N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 6 § 234.3

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 50, December 11, 2024

Section 234.3 - Control requirements

(a)

(1) A packaging rotogravure, publication rotogravure, or flexographic printing process that uses ink, coating or adhesive containing VOC shall not operate if it: is located in a severe ozone non-attainment area; has an annual potential to emit VOC of 25 tons per year or more; or is located in a facility that has an annual potential to emit VOC of 50 tons per year or more, unless the printing process uses one of the following strategies to control VOCs:

(i) ink, coating or adhesive with low VOC content equal to or less than:

(a) 0.8 kilogram of VOC per kilogram of solids as applied (0.8 kg VOC/ kg solids as applied); or

(b) 0.16 kilogram of VOC per kilogram of ink, coating and adhesive as applied (0.16 kg VOC/ kg material as applied);

VOC content limits can be met by averaging the VOC content of materials used on a single press (i.e., within a line);

(ii) a capture system and control equipment that provides for overall removal efficiency of at least:

(a) 75 percent for a publication rotogravure printing process, unless a higher overall removal efficiency is required by clause (e) of this subparagraph;

(b) 65 percent for a printing process that was first installed prior to March 14,1995, and that is controlled by an add-on capture system and air cleaning equipment that was first installed prior to the effective date of this regulation;

(c) 70 percent for a printing process that was first installed prior to March 14,1995, and that is controlled by an add-on air capture system and air cleaning equipment that was first installed on or after the effective date of this regulation;

(d) 75 percent overall removal efficiency for a printing process that was first installed on or after March 14,1995, and that is controlled by an add-on capture system and air cleaning equipment that was first installed prior to the effective date of this regulation; or

(e) 80 percent for a printing process that was first installed on or after March 14, 1995, and that is controlled by an add-on capture system and air cleaning equipment that was first installed on or after the effective date of this regulation.

(2) Radiation cured material via ultra-violet light or electron beam printing processes are not subject to the control requirements of this subdivision.

(b)

(1) A heat-set web offset lithographic printing process or heat-set letterpress printing process that uses ink, coating or adhesive containing VOC shall not operate if it: is located in a severe ozone non-attainment area; has an annual potential to emit VOC of 25 tons per year or more; or is located at a facility that has an annual potential to emit VOC of 50 tons per year or more, unless the control equipment provides for an:

(i) overall removal efficiency of 90 percent or greater for control equipment that was first installed prior to the effective date of this regulation;

(ii) overall removal efficiency of 95 percent or greater for control equipment that was first installed on or after the effective date of this regulation; or

(iii) outlet concentration of VOC from the emission control equipment equal to or less than 20 parts per million by volume (20 ppmv) as hexane on a dry basis.

(2) The following printing processes are not subject to the control requirements of this subdivision:

(i) heat-set web offset lithographic printing processes used for printing books;

(ii) heat-set web offset lithographic printing processes with a maximum web width of 22 inches;

(iii) cold-set offset lithographic printing processes;

(iv) cold-set letterpress printing processes;

(v) sheet-fed or coldset web varnishes; and

(vi) radiation cured material via ultra-violet light or electron beam.

(c)

(1) An offset lithographic or letterpress printing process that uses cleaning materials containing VOC shall not operate if it is located in a severe ozone non-attainment area or at a facility with total actual annual VOC graphic arts emissions of three tons or more on a 12-month rolling basis, unless:

(i) the cleaning material, as applied, contains less than 70 percent by weight VOC (70 percent by weight VOC); or

(ii) the cleaning material, as applied, has a composite vapor pressure of less than or equal to 10 millimeters mercury at 20 degrees Celsius (10 mm Hg at 20° C).

(2) One hundred and ten gallons of cleaning material per year on a 12-month rolling basis are excluded from the requirements of this subdivision provided that the use and quantity of the cleaning material excluded from the requirements are recorded in accordance with section 234.7 of this Part.

(d)

(1) An offset lithographic printing process that uses fountain solutions containing VOC shall not operate if it is located in a severe ozone non-attainment area or is located at a facility with total actual annual VOC graphic arts emissions of three tons or more on a 12-month rolling basis, unless:

(i) For heat-set web offset lithographic printing processes:

(a) the fountain solution as applied contains no more than 1.6 percent alcohol by weight or equivalent;

(b) the fountain solution as applied contains no more than three percent alcohol by weight when the fountain solution is refrigerated to less than 60° F or 15.5° C; or

(c) the fountain solution as applied contains no more than a five percent alcohol substitute by weight and no alcohol.

(ii) For sheet-fed offset lithographic printing processes:

(a) the fountain solution as applied contains no more than five percent alcohol by weight or equivalent;

(b) the fountain solution as applied contains no more than 8.5 percent alcohol by weight when the fountain solution is refrigerated to less than 60° F or 15.5° C; or

(c) the fountain solution as applied contains no more than five percent alcohol substitute by weight and no alcohol.

(iii) For cold-set web offset lithographic printing presses the fountain solution as applied contains no more than five percent alcohol substitute by weight and no alcohol.

(2) Sheet-fed offset lithographic presses with a sheet size of 11 inches by 17 inches or smaller or any press with a fountain solution reservoir of less than one gallon are not subject to the requirements of this subdivision.

(e)

(1) A screen printing process that uses ink, coating or adhesive containing VOC shall not operate if it is located in a severe ozone non-attainment area, or is located in a facility that has an annual potential to emit VOC of 50 tons per year or more, unless the printing process uses one of the following strategies to control VOC:

(i) the maximum permitted pounds of VOC per gallon of ink, coating or adhesive, minus water and excluded compounds, at application is:

(a) 3.3 pounds as applied to paper, glass, metal, plastic, vinyl, reflective sheeting, textile/imprinted garments or pressure sensitive decals; or

(b) 5 pounds as applied for serigraph;

(ii) a capture system and control equipment that provides a minimum overall removal efficiency of 80 percent.

(2) Screen printing ink, coating or adhesive which is applied by a hand-held squeegee (a squeegee that is not propelled through the use of mechanical conveyance and is not an integral part of the screen printing process) are not subject to the control requirements of this subdivision.

(f) The department may allow printing processes to operate with a lesser degree of control than is required by this section provided that a process specific reasonably available control technology (RACT) demonstration has been made to the satisfaction of the department. Such process specific RACT demonstrations will be submitted by the department to the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a revision to the State Implementation Plan and must address the technical and economic feasibility of using:

(1) low VOC content ink, coating or adhesive;

(2) demonstrated and proven emission control technologies that will achieve the required overall removal efficiency as required by this section;

(3) demonstrated and proven emission control technologies that will achieve a degree of overall removal efficiency less than required by this section; and

(4) demonstrated and proven production modifications methods that will result in real, documented, and enforceable reductions in the VOC emissions from the printing process.

(g) Facilities with printing processes subject to this Part with an annual potential to emit less than five tons of VOC are only required to comply with paragraphs (f)(1) and (4) of this section in order to demonstrate that a lesser degree of control is RACT for these processes.

(h) For printing processes subject to this Part, the department may allow sources that use control equipment with natural gas fired afterburners to shut down the natural gas fired afterburners from November 1st through March 31st for the purposes of natural gas conservation, provided that the commissioner has determined that this action will not jeopardize air quality.

N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 6 § 234.3