TABLE OF CONTENTS :-
- INTRODUCTION.
- BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW.
- OVERVIEW OF THE OIL AND NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY AND SOURCES SELECTED FOR RACT RECOMMENDATIONS.
- STORAGE VESSELS.
- COMPRESSORS.
- PNEUMATIC CONTROLLERS.
- PNEUMATIC PUMPS.
- EQUIPMENT LEAKS FROM NATURAL GAS PROCESSING PLANTS.
- FUGITIVE EMISSIONS FROM WELL SITES AND GATHERING AND BOOSTING STATIONS.
- APPENDIX Recommended RACT Model Rule Language .
INTRODUCTION
Section 172(c)(1) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) provides that state implementation plans (SIPs) for nonattainment areas must include “reasonably available control measures” including “reasonably available control technology” (RACT), for existing sources of emissions. CAA Section 182(b)(2)(A) provides that for Moderate ozone nonattainment areas, states must revise their SIPs to include RACT for each category of volatile organic compound (VOC) sources covered by control techniques guidelines (CTG) documents issued between November 15, 1990, and the date of attainment. Section 182(c) through (e) applies this requirement to states with ozone nonattainment areas classified as Serious, Severe, and Extreme. CAA Section 184(b) requires that states in ozone transport regions must revise their SIPs to implement RACT with respect to all sources of VOC in the state covered by a CTG issued before or after November 15, 1990. CAA Section 184(a) establishes a single Ozone Transport Region (OTR) comprised of the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and the Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) that includes the District of Columbia.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines RACT as “the lowest emission limitation that a particular source is capable of meeting by the application of control technology that is reasonably available considering technological and economic feasibility.” 44 FR 53761 (September 17, 1979).
This CTG provides recommendations to inform state, local, and tribal air agencies (hereafter, collectively referred to as air agencies) as to what constitutes RACT for select oil and natural gas industry emission sources. Air agencies can use the recommendations in the CTG to inform their own determination as to what constitutes RACT for VOC for the emission sources presented in this document in their Moderate or higher ozone nonattainment area or state in the OTR.
This CTG provides recommendations to inform state, local, and tribal air agencies (hereafter, collectively referred to as air agencies) as to what constitutes RACT for select oil and natural gas industry emission sources. Air agencies can use the recommendations in the CTG to inform their own determination as to what constitutes RACT for VOC for the emission sources presented in this document in their Moderate or higher ozone nonattainment area or state in the OTR.
The information contained in this document is provided only as guidance. This guidance does not change, or substitute for, requirements specified in applicable sections of the CAA or the EPA’s regulations; nor is it a regulation itself. This document does not impose any requirements on facilities in the oil and natural gas industry. It provides only recommendations for air agencies to consider in determining RACT. Air agencies may implement other technically-sound approaches that are consistent with the CAA, the EPA’s implementing regulations, and policies on interpreting RACT.
The recommendations contained in this CTG are based on data and information currently available to the EPA. The EPA evaluated the sources of VOC emissions in the oil and natural gas industry and the available control approaches for addressing these emissions, including the costs of such approaches. The recommendations contained in this CTG may not be appropriate for every situation based upon the circumstances of a specific source (e.g., VOC content of the gas, safety concerns/reasons). Regardless of whether an air agency chooses to adopt rules implementing the recommendations contained herein, or to issue rules that adopt different approaches for RACT for VOC from oil and natural gas industry sources, air agencies must submit their RACT rules to the EPA for review and approval using the SIP process.
The EPA will evaluate the RACT determinations and determine, through notice and comment rulemaking, whether these determinations in the submitted rules meet the RACT requirements of the CAA and the EPA’s regulations. To the extent an air agency adopts any of the recommendations in this guidance into its RACT rules, interested parties can raise questions and objections about the appropriateness of the application of this guidance to a particular situation during the development of these rules and the EPA’s SIP process. Such questions and objections can relate to the substance of this guidance. Section 182(b)(2) of the CAA requires that a CTG document issued between November 15, 1990, and the date of attainment include the date by which states subject to CAA section 182(b) must submit SIP revisions. Accordingly, the EPA is setting forth a 2-year period, from the date of publication of the notice of availability of this CTG in the Federal Register for the required SIP submittal.
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