The owner or operator of each batch process operation in the
Beaumont-Port Arthur, Bexar County, and Houston-Galveston-Brazoria
areas, shall comply with the following control requirements.
(1) Reasonable available control technology (RACT)
equations. The volatile organic compounds (VOC) mass emission rate
from individual process vents or for process vent streams in aggregate
within a batch process shall be reduced by 90% if the actual average
flow rate value (in standard cubic feet per minute (scfm)) is below
the flow rate (FR) value calculated using the applicable RACT equation
for the volatility range (low, moderate, or high) of the material
being emitted when the annual mass emission total (AE, in pounds per
year) are input. The RACT equations, specific to volatility, are as
follows:
(A) Low volatility: FR = 0.07(AE) - 1821;
(B) Moderate volatility: FR = 0.031(AE) - 494;
(C) High volatility: FR = 0.013(AE) - 301.
(2) Successive ranking scheme. For aggregate streams
within a process, the control requirements must be evaluated with
the following successive ranking scheme until control of a segment
of unit operations is required or until all unit operations have been
eliminated from the process pool.
(A) If, for the process vent streams in aggregate,
the value of FR calculated using the applicable RACT equation in paragraph
(1) of this section is negative (i.e., less than zero), then the process
is exempt from the 90% control requirements, and the successive ranking
scheme of subparagraph (F) of this paragraph does not apply. This
would occur if the mass annual emission rates are below the lower
limits specified in §115.167(2)(A) of this title (relating to
Exemptions).
(B) If, for the process vent streams in aggregate,
the actual average flow rate value (in scfm) is below the value of
FR calculated using the applicable RACT equation in paragraph (1)
of this section, then the overall emissions from the batch process
must be reduced by 90%, and the successive ranking scheme of subparagraph
(F) of this paragraph does not apply. The owner or operator has the
option of selecting which unit operations are to be controlled and
to what levels, provided that the overall control meets the specified
level of 90%. Single units that qualify for exemption under §115.167(2)(B)
of this title do not have to be controlled even if all units should
qualify for this exemption.
(C) If, for the process vent streams in aggregate,
the actual average flow rate value (in scfm) is greater than the value
of FR calculated using the applicable RACT equation in paragraph (1)
of this section (and the calculated value of FR is a positive number),
then the control requirements must be evaluated with the successive
ranking scheme of subparagraph (F) of this paragraph until control
of a segment of unit operations is required or until all unit operations
have been eliminated from the process pool. Single units that qualify
for exemption under §115.167(2)(B) of this title do not have
to be included in the rankings and do not have to be controlled.
(D) Sources that are required to be controlled to the
level specified by RACT (i.e., 90%) will have an average flow rate
that is below the flow rate specified by the applicable RACT equation
in paragraph (1) of this section (when the source's annual emission
total is input). The applicability criterion is implemented on a two-tier
basis. First, single pieces of batch equipment corresponding to distinct
unit operations shall be evaluated over the course of an entire year,
regardless of what materials are handled or what products are manufactured
in them. Second, equipment shall be evaluated as an aggregate if it
can be linked together based on the definition of a process.
(E) To determine applicability of a RACT option in
the aggregation scenario, all the VOC emissions from a single process
shall be summed to obtain the annual mass emission total, and the
weighted average flow rate from each process vent in the aggregation
shall be used as the average flow rate.
(F) All unit operations in the batch process, as defined
for the purpose of determining RACT applicability, shall be ranked
in ascending order according to their ratio of annual emissions (pounds
per year) divided by average flow rate (in scfm). Sources with the
smallest ratios shall be listed first. This list of sources constitutes
the "pool" of sources within a batch process. The annual emission
total and average flow rate of the pool of sources shall then be compared
against the RACT equations in paragraph (1) of this section to determine
whether control of the pool is required.
(i) If control is not required after the initial ranking,
unit operations having the lowest annual emissions/average flow rate
ratio shall then be eliminated one by one, and the characteristics
of annual emission and average flow rate for the remaining pool of
equipment must be evaluated with each successive elimination of a
source from the pool.
(ii) Control of the unit operations remaining in the
pool to the specified level (i.e., 90%) shall be required once the
aggregated characteristics of annual emissions and average flow rate
have met the specified cutoffs. The owner or operator has the option
of selecting which unit operations are to be controlled and to what
levels, provided that the overall control meets the specified level
of 90%.
(3) Once-in, always-in. Any batch process operation
that becomes subject to the provisions of this division by exceeding
provisions of §115.167 of this title will remain subject to the
provision of this division, even if throughput or emissions later
fall below exemption limits, unless and until emissions are reduced
to no more than the controlled emissions level existing before implementation
of the project by which throughput or emission rate was reduced to
less than the applicable exemption limits in §115.167 of this
title; and
(A) the project by which throughput or emission rate
was reduced is authorized by any permit or permit amendment or standard
permit or permit by rule required by Chapter 116 or Chapter 106 of
this title (relating to Control of Air Pollution by Permits for New
Construction or Modification; and Permits by Rule). If a permit by
rule is available for the project, compliance with this division must
be maintained for 30 days after the filing of documentation of compliance
with that permit by rule; or
(B) if authorization by permit, permit amendment, standard
permit, or permit by rule is not required for the project, the owner/operator
has given the executive director 30 days' notice of the project in
writing.
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| Source Note: The provisions of this §115.162 adopted to be effective November 18, 1999, 24 TexReg 10095; amended to be effective January 18, 2001, 26 TexReg 493; amended to be effective May 16, 2024, 49 TexReg 3292 |
