Controlling Air Pollution from Facilities
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Industrial and commercial operations release pollutants into the air. These pollutants can make breathing difficult, reduce visibility, and damage the environment. Some can cause cancer or other serious health effects. Sources of air pollution include large facilities, such as petroleum refineries, chemical plants, and electricity generating facilities. Other pollution sources are smaller, such as gasoline stations, dry cleaners, and paint spray booths.
Air Facility Permits
DEC has the authority to require facilities to install pollution control equipment or to change operating procedures that pollute the air. Air facility permits are legally enforceable documents issued to source owners specifying the air pollution control requirements for their facility. Facility owners must comply with the terms of their permit, report their actual emissions, and may be required to monitor or test their emissions.
Small Business Compliance and Technical Assistance for Facilities
Thousands of small businesses, including automobile service stations and repair shops, wood and metal products finishing, apartment buildings (boilers), print shops, and dry cleaners, are subject to the Clean Air Act and its permitting and pollution control requirements.
Since air quality regulations are complex and can be difficult to understand for small businesses without full time environmental staff, the State has established the Small Business Environmental Ombudsman (SBEO) provided by Empire State Development (ESD) (leaves DEC website). These services are, by law, free and confidential. DEC encourages small businesses to obtain assistance to comply with the State's air pollution control regulations.
The list below includes the major business sectors that can benefit from assistance provided by SBEO; however, any small business with air-related questions qualifies for assistance.
- Architectural coatings
- Autobody shops
- Boilers/furnaces/generators
- Crematories and incinerators
- Dry cleaning - other methods, perc, petroleum
- Electroplating - chromium
- Gasoline Stations - Stage I and II
- Graphic Arts - flexographic, lithographic
- Metal degreasing
- Plastic composites manufacturing
- Sand & gravel operations
- Surface coating - metal, wood
Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs)
ERCs are generated when a facility shuts down or voluntarily reduces its permitted emissions by accepting a federally-enforceable emission limit or operating condition. The ERCs can be used to offset emission increases from facilities constructing or modifying air emission sources subject to New Source Review. These provisions are described under 6 NYCRR Subpart 231-10 (leaves DEC website).
Registry
ERCs are made available in a registry (PDF) maintained by the Division of Air's Bureau of Stationary Sources pursuant to the New York State Clean Air Compliance Act and 6 NYCRR Part 231 (leaves DEC website). If you require a historical ERC document or the Use of ERCs Registry, please contact this office.
Forms
- Part 231 ERC Quantification Forms
- Use of ERCs Forms - required for use of ERCs
Mail the appropriate completed form along with any required supporting documentation to the appropriate Regional DEC office for creating or using ERCs.
Total Available ERCs by Nonattainment Area
| Nonattainment Area | NOx | VOC | CO | PM-10 | PM-2.5 | SO2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment (OTR) | 10279.11 | 599.267 | - | - | ||
| Marginal Ozone | 4709.18 | 855.021 | - | - | ||
| Moderate Ozone | 713.872 | 22.76 | - | - | ||
| Severe Ozone | 9624.644 | 966.175 | - | - | ||
| Moderate | - | - | 464.8 | 2.26 | ||
| No Classification | 513.18 | 10655.48 | ||||
| Total | 25326.806 | 2443.223 | 464.8 | 2.26 | 513.18 | 10655.48 |
Part 226 Implementation Guidance - Solvent Cleaning Processes and Industrial Cleaning Solvents
Businesses that operate cold cleaners, (including remote reservoir cold cleaning machines), open-top vapor degreasers, and conveyorized degreasers that use solvents to clean objects, can reduce their environmental impact by following these Pollution Prevention Tips (PDF). DEC is providing Enforcement Discretion under Subpart 226-1 (Solvent Cleaning Processes) (PDF) to allow affected facilities additional time to comply with certain provisions of the regulation.
Air and Climate Pollutants from Oil and Natural Gas Operations
DEC finalized Part 203, Oil and Natural Gas Sector in March 2022, with an effective date of January 1, 2023. The primary goals of this regulation are to reduce methane (CH4), in support of CLCPA (leaves DEC website) and reduce associated VOCs, an ozone precursor. Part 203 applies to equipment and components that are associated with the following:
- Oil & natural gas production
- Separation & storage vessels
- Natural gas storage
- Natural gas gathering & boosting
- Natural gas transmission & storage
- Natural gas metering & regulating
Reporting
There are two reporting requirements associated with Part 203:
- One-time baseline report (Subpart 203-10.1) - "Owners or operators of components or processes subject to this Subpart must submit a report to the Department by March 31, 2023 or by March 31st of the year following initiation of operation."
- To submit the one-time baseline report, each source has two options:
- Fill out the online survey here: https://arcg.is/4fz18 (leaves DEC website)
- Submit an excel spreadsheet with the data in a specific format. This format can be downloaded or obtained by contacting Part203OilandGas@dec.ny.gov.
- To submit the one-time baseline report, each source has two options:
- Blowdown report (Subpart 203-4.5) - Reporting of blowdown activity at compressor stations and transmission pipelines greater than ten thousand (10,000) standard feet cubed (scf).
- To submit blowdown reports, fill out the online survey here: https://forms.office.com/g/zzT6ffdV8G (leaves DEC website)
- ONLY THROUGH MARCH 31, 2023, blowdown reports may instead be submitted via email to Part203OilandGas@dec.ny.gov. Beginning April 1, 2023, ONLY online survey reports will be accepted.
Emissions
Emissions from the oil and natural gas sector are calculated and the criteria pollutants are submitted to EPA's national emissions inventory (leaves DEC website). The greenhouse gas emissions are developed and part of DEC's greenhouse gas inventory.
DAR Policies
All DAR policy documents for use by DEC staff, the public and regulated facilities are available as downloadable PDFs.
DAR-5: Small Boiler Tune-Up Requirements for NOx RACT Compliance assures that tune-ups on small boilers are performed by owners or operators of small boilers in accordance with parameters established by DEC and various regulations outlined in this guidance.
DAR-20: Economic and Technical Analysis for Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) includes procedures for the economic and technical feasibility analysis used to determine RAT and evaluate requests for source specific RACT determinations. Table I Economic Analysis - Air Emissions Control Equipment
More about Controlling Air Pollution from Facilities:
- Air Facility Permits, Registrations and Fees - NYS' Air Program requires sources of air pollution to obtain a permit or registration and pay an annual fee.
- Air Toxics Program - Controlling Air Toxics through the application of science and engineering
- Dry Cleaner Regulation - New York State's dry cleaning facilities regulation, Part 232, requires at least an annual compliance inspection of dry cleaning facilities using perchloroethylene as well as self-monitoring at all dry cleaning facilities.
- Human and Animal Crematories - Crematories in NYS are regulated by the NYSDEC to ensure that the air emissions from these facilities meet state and federal air pollution control requirements.
- The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) - The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, is a cooperative effort by Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
- 6 NYCRR Part 231 Implementation Guidance - Documents to assist with implementation of Part 231
