Operation, loading and unloading storage of butane, propane, or liquefied petroleum gas with a vessel capacity less than 40,000 gallons;

(viii) Tanks, vessels and pumping equipment, with lids or other appropriate closure for storage or dispensing of aqueous solutions of inorganic salts, bases and acids.

(c) New or modified emission units with combined aggregate heat inputs to combustion units (excluding emergency engines exempted by subsection (4)(h)(xxxix) of this section), less than or equal to all of the following, as applicable:

(i) ≤ 500,000 Btu/hr using coal with ≤ 0.5% sulfur or other solid fuels with ≤ 0.5% sulfur;

(ii) ≤ 500,000 Btu/hr using used oil, per the requirements of RCW 70.94.610;

(iii) ≤ 400,000 Btu/hr using wood waste or paper;

(iv) ≤ 1,000,000 Btu/hr using gasoline, kerosene, #1, or #2 fuel oil and with ≤0.05% sulfur;

(v) ≤ 4,000,000 Btu/hr using natural gas, propane, or LPG.

(d) Material handling:

(i) Continuous digester chip feeders;

(ii) Grain elevators not licensed as warehouses or dealers by either the Washington state department of agriculture or the U.S. Department of Agriculture;

(iii) Storage and handling of water based lubricants for metal working where organic content of the lubricant is ≤ 10%;

(iv) Equipment used exclusively to pump, load, unload, or store high boiling point organic material in tanks less than one million gallon, material with initial atmospheric boiling point not less than 150°C or vapor pressure not more than 5 mm mercury at 21°C, with lids or other appropriate closure.

(e) Water treatment:

(i) Septic sewer systems, not including active wastewater treatment facilities;

(ii) NPDES permitted ponds and lagoons used solely for the purpose of settling suspended solids and skimming of oil and grease;

(iii) De-aeration (oxygen scavenging) of water where toxic air pollutants as defined in chapter 173-460 WAC are not emitted;

(iv) Process water filtration system and demineralizer vents;

(v) Sewer manholes, junction boxes, sumps and lift stations associated with wastewater treatment systems;

(vi) Demineralizer tanks;

(vii) Alum tanks;

(viii) Clean water condensate tanks.

(f) Environmental chambers and laboratory equipment:

(i) Environmental chambers and humidity chambers using only gases that are not toxic air pollutants listed in chapter 173-460 WAC;

(ii) Gas cabinets using only gases that are not toxic air pollutants regulated under chapter 173-460 WAC;

(iii) Installation or modification of a single laboratory fume hood;

(iv) Laboratory research, experimentation, analysis and testing at sources whose primary purpose and activity is research or education. To be exempt, these sources must not engage in the production of products, or in providing commercial services, for sale or exchange for commercial profit except in a de minimis manner. Pilot-plants or pilot scale processes at these sources are not exempt.

(v) Laboratory calibration and maintenance equipment.

(g) Monitoring/quality assurance/testing:

(i) Equipment and instrumentation used for quality control/assurance or inspection purpose;

(ii) Hydraulic and hydrostatic testing equipment;

(iii) Sample gathering, preparation and management;

(iv) Vents from emission monitors and other analyzers.

(h) Miscellaneous:

(i) Single-family residences and duplexes;

(ii) Plastic pipe welding;

(iii) Primary agricultural production activities including soil preparation, planting, fertilizing, weed and pest control, and harvesting;

(iv) Comfort air conditioning;

(v) Flares used to indicate danger to the public;

(vi) Natural and forced air vents and stacks for bathroom/toilet activities;

(vii) Personal care activities;

(viii) Recreational fireplaces including the use of barbecues, campfires, and ceremonial fires;

(ix) Tobacco smoking rooms and areas;

(x) Noncommercial smokehouses;

(xi) Blacksmith forges for single forges;

(xii) Vehicle maintenance activities, not including vehicle surface coating;

(xiii) Vehicle or equipment washing (see (c) of this subsection for threshold for boilers);

(xiv) Wax application;

(xv) Oxygen, nitrogen, or rare gas extraction and liquefaction equipment not including internal and external combustion equipment;

(xvi) Ozone generators and ozonation equipment;

(xvii) Solar simulators;

(xviii) Ultraviolet curing processes, to the extent that toxic air pollutant gases as defined in chapter 173-460 WAC are not emitted;

(xix) Electrical circuit breakers, transformers, or switching equipment installation or operation;

(xx) Pulse capacitors;

(xxi) Pneumatically operated equipment, including tools and hand held applicator equipment for hot melt adhesives;

(xxii) Fire suppression equipment;

(xxiii) Recovery boiler blow-down tank;

(xxiv) Screw press vents;

(xxv) Drop hammers or hydraulic presses for forging or metal working;

(xxvi) Production of foundry sand molds, unheated and using binders less than 0.25% free phenol by sand weight;

(xxvii) Kraft lime mud storage tanks and process vessels;

(xxviii) Lime grits washers, filters and handling;

(xxix) Lime mud filtrate tanks;

(xxx) Lime mud water;

(xxxi) Stock cleaning and pressurized pulp washing down process of the brown stock washer;

(xxxii) Natural gas pressure regulator vents, excluding venting at oil and gas production facilities and transportation marketing facilities;

(xxxiii) Solvent cleaners less than 10 square feet air-vapor interface with solvent vapor pressure not more than 30 mm mercury at 21°C where no toxic air pollutants as listed under chapter 173-460 WAC are emitted;

(xxxiv) Surface coating, aqueous solution or suspension containing ≤ 1% (by weight) VOCs, or ≤ 1% (by weight) toxic air pollutants as listed in chapter 173-460 WAC;

(xxxv) Cleaning and stripping activities and equipment using solutions having ≤ 1% VOCs (by weight) or ≤ 1% (by weight) toxic air pollutants. Acid solutions used on metallic substances are not exempt;

(xxxvi) Dip coating operations, using materials less than 1% VOCs (by weight) or ≤ 1% (by weight) toxic air pollutants as listed in chapter 173-460 WAC.

(xxxvii) Abrasive blasting performed inside a booth or hangar designed to capture the blast grit or overspray.

(xxxviii) For structures or items too large to be reasonably handled indoors, abrasive blasting performed outdoors that employs control measures such as curtailment during windy periods and enclosure of the area being blasted with tarps and uses either steel shot or an abrasive containing less than one percent (by mass) which would pass through a No. 200 sieve.

(xxxix) Stationary emergency internal combustion engines with an aggregate brake horsepower that is less than or equal to 500 brake horsepower.

(xl) Gasoline dispensing facilities with annual gasoline throughputs less than those specified in WAC 173-491-040 (4)(a). Gasoline dispensing facilities subject to chapter 173-491 WAC are exempt from toxic air pollutant analysis pursuant to chapter 173-460 WAC.

(5) Exemptions based on emissions.

(a) Except as provided in this subsection:

(i) Construction of a new emissions unit that has a potential to emit below each of the levels listed in Table 110(5) Exemption levels is exempt from new source review.

(ii) A modification to an existing emissions unit that increases the unit's actual emissions by less than each of the threshold levels listed in Table 110(5) Exemption levels of this subsection is exempt from new source review.

(b) Greenhouse gas emissions are exempt from new source review requirements except to the extent required under WAC 173-400-720, prevention of significant deterioration. The owner or operator of a source or emission unit, may request that the permitting authority impose emission limits and/or operation limitations for greenhouse gas in any new source review order of approval.

Table 110(5) Exemption levels:

pollutant	level (tons per year)
Carbon monoxide		5.0
Lead		0.005
Nitrogen oxides		2.0
PM-10		0.75
PM-2.5		0.5
Total suspended particulates		1.25
Sulfur dioxide		2.0
Volatile Organic Compounds, total		2.0
Ozone Depleting Substances, total		1.0
Toxic Air Pollutants	The de minimis emission rate specified for each TAP in WAC 173-460-150.

(6) Portable source with order of approval. A portable source is authorized to operate without obtaining a site-specific or a permitting authority specific approval order to relocate if the portable source complies with the provisions of WAC 173-400-036.

PDFWAC 173-400-110

New source review (NSR) for sources and portable sources.