SAN DIEGO COUNTY AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT

RULE 260.44b - STANDARD FOR NITROGEN OXIDES
(Rev. Effective 9-21-93)

(a) Except as provided under Section (k) of this rule, on and after the date on which the initial performance test is completed or is required to be completed under Rule 260.8 of this Regulation, whichever date comes first, no owner or operator of an affected facility subject to the provisions of this rule which combusts only coal, oil, or natural gas shall cause to be discharged into the atmosphere from that affected facility any gases which contain nitrogen oxides (expressed as NO₂) in excess of the following emission limits: (Rev. Effective 9-21-93)

(Figures in parenthesis represent lbs/million BTU heat input)
 

(b) Except as provided under Section (k) of this rule, on which the initial performance test is completed or is required to be completed under Rule 260.8 of this Regulation, whichever date comes first, no owner or operator of an affected facility which simultaneously combusts mixtures of coal, oil, or natural gas shall cause to be discharged into the atmosphere from that affected facility any gases which contain nitrogen oxides in excess of a limit determined by use of the following formula:

E_n = [(EL_go x H_go) + (EL_ro x H_ro) + (EL_c x H_c)]/(H_go + H_ro + H_c)

where:

E_nis the nitrogen oxides emission limit, (calculated as NO₂), ng/J (lbs/million BTU),

EL_gois the appropriate emission limit from Subsection (a)(1) for combustion of natural gas or distillate oil, ng/J (lbs/million BTU),

H_gois the heat input from combustion of natural gas or distillate oil,

EL_rois the appropriate emission limit from Subsection (a)(2) for combustion of residual oil,

H_rois the heat input from combustion of residual oil,

EL_cis the appropriate emission limit from Subsection (a)(3) for combustion of coal, and

H_cis the heat input from combustion of coal.

(c) On and after the date on which the initial performance test is completed or is required to be completed under Rule 260.8 of this Regulation, whichever comes first, no owner or operator of an affected facility which simultaneously combusts coal or oil, or a mixture of these fuels with natural gas, and wood, municipal-type solid waste, or any other fuel shall cause to be discharged into the atmosphere any gases which contain nitrogen oxides in excess of the emission limit for the coal or oil, or a mixture of these fuels with natural gas combusted in the affected facility, as determined pursuant to Sections (a) or (b) of this rule, unless the affected facility has an annual capacity factor for coal or oil, or mixture of these fuels with natural gas of 10 percent (0.10) or less and is subject to a federally enforceable requirement which limits operation of the facility to an annual capacity factor of 10 percent (0.10) or less for coal, oil, or a mixture of these fuels with natural gas.

(d) On and after the date on which the initial performance test is completed or is required to be completed under Rule 260.8 of this Regulation, whichever date comes first, no owner or operator of an affected facility which simultaneously combusts natural gas with wood, municipal-type solid waste, or other solid fuel, except coal, shall cause to be discharged into the atmosphere from that affected facility any gases which contain nitrogen oxides in excess of 130 ng/J (0.30 lbs/million BTU) heat input unless the affected facility has an annual capacity factor for natural gas of 10 percent (0.10) or less and is subject to a federally enforceable requirement which limits operation of the affected facility to an annual capacity factor of 10 percent (0.10) or less for natural gas.

(e) On and after the date on which the initial performance test is completed or is required to be completed under Rule 260.8 of this Regulation, whichever date comes first, no owner or operator of an affected facility which simultaneously combusts coal, oil, or natural gas with byproduct/wastes shall cause to be discharged into the atmosphere from that affected facility any gases which contain nitrogen oxides in excess of an emission limit determined by the following formula unless the affected facility has an annual capacity factor for coal, oil, and natural gas of 10 percent (0.10) or less and is subject to a federally enforceable requirement which limits operation of the affected facility to an annual capacity factor of 10 percent (0.10) or less.

E_n = [(EL_go x H_go) + (EL_ro x H_ro) + (EL_c x H_c)]/(H_go + H_ro + H_c)

where:

E_nis the nitrogen oxides emission limit (expressed as NO₂), ng/J lbs/million BTU,

EL_gois the appropriate emission limit from Subsection (a)(1) for combustion of natural gas or distillate oil, ng/J (lbs/million BTU),

H_gois the heat input from combustion of natural gas, distillate oil and gaseous byproduct/waste, ng/J (lbs/million BTU),

EL_rois the appropriate emission limit from Subsection (a)(2) for combustion of residual oil, ng/J (lbs/million BTU),

H_rois the heat input from combustion of residual oil and/or liquid byproducts/waste,

EL_cis the appropriate emission limit from Subsection (a)(3) for combustion of coal, and

H_cis the heat input from combustion of coal.

(f) Any owner or operator of an affected facility which combusts byproduct/waste with either natural gas or oil may petition the Administrator within 180 days of the initial startup of the affected facility to establish a nitrogen oxides emission limit which shall apply specifically to the affected facility when the byproduct/waste is combusted. The petition shall include sufficient and appropriate data, as determined by the Administrator, such as nitrogen oxides emissions from the affected facility, waste composition (including nitrogen content), and combustion conditions to allow the Administrator to confirm that the affected facility is unable to comply with the emission limits in Section (e) of this rule and to determine the appropriate emission limit for the affected facility.

1. Any owner or operator of an affected facility petitioning for a facility-specific nitrogen oxides emission limit pursuant to this rule shall:

   (i) Demonstrate compliance with the emission limits for natural gas and distillate oil in Subsection (a)(1) or for residual oil in Subsection (a)(2) of this rule, as appropriate, by conducting a 30-day performance test as provided in Rule 260.46b(e). During the performance test only natural gas, distillate oil, or residual oil shall be combusted in the affected facility; and

   (ii) Demonstrate that the affected facility is unable to comply with the emission limits for natural gas and distillate oil in Subsection (a)(1) or for residual oil in Subsection (a)(2) of this rule, as appropriate, when gaseous or liquid byproduct/ waste is combusted in the affected facility under the same conditions and using the same technological system of emission reduction applied when demonstrating compliance under Subsection (f)(1)(i) of this rule.

2. The nitrogen oxides emission limits for natural gas or distillate oil in Subsection (a)(1) or for residual oil in Subsection (a)(2) of this rule, as appropriate, shall be applicable to the affected facility until and unless the petition is approved by the Admin-istrator. If the petition is approved by the Administrator, a facility-specific nitrogen oxides emission limit will be established at the nitrogen oxides emission level achievable when the affected facility is combusting oil, natural gas and byproduct/waste in a manner which the Administrator determines to be consistent with minimizing nitrogen oxides emissions.

(g) Any owner or operator of an affected facility which combusts hazardous waste (as defined by 40 CFR Part 261 or 40 CFR Part 761) with natural gas or oil may petition the Administrator within 180 days of the initial startup of the affected facility for a waiver from compliance with the nitrogen oxides emission limit which applies specifically to that affected facility. The petition must include sufficient and appropriate data, as determined by the Administrator, on nitrogen oxide emissions from the affected facility, waste destruction efficiencies, waste composition (including nitrogen content), the quantity of specific wastes to be combusted and combustion conditions to allow the Administrator to determine if the affected facility is able to comply with the nitrogen oxides emission limits required by this rule. The owner or operator of the affected facility shall demonstrate that when hazardous waste is combusted in the affected facility, thermal destruction efficiency requirements for hazardous waste specified in an applicable federally enforceable requirement preclude compliance with the nitrogen oxides emission limits of this rule. The nitrogen oxides emission limits for natural gas or distillate oil in Subsection (a)(1) or for residual oil in Subsection (a)(2) of this rule, as appropriate, are applicable to the affected facility until and unless the petition is approved by the Administrator. [See 40 CFR 761.70 for regulations applicable to the incineration of materials containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PBC's)].

(h) The nitrogen oxide standards under this rule apply at all times including periods of startup, shutdown or malfunction.

(i) [RESERVED]

(j) Compliance with the emission limits under this rule is determined on a 24-hour average basis for the initial performance test and on a 3-hour average basis for subsequent performance tests for any affected facilities that: (Effective 9-21-93)

1. Combust, alone or in combination, only natural gas, distillate oil, or residual oil with a nitrogen content of 0.30 weight percent or less;
2. Have a combined annual capacity factor of 10 percent or less for natural gas, distillate oil, and residual oil with a nitrogen content of 0.30 weight percent or less; and
3. Are subject to a federally enforceable requirement limiting operation of the affected facility to the firing of natural gas, distillate oil, and/or residual oil with a nitrogen content of 0.30 weight percent or less and limiting operation of the affected facility to a combined annual capacity factor of 10 percent or less for natural gas, distillate oil, and residual oil and a nitrogen content of 0.30 weight percent or less.

(k) Affected facilities that meet the criteria described in Subsections (j)(1), (2), and (3) of this rule, and that have a heat input capacity of 73 MW (250 million BTU/hour) or less, are not subject to the nitrogen oxides emission limits under this rule. (Effective 9-21-93)