Expedited BARCT
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Assembly Bill 617 (AB 617) directs the state and local air districts to focus on reducing exposure in communities most impacted by air pollution. Air Districts set a Best Available Retrofit Control Technology (BARCT) emissions limit stringency level for existing sources through the rulemaking process. BARCT takes into account environmental, energy, and economic impacts by each class or category of a stationary source and is defined in the California Health and Safety Code, section 40406.
AB 617, adopted in July 2017, included an expedited schedule for evaluating and updating BARCT (Expedited BARCT) for applicable industrial sources. It is intended to provide benefits to residents statewide living near industrial sources and was designed to yield important emissions reduction benefits in disadvantaged communities.
Under the bill, air districts in non-attainment areas were required to adopt an expedited schedule by January 1, 2019, to implement the most current BARCT limits on industrial stationary sources by December 31, 2023. This expedited schedule applied to each industrial source subject to the AB 32 Cap-and-Trade program as of January 1,2017, and addressed existing sources within 18 air districts. It prioritized retrofitting sources that had not modified emissions-related permit conditions for the longest period of time, with the intent to promptly reduce emissions in nearby communities. The schedule did not apply to emissions units that already implemented BARCT due to a permit revision or new permit issuance since 2007.
Industrial sources subject to expedited BARCT are identified in CARB’s pollution mapping tool.
The table below summarizes the expedited BARCT schedules adopted by required air districts. All air district rules can be found on the current air district rules tool.
| Air District | Regulation Number | Rule Number | Rule Name | Pollutants Controlled | District Schedule Adoption Date | Rule Adoption Date | Rule Status1 (7/2024) |
8 | Equipment Leaks | ROG | 12/19/2018 | TBD | In Progress | ||
8 | Storage of Organic Liquids | ROG | 12/19/2018 | N/A | Removed | ||
8 | Wastewater Collection and Separation Systems | ROG | 12/19/2018 | 12/20/2023 | Complete | ||
6 | PM from Refinery Fluidized Catalytic Cracking Units | PM, SO2 | 12/19/2018 | 7/21/2021 | Complete | ||
9 | NOx, PM, and TACs from Portland Cement Manufacturing | PM, SO2 | 12/19/2018 | N/A | Removed | ||
9 | Petroleum Coke Calcining Operations | NOx | 12/19/2018 | N/A | Removed | ||
Colusa County APCD | No information currently available | N/A | |||||
N/A | Stationary Piston Engines (Oxides of Nitrogen) | NOx | 11/1/2018 | N/A | Removed | ||
N/A | Cooling Towers (Hexavalent Chromium) | Hexavalent Chromium | 11/1/2018 | N/A | Removed | ||
N/A | Stationary Internal Combustion Engines | NOx, VOC, CO |
| 8/3/2020 | Complete | ||
The district has reviewed all rules that apply at AB 617 industrial facilities and have determined that the rules are currently at BARCT stringency | N/A | ||||||
4 | Boilers, Process Heaters and Steam Generators | NOx | 12/18/2018 | 11/26/2019 | Complete | ||
4 | Emissions of Oxides of Nitrogen from Wallboard Kilns | NOx | 12/18/2018 | N/A | Removed | ||
Monterey Bay ARD3 | 4 | Steam Generators, Process Heaters, and Boilers | NOx | 11/14/2018 | 2/19/2020 | Complete | |
New Rule | N/A | Internal Combustion Engines | NOx, VOC | 11/14/2018 | N/A | ||
4 | Steam Drive Crude Oil Production Wells | VOC | 11/14/2018 | N/A | |||
New Rule | N/A | Lime Kiln | NOx | 11/14/2018 | N/A | ||
New Rule | N/A | Natural Gas Production | VOC | 10/5/2018 | N/A | Removed | |
4 | NOx From Boilers, Process Heaters and Steam Generators | NOx | 10/5/2018 | TBD | Evaluation | ||
4 | Stationary Internal Combustion Engines Located at Major Stationary Sources of NOx | NOx | 10/5/2018 | TBD | Evaluation | ||
The district has reviewed all rules that apply at AB 617 industrial facilities and have determined that the rules are currently at BARCT stringency | N/A | ||||||
4 | Reduction Of Animal Matter | VOC | 12/20/2018 | N/A | Removed | ||
4 | Components At Light Crude Oil Production Facilities, Natural Gas Production Facilities, And Natural Gas Processing Facilities | VOC | 12/20/2018 | 6/15/2023 | Complete | ||
4 | Refinery Process Unit Turnaround | VOC | 12/20/2018 | N/A | Removed | ||
4 | Components At Petroleum Refineries, Gas Liquids Processing Facilities, And Chemical Plants | VOC | 12/20/2018 | 6/15/2023 | Complete | ||
4 | Cutback, Slow Cure, And Emulsified Asphalt, Paving And Maintenance Operation | VOC | 12/20/2018 | N/A | Removed | ||
4 | Internal Combustion Engines (VOC Only) | VOC | 12/20/2018 | 8/19/2021 | Complete | ||
4 | Architectural Coatings | VOC | 12/20/2018 | 4/16/2020 | Complete | ||
4 | Storage Of Organic Liquids | VOC | 12/20/2018 | 6/15/2023 | Complete | ||
4 | Transfer Of Organic Liquid | VOC | 12/20/2018 | 6/15/2023 | Complete | ||
4 | Surface Coating Of Metal Parts And Products, Plastic Parts And Products, And Pleasure Crafts | VOC | 12/20/2018 | N/A | |||
4 | Wine Fermentation And Storage Tanks | VOC | 12/20/2018 | N/A | Removed | ||
4 | Crude Oil Production Sumps | VOC | 12/20/2018 | 12/21/2023 | Complete | ||
4 | Organic Material Composting Operations | VOC | 12/20/2018 | N/A | Removed | ||
4 | Steam-Enhanced Crude Oil Production Wells | VOC | 12/20/2018 | 6/15/2023 | Complete | ||
4 | Gasoline Transfer Into Stationary Storage Containers, Delivery Vessels, And Bulk Plants | VOC | 12/20/2018 | N/A | |||
4 | Wastewater Separators | VOC | 12/20/2018 | N/A | |||
The district has reviewed all rules that apply at AB 617 industrial facilities and have determined that the rules are currently at BARCT stringency |
| ||||||
3 | Boilers, Steam Generators, and Process Heaters (5 MMBtu/hr and greater) | NOx | 12/20/2018 | 6/20/2019 | Complete | ||
3 | Boilers, Steam Generators, and Process Heaters (Between 2-5 MMBtu/hr) | NOx | 12/20/2018 | 6/20/2019 | Complete | ||
N/A | N/A | Particulate Matter Control Devices | PM | 12/20/2018 | 6/16/2022 | Complete2 | |
3 | Control of Emissions from Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines | NOx | 12/20/2018 | N/A | Removed | ||
3 | 358 (New) | Stationary Gas Turbines | NOx | 12/20/2018 | N/A | Removed | |
3 | 362 (New) | Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) from Miscellaneous Combustion Sources | NOx | 12/20/2018 | N/A | Removed | |
3 | Industrial, Institutional, and Commercial Boilers, Steam Generators, and Process Heaters | NOx | 12/20/2018 | N/A | Removed | ||
3 | Stationary Internal Combustion Engines | NOx, CO | 12/20/2018 | N/A | Removed | ||
11 | Emissions of Oxides of Nitrogen from Industrial, Institutional and Commercial Boilers, Steam Generators, and Process Heaters | NOx | 12/7/2018 | 12/4/2020 | Complete | ||
11 | Pleasure Craft Coatings | VOC | 12/7/2018 | 5/3/2019 | Complete | ||
11 | Control of Emissions from Non-Refinery Flares | NOx | 12/7/2018 | 1/4/2019 | Complete | ||
11 | NOx Emissions from Stationary Gas Turbines | NOx, NH3 | 12/7/2018 | 4/5/2019 | Complete | ||
11 | Emissions Control from Restaurant Operations | PM | 12/7/2018 | TBD | In Progress | ||
11 | Emissions from Stationary IC Engines | NOx | 12/7/2018 | 11/1/2019 | Complete | ||
11 | NOx Reductions from Aggregate Dryers | NOx | 12/7/2018 | 8/6/2021 | Complete | ||
11 | NOx Reductions from Miscellaneous Sources | NOx | 12/7/2018 | 5/6/2022 | Complete | ||
4 | Wood Burning Devices | PM | 12/7/2018 | 10/27/2020 | Complete | ||
11 | Emissions of Oxides of Nitrogen from Petroleum Refineries and Related Operations | NOx | 12/7/2018 | 11/5/2021 | Complete | ||
11 | Glass Melting Furnaces | NOx | 12/7/2018 | 6/5/2020 | Complete | ||
11 | 1147.3 (now 1147.1) | NOx Reductions from Aggregate Facilities | NOx | 12/7/2018 | 8/6/2021 | Complete | |
11 | 1147.2 | NOx Reductions from Metal Melting Sources | NOx | 12/7/2018 | 4/1/2022 | Complete | |
11 | NOx Reductions from Combustion Equipment at Landfills | NOx | 12/7/2018 | 2/5/2021 | Complete | ||
11 | Emissions of NOx from Commercial Food Ovens | NOx | 12/7/2018 | 8/4/2023 | Complete | ||
11 | 1159.1 | Nitric Acid Units – Oxides of Nitrogen | NOx | 12/7/2018 | TBD | ||
11 | Emissions Reductions from Combustion Equipment at Publicly Owned Treatment Works | NOx | 12/7/2018 | 10/2/2020 | Complete | ||
11 | Emissions of Oxides of Nitrogen from Large Water Heaters and Small Boilers and Process Heaters | NOx | 12/7/2018 | 6/7/2024 | Complete | ||
The district has reviewed all rules that apply at AB 617 industrial facilities and have determined that the rules are currently at BARCT stringency | N/A | ||||||
4 | Stationary Gas Turbines | NOx | 12/11/2018 | 11/12/2019 | Complete | ||
4 | Boilers, Steam Generators, and Process Heaters | NOx | 12/11/2018 | 10/10/2020 | Complete | ||
4 | Transfer of Reactive Organic Compound Liquids | VOC | 12/11/2018 | 5/11/2021 | Complete | ||
2 | Large Boilers | NOx | 10/10/2018 | 5/15/2019 | Complete | ||
2 | Stationary Internal Combustion Engines | NOx, CO | 10/10/2018 | N/A | Removed | ||
1 Status of rules as of 7/2024. The following definitions apply: "Complete" - Rule adopted by Board; "In Progress" - Draft rulemaking documents in-development and may be publicly available; "Evaluation" - Rule is undergoing internal review to evaluate potential controls, emissions benefits, etc. Data/information may not be publicly available; "Removed" - Removed from district schedule.
2The affected facility incorporated all BARCT requirements directly into the facility’s operating permit. A rule proceeding was no longer necessary since BARCT-level controls will be required through the permit process. Please see the district's BARCT analysis for more details.
3 After a preliminary review of all rules that apply at AB 617 industrial facilities, the district has committed to evaluating the rules identified to determine if they are at BARCT stringency. If the rule is determined to not be at BARCT stringency, the district will adopt a revision to the rule by the anticipated District rule adoption date listed.