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This page last
reviewed October 31, 2008
Background:
New Source Review (referred to as NSR) is a title applied to programs
regulating the new construction of, and / or
modifications to, industrial sources which emit, or will emit, air
pollutants. The permits resulting from this process are termed
New Source Review, Prevention of Significant Deterioration, Minor New
Source Review, and / or Nonattainment Area Permits
depending on the issuing agency, area designation for state
and National Ambient Air Quality Standards (attainment, nonattainment,
and unclassifiable areas), and the amount and type of
pollutants that the source will emit. In California, local air
districts have the primary responsibility for issuance of air permits.
At
this site you will find local air quality management / air pollution
control district, California state, federal New Source
Review / Prevention of Significant Deterioration,
emission reduction credit banking, and offset program rules
and regulations; alerts of New
Source Review / Prevention of Significant
Deterioration program changes; offset cost data; and related
hot-links. |
| State New Source
Review |
The
California New Source Review permit program is derived from
the California Clean Air Act. New Source Review requirements
arising from the California Clean Air Act are codified in the California Health
and Safety Code at
Division 26. Specific to New Source Review,each District is to
include in its attainment plan, a stationary source control program
designed to achieve no net increase in emissions of nonattainment
pollutants or their precursors for all new or modified sources that
exceed particular emission thresholds. In addition, most new and
modified stationary sources are required to use Best Available
Control Technology (referred to as
BACT). In California, Best Available Control Technology is synonymous
with the federal term Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (referred to as
LAER) for nonattainment area permit requirements.
Each
of the 35 Air Pollution Control Districts in California has its
own New Source Review program and issues its own
New Source Review or Prevention of
Significant Deterioration permits to construct and operate. To do so,
each district has adopted its own rules and regulations to comply with
State and federal laws. These regulations usually incorporate both the
California and federal regulations into one or more rules.
Depending on the quantity of emissions of air pollutants that will be
emitted from the source and the area designation for
that pollutant, the new or modified source may be required to
install (Best Available Control Technology). In addition,
new and / or modified sources in California may be required,
depending on the type and quantity of pollutants
emitted, to mitigate or "offset" the increases in emissions
that result after installation of Best Available Control
Technology / Lowest Achievable Emission Rate. Conversely, if a
source shuts down a permitted emission unit, or decreases
emissions greater than what is required by any district, state or
federal rule, it may receive emission reduction credits that it
may use at a later date to offset new emissions, or can sell
to another facility that may be increasing its emissions. The cost of these
emission reduction credits is set by the owner
of the credits and varies depending on type of pollutant and
the District in which they are generated. |
| Federal New Source
Review |
Federal
New Source Review is divided into two permitting programs,
Nonattainment Area (also known as "New Source Review" or "Nonattainment
New Source Review") and Prevention of Significant Deterioration of air
quality. NOTE: At this site we will refer to the
federal Nonattainment Area permitting program as federal New
Source Review and refer to the attainment permitting progam as
Prevention of Significant Deterioration.
New
and modified major stationary sources of criteria pollutants are
permitted by districts as required by Section 110 of the Federal Clean
Air Act. They may also be subject to additional siting
requirements found in Parts C and D of Title 1 of the federal
Clean Air Act. The Part C requirements are titled
"Prevention of Significant Deterioration of Air Quality. " The
Part D requirements are titled "Plan Requirements
for Nonattainment Areas."
Federal
New Source Review regulations are applied to the siting
and modification of sources that are located in pollutant
specific areas designated as federal nonattainment for National Ambient
Air Quality Standards. Prevention of
Significant Deterioration are the regulations applied to
sources that are located in pollutant specific areas that have
been designated as federal attainment for
the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The
purpose of federal New Source Review is to ensure that ambient
air quality does not deteriorate any further in nonattainment areas,
while Prevention of Significant Deterioration ensures that areas with
good air quality will continue to maintain good air quality.
These regulations can be found in Title 40 of the
Code of Federal Regulations beginning at: 40 CFR Part 51 and in 40 CFR Part 52. Additional
information on permitting can be found at U.S. EPA,
Region IX. |
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Contact
Information:
For more information about the ARB's New Source Review activities,
please contact one of the following: Mike Tollstrup
at (916) 322-6026 or via e-mail at mtollstr@arb.ca.gov or Chris
Gallenstein at (916) 324-8017 or via e-mail at cgallens@arb.ca.gov. |
Permitting Activities
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