Proposed Amended Rules 219 and 222
Summary
SCH Number
2023040166
Public Agency
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Document Title
Proposed Amended Rules 219 and 222
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
4/7/2023
Document Description
Proposed Amended Rule 219 (PAR
219) contains changes to: 1) address comments raised by United States Environmental Protection
Agency (U.S. EPA); 2) address South Coast AQMD Governing Board’s direction to encourage the use
of low-emission technologies; 3) remove rule ambiguities and improve clarity; and 4) address
stakeholder requests. The key changes include: 1) adding new equipment categories that are exempt
from permitting requirements including ultraviolet (UV)/electron beam (EB)/ UV light emitting diodes
(LED) technology and other low-emission curing technologies, and gas insulating equipment that has a
low potential to emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs); 2) adding a separate exemption for small food
ovens with no process VOC emissions that are not subject to registration requirements in Rule 222; 3)
updating emissions thresholds for non-Title V agricultural sources; 4) clarifying that recordkeeping
requirements apply to all emission sources and removing two compliance options which do not require
continuous recordkeeping requirements for Printing and Reproduction Equipment and Coating and
Adhesive Process/Equipment; 5) removing Rule 222 requirements from Rule 219 since registration is
not the basis for determining if specific equipment should be exempted from permit requirements; 6)
clarifying that the exemption from permitting for identical replacement in whole or in part of any
equipment at federal major sources that has been issued a permit must be based on U.S. EPA guidance
in determining what qualifies as “routine maintenance, repair, and replacement” (RMRR); and 7)
amending the exemption provisions specific to remote reservoir cleaners and manually operated abrasive
blasting cabinets. PAR 219 further includes other edits throughout the rule to improve clarity,
consistency, enforceability and to remove ambiguity, including restructuring the format to align with
other South Coast AQMD rules without changing rule requirements. Implementation of PAR 219 will
improve enforceability, clarify recordkeeping, and may encourage the usage of low-emission
technologies. Proposed Amended Rule 222 (PAR 222) includes: 1) updates to align with the changes
proposed in PAR 219; 2) minor rule language revisions; 3) an additional recordkeeping option for food
ovens; and 4) a new subdivision for exemptions to improve rule clarity. Implementing PAR 219 and
PAR 222 will benefit stakeholders by improving clarity and overall understanding of requirements by
removing ambiguities and providing additional options for selecting low-emission technologies.
Contact Information
Name
Farzaneh Khalaj
Agency Name
South Coast AQMD
Job Title
Air Quality Specialist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino
Regions
Countywide
Other Location Info
The proposed project is located within the South Coast Air Quality Management
District’s (South Coast AQMD) jurisdiction, which includes the four-county South Coast Air Basin (all
of Orange County and the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties),
and the Riverside County portion of the Salton Sea Air Basin and the non-Palo Verde, Riverside County
portion of the Mojave Desert Air Basin.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
15061(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
South Coast AQMD, as Lead Agency, has reviewed the proposed
project (PAR 219 and PAR 222) pursuant to: 1) CEQA Guidelines Section 15002(k) – General Concepts,
the three-step process for deciding which document to prepare for a project subject to CEQA; and 2)
CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 – Review for Exemption, procedures for determining if a project is
exempt from CEQA. The proposed project contains revisions to improve clarity and enforceability of
both rules without requiring physical modifications. Further, PAR 219 adds new equipment categories
that are eligible to be exempted from permitting requirements because they have low potential to emit.
Both PAR 219 and PAR 222 will continue to encourage the use of equipment with fewer emissions
relative to other equipment that would require an air permit, resulting in a potential but unquantifiable
benefit to air quality such that it can be seen with certainty that implementing PAR 219 and PAR 222
would not cause a significant adverse effect on the environment. Therefore, the proposed project is
exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) – Common Sense Exemption.
County Clerks
Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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