SCH Number 2014121018

Project Info

Title

Proposed Rule (PR) 1109.1 – Emissions of Oxides of Nitrogen from Petroleum Refineries and Related Operations, PR 429.1, PAR 1304, PAR 2305, and PRR 1109

Description

PR 1109.1 proposes to establish Best Available Retrofit Control Technology (BARCT) requirements to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions while not increasing carbon monoxide (CO) emissions from petroleum refineries and facilities with operations related to petroleum refineries which includes asphalt plants, biofuel plants, hydrogen production plants, facilities that operate petroleum coke calciners, sulfuric acid plants, and sulfur recovery plants. The following combustion equipment categories will be applicable to PR 1109.1: 1) boilers; 2) gas turbines; 3) ground level flares; 4) fluidized catalytic cracking units; 5) petroleum coke calciners; 6) process heaters; 7) sulfur recover units/tail gas treating units; 8) steam methane reformer (SMR) heaters; 9) SMR heaters with gas turbine; 10) sulfuric acid furnaces; and 11) vapor incinerators. PR 429.1 proposes new requirements for startup, shutdown, and certain maintenance events, including an exemption from the NOx and CO emission limits in PR 1109.1 during these events. PR 429.1 also proposes notification and recordkeeping requirements for units that will be subject to PR 1109.1. To achieve the BARCT NOx concentration limits under PR 1109.1, installations or modifications of post-combustion air pollution control equipment, including but not limited to selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and ultralow NOx burner (ULNB) technology, is expected to occur, which will reduce NOx emissions but may also increase emissions of particulate matter and sulfur oxide (SOx), which may trigger Best Available Control Technology (BACT). PAR 1304 and PAR 2005 propose to include a narrow BACT exemption to address these potential emission increases associated with installation of new or the modification of existing post-combustion air pollution control equipment or other equipment modifications to comply with the proposed NOx emission limits in PR 1109.1. Because the proposed adoption of PR 1109.1 will make Rule 1109 outdated and no longer necessary, Rule 1109 is proposed to be rescinded. Implementation of the proposed project is estimated to reduce NOx emissions by approximately 7 to 8 tons per day (tpd), while not increasing CO emissions. If the minimum 7 tpd of NOx emission reductions is achieved, a corresponding regionwide net decrease in annual PM2.5 concentration of 0.12 micrograms per cubic meter is also expected. The Draft SEA concluded that significant and unavoidable adverse environmental impacts may occur for the following environmental topic areas: 1) air quality during construction and greenhouse gases; 2) hazards and hazardous materials associated with ammonia; and 3) hydrology. Facilities subject to the proposed project may be identified on lists compiled by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control per Government Code Section 65962.5.

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