EPA Emissions Rules For Boilers
On March 21, 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published three rules regarding air emissions standards in the Federal Register. Two of the three rules pertain to boilers and are specifically designed to reduce emissions of air pollutants. The two rules are:
- Major Source (Boiler MACT) Rule: Rules to reduce boiler and process heater emissions at large sources of air toxics
- Area Source Rule: Rules to reduce boiler emissions at small sources of air toxics
While the Area Source Rule has been in effect since being published in March 2011, the Major Source Rule has not. In May 2011, EPA issued a notice of delay and asked for a stay of the rules to give the agency more time to evaluate feedback from the industry. In June 2011, the Sierra Club petitioned the appellate court for review of the EPA’s delay notice, contending that the original rules will help reduce illnesses such as lung cancer and asthma. EPA issued a revised proposal in December 2011 that agency officials said is less costly for affected boiler owners than the original proposal but still meets the necessary requirements.
On Jan. 9, 2012, the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the original compliance date for the Boiler MACT that EPA published in March 2011. These rules require owners and operators of certain boilers and process heaters to meet work practice standards by March 21, 2012 and install MACT equipment by March 2014. However, on Feb. 7, 2012, EPA provided a “No Action Assurance” (NAA) to boiler operators of major source facilities until Dec. 31, 2012 or the effective date of the proposed rule, whichever comes first. This action means that the agency will use its discretion in enforcing the Boiler MACT requirements. Cleaver-Brooks recommends that major source facilities adopt work practice standards outlined in the Boiler MACT as soon as possible.
Compliance requirements of the Area Source Rule, which include the majority of boilers in the United States, are in effect. The first step was sending an initial notification form to the EPA that was due on September 17, 2011.
To view a timeline of EPA actions pertaining to boilers, click here.
Examples of the types of requirements under these two new rules include: boiler tune-ups, emissions limit requirements, one-time energy assessments, and monthly fuel monitoring.
To determine which records and reports are required for your boiler under the Area Source Rule, consult this decision tree.
For a summary of compliance dates specific to your boiler under the Area Source Rule, click here.
For a summary of specific emissions limits by boiler type under the Area Source Rule, click here.
Read the requirements of the Boiler MACT rule as published in the Federal Register here. The EPA has also published a summary fact sheet about the rule.
To determine rule applicability and compliance actions required, complete the following three steps:
- Step 1: Determine if your facility is an Area Source or Major Source. Complete Step 1
- Step 2: Determine boiler(s) subcategory for: a) Fuels Combusted; b) New vs. Existing Source; c) Size of Boiler. Complete Step 2
- Step 3: Submit Initial Notification of Applicability and Determine Compliance Requirements. Complete Step 3
Do not delay in completing the above three steps. Several reports are required to validate compliance with the new rules. The first report to be submitted was an Initial Notification of Applicability. It was due September 17, 2011, if startup was before May 20, 2011. If startup was on or after May 20, 2011, the notification was due September 17, 2011, or within 120 days after startup for Area Source facilities, or within 15 days after startup for Major Source facilities. If you missed the notification deadline, send in your form as soon as possible.
We will continue to update information as it becomes available and upload the forms necessary for compliance. If you would like to receive notification when we post updates, please register your e-mail address below.
Click here to download Cleaver-Brooks complete package of information, and tools necessary for compliance with the new EPA Emissions Rules for Area Source Boilers. Use the initial notification form links above for easy fill-in for actual submissions.