<<Prev Rule

Texas Administrative Code

Next Rule>>
TITLE 30ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
PART 1TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
CHAPTER 115CONTROL OF AIR POLLUTION FROM VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
SUBCHAPTER ESOLVENT-USING PROCESSES
DIVISION 4OFFSET LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING
RULE §115.440Applicability and Definitions

(a) Applicability. The provisions in this division apply to offset lithographic printing lines located in the Dallas-Fort Worth, El Paso, and Houston-Galveston-Brazoria areas, as defined in §115.10 of this title (relating to Definitions).

(b) Definitions. Unless specifically defined in the Texas Clean Air Act (Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 382) or in §§3.2, 101.1, and 115.10 of this title (relating to Definitions), the terms in this division have the meanings commonly used in the field of air pollution control. In addition, the following meanings apply unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

  (1) Alcohol--Any of the hydroxyl-containing organic compounds with a molecular weight equal to or less than 74.12, which includes methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol.

  (2) Alcohol substitutes--Nonalcohol additives that contain volatile organic compounds and are used in the fountain solution to reduce the surface tension of water or prevent ink piling.

  (3) Batch--A supply of fountain solution or cleaning solution that is prepared and used without alteration until completely used or removed from the printing process.

  (4) Cleaning solution--Liquids used to remove ink and debris from the operating surfaces of the printing press and its parts.

  (5) Fountain solution--A mixture of water, nonvolatile printing chemicals, and a liquid additive that reduces the surface tension of the water so that it spreads easily across the printing plate surface. The fountain solution wets the non-image areas so that the ink is maintained within the image areas.

  (6) Heatset--Any operation where heat is required to evaporate ink oil from the printing ink.

  (7) Lithography--A plane-o-graphic printing process where the image and non-image areas are on the same plane of the printing plate. The image and non-image areas are chemically differentiated so the image area is oil receptive and the non-image area is water receptive.

  (8) Major printing source--All offset lithographic printing lines located on a property with combined uncontrolled emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) greater than or equal to:

    (A) 50 tons of VOC per calendar year in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as defined in §115.10 of this title (relating to Definitions), except Wise County;

    (B) 25 tons of VOC per calendar year in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria area, as defined in §115.10 of this title; or

    (C) 100 tons of VOC per calendar year in Wise County.

  (9) Minor printing source--All offset lithographic printing lines located on a property with combined uncontrolled emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) less than:

    (A) 50 tons of VOC per calendar year in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, defined in §115.10 of this title (relating to Definitions), except Wise County;

    (B) 25 tons of VOC per calendar year in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria area, as defined in §115.10 of this title; or

    (C) 100 tons of VOC per calendar year in Wise County.

  (10) Non-heatset--Any operation where the printing inks are set without the use of heat. For the purposes of this division, ultraviolet-cured and electron beam-cured inks are considered non-heatset.

  (11) Offset lithography--A printing process that transfers the ink film from the lithographic plate to an intermediary surface (blanket) that, in turn, transfers the ink film to the substrate.

  (12) Volatile organic compound (VOC) composite partial pressure--The sum of the partial pressures of the compounds that meet the definition of VOC in §101.1 of this title (relating to Definitions). The VOC composite partial pressure is calculated as follows.

Attached Graphic


Source Note: The provisions of this §115.440 adopted to be effective March 21, 1999, 24 TexReg 1777; amended to be effective May 16, 2002, 27 TexReg 4113; amended to be effective April 1, 2010, 35 TexReg 2579; amended to be effective June 25, 2015, 40 TexReg 3907

Link to Texas Secretary of State Home Page | link to Texas Register home page | link to Texas Administrative Code home page | link to Open Meetings home page