SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT

RULE 404 - SULFUR COMPOUNDS EMISSION STANDARDS, LIMITATIONS AND PROHIBITIONS
(Adopted 8/2/76; Revised 12/6/76)
 
A. SULFUR COMPOUNDS

Except as otherwise provided in this Rule a person shall not discharge into the atmosphere from any single source of emission whatsoever sulfur compounds calculated as sulfur dioxide in excess of 0.2% by volume.

B. SULFUR RECOVERY UNITS

  1. A person shall not discharge into the atmosphere from any new or altered sulfur recovery unit producing elemental sulfur, effluent process gas containing more than:

    a. 0.2 percent by volume of sulfur compounds calculated as sulfur dioxide.

    b. 10 ppm by volume of hydrogen sulfide.

    c. 200 pounds per hour of sulfur compounds calculated as sulfur dioxide.

  2. Any sulfur recovery unit, producing elemental sulfur in existence on January 1, 1976, shall comply with the limitations set forth in 404.B.1 above, if:

    a. any applicable ambient air standard for sulfur dioxide is being violated in the Air Basin and the continued operation of such existing unit is contributing to the violation; or

    b. ambient air quality data demonstrate that air quality in the Air Basin is being degraded and the continued operation of such existing unit is contributing to degradation. Degradation shall be herein defined as a statistically significant increasing trend in ambient sulfur dioxide level within the Air Basin from an average ambient level established during a one-year baseline monitoring program.

  3. Any person operating an existing sulfur recovery unit producing elemental sulfur required to comply with these emission limitations set forth in 404.B.1 above, shall, within 60 days of notification, provide to the APCO a compliance schedule, including increments of progress, setting forth the earliest date for compliance not exceeding 48 months from date of notification.
  4. Any sulfur recovery unit having an effluent process gas discharge containing less than ten (10) pounds per hour of sulfur compounds calculated as sulfur dioxide may dilute to meet the limitations of 404.B.1.

C. SULFUR ACID UNITS

A person shall not discharge into the atmosphere from any sulfuric acid unit, effluent process gas containing more than:

  1. 0.2 percent by volume of sulfur compounds calculated as sulfur dioxide.
  2. 200 pounds per hour of sulfur compounds calculated as sulfur dioxide.

D. FUEL BURNING EQUIPMENT

A person shall not build, erect, install or expand any non-mobile fuel burning equipment unit unless the discharge into the atmosphere of contaminants will not and does not exceed 200 pounds per hour of sulfur compounds, calculated as sulfur dioxide.

For the purpose of this subsection, a fuel burning equipment unit shall be comprised of the minimum number of boilers, furnaces, jet engines or other fuel burning equipment, the simultaneous operations of which are required for the production of useful heat or power.

Fuel burning equipment serving primarily as air pollution control equipment by using a combustion process to destroy air contaminants shall be exempt from the provisions of this Rule.

Nothing in this Rule shall be construed as preventing the maintenance or preventing the alteration or modification of an existing fuel burning equipment unit which will reduce its mass rate of air contaminant emissions.

E. SULFUR CONTENT OF FUELS

  1. No person shall burn within any portion of San Luis Obispo County APCD any gaseous fuel containing sulfur compounds in excess of 50 grains per 100 cubic feet (calculated as hydrogen sulfide at standard conditions) or any liquid or solid fuel having a sulfur content in excess of 0.5 percent by weight; except the provisions of this Rule shall not apply:

    a. To the burning of sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, acid sludge or other sulfur compounds in the manufacturing of sulfur or sulfur compounds.

    b. To the incinerating of waste gases, provided the gross heating value of such gases is less than 300 British Thermal Units per cubic foot at standard conditions and provided the fuel used to incinerate such waste gases does not contain sulfur compounds in excess of the amount specified in this Rule.

    c. To the use of solid fuels in any metallurgical process.

    d. To the use of fuels where the gaseous products of combustion are used as raw materials for other processes.

    e. To the use of liquid or solid fuel to propel or test any vehicle, aircraft, missile, locomotive, boat or ship.

    f. Where sulfur compounds are removed from combustion products, or a mixture of fuels is used to the extent that the emission of sulfur compounds in the atmosphere is no greater than that which would be emitted by using a liquid or solid fuel complying with this Rule.

    g. To the use of liquid fuel whenever the supply of liquid fuel with a sulfur content of 0.5% or less is not physically available to the user due to accident, strike, act of war, sabotage, act of God, failure of the supplier or by reason of any Federal or State of California rule or regulation prohibiting the purchase or use thereof, providing that an application for a variance to burn non-complying fuel is filed within three days with the Clerk of the Hearing Board of the Air Pollution Control District.

F. RESERVED FOR MEASUREMENT METHODS