Re: Status of Changes to Boilers rules since 2011 Notes Link

Jim Eddinger to

:

Higgins, Cortney

Cc

:

RobertJ Wayland, Mary Johnson

From: Jim Eddinger/RTP/USEPA/US

To: "Higgins, Cortney" <Cortney_Higgins@omb.eop.gov>

Cc: RobertJ Wayland/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA, Mary Johnson/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA

Cortney,

Here are updated lists of changes for Boiler MACT and Boiler Area Sources.

Changes from the 2011 Final Rules

Boiler MACT (Major Source)

Compliance date for existing units extended to 3 years after promulgation of final amended 

rule.

Dioxin work practices

o Work practice standards, in lieu of numeric emission limits, for dioxin/furan 

emissions for all subcategories

 Work practice for startup/shutdown

o Revised definitions of startup and shutdown

` o Revise work practice from following manufacturer's recommended procedures to 

starting up on clean fuels and engaging controls once coal, biomass, or heavy oil is fired.

 Reduced the frequency of tune-ups from annual to every 5 years for limited use units and 

<5 MMBtu/h units in the gas and light oil subcategories.

 Removing requirement that new boilers must conduct an initial tune-up

PM now considered a combustion-based pollutant for biomass

o Separate PM emission limits for each design-based biomass subcategory instead of 

single limit for all units firing biomass

Total selected metals

o Alternate TSM emission limits (to PM emission limits) for subcategories

CO CEMS

o Alternate CO CEMS-based emission limits (to stack test –based limits) for 

subcategories with CEMS data, couple with CEMS-based monitoring

Emission limit changes

o Changes due to new data, QA of old data, Shifting of units between subcategories, 

and a 99% UPL for CO instead of 99.9%

o Existing source emission limits:

HCl - 10 limits are more stringent, 3 are less stringent, and 1 is the same
Mercury - 3 limits are more stringent, 11 are less stringent

PM - 2 limits are more stringent, 7 are less stringent, and 5 are the same

CO - 4 limits are more stringent, 10 are less stringent

o New source emission limits:

HCl - 13 are less stringent, and 1 is the same

Mercury - 11 limits are more stringent, 2 are less stringent, and 1 is the same

PM - 9 are less stringent, and 5 are the same

CO - 3 limits are more stringent, 11 are less stringent 

Subcategory changes

o Separate subcategories for units designed to combust light or heavy liquids instead 

of single liquid fuel subcategory

o Separate subcategories for kiln-dried biomass stokers and wet biomass stokers 

instead of a single biomass stoker subcategory

o A new coal fluidized bed with fluidized bed heat exchanger subcategory

 More clearly defining the scope of the energy assessment and allowing for more 

streamlined assessments, including allowing sources already operating under certain energy 

management programs to satisfy the assessment requirement

 Applicability - clarified that the exemption for boilers used in R&D inclide boilers used 

for testing the propulsion systems of naval vessels.

Monitoring changes

o Proposing the use of O2 trim systems instead of O2 CEMS

o 30-day rolling averages for most parameter monitoring instead of 12-hour block 

averages

o PM CEMS requirement removed for biomass units

o PM CEM requirement for other large units changed to a parameter monitoring 

system

o Added alternate method for demonstrating continuous compliance with the HCl 

emission limit by allowing using SO2 CEMS if source has acid-gas control technology.

Boiler Area Source Rule

 Revising provisions for existing dual-fuel fired units that fuel switch from gas to coal, biomass or oil 

such that they would still be considered existing sources

 Clarifying that electric boilers, residential boilers and temporary boilers are not part of the source 

categories being regulated

 Providing subcategories for seasonally-operated boilers and limited-use boilers

 Amending the mercury and CO emission limits for coal fired boilers

 Amending emissions limits

o Mercury limit changing from 4.8 lb/TBtu to 22 lb/TBtu

o CO limit changing from 400 ppm to 420 ppm

 Removing requirement that new boilers must conduct an initial tune-up

 Extending by two years the initial compliance date for existing area source boilers subject to the tuneup requirement

 Requiring tune-ups every five years, instead of every two, for certain area source boilers: seasonallyoperated boilers, limited-use boilers, oil-fired boilers with heat capacity equal to or less than 5 

MMBtu/hr and boilers with oxygen trim systems

 Clarifying that, as part of the tune-up, CO measurements may be taken with a portable CO analyzer

 Allowing use of oxygen trim systems
 Revising averaging period for parameter monitoring and compliance to a 30-day rolling average 

instead of a 12-hour block average

 Revising PM emission limit requirements such that combustion of oil meeting certain sulfur content 

requirements by new oil-fired boilers is considered an alternative method of meeting the PM emission 

standard and that such units are not required to meet the PM emission limit

 Reducing the fuel sampling and performance testing requirements such that after demonstration of 

initial compliance, under certain circumstances, further fuel sampling for boilers subject to a mercury 

emission limit and further PM performance testing for boilers subject to a PM emission limit is not 

required

 Providing the option of continuous emissions monitoring to demonstrate continuous compliance with 

the CO emission limit

 More clearly defining the scope of the energy assessment and allowing for more streamlined 

assessments, including allowing sources already operating under certain energy management 

programs to satisfy the assessment requirement

 Revising the deadline for initial notification for existing area source boilers to no later than January 

20, 2014

 Revising notification requirement for instances where a boiler switched fuels, made a physical 

change, or took a permit limit such that the notification is due within 30 days of the change rather 

than 30 days prior to the change

 Revising various definitions including "startup," "shutdown" and "period of gas curtailment or supply 

interruption"

Jim

_______________

James A. Eddinger

Energy Strategies Group

Sector Policies and Programs Division

919-541-5426

From: "Higgins, Cortney" <Cortney_Higgins@omb.eop.gov>

To: RobertJ Wayland/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA

Cc: Jim Eddinger/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA

Date: 12/11/2012 03:06 PM

Subject: Status of Changes to Boilers rules since 2011

Hi Bob and Jim,

Can you update the following list of changes made since the 2011 final Boilers rules? This is a list based 

on the May draft of the rule, and I was hoping you could help me update it to the current draft of the 

rule.

Thanks!

Changes from the 2011 Final Rules

Boiler MACT (Major Source)

Compliance date for existing units extended to 3 years after promulgation of final amended 

rule.
Dioxin work practices

o Work practice standards, in lieu of numeric emission limits, for dioxin/furan 

emissions for all subcategories

 Work practice for startup/shutdown

o Revised definitions of startup and shutdown

` o Revise work practice from following manufacturer's recommended procedures to 

starting up on clean fuels and engaging controls once coal, biomass, or heavy oil is fired.

 Reduced the frequency of tune-ups from annual to every 5 years for limited use units and 

<5 MMBtu/h units in the gas and light oil subcategories.

 Removing requirement that new boilers must conduct an initial tune-up

PM now considered a combustion-based pollutant for biomass

o Separate PM emission limits for each design-based biomass subcategory instead of 

single limit for all units firing biomass

Total selected metals

o Alternate TSM emission limits (to PM emission limits) for subcategories

CO CEMS

o Alternate CO CEMS-based emission limits (to stack test –based limits) for 

subcategories with CEMS data, couple with CEMS-based monitoring

Emission limit changes

o Changes due to new data, QA of old data, Shifting of units between subcategories, 

and a 99% UPL for CO instead of 99.9%

o Existing source emission limits:

HCl - 10 limits are more stringent, 3 are less stringent, and 1 is the same

Mercury - 3 limits are more stringent, 11 are less stringent

PM - 2 limits are more stringent, 7 are less stringent, and 5 are the same

CO - 4 limits are more stringent, 10 are less stringent

o New source emission limits:

HCl - 13 are less stringent, and 1 is the same

Mercury - 11 limits are more stringent, 2 are less stringent, and 1 is the same

PM - 9 are less stringent, and 5 are the same

CO - 3 limits are more stringent, 11 are less stringent 

Subcategory changes

o Separate subcategories for units designed to combust light or heavy liquids instead 

of single liquid fuel subcategory

o Separate subcategories for kiln-dried biomass stokers and wet biomass stokers 

instead of a single biomass stoker subcategory

o A new coal fluidized bed with fluidized bed heat exchanger subcategory

 More clearly defining the scope of the energy assessment and allowing for more 

streamlined assessments, including allowing sources already operating under certain energy 

management programs to satisfy the assessment requirement

 Applicability - clarified that the exemption for boilers used in R&D inclide boilers used 

for testing the propulsion systems of naval vessels.

Monitoring changes

o Proposing the use of O2 trim systems instead of O2 CEMS

o 30-day rolling averages for most parameter monitoring instead of 12-hour block 

averages

o PM CEMS requirement removed for biomass units

o PM CEM requirement for other large units changed to a parameter monitoring 

system
o Added alternate method for demonstrating continuous compliance with the HCl 

emission limit by allowing using SO2 CEMS if source has acid-gas control technology.

Boiler Area Source Rule

Created a new subcategory for seasonally operated boilers

o Required to complete a tune-up every five years, instead of on a biennial basis as is 

required for non-seasonal boilers

Amending rule to specify that all existing boilers subject to the tune-up requirement would 

have three years (by March 21, 2014) in which to demonstrate initial compliance, instead of one 

year to demonstrate initial compliance.

Amending the monitoring requirements to allow sources subject to a carbon monoxide 

emission limit the option to install, operate and maintain a carbon monoxide and oxygen 

continuous emission monitoring system.

Changing the requirement for subsequent tune-ups only for oil-fired boilers equal to or less 

than 5 MMBtu/hr to a tune-up once every 5 years.

Adding residential boilers and electric boilers to the list of boilers not subject to subpart 

JJJJJJ to clarify that boiler used in residences located at commercial (farms) and institutional 

(universities) facilities are not subject to the rule. Also ddded temporary boilers to this list.

Revising the definition for “Hot water heater” to include small not water boilers. 

Amending the mercury and CO emission limits for coal fired boilers.

o Mercury limit changing from 4.8 lb/TBtu to 22 lb/TBtu

o CO limit changing from 400 ppm to 420 ppm