Section 115.162 - Control RequirementsThe owner or operator of each batch process operation in the Beaumont/Port Arthur and Houston/Galveston 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.30 Tex. Admin. Code § 115.162
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