USER'S MANUAL FOR THE 

RACT/BACT/LAER CLEARINGHOUSE (RBLC) WEB

CLEAN AIR TECHNOLOGY CENTER

SPONSORED BY:

Information Transfer Group

Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711

Date: August 2003
ii

DISCLAIMER

This report has been reviewed by the Information Transfer and Program Integration

Division of the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents reflect the

views and policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mention of trade names or

commercial products is not intended to constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. 

Copies of this report are available from the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port

Royal Road, Springfield, Virginia 22161, telephone (800) 553-6847, Web Address

<http://www.ntis.gov>.
1

 NOTE: RACT, BACT and LAER are acronyms for different Clean Air Act program

requirements combined to create the name “RACT/BACT/ LAER Clearinghouse.” RACT, or

Reasonably Available Control Technology, is required on existing sources in areas that are not

meeting national ambient air quality standards (i.e., non-attainment areas). BACT, or Best

Available Control Technology, is required on major new or modified sources in “clean” areas

(i.e., attainment areas). LAER, or Lowest Achievable Emission Rate, is required on major new

or modified sources in non-attainment areas. However, data in the Clearinghouse is not limited

just to sources subject to these requirements. Noteworthy prevention and control technology

decisions are included in the RBLC even if they are not related to RACT, BACT, or LAER

decisions.

iii

PREFACE

This user's manual was prepared for and funded by the RACT/BACT/LAER

Clearinghouse (RBLC),1 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The RBLC has been

established and is maintained by the Clean Air Technology Center (CATC) to assist State and

local air pollution control personnel in making control technology determinations and in sharing

technology information. 

The RBLC provides data on prevention and control technology determinations made

primarily by State and local permitting agencies. The Clearinghouse contains over 4,000

determinations that can help the user to identify appropriate technologies to mitigate or treat most

air pollutant emission streams. The RBLC was designed to help permit applicants and reviewers

make pollution prevention and control technology decisions for stationary air pollution sources

and includes data submitted by 50 states and territories in the U.S. on over 200 different air

pollutants and 1,000 industrial processes.

The Clearinghouse also has a rule data base that summarizes all emission standards

issued by EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). This includes New

Source Performance Standards (NSPS), National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air

Pollutants (NESHAP), and Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards. The

rule data base also includes prevention and control technology cost information related to each

rule and references to supporting documentation.

Read the section, Quick Start Instructions for the RBLC Data Base, in this document to

begin using the RBLC Web.
iv

QUICK START INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE RBLC WEB

What Is the RBLC?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Air Technology Center

(CATC) maintains a permit data base called the RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse or RBLC. 

The RBLC permit data base contains information about recent control technology determinations

submitted by State and local agencies. The regulation data base includes information about

Federal regulations governing air pollutant emissions. The RBLC Web allows anyone to search

these data bases without any user registration. These quick start instructions provide basic

information on using the system and searching the data bases. 

To access the RBLC Web, go to the CATC home page (at: www.epa.gov/ttn/catc/) and

click on the RBLC logo. Options found on the RBLC Homepage include links to data base

search options, documents, and related software.

Using the RBLC Web

The data base contains information on: facilities that apply for construction permits; the

basis for emission limits (RACT, BACT, or LAER) for each facility; pertinent source operating

parameters such as process types, pollutant emission rates, pollution prevention techniques, addon control equipment or other technology; permitting agency contacts; and scheduling data. 

Details about all of the data elements can be found in Section 2.2 and Appendix A of the RBLC

User’s Manual.

The HELP System:

The on-line HELP system provides context-sensitive assistance throughout the system. 

Simply click on the button labeled “Help” at the top of the page to access a HELP file that

explains the current screen. The RBLC User’s Manual can supply answers to more complex

questions, and can be accessed on-line or saved to disk. A portable document format (PDF)

version of the manual has the advantage of being searchable by the Adobe Acrobat® software. 

Searching the Permit Data Base:

Data Base Searches -- Click on “Search Data Base” on the RBLC home page. The Basic Search

page is the default search page. Under the heading, “Other Search Options, Permit Data Base”,

choose from the following additional search options:

C Find Lowest Emission Rate: Find the lowest emission rate for a selected process type

and pollutant.
1

 In general, a user should know what each data element contains to use this option effectively. 

Refer to Section 2.2 and Appendix A of the RBLC User’s Manual for more information about

individual data elements.

v

C Standard Search: Build a set of search criteria by choosing from facility, process, and

pollutant properties. Where appropriate, pick-lists of allowable values are available.

C Advanced Search: Choose from pick-lists of data elements and enter desired values to

build a set of search criteria. Criteria can be combined for more selective queries.1

C RBLC ID Search: Quickly find up to three determinations using the appropriate RBLC

identifier (RBLC ID).

Continue in RBLC interactive search mode by following the directions on the screen and

making choices by entering text and/or clicking buttons. Details about searching the data base

are in Section 2.3 of the RBLC User’s Manual. 

Navigation buttons are provided near the top of each facility, process and pollutant

data page to assist in moving through the search results, data base and Web site. Use these

buttons rather than the Web browser’s navigation buttons to avoid potential errors that

can result from the way that browsers cache information.

Viewing Results On-Line:

A search allows the user to access the part of the data base meeting the search criteria

specified. Once the search has located a result set, entries in the set may be viewed on-line or

downloaded as a report file. The Basic Search, Standard Search, and Advanced Search results

tables can be sorted by permit date (default), State/RBLC ID, or facility name by clicking on the

appropriate “Sort by” button at the top of the table. The “Find Lowest Emission Rate” search

results table is sorted by the emission limit (lowest to highest). 

Information about each of the determinations in the search results table is organized by

facility, process, and pollutant. Click on a RBLC ID to access facility data (general information

about this permitting action). Click on a process name to view details about the process and

access links to pollutant information. The “Find Lowest Emission Rate” search results table does

not provide direct access to process details, but does provide direct access to pollutant

information by clicking the emission limit. View other types of information by clicking on the

navigational buttons near the top of each facility, process and pollutant data page. 

Reports:

The RBLC Web provides several pre-defined formats for viewing and downloading

search results. Both summary and detail formats are available. The list of available formats is
vi

contained in a pick-list at the bottom of the Search Results page. Details about these reports can

be found in Sections 2.4 and 2.5 of the RBLC User’s Manual.

Searching the Regulation Data Base:

The organization of the Regulation Data Base is similar to that of the RBLC's permit data

base. Refer to Section 3.2 of the RBLC User’s Manual for more information about Regulation

Data Base data elements. Each entry, or rule, in the regulation data base consists of regulation-,

process-, and pollutant-level data. A rule is associated with the type of facility that is the source

of pollutants governed by the regulation. 

Choose one of the options under “Other Search Options, Regulation Data Base” to locate

information of interest in the regulation data base. Then, to continue in RBLC interactive search

mode, simply follow the directions on the screen, making choices by entering text and clicking

buttons. The RBLC Web offers the following search options:

C Scan All: displays all regulations in the data base alphabetically by affected facility.

C Standard Search: enables the user to build a set of search criteria by choosing from date,

facility, process, and pollutant properties. Where appropriate, pick-lists of allowable

values are provided.

C Advanced Search: enables the user to choose from pick-lists of data elements and enter

desired values to build a set of search criteria. Criteria can be combined for more

selective queries. This option is most effective for users with a good understanding of

what each data element contains.

Choose the “Scan All” option to easily view the entire regulation data base. Entries are

displayed in a table just like search results, and either a detailed listing report or a freeform report

is available for downloading. Choose either the “Standard Search” or “Advanced Search” option

to view only selected regulations. All RBLC search options present an overview of search results

in a table that allows the user to examine details about matching facilities, their processes, and

pollutants. Each option also supports saving results through several different RBLC reports.

On-Line Documentation for RBLC

The RBLC is documented in this set of Quick Start Instructions, the RBLC Data Entry

Form Instructions, the RBLC Annual Report, and the RBLC User’s Manual. Short descriptions

of each are listed on the Web page where they are located. The user’s manual should be kept as a

reference for codes, standard units, and detailed instructions for using the system. In addition to

these traditional forms of documentation, the system includes the context-sensitive on-line HELP

function that is available throughout the entire system.
vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

VOLUME I: RBLC BASICS

Disclaimer ii

Preface iii

Quick Start Instructions for the RBLC Web iv

C What Is the RBLC?

C Using the RBLC Web

- The HELP System

- Searching the Permit Data Base

- Viewing Results On-Line 

- Reports

- Searching the Regulation Data Base

C On-Line Documentation for RBLC

Section Page

Section 1: Introduction 1-1

1.1 Background 1-1

1.1.1 The Purpose of the RBLC 1-1

1.1.2 Regulatory Basis 1-2

1.1.3 Information in the RBLC Data Base 1-3

1.1.4 Contacting the RBLC 1-3

1.1.5 Making Suggestions and Reporting Problems 1-4

1.2 Overview of the RBLC Web Site 1-4

1.2.1 Web Site Organization 1-4

1.2.2 On-Line Help Options 1-6

1.2.3 On-Line Documents 1-6

Section 2: RBLC Permit Data Base Search and Data Structure 2-1

2.1 Permit Data Base Search Options 2-1

2.2 Permit Data Base Elements 2-2
Table of Contents (cont.)

Section Page

viii

2.2.1 RBLC Data Base Options 2-8

2.3 Searching the RBLC 2-9

2.3.1 Planning the Search 2-9

2.3.2 How To Run a Search 2-9

2.3.3 Basic Search 2-9

2.3.4 Find Lowest Emission Rate 2-10

2.3.5 Standard Search 2-12

2.3.6 Advanced Search 2-18

2.3.7 RBLC ID Search 2-21

2.4 Search Results 2-21

2.4.1 Navigating the Search Results 2-23

2.4.2 Viewing Search Results 2-24

2.5 Data Base Reports 2-27

2.5.1 Generating a Report 2-27

2.5.2 Downloading RBLC Information 2-230

Section 3: RBLC Regulation Data Base Searches and Data Structure 3-1

3.1 Data Base Elements and Structure 3-1

3.2 Searching the Regulation Data Base 3-5

3.2.1 Planning the Search 3-6

3.2.2 How To Run a Search 3-6

3.2.3 Regulation Data Base Search Options 3-6

3.2.3.1 Scan All 3-7

3.2.3.2 Standard Search 3-7

3.2.3.3 Advanced Search 3-11

3.3 Search Results 3-14

3.3.1 Navigating the Search Results 3-14

3.3.2 Viewing Search Results 3-15

3.3.3 Generating Data Base Reports 3-18
Table of Contents (cont.)

Section Page

ix

Volume II: Data Entry

Section 4 - Data Entry Overview

4.1 Access

4.2 On-Line Help Options 

4.3 Navigating Data Entry 

4.4 Planning and Preparation

4.5 Required Fields and Formats

Section 5 - RBLC Web Permit Data Entry and Editing Procedures

5.1 Add a New Determination

5.2 Edit In-Process Determination

5.3 Edit Completed Determination

5.4 Paper (Hardcopy) Data Submission

5.5 Standalone Editor

Volume III: Appendices

Appendix A -- Data Submittal Form and Instructions A-1

Appendix B -- Agency Code Listing B-1

Appendix C -- Process Type Code Listing C-1

Appendix D -- Abbreviations for Processes, Units, and Pollutants D-1

Abbreviations for Processes and Descriptors

Abbreviations for Emission Limit Units

Abbreviations for Pollutants and CAS Numbers

Appendix E – RBLC Standard Emission Limit Units by Process Type Code E-1

Appendix F -- Examples of RBLC Standard Reports F-1

Index of Control Technology Determinations (formerly Appendix F)

Control Technology Determinations by Process Type Code (formerly Appendix G)

Detailed Source Listing (formerly Appendix H)

Freeform Data 

ASCII Delimited Data Format
Table of Contents (cont.)

Section Page

x

Appendix G -- Examples of Federal/State Regulation Standard Reports G-1

Detailed Listing by Identifier (formerly Appendix H) 

Freeform Data
xi

LIST OF FIGURES 

Section Page

Figure 1-1 RBLC Web Home Page 1-6

Figure 2-1 RBLC Data Structure and Data Relationships 2-3

Figure 2-2 Basic Search 2-10

Figure 2-3 Find Lowest Emission Rate - Process Type and Pollutant Menu 2-11

Figure 2-4 Find Lowest Emission Rate - Date Entry 2-12

Figure 2-5 Advanced Search 2-19

Figure 2-6 Results Table for a Standard Search 2-22

Figure 2-7 Results Table for Find Lowest Emission Rate Search 2-23

Figure 2-8 Facility Level Detail Page 2-25

Figure 2-9 Process Level Detail Page 2-26

Figure 2-10 Pollutant Level Detail Page 2-27

Figure 2-11 Download Report Format Selection 2-29

Figure 3-1 Regulation Data Base Standard Search 3-8

Figure 3-2 Regulation Data Base Advanced Search 3-12

Figure 3-3 Results Table for Regulation Data Base 3-15

Figure 3-4 Regulation Details Page 3-16

Figure 3-5 Process Details Page 3-17

Figure 3-6 Pollutant Details Page 3-18

Figure 3-7 Report Format Options 3-19
1-1

SECTION 1: 

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND

Welcome to the RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse (RBLC) Web. EPA initially

established the RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse to assist State and local air pollution control

personnel in making control technology determinations and in sharing technology information. 

Moreover, the RBLC is a resource to industries and consultants when they are preparing permits

and researching control options, and to the public and environmental groups when they are

reviewing and commenting on permitting activities. This user's manual describes how to use the

RBLC Web to access information pertinent to these users.

1.1.1 The Purpose of the RBLC

The basic purposes of the RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse are:

C To provide information on current prevention and control technology

determinations;

C To provide data on the specific emission limits imposed on existing, new, or

modified sources across the country; and

C To present summaries of recent Federal air pollution regulations and offer a forum

for State and local agencies to maintain similar information for their own rules. 

The Clearinghouse should serve as a reference or a starting point for State and local

agencies when considering RACT, BACT, or LAER decisions. 

The RBLC data base system performs the following three functions:

C Allows direct computer access to the data in the RACT/BACT/LAER

Clearinghouse,

C Allows rapid production of RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse reports; and

C Allows rapid updating of RACT/BACT/LAER determinations.

The most typical use of the information in the data base is to identify and compare

available control technologies, either for the sake of selecting the most appropriate control in a

specific situation or for identifying the range of controls available for a process. 
1-2

 The RBLC Web on-line search functions allow users to build queries specific to their

needs. These queries can be used to identify the most commonly used control technologies for a

particular pollutant and process, or those being used within a specific period of time or geographic

region. These subsets can be downloaded and used with PC-based data base or spreadsheet

software to perform more complex queries. Search options and the mechanics of searches are

discussed thoroughly in Sections 2 and 3.

1.1.2 Regulatory Basis

The Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1970 gave the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

the responsibility and authority to control air pollution in the United States and its territories. One

of the responsibilities given to EPA under Section 108 of the CAA is to publish information on air

pollution control techniques. This information includes data on available technology and methods

for prevention and control of air pollution. 

Different provisions of the CAA require Reasonably Available Control Technology

(RACT), Best Available Control Technology (BACT), Lowest Achievable Emission Rate

(LAER), and New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) as emission control and pollution

prevention measures:

C RACT requirements apply to existing sources located in nonattainment areas (i.e.,

areas that do not meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)). RACT

requirements are typically prescribed by State and local rules and regulations, but

may also be made on a case-by-case basis.

C New Source Review (NSR) requirements are case-by-case decisions or

determinations made by the State or local agency based on the requirements of the

applicable regulation. NSR BACT requirements apply to major new and modified

sources located in nonattainment areas and subject to Prevention of Significant Air

Quality Deterioration (PSD) permitting requirements. 

C NSR LAER requirements apply to major new and modified sources located in

nonattainment areas (i.e. areas that do not meet a NAAQS), and are applied by

State and local agencies before a permit to construct may be issued. 

C NSPS apply to both new and modified sources; they must reflect the degree of

emission reduction achievable through the application of the best system of

continuous emission reduction as determined by the EPA Administrator. An

applicable NSPS acts as the baseline for BACT and LAER decisions.

Although the specific criteria governing RACT, BACT, LAER, or NSPS vary, the general

underlying approach is to require the best abatement technology possible on all major existing,

new, or modified sources. Most State and local programs have accepted complete responsibility
1-3

for issuing PSD and nonattainment permits. Thus, it is extremely important that information be

available to assist control agencies in making the necessary control technology determinations in a

nationally consistent manner. The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 made submittal of LAER

to the RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse Information System mandatory.

1.1.3 Information in the RBLC Data Base

The RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse data base includes RACT, BACT, and LAER

determinations made by various air pollution control agencies. Each data base entry contains

information on the permitted facility at facility, process and pollutant levels. Examples of the data

included for each level are: 

C Facility data: Permitting agency contacts, and scheduling data; 

C Process data: Fuel, capacity, and process descriptions; and

C Pollutants: Basis for the limit (RACT, BACT, or LAER), pollutant emission limits,

pollution prevention techniques, add-on control equipment or other technology,

and control cost data.

1.1.4 Contacting the RBLC

The RBLC is accessible on the World Wide Web, and access requires only a PC, an

Internet connection, and a browser. The RBLC is available from the Clean Air Technology

Center (CATC) home page located at: www.epa.gov/ttn/catc/. No account or password is

required to search and browse the data base. 

Authorized State or local air pollution control agency personnel may enter and edit their

RBLC data on-line. An RBLC edit user ID and a password are required for a user to be able to

add information to the data base on-line. Contact the RBLC/CATC to receive an edit

authorization form. An EPA staff person is available to assist authorized users in obtaining

RBLC edit authority as well as security clearance for inputting determinations. Inquiries

concerning RBLC and completed data input forms and files (additions to the RBLC data base)

should be directed to: 

RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse (E-143-03) 

Information Transfer & Program Integration Division 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711 

Clean Air Technology Center (CATC): Voice - (919) 541-0800, 

FAX - (919) 541-0242 

E-Mail: catcmail@epa.gov
1-4

For Web-related issues, the RBLC Webmaster can be contacted through email: 

Steigerwald.Joe@epa.gov.

1.1.5 Making Suggestions and Reporting Problems

Comments on the RBLC Web are always welcome. Improvements to the Web are a

continuing goal of the CATC. Please use the contact information listed in Section 1.1.4 to make

suggestions or report problems. You also may use the “Feedback” link in the RBLC sidebar menu

or the “Contact Us” link at the bottom of each RBLC Web page to contact the RBLC.

1.2 OVERVIEW OF THE RBLC WEB SITE

1.2.1 Web Site Organization

The RBLC home page (see Figure 1-1) provides access to the RBLC data bases and links

to related sites. Connect to the RBLC home page from the CATC home page:

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/catc/. Options that are available from the RBLC home page are:

C Welcome -- Presents an overview of the RBLC and brief descriptions of how to

use the RBLC data base. 

C Search Database -- Links to the data base search menu. Browse or search the

entire RBLC data base of completed and in-process determinations, and

regulations from this page.

C Data Entry -- Links to the RBLC data entry page where authorized users can log

in to add or update control technology determinations for their State or local

agency. 

C RBLC Software -- Lists RBLC-related software, including the RBLC Web

Standalone Editor, and the editor’s user’s manual.

C RBLC Documents -- Lists downloadable files available on the RBLC web site. 

These files include published documents like RBLC annual reports, and this RBLC

User's Manual. Also available for downloading are tables, instructions, and other

technical information related to using the RBLC. 

C State and Local Agency Links -- Links to State and local air pollution control

agencies and permitting groups in State and local agencies, with contact names and

phone numbers for the agencies and EPA regions. We realize that these links are

constantly changing. Please forward your updated links to the RBLC Webmaster.
1-5

C Reference Library -- Lists links to on-line NSR, industry, State, and other related

technology reference sources. 

C Tool Box -- Links to software tools that can be used to estimate emissions,

evaluate alternative control and prevention technologies, or identify less polluting

materials.

C What’s New -- Highlights items recently added or updated on the RBLC Web.

C Feedback -- EPA welcomes your comments, especially comments on how the

Web site can be improved. We strive to respond to every comment with an answer

or an appropriate referral as quickly as possible. Most comments will be

responded to within 10 business days.
1-6

Figure 1-1: RBLC Web Home Page

1.2.2 On-Line Help Options

The RBLC Web includes a context-sensitive on-line HELP function that is available

throughout the entire system. The help function button looks like this:

On the RBLC Search page, click on the “on-line help” link for an on-line version of this

user’s manual, including step-by-step instructions on using the system’s permit and regulation

search options, and data element definitions and reporting formats.

1.2.3 On-Line Documents

Reference documents available for the RBLC are the User’s Manual (this document), the

Quick Start Instructions (included with the User’s Manual, Volume I), the RBLC Data Entry Form

Instructions, and the RBLC Annual Report. These documents can be accessed on line or saved to

disk as a portable document format (PDF) file. A PDF version of any of these documents has the

advantage of being searchable by the Adobe Acrobat® software. Short descriptions of each are

listed on the RBLC Documents Web page where they are located. The user’s manual is divided

into multiple volumes: 
1-7

C Volume 1: RBLC Basics -- Provides introductory material for the RBLC data base,

Quick Start Instructions for the RBLC Web, detailed descriptions of the permit and

regulatory data bases, and guidance on using the search system with both data

bases. 

C Volume 2: Data Entry -- Provides detailed descriptions of data entry procedures.

C Volume 3: Appendices -- Contains reference tables with the values that can be

used for processes, controls, and emission units; abbreviations for pollutants; codes

for State and local air pollution control agencies and industrial processes; the hardcopy data submittal form, and example RBLC standard reports.

The user’s manual should be kept as a reference for codes, standard units, and detailed

instructions for using the system. The RBLC User’s Manual will be updated annually.
2-1

SECTION 2: 

RBLC PERMIT DATA BASE SEARCH AND DATA STRUCTURE

The RBLC permit data base contains information about control technology determinations

submitted by State and local agencies. Click on “Search Data Base” from the RBLC home page

to search the RBLC data bases. From the data base search page, users may view on-line help for

the search options, perform a search on either the permit or the regulation data base, or link to

additional resources. This section outlines the permit data base options, provides a detailed listing

and description of the data elements in the permit data base, and shows how to use the five permit

data base search options. The Federal/State Regulations data base is discussed in Section 3 of this

Volume. 

The RBLC is in the process of changing its terminology. Currently the terms "Search" and

"Query" are both in use on the RBLC Web site. As the Web site is improved over time, the term

"Search" will replace "Query." In the interim, users are advised that these terms mean the same

thing and to ignore minor discrepancies in the use of these terms in this manual and on the RBLC

Web site.

2.1 PERMIT DATA BASE SEARCH OPTIONS

Choose the Basic Search (default) option or one of the options under “Other Search

Options: Permit Data Base” to locate information in the permit data base. Then, follow the

directions on the screen to define a search. The RBLC Web offers the following search options:

C Basic Search: allows users to build a set of search criteria by specifying basic data

elements. 

C Find Lowest Emission Rate: allows users to find the lowest emission rate for a

selected process type and pollutant.

C Standard Search: allows users to build a set of search criteria by choosing from

facility, process, and pollutant properties. This search has more options than the

basic search. Where appropriate, pick-lists of allowable values are provided. 

C Advanced Search: allows users to choose from pick-lists of data elements and

enter desired values to build a set of search criteria. Criteria can be combined for

more selective queries. In general, users should know what each data element

contains to use this option effectively. 

C RBLC ID Search: quickly finds up to three determinations identified by their

RBLC identifier (RBLC ID). 
2-2

All RBLC search options present an overview of the search results in a table with links to

pages that provide details about facilities, processes, and pollutants. Each option also supports

saving results in any of the RBLC standard output formats. 

Navigation buttons are provided near the top of each facility, process and pollutant

data page to assist in moving through the search results, data base and Web site. Use these

buttons rather than the Web browser’s navigation buttons to avoid potential errors that can

result from the way that browsers cache information.

The RBLC navigation buttons can be used to return to the search page and re-specify

search criteria for another search, or use the link at the bottom of the results page to return to the

main RBLC page in order to choose another search option. If a search is not successful, return to

the search page and re-specify the search criteria. Check to make sure that a misspelled word or

an invalid value for a search element is not the problem. 

2.2 PERMIT DATA BASE ELEMENTS

The RBLC data base contains information about a variety of data elements. This

information is separated into three main categories: facility data, process data, and pollutant data. 

The data are organized so that each facility determination may have multiple processes and each

process may emit multiple pollutants. Figure 2-1 shows the RBLC data structure and data

relationships. Each facility has at least one process and at least one pollutant. The information

that EPA maintains in the data base on each of the three levels (facility, process, and pollutant) is

listed below. Data elements that can be used in a search are marked with an asterisk (*).

Facility Information:

• RBLC ID*: The unique identification number assigned to each RBLC

determination by EPA staff. The number consists of the state abbreviation

and a four digit number, i.e. AK-0001 is the first determination entered

from Alaska. A suffix may exist for old determinations for clarification.

• COMPANY NAME*: In some cases a parent company will own many

facilities. The parent company’s name has been entered in this field. If the

company that owns the facility has the same name as the facility, the name

may be entered in both the company and facility name fields.

• PLANT (FACILITY)NAME*: See the note for Company Name. The facility

name has been entered here. 

• PLANT LOCATION INFORMATION: The location of the facility, including:

S County; 

S State* (assigned by the system); 
2-3

Figure 2-1: RBLC Data Structure and Data Relationships

S EPA Region* (assigned by the system);

S Facility Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates and UTM

Zone; and

S Class I area names* (e.g., National Parks, Wilderness Areas, etc.) located

within 250 km of the facility.
2-4

• COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION: Fields which provide contact

information for the person knowledgeable about the process at the plant or

facility being permitted. Fields are name, mailing address, telephone

numbers (voice and fax), e-mail address, and mailing address, including

city, state, and zip code. 

• PERMIT/FILE NUMBER*: An identification number assigned to the permit by

the permit issuing agency. If the permit is issued by the EPA Regional

Office, this number would be the region file number.

• UNIVERSAL PLANT ID*: A unique identification number for the plant,

typically, the EPA Aerometric Information Retrieval System (AIRS) ID. 

The AIRS ID number is usually assigned by someone within the State or

local agency assembling the permit but may also be assigned by an EPA

regional contact.

C EPA ID: Data element reserved for future use.

• SIC CODE*: The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code for facilities used

throughout the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) at EPA. A list of valid SIC

codes is available as a drop down list in the search and data entry portions of the

RBLC web site. A link to a downloadable list present on the Clearinghouse for

Inventories & Emission Factors (CHIEF) web site is provided in the RBLC

Reference Library.

• NAICS CODE: The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code

for facilities used throughout the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) at EPA. A

link to a downloadable list present on the CHIEF web site is provided in the RBLC

Reference Library.

• PERMITTING AGENCY INFORMATION*: Information on the issuing agency,

and the primary contact for the determination. Lists of agency names and

agency codes are listed in Appendix B of this User’s Manual and in the

RBLC Web system. Agency contact’s names and phone numbers are also

maintained by the system. The contact information is available for RBLC

users with questions regarding the determination.

• PUBLIC HEARING: This field indicates whether a public hearing was held.

• NEW/MODIFIED SOURCE: A new facility will be marked as a new source; a

modification or addition to an existing facility will be marked as modified.
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• SCHEDULING INFORMATION: Permitting scheduling dates stored in the

system are the following:

- Application receipt date;

- Permit issuance date*;

- Start-up date; and

- Compliance verification date.

The RBLC data base includes a character field for each of the above dates

that indicates whether the date is estimated or an actual date.

• NOTES: This field allows the user to include explanatory information about

the determination which he or she enters into the RBLC data base. 

• LAST UPDATE: This field, assigned by the system, allows users to see when

the last changes were made to each determination. 

• ENTRY DATE: This field, assigned by the system, indicates the date that the

determination was first entered into the RBLC permanent data base. 

Assigned by the system.

• PLANT NARRATIVE/EMISSION SOURCES/FUEL/ABATEMENT DESCRIPTION:

These are notes fields for information about the entire plant/facility. 

• PLANTWIDE EMISSIONS*: The total emissions increase of CO, NOx, PM,

SOx, and VOC from the entire facility resulting from this permitting action

may be available here. 

Process Information:

• PROCESS DESCRIPTION*: A descriptive name for the listed process

(examples in Appendix A).

• PROCESS TYPE CODE*: A numeric code assigned to each process used to

categorize determinations. Codes and their descriptors can be found in

Appendix C and in drop down lists in the search and data entry portions of

the RBLC web site.

• SCC CODE*: The source classification code (SCC) for processes used throughout

the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) at EPA. A link to a downloadable list

present on the CHIEF web site is provided in the RBLC Reference Library.
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• THROUGHPUT CAPACITY AND UNITS: For each process listed in a

determination, the RBLC data base can contain information about the

throughput capacity of the process unit; e.g., boiler size is often specified

using a throughput capacity measured in MMBTU per hour. In some cases,

throughput may not be entered because it may be considered confidential

business information.

• PRIMARY FUEL: The primary fuel used by this process.

• COMPLIANCE VERIFICATION: A series of fields that allow users to enter a

yes or no response to the following questions:

- Compliance verified?

- Method of confirmation:

- Stack testing?

- Inspections?

- Calculations?

- Other testing?

Users may also enter a short narrative description of other methods of

confirmation. 

• PROCESS/COMPLIANCE NOTES: Explanatory information about the process

will have been entered here. 

Pollutant Information:

• POLLUTANT NAME AND CAS NUMBER*: The name and Chemical Abstract Service

(CAS) number of the pollutant being controlled. These can be found in Appendix

D. 

• CONTROL METHOD CODE*: A one-character field indicating what method

was used to achieve the emission limits. The choices which may be entered

are:

- P -- Pollution prevention techniques, e.g., any required process

modification, change in raw material, or management practice designed to

decrease or prevent pollutant emissions;

- A -- Add-on control equipment;

- B -- Both pollution prevention and add-on equipment; and

- N -- No feasible controls.

• CONTROL METHOD DESCRIPTION/NOTES*: A description of the specific
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pollution prevention and/or add-on control equipment used to meet the

emission limits of the permit. This field is unnecessary if “N” is entered

as the control method code.

• EMISSION TYPE*: A one-character field indicating whether the emission is

classified as fugitive (F), point-source (P), or area-source (A).

• PERCENT EFFICIENCY*: The design efficiency expected from a particular

type of control equipment or method. This figure is expressed as a

percentage. Percent efficiency can be used in some permits as an

enforceable limit. In these cases, the percent efficiency can be entered in

lieu of the pollutant’s emission limit.

• EMISSION LIMIT 1, UNITS, AND OTHER CONDITIONS: The primary emission

limit listed in the permit, as well as any conditions that apply to the limit.

See Appendix D for a list of unit abbreviations.

• EMISSION LIMIT 2, UNITS, AND OTHER CONDITIONS: If provided on the

permit, these numbers represent any alternative emission measurements

which the facility may make, as well as any conditions that apply to the

limit. See Appendix D for a list of unit abbreviations. 

• RBLC STANDARDIZED EMISSION LIMIT, UNITS, AND OTHER CONDITIONS: 

This limit allows comparison with other similar determinations in the data

base. If standard units are provided for the process type and pollutant for

which the user is searching (see Appendix E), users can compare the entries

in this field to determine the most stringent limits.

• POLLUTANT NOTES: This field is available for explanatory information

about the pollutant limit. 

• BASIS FOR LIMIT*: The statutory basis for the pollutant limit. The choices

which may be entered into the RBLC data base are:

- BACT-PSD -- Prevention of Significant Deterioration;

- BACT-OTHER -- Other BACT (i.e.; T-BACT, Toxics-BACT, etc.);

- Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER);

- Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT);

- Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT);

- Generally Available Control Technology (GACT);

- New Source Performance Standards (NSPS);

- National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants

(NESHAP); and
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- Other.

When several regulations apply to emissions from a process at a specific facility,

and one limit must be chosen as the primary emission limit and entered in the Basis

for Limit field, a case-by-case RACT, BACT, or LAER limit takes precedence. 

Other regulatory limits should be entered in the Control Method Description/Notes

field.

• CONTROL TECHNOLOGY RANKING DATA: The ranking of the control

technology chosen, when ranked according to the level of control. 

Information includes the number of options considered and the rank of the

option selected.

• COST DATA: Information contained in these fields include:

- Cost verified by the permitting agency? (yes or no);

- Capital cost of control equipment;

- Annual operation and maintenance cost of control equipment;

- Year of the dollar used in cost calculations;

- Annualized cost; and

- Cost effectiveness in dollars per ton.

2.2.1 RBLC Data Base Options

The RBLC Web permit data base classifies permit data into three categories. These

categories are: 

• Draft Determinations –– These permit entries represent the most recent additions to the

RBLC, but have not been verified as correct and complete by the RBLC staff. They may

include permits that have not been issued (still in the review stages), and/or permit entries

that are incomplete (i.e., key information is missing).

• Final Determinations (permitted since January 1, 1993) –– These permit entries have been

verified as correct and complete by RBLC staff. They represent the most recent

information in the RBLC . 

• Final Determinations (permitted before January 1, 1993) –– These older permit entries

provide historical information, but may not contain values in all key data fields,

particularly those fields recently added to the data base.

The RBLC offers a separate data base for information on Federal regulations. Details

about this data base are described in Section 3 of this Volume.
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2.3 SEARCHING THE RBLC

2.3.1 Planning the Search

Before starting any search, consider the information to be gathered in the search. Review

the description of each option in Section 2.1 to identify these options’ specific uses and strengths. 

The standard and advanced queries allow the user to build a more sophisticated search, taking into

account more search criteria than the basic search option. However, these search options can

return an overwhelming number of determinations if the search is not specific. We recommend

that users familiarize themselves with the search criteria that are available so that they can search

efficiently.

2.3.2 How To Run a Search

A search allows the user to create a subset of the data base using available search criteria. 

After selecting one of the five search options on the RBLC Web, specify the search criteria in the

input form and then start the search by clicking the “Run search now” button. Once the search has

located matching determinations, the results can be viewed on-line or downloaded as a report file. 

The results can be sorted by permit date, facility name or state (which also sorts by RBLC ID). 

Additional instructions and search information are available on the search Web pages and through

the help system. 

2.3.3 Basic Search 

 The Basic Search option (shown in Figure 2-2) provides a simple mechanism to run a

search based on some of the most basic data fields in the RBLC. The data elements in the basic

search are as follows:

 

C Permit Issue Date

C Process Type (choose from pick-list)

C Process Name

C Pollutant Name (choose from pick-list)

C Company or Plant Name

C Plant Location (choose state from pick-list)

After entering the search criteria, click the “Run search now” button to execute the search. 

The results of the search are displayed in a table. Sections 2.4 and 2.5, Search Results and Data

Base Reports, describe how to view and download search results.
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Figure 2-2: Basic Search

 2.3.4 Find Lowest Emission Rate

This option finds the lowest emission rate for a selected process type and pollutant. This

search is currently limited to combustion sources but eventually will be available for any

processes with standardized emissions. To use the lowest emission rate search, first select the

process type and pollutant from the dynamic menu by moving your cursor through the expanding

menu (Figure 2-3). Click on the pollutant of interest in the final menu. Next, enter the date range

to find the lowest emission rate (Figure 2-4). Click the “Run report now” button to run the report. 

 The “Go Back” button will return the user to the process type and pollutant selection menu. 

Search results are displayed in a table, which is discussed in Section 2.4. 
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Figure 2-3: Find Lowest Emission Rate - Process Type and Pollutant Menu
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Figure 2-4: Find Lowest Emission Rate - Date Entry

2.3.5 Standard Search

The standard search option provides more flexibility in examining the permit data base. It

allows queries on all searchable data fields other than process type or RBLC ID, and it supports

queries based on multiple data fields. When a data value must be one of a particular set of

choices, these choices are presented in a pick-list. 

Multiple search criteria may be used. Try to select enough criteria to match a manageable

number of records, without being so restrictive that the search finds no matches or so vague that

the search is complex and it takes too long to run. Usually, two to three criteria work well. Be

sure not to specify mutually exclusive criteria, such as selecting North Carolina as the facility

location, but a permitting agency in Texas. 

Search criteria are used to match data base records with the values specified in the search. 

In most cases, the data specified will need to be exact matches. Some records (i.e., date of
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determination entry, facility identifier, and control efficiency) allow the use of comparison

operators to define a range of potential values. For numbers, the allowable operators are equals,

greater than, or less than. Operators for alphanumeric fields allow you to match any part of the

data, match the beginning characters only, or specify an exact match of every character.

A total of eight data elements can be searched and include: 

1) RBLC Date Selection

2) Facility or Industry Identifiers

3) Facility Location

4) Permit Information

5) Plantwide Emissions

6) Process Information

7) Pollutant Information

8) Emissions Abatement Information

All of these eight data elements that can be searched using the RBLC standard search are

described below, along with instructions on their use.

RBLC Date Selection

C Choose one or more RBLC data base categories. (See Section 2.2.1 for more

information)

C Draft Determinations 

C Final Determinations (permitted since January 1, 1993) 

C Final Determinations (permitted before January 1, 1993) 

C Choose a display option:

C Show All

C Show 150 records per page

C Choose an additional date element from the date range pick-list:

C Date added to RBLC

C Date last modified

C Date permit issued

Enter a “from” date and/or a “to” date. The search will find dates the same as or more

recent than the “from” date and the same as or earlier than the “to” date.
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The RBLC Web is flexible about the format of dates. Dates may be entered in a numeric

mm/dd/yyyy or m/dd/yy format or spelled out, i.e, ‘Jan 1, 1998’. If the system cannot recognize

the date as it has been entered, it will prompt the user to go back and enter another date value.

Facility or Industry Identifiers

These selections allow the user to search based on a facility or company name, an RBLC

ID, or by SIC code. Select a facility identifier from the pick-list (see the items listed below) and

enter the appropriate value to match.

C Company name

C Plant name

C RBLC Identifier (RBLC ID)

 Any of these facility identifiers can be entered as either complete or partial names. Enter

a complete RBLC ID to locate one specific determination. When the search criterion is the RBLC

ID, the search will run faster if the exact match operator is used. Choose one of the following

comparison operators:

C Containing performs a word search and matches all facilities that contain the

specified value anywhere in the selected data element.

C Beginning with finds only those facilities where the selected data element begins

with the value specified.

C Exact match is the most restrictive operator and requires a character-by-character

match between the value specified and the selected data element.

Comparison operators are particularly useful when searching text fields such as the facility

name. For example, when using the Beginning With operator and specifying THE PA as the

value to match, the result set will include "THE PAPER CLIP FACTORY," "THE PA

ELECTRIC PROJECT," and "THE PASTRY SHOP," but not "PASTEURIZATION INC." Using

the Exact Match operator would probably give you an empty result set. Specifying PA as the

value to match with the Containing operator would find all of these facilities, plus names such as

EXAMPLE - SEARCH BY DATE

Problem: To get a summary of determinations entered and modified by a specific agency

during the last three months of the year 1999. 

Solution: Choose Date Last Modified, and in the date fields, enter 09/01/99 and 12/31/99. In

the Permit Information section of the search, select the agency’s name from the pick-list

(e.g., AZ002 - Maricopa Co. Air Pollution Control, AZ), then run the search.
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"PRINCIPAL REPAIRS" and "CONSOLIDATED PAVERS." 

For a more general industry-based search, choose from the pick-list of SIC codes to

retrieve a broad set of facilities in a particular industry. Many older permits were added to the

data base without a SIC code, so queries may not find all matching records. A link to a

downloadable list present on the CHIEF web site is provided in the RBLC Reference Library.

Facility Location

The data base may be queried by EPA Region; State or U.S. territory; or up to twenty

Class One protected areas in combination with a distance to Class One borders. The latter

combination will find facilities that are near any of the National Parks and other protected areas

that have been selected. Selection options are:

C Select the EPA Region in which facilities are located; or

C Enter a state abbreviation (this option will supersede an EPA Region selection); or

C Select Class One affected boundaries.

Permit Information

The permit information option allows a search based on the permitting agency, a permit

number, or a plant ID code (formatted according to EPA standards). Search options are: 

C Choose a State or local permitting agency from the list provided to obtain a listing

of all determinations entered by a specific agency. Enter the first letter of the state

of interest to scroll to the appropriate agency codes. Appendix B lists all agency

codes used in the RBLC.

C Enter a permit number to locate one specific determination. Every permitting

agency uses its own format for permit numbers. It can be difficult to match a

permit number exactly. Try using a more general search criterion, and make a note

of the RBLC ID so the permit can be quickly located in the future.

C Enter the Universal Plant ID to identify all of the determinations in the data base

that are associated with a specific facility. However, the AIRS facility number

field is not a required field for entries, and it may not be the most reliable search

field.

Plantwide Emissions

Plantwide emissions data are available primarily for NSR early notification entries. These

emissions are a non-required field for data entry, so not all facilities will have this information.

These data may be searched by individual criteria pollutant. Any facilities with emissions

reported greater than zero for the chosen pollutant will be displayed. Alternatively, the user may

search on "Pollutant Name" under the "POLLUTANT INFORMATION" category for additional
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information.

Process Information

The data base can be queried by process information by entering a word or phrase that

describes a particular process, selecting from the pick-list of process type codes, and/or entering a

Source Classification Code (SCC). Process type codes are the primary method of classifying

source categories in the permit data base, and a search is most likely to be successful if the process

code is specified. Process names and SCCs can be used to narrowly define a broad process

category. Be aware that many older facilities in the data base were entered without SCCs, and a

search on a SCC may not find all matching processes. Detailed process information may not be

available for NSR early notification entries. 

C Enter a partial or complete process name. This search criterion automatically uses

the containing operator and works especially well when combined with one of the

other process data elements. Appendix D lists abbreviations for common process

names used in the RBLC.

C Choose from the list of processes and process type codes. Enter a number between

1 and 9 to scroll to the process codes starting with that digit. Appendix C lists all

process codes used in the RBLC.

C Enter a SCC code. Many older permits were added to the data base without a SCC

code, so the search may not find all matching records. A link to a downloadable

list present on the CHIEF web site is provided in the RBLC Reference Library. A

higher level SCC (i.e., one with fewer digits) can be used to identify a less specific

process.

Pollutant Information

Pollutant information includes the pollutant name or its Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS)

number, and emission type (i.e., point, area or fugitive). When conducting a search based on

emission type, it is strongly recommend that some facility or process-level criteria be included in

the search to reduce the size of the search results. Detailed pollutant information may not be

available for NSR early notification entries. Search options are:

C Specify a pollutant name. Choose from one of the criteria pollutants in the picklist, or choose ‘Specify other’ and type the pollutant name. Appendix D of this

User’s Manual lists pollutant abbreviations. The RBLC standard is to use the

chemical abbreviation for a pollutant, for example ‘CO’ for carbon monoxide.

C Enter a CAS number. This is the recommended method for finding a specific

pollutant because it accounts for any variations in pollutant names. A listing of

CAS numbers is in Appendix D of this volume.

C Choose from the list of available emission types. This selection works best when

used in combination with other criteria because it matches a large number of data
2-17

base entries.

Emissions Abatement Information

Emissions abatement information includes the regulatory program under which the limit

was established, the method used to control emissions, a particular pollution prevention technique

or add-on control that was used to achieve the emissions limit, and/or the percent efficiency of the

control method used. Partial words work best for queries on control description, because they

allow for spelling variations. For control efficiency information, specify a comparison operator. 

Emissions abatement information may not be available for NSR early notification entries.

C Specify the regulatory basis under which limits were established (e.g., BACT-PSD,

or NSPS). Choose from the pick-list of the most common values for basis in the

data base, or choose ‘Specify other’ and type in a value. 

C Choose the control method code that describes the method used to achieve the

emissions abatement. Control method codes are: A (add-on control), P (pollution

prevention), B (both), and N (none). This selection works best when used in

combination with other criteria because it matches a large number of data base

entries.

C Enter a word or phrase for the particular pollution prevention method or add-on

equipment that was used.

C Select a control efficiency threshold as a percentage. Thresholds can be specified

as either equal, greater than or less than. Very often, a measure of efficiency is not

provided with the submittal, so a search on this data element may not find many

matching records.
2-18

Once all search criteria for the standard search have been specified, click on the “Run

search now” button to begin the search, or click the “Reset” button to start over with a blank

standard search form.

The results of the search are displayed in a table. Examining the results of the search and

downloading the results to a local PC are discussed in Section 2.4. 

2.3.6 Advanced Search

The advanced search option lets the user create search criteria by choosing from pick-lists

of all searchable data elements and data operators, and entering desired values. Three search

criteria can be combined using ‘AND’ or ‘OR’ logical connectors for more selective queries. 

EXAMPLE: USING THE STANDARD SEARCH FORM

Problem: Too many determinations.

The RBLC Web data base is being consulted to identify nitrogen oxide (NOx) control

methods applied to large, combined-cycle, natural gas turbines. A quick Basic Search using

the generic process type code 15.000, Large Combustion Turbines (> 25 MW), and the

pollutant selection NOx yields 412 determinations, an overwhelming number. What sort of

search options can be used to refine the search?

Solution: Define needs, experiment with options, run several queries.

The study is focusing on just combined-cycle, natural gas turbines, so the generic

process type is not the best selection for the search. Refining the process type code selection

will help. Combustion source process type codes are now broken down into very specific

subsets of similar sources. In this example, there is a corresponding process type code that

closely matches the search criteria: 15.210: Natural Gas, Combined-Cycle or Cogeneration,

Large Combustion Turbines (> 25MW). The search can be further refined by searching the

process name for the word “combined” to eliminate cogeneration processes. However, using

the specific process type code, the pollutant NOx, and “combined” in the process name field

still yields 108 determinations. 

A further limit is that results of this work will be used in the state of California,

therefore, specifying California determinations should reflect State rules and practices. Using

the location/state option, along with those previously selected, results in 7 determinations and

8 processes, both very manageable numbers. Further research could identify states with

similar NOx rules, or, having identified a likely pollution control method, the standard search

or advanced search could be used to identify all instances of that control method for review.
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Figure 2-5: Advanced Search

Figure 2-5 illustrates the initial part of the advanced search page. Although similar to the standard

search, the advanced search option does not provide sets of allowable values for data elements. 

These must be entered by the user. In general, the user should know what information each data

element contains to use this option effectively. Use the on-line help and this document’s

discussions of data base elements in Section 2.2, and standard search options in Section 2.3.5,

when running the advanced search. As with other search options, the user must select one or

more RBLC permit data bases. See Section 2.2.1 for more information.

Specify the first search criteria by choosing a data element and a comparison operator from

the pick-lists. Then type the desired alphanumeric value for the data element in the text box. 

Entries are not case sensitive. The searchable data elements are:

C Agency code;

C Basis for limit;

C CAS number;

C Company name;
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C Control method code;

C Control method description;

C Date added to RBLC;

C Date last modified;

C Date permit issued;

C Distance to Class 1 areas;

C Efficiency;

C Emission Type;

C Identifier (RBLC ID);

C Permit Number;

C Plant (facility) name;

C Plantwide emissions (pollutant name);

C Pollutant name;

C Process name;

C Process type code;

C Region;

C SCC code;

C SIC code;

C State; and

C Universal Plant ID Code.

The operator you choose defines which values of the specified data element you are

interested in. In the simplest criteria, you are usually trying to match a value and will use the

equals operator, for example, “State equals TX”. Not all operators work with all types of data.

The available operators are: 

C Equals; 

C Begins with;

C Contains (word search);

C Greater than;

C Less than;

C Greater than or equal to; and

C Less than or equal to.

 “Equals” can be used with all data elements. “Contains” cannot be used with date or

numeric data elements or with data elements that must be in a particular format (such as RBLC

IDs). The inequality operators (> < >= <=) can only be used with date or numeric data elements. 

All three fields: data element, operator, and value, must be entered. At this point, the user
2-21

can click the “Run search now” button to run the search using only one set of search criteria, or a

second set of search criteria can be added by choosing one the following logical connectors:

C “And” finds records that match both of the search criteria. 

C “Or” finds records that match either one of the search criteria. 

If a connector is selected, the second criteria set must be specified by choosing data

elements from the second criteria pick-lists and entering a desired value. Be careful not to specify

mutually exclusive criteria. For example, specifying “State equals NC and State equals FL” will

not find any matching records.

At this point, the user can click the “Run search now” button to run the search using two

sets of search criteria, or a third set of search criteria can be added by choosing a logical connector

and data elements from the third criteria pick-list, and entering a desired value.

Click the “Run search now” button to run the search. The “Reset form” button can be

used to start over with a blank search form. Search results are displayed in a table, which is

discussed in Section 2.4. 

2.3.7 RBLC ID Search

This option is the fastest way to find a permit on the RBLC web. A search by the RBLC

Identifier requires only one input, the RBLC ID. Up to three RBLC identifiers can be used in a

single search. This search will find all valid RBLC IDs (Draft and Final) in the RBLC data base. 

The correct format of an RBLC ID is AA-nnnn, where AA is the 2-letter state

abbreviation and nnnn is a 4-digit number that uniquely identifies the permit. Some older permits

use a single letter suffix (e.g., CA-0001.A) to further distinguish among related determinations. 

Input for this single letter suffix field is not case sensitive. 

Click the “Run search now” button to start the search. Search results are displayed in a

table that is discussed in Section 2.4.

2.4 SEARCH RESULTS

The results for all RBLC search options are displayed as a table of links to additional

information. For all searches except the Find Lowest Emission Rate Search, the table (see Figure

2-6) displays the RBLC ID, facility name, city, state, process type code, process name, permit

number, and permit date. The results can be sorted by permit date, state/RBLC ID, or facility

name by using the “Sort By” buttons at the top of the table. Each row in the table represents a 
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Figure 2-6: Results Table for a Standard Search

determination and process that matched the search criteria. A facility may appear with multiple

rows, one for each matching process found by the search. Results can be viewed on-line or saved

in any of the RBLC standard output formats, which are discussed in Section 2.5. To view and

navigate through data on-line, click on the RBLC IDs or process description links. RBLC ID

numbers are linked to facility level data (general information about the permitting action). 

Process descriptions are linked to the process details page that includes links to pollutant data.

Depending on which option you have selected, the results table displays either all of the

records or 150 records at a time. Any reports generated from the results table will contain only

the facilities displayed on the current page. If you have selected "Show 150 records per page" and

more than 150 records are returned by a search, a link to the next 150 records appears just above

and below the results table. Users can move through pages of results using the “Next 150

Facilities” and “Previous 150 Facilities” links. 
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Figure 2-7: Results Table for Find Lowest Emission Rate Search

For the Find Lowest Emission Rate Search, the results table (see Figure 2-7) displays the

RBLC ID, permit date, facility name, and standard emission limit. The search criteria used for the

search (Process Code, Process Name and Pollutant) appear towards the top of the page as a

reminder. To view and navigate through data on-line, click on the RBLC IDs or standard

emission limit links. RBLC ID numbers are linked to facility level data (general information

about the permitting action). Standard emission limits are linked to the pollutant details page. 

Other than printing or saving the results table itself, no standard outputs are available from the

Find Lowest Emission Rate search results table.

2.4.1 Navigating the Search Results

Each RBLC Web page that displays facility, process or pollutant permit data has

navigation buttons near the top of the page to assist in moving through the Web site, search results

and data screens. Buttons are provided for the following: “RBLC Home”, “New Search”, “Search

Results”, “Facility Information”, “Process List”, and “Process/Pollutant Information”. Use these
2-24

buttons and links rather than the Web browser’s navigation buttons to avoid potential errors that

can result from the way that browsers cache information. If a search is not successful, return to

the search page and re-specify the search criteria. Check to make sure that a misspelled word or

an invalid value for a search element is not the problem. 

2.4.2 Viewing Search Results

Information about each permit determination in the RBLC data base is organized by

facility, process, and pollutant. Each RBLC ID in a search results table links to details about the

permitted facility for that determination. Each process listed in the results table links to details

about that process in the permitted facility. Process links are not provided in the Find Lowest

Emission Rate search results table; however, each standard emission limit listed in the Find

Lowest Emission Rate search results table is linked to pollutant details for the pollutant selected. 

Successively deeper levels of information are viewed by clicking on the navigation buttons that

appear near the top of each data page or links provided on the page. Refer to Section 2.2 for more

information about facility, process, and pollutant level data elements. For other than Find Lowest

Emission Rate searches, pollutant level data is accessed from links located on its associated

process level page. Use the “Search Results” navigation button near the top of the page to return

to the search results table and pick another facility to view.

Facility Level Data

The first page that is displayed when the RBLC ID link is selected is the determination’s

facility level information (see Figure 2-8 for an example). Navigation buttons are available on

this page for viewing search results and process/pollutant information.

If a facility has multiple processes, they are all displayed on a process list page. Use the

“Process List” navigation button to display the list of processes. Each process in the list is a link

to a process detail page that displays additional information about that process. The process detail

page appears immediately upon selecting the “Process List” button if the facility has only one

process.
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Figure 2-8: Facility Level Detail Page

Process Level Data

The process detail page (Figure 2-9) presents specifics about the process. Use the

navigation button near the top of the screen to go back to the process list (if any) to select other

processes for viewing. A pollutant list for the process is present in the lower right corner of the

page. Each pollutant name is an active link to the pollutant level detail page. 
2-26

Figure 2-9: Process Level Detail Page

Pollutant Level Data

The pollutant detail page (Figure 2-10) presents specifics about emissions of the particular

pollutant. Use the “Process/Pollutant Information” navigation button at the top of the screen to go

back to the process/pollutant list to select and view other pollutants (if any). 
2-27

Figure 2-10: Pollutant Level Detail Page

2.5 DATA BASE REPORTS

There are five pre-defined report formats available for RBLC permit data base queries. 

These reports can be viewed on-line or downloaded to a PC.

2.5.1 Generating a Report

There are two options regarding the number of records displayed in a report: “Show all

records,” or “Show only selected records on this page.” Note that, due to data base restrictions, a

maximum of 1000 facility records may be printed in any one report. If more than 1000 facility

records are identified by the search results, the “Show all records” options will change to “Show

first 1000 records.” If you selected “Show All” in your search criteria on the previous Web page,

all records are displayed on one results page. Therefore, if you did not uncheck any of the records

on the results page, both report options will be the same. If you did uncheck records, the “Show
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only selected records on this page” option will include only the checked records in the report, and

the “Show All Records” option will include all records (checked or unchecked, up to 1000

records) in the report. 

If you selected “Show 150 records per page” in your search criteria on the previous Web

page, only 150 records can be displayed on a results page. If your search identifies 150 or fewer

records, all records will be displayed on the same page and the report options will function as

indicated above. However, if your search has more than 150 records, the “Show only selected

records on this page” option will be limited to the selected (checked) records on the current Web

page. You must select the “Print all records” report option to print all (first 1000) records that met

the search criteria on the current and subsequent pages. You may also choose the “Show only

selected records on this page” option and generate separate reports for the records displayed on

each results page. 

Available report formats are listed in a pick-list at the bottom of the results page (see

Figure 2-11). Both summary and detail formats are available. Summary reports include all of the

facilities displayed in the results table. These reports are fairly short and do not take a long time

to create. Detail reports can be very lengthy depending on the size of the result set. Formatting

time for reports can be reduced by selecting specific facilities using the check box in the first

column next to each Rule ID in the results table. Initially all affected facilities are checked and

will be included in the detail reports. Use the check box next to an affected facility to de-select

the facility. Click the “Reset” button to re-select all affected facilities.

Choose a format from the list, then click the “Create report” button to generate the report.

Formatting a report may take some time, especially for a large number of facilities. The detail

reports take the longest time to generate because they include the most information. All reports

are created as ASCII text. Also see Appendix F - Examples of RBLC Standard Reports.

The following report formats are available:

C Process Index Report: Determinations are sorted alphabetically by facility name. 

This report includes the following data elements: RBLC ID, facility name, permit

date, and process code and description.

C Process Type Summary Report: Process records are sorted by numeric process

code. In addition to the process code and name, this report includes the following

data elements: RBLC ID, facility name, permit date, permitting agency, and name

and telephone number for the agency contact person who is knowledgeable about

the determination.
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Figure 2-11: Download Report Format Selection

C Comprehensive Report: Determinations are sorted by RBLC ID. This report

includes most of the information in the permit data base for selected facilities.

Because it includes details about all processes and pollutants, this is a very lengthy

report.

C Free Form Report: Determinations are sorted by RBLC ID. There are two

options for this report. The customizable fields option allows the user to select the

fields displayed in the report. The other option literally displays all information in

the permit data base for the selected facilities. Each data field displays as one line

in the report. Depending on the number of fields selected and the number of

determinations in the search results table, this may be a very long report. 

C Export/Import Report (ASCII Delimited Text): Determinations are sorted by

RBLC ID. This report saves selected data fields in a quoted, comma-delimited

format that is suitable for importing into desktop data bases or spreadsheets.
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Information reported includes: RBLC ID, facility name, city, state, process code

and description, process throughput, pollutant and emission limit, basis for limit,

and a description of emission abatement methods. 

2.5.2 Downloading RBLC Information

When the RBLC Web has finished creating the report, either a Save dialog box or the

report itself will be displayed. The exact action depends upon the browser configuration. If the

report appears on the browser, choose the “Save As” command from the browser File menu to

save the report file. Then, use the “Back” button to return to the results table. Netscape© users

must specify a ".txt" file extension when saving a report. The default extension is ".cfm" which

could cause problems when the file is re-opened. When using other browsers, using a “.txt” file

extension is also recommended if the file will be used with word processing or spreadsheet

software.

 A report can also be printed directly from the RBLC Web using the browser print

function. 
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SECTION 3: 

RBLC REGULATION DATA BASE SEARCHES AND DATA STRUCTURE

The RBLC Regulation data base contains summaries of Federal regulations enacted in

response to the Clean Air Act and Amendments. These rules include Maximum Achievable

Control Technology (MACT) standards, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air

Pollutants (NESHAP), New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), and Control Techniques

Guidelines (CTG) which specify requirements for Reasonably Available Control Technology

(RACT). 

Registration is not required to use the RBLC Web regulation data base. Click on “Search

Data Base” from the RBLC home page to search the RBLC data bases. From the RBLC Basic

Search search page under “Other Search Options,” select one of the regulation data base search

options to search or browse the regulation data. This section discusses: (1) data base elements and

structure; (2) search methodologies; (3) the three data base search options; and (4) standard

reports. 

3.1 DATA BASE ELEMENTS AND STRUCTURE

The organization of the regulation data base is similar to that of the RBLC's permit

determination data base. Each entry, or rule, in the regulation data base contains three levels of

data:

• Regulation data,

• Process data, and 

• Pollutant data. 

NOTE: Federal rules use the term “affected facility” (i.e., any apparatus to which a standard is

applicable) to indicate a process that is subject to the rule. In this section and in the RBLC

Regulation data base, this term has been used improperly to indicate the title of the rule

(regulation name) rather then the processes regulated by the rule. We hope to correct this

situation in 2004.

A rule is associated with the type of facility and related processes that emit pollutants

governed by the regulation. The type of facility might be a particular type of plant, such as a coke

oven or vinyl chloride manufacturing plant, or a generic operation such as waste transfer. 
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Each affected facility consists of one or more different processes that are regulated by the

rule. Regulations can specify different emission standards for new and existing sources or for

different size sources. Therefore, a rule may contain the same general process but different

emission limits for sources with different capacities or construction dates. Each process, in turn,

consists of information on one or more pollutants and the emission limits required by the

regulation. Each rule must have at least one process and at least one pollutant. 

The information that EPA maintains in the data base is listed below. Data elements that

can be used in a search are marked with an asterisk (*).

Rule / Affected Facility Information

C RBLC ID*: The unique identification number assigned to each regulation by the

system. For Federal regulations, the number consists of the letter "R" followed by

the abbreviation “US” and a four digit number, i.e., RUS-0001 is the first entry

made for Federal regulations. Although no State and local agency rules are

currently in the data base, they may be added in the future. State and local rules

would use the appropriate State abbreviation in the RBLC ID instead of “US.”

C AFFECTED FACILITY NAME*: A character field describing the facility, plant, or

operation affected by the regulation (i.e., the title of the regulation).

C SIC CODE*: The standard industrial classification (SIC) code for facilities used

throughout the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) at EPA. A list of valid SIC

codes is available as a drop down list in the search portion of the RBLC web site,

or the list can be downloaded as a file from the RBLC Documents list.

C STATE: Two-character abbreviation for the State in which the regulation applies. 

"US" is the abbreviation used for Federal rules.

C EPA REGION: EPA Region number (1-10) that includes the State in which the rule

applies. Zero (0) is used as the Region for Federal rules.

C REGULATORY BASIS*: The statutory basis under which the agency issues the

regulation. The choices which may be entered are:

- CTG/RACT -- Control Technique Guidelines/Reasonably Achievable

Control Technology;
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- MACT -- Maximum Achievable Control Technology;

- NESHAP -- National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air

Pollutants;

- NSPS -- New Source Performance Standards; 

- 183(e)/BAC – Federal Ozone Measures, Control of Emissions from Certain

Sources; and

- Other.

C STATUS OF THE REGULATION: A character field describing the legal status of the

regulation (proposed, in effect, etc.).

C AGENCY INFORMATION: Four fields which provide information on the regulatory

agency. The first field is the agency code (see Appendix B); the second is the

agency name (automatically assigned based on the agency code). The third and

fourth fields provide a contact name and phone number for the person at the

regulatory agency who can answer questions regarding the regulation.

C REGULATION NUMBER*: A number which the regulatory agency assigns to the

regulation. If the rule is issued by EPA, this number would identify the appropriate

part and subpart of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

C BACKGROUND INFORMATION DOCUMENT (BID): A number which the regulatory

agency assigns to the document that contains technical, cost, and other information

supporting the regulation. A second field is available for the title of the document.

C SCHEDULING INFORMATION: Key dates in the development of the regulation are

stored in the data base, such as the following:

- Date technical support documentation was completed;

- Date public notice was given;

- Date rule was proposed; and

- Date final rule became effective*.

The data base also includes character fields for a reference to the legal publication

in which rules were announced. For Federal rules, this is the Federal Register

(FR). 
3-4

C NOTES: Fields that include explanatory information about the regulation. 

C ON-LINE FILE INFORMATION: These two fields are for Federal regulations only and

list the documents (text of regulation, any supporting documentation, etc.) and their

location if the rule is available for downloading from the OAR Policy and

Guidance web site.

C ENTRY DATE*: Date when the regulation was first entered into the regulation data

base.

C LAST UPDATE*: Date when changes were last made to the data base for this

regulation. 

Process Information:

C PROCESS DESCRIPTION*: The description of the process being regulated (see

examples in Appendix A, and abbreviations and descriptors for processes in

Appendix D).

C PROCESS TYPE CODE*: A numeric code assigned to each process used to categorize

determinations. Codes and their descriptors can be found in Appendix C and in a

drop down list in the standard regulation search portion of the RBLC web site.

C SCC CODE*: The source classification code (SCC) for processes used throughout

the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) at EPA. A link to a downloadable list

present on the CHIEF web site is provided in the RBLC Reference Library.

C SIZE/CAPACITY AND UNITS: Information on the size or capacity of the process unit,

often specified using a range or a capacity threshold. These fields are also used to

indicate construction or modification dates, such as when different standards apply

to process units depending on the date the operation commences. 

C PROCESS NOTES: This field includes explanatory information specific to the

regulation of this process.
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Pollutant Information:

C POLLUTANT NAME*: The name of the pollutant being controlled. Pollutant names

can be found in Appendix D. 

C CHEMICAL ABSTRACT SERVICE (CAS) NUMBER*: The Chemical Abstract

Service number for the pollutant. CAS numbers can be found in Appendix

D. 

C PRIMARY EMISSION LIMIT AND UNITS: The primary emission limit listed in the

regulation. For rules that do not have numeric limits, the units may refer to the

demonstrated technology descriptions or to the notes. 

C ALTERNATIVE EMISSION LIMIT AND UNITS: If provided in the rule, these numbers

represent any alternative emission limitations which the affected facility may meet.

C PERCENT EFFICIENCY (CONTROL EFFICIENCY)*: The design efficiency required by

the regulation, often based on a particular type of control equipment and/or

pollution prevention method, and expressed as a percentage. 

C TYPE OF EMISSION CONTROLLED*: A one-character field indicating whether the

emission is classified as fugitive (F), point source (P), or area source (A).

C DEMONSTRATED TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION*: A description of the specific addon control equipment or pollution prevention techniques used to meet the emission

limits of the regulation. Pollution prevention often includes continuous monitoring

requirements, work practice standards, or operator training and qualification.

C COST DATA: Control costs for a model facility. The model plant is generally

described in the process notes. Costs contained in the regulation data base include:

- Year of the dollar used in cost calculations;

- Capital cost to purchase and install control equipment;

- Annualized cost (amortized capital costs plus annual operation and

maintenance (O&M) costs); and

- Cost effectiveness in dollars per ton.
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3.2 SEARCHING THE REGULATION DATA BASE

3.2.1 Planning the Search

The RBLC regulation data base can be searched using three search options as discussed

below. These options allow the user to browse the regulation listings or build sophisticated

queries using multiple search criteria. Users should review the data base elements listed in the

preceding section, and note those that can be used in a search. 

3.2.2 How To Run a Search

The three search options available for the RBLC Regulation data base are listed and

described directly below in Section 3.2.3. Choose one of these options to begin a search. Search

criteria are selected using the same tools as those in the permit data base search system: pick-lists,

buttons, and text fields. After defining criteria, click on the “Run search now” button to run the

search. 

All RBLC Regulation data base search options present results in a table that lists the

RBLC Rule ID, the CFR citation, the name of the affected facility, the process code, and the

process description. Each option also supports viewing and saving the results in any of the RBLC

standard output formats. See Section 3.3 to learn more about viewing results and generating

reports. 

3.2.3 Regulation Data Base Search Options

Choose one of the following three options under “Regulation Data Base” to locate

information in the regulation data base. Then, follow the directions on the screen to define a

search. 

C “Scan All” displays all regulations in the data base sorted alphabetically by

affected facility.

C “Standard Search” provides a search form with a format similar to that used for

the permit data base standard search. This approach allows users to build a set of

search criteria by choosing from multiple data elements, such as regulation

identifiers, facility type, pollutants, and control information. Where appropriate,

pick-lists of allowable values are provided. 
3-7

C “Advanced Search” allows users to choose from pick-lists of data elements and

enter desired values to build a set of search criteria. Criteria can be combined for

more selective queries. In general, users should know what each data element

contains to use this option effectively.

3.2.3.1 Scan All

Choose the “Scan All” option to easily view the entire regulation data base. All entries to

the data base are displayed in a table, and entries can be selected for download. Results are sorted

alphabetically by affected facility name. 

3.2.3.2 Standard Search 

The “Standard Search” option offers flexibility in examining the regulation data base

(currently 222 rules). It allows queries on several data fields (process code or pollutant for

example), and it supports combining data fields for more selective queries.

The initial part of the “Standard Search” option displays links to groups of related search

fields, (e.g., regulation identification or process information). These links can be used to move

directly to those fields, or the user can scroll through the page. Search criteria are defined by

filling out the appropriate sections of the form. Figure 3-1 shows part of the standard search input

form for the regulation identification section. Brief instructions for each group of data elements

appear below each group’s input fields. 

Some data elements can be matched in one of several ways. These elements are presented

in the search form with a comparison operator and a value field for entering matching text or

numbers. For example, the allowable operators for numbers are equals, greater than, or less than.

Operators for alphanumeric fields allow a match of any part of the data, beginning characters only,

or an exact match of every character.

One or more of the search criteria fields can be filled out for the standard search. Try to

select enough criteria to match a manageable number of records, without being so restrictive that

the search finds no matches or so vague that the search is complex and takes a long time to run. 

Usually, two to three criteria work well. Be sure not to specify mutually exclusive criteria. 
3-8

Figure 3-1: Regulation Data Base Standard Search

Five groups of data elements can be queried by the RBLC standard search:

1) Date Selection;

2) Regulation Identification;

3) Process Information;

4) Pollutant Information; and 

5) Emission Abatement.

These groups are discussed below.
3-9

Dates

C Choose a date element from the date range pick-list:

S Date added to RBLC

S Date last modified

S Date rule is effective

Enter a “from” date and/or a “to” date to define the date range. The search will

find dates the same as or more recent than the “from” date and the same as or

earlier than the “to” date. 

Dates may be entered in a numeric mm/dd/yyyy format or spelled out, i.e, ‘Jan 1, 1998’. If

the system cannot recognize the date as it has been entered, it will prompt the user to go back and

enter another date value.

Be aware that a search on the data element “date rule is effective” will not find proposed

rules and guidance documents. 

Regulation Identifiers

C Select an identifier from the pick-list (see below) and enter the desired value to

match, using comparison operators to find entries containing, beginning with, or

exactly matching the entered text. Regulation identifiers are:

S Affected facility

S CFR Citation

S RBLC ID

Enter an RBLC ID or CFR citation in the value field to locate one specific

regulation. The format for RBLC Regulation IDs is “RAA-NNNN”, similar to the

format for RBLC IDs with “R” added as a prefix (see the description of Rule ID in

Section 3.1). The format for CFR citation varies. CTG entries do not have rule

numbers. Most Federal rules take the form “40 CFR Part nn Subpart aaa”. If the

appropriate part and subpart of the CFR in which a rule was published are known,

use the CFR citation.
3-10

C Choose from the pick-list of SIC codes to retrieve a set of facilities in a particular

industry. A link to a downloadable list present on the CHIEF web site is provided

in the RBLC Reference Library.

C Select a regulatory basis from the pick-list to retrieve all rules enacted under a

particular Federal statute.

The comparison operators used when searching a regulation identifier are:

C Containing - performs a word search and matches all affected facilities that

contain the specified value anywhere in the selected data element. This is the

recommended comparison operator for all regulation identifiers except Rule ID.

C Beginning with - finds only those affected facilities whose facility name begins

with the value specified.

C Exact match - is the most restrictive operator and requires a character by character

match between the value specified and the facility data element. This is the

recommended comparison operator for matching Rule ID.

Process Information

C Enter a partial or complete process name. This search criterion automatically uses

the “containing” operator and works especially well when combined with one of

the other process data elements. Appendix D lists common process names used in

the RBLC.

C Choose a process type code from the pick-list. Enter a number between 1 and 9 to

scroll to that part of the process code list. Appendix C lists allowable process

codes. A higher level process type code (i.e., “NN.000") can be used to identify a

larger group of related process types. 

C Enter a SCC code. Many older permits were added to the data base without a SCC

code, so the search may not find all matching records. A link to a downloadable

list present on the CHIEF web site is provided in the RBLC Reference Library.
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Pollutant Information

C Specify a pollutant name. Choose from one of the criteria pollutants in the picklist, or choose ‘Specify other’ and type the pollutant name abbreviation. Appendix

D of this User’s Manual lists pollutant abbreviations. The RBLC standard is to use

the chemical abbreviation for a pollutant name, for example ‘CO’ for carbon 

monoxide.

C Enter the appropriate CAS number. This is the recommended method for finding a

specific pollutant because it accounts for any variations in pollutant names. A

listing of CAS numbers is in Appendix D of this volume.

C Choose from the list of available emission types (point, area, or fugitive). This

selection works best when used in combination with other criteria because it

matches a large number of data base entries.

Emissions Abatement Information

C Enter a word or phrase for the demonstrated technology description, i.e., the 

pollution prevention or add-on equipment control method to be used in the search. 

C Specify a control efficiency threshold as a percentage. Very often, a measure of

efficiency is not specified with the regulation, so a search on this data element may

not find many matching records.

When the search criteria are complete, click the “Run search now” button to begin the

search. Click the “Reset form” button to start over with a blank standard search form.

An overview of the results of the search is displayed in a table. The results table can be

sorted either by RBLC ID, CFR citation, or affected facility name using the “Sort By” buttons at

the top of the table. Examining the results of the search and downloading the results are discussed

in Section 3.3. 

3.2.3.3 Advanced Search

The advanced search option lets the user create search criteria by choosing from pick-lists

of data elements and data operators, and entering desired values. Two search criteria can be

combined using ‘AND’ or ‘OR’ logical connectors for more selective queries. Figure 3-2
3-12

illustrates the initial part of the advanced search page. Although similar to the standard search,

the advanced search option does not provide sets of allowable values for data elements. These

values must be entered by the user. In general, the user should know what information each data

element contains to use this option effectively. Use the on-line help and this document’s

discussions of data base elements in Section 3.1 and standard search options in Section 3.2.3.2

when running the advanced search. 

Figure 3-2: Regulation Data Base Advanced Search

Specify the first search criteria by choosing a data element and a comparison operator from

the pick-lists. Then type the desired value for the data element in the text box. Entries are not

case sensitive. The searchable data elements are:

C Affected facility;

C CAS number;

C CFR Citation;

C Control efficiency;

C Control method description (demonstrated technology description);
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C Date added to RBLC;

C Date last modified;

C Date rule is effective;

C Emission type;

C Pollutant name;

C Process name;

C Process type code;

C RBLC ID;

C Regulatory basis;

C Rule number;

C SCC code; and

C SIC code.

All three fields - data element, operator, and value - must be entered. The operator you

choose defines which values of the specified data element you are interested in. In the simplest

criterion, you are usually trying to match a value and will use the equals operator, for example,

"State equals TX". Not all operators work with all types of data. The available operators are:

C Equals;

C Contains (word search);

C Greater than;

C Less than;

C Greater than or equal to; and

C Less than or equal to.

The “equals” operator can be used with all data elements. The “contains” operator cannot

be used with date or numeric data elements or with data elements that must be in a particular

format (such as RBLC IDs). The inequality operators (>, <, >=, <=) can only be used with date or

numeric data elements.

At this point, the user can click the “Run search now” button to run the search using only

one set of search criteria, or a second set of search criteria can be added by choosing one of the

following logical connectors:

C AND finds records that match both of the search criteria.

C OR finds records that match either one of the search criteria.
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If a connector is selected, the second criteria set must be specified by choosing data

elements from the second criteria set pick-lists, and entering a desired value, as described above. 

Be careful not to specify mutually exclusive criteria. For example, specifying “Pollutant equals

CO AND CAS number equals 10102-44-0” will not find any matching recordsbecause the CAS

number given is for NO2.

At this point, the user can click the “Run search now” button to run the search using two

sets of search criteria, or a third set of search criteria can be added by choosing a logical connector

and data elements from the third criteria pick-list, and entering a desired value.

Click the “Run search now” button to run the search. The “Reset form” button can be

used to start over with a blank search form. Search results are displayed in a table, which is

discussed in Section 3.4. 

3.3 SEARCH RESULTS

The results for all RBLC search options are displayed as a table with links to additional

information (Figure 3-3). Each row in the table represents a regulation for one affected facility. 

The table displays the RBLC ID, CFR citation, affected facility, process code, and process

description. The “Sort By” buttons at the top of the table can be used to sort by RBLC ID, CFR

citation, or affected facility. When a standard or advanced search has been run, the search criteria

used for the search appear towards the top of the page. Results can be viewed on-line or saved in

any of the RBLC standard output formats, which are discussed in Section 3.3.2 below.

3.3.1 Navigating the Search Results

The RBLC Web regulation, process and pollutant data pages have navigation buttons near

the top of the page to assist in moving through the Web site, search results and data screens. 

Buttons are provided for the following: RBLC Home; New Search; Search Results; Regulation

Details; and Process/Pollutant Information. Use these buttons when they are available rather than

the Web browser’s navigation buttons to avoid potential errors that can result from the way that

browsers cache information. If a search returns a result of “No matching regulations found,” click

the back button to return to the search page to re-specify the search criteria. Check to make sure

that a misspelled word or an invalid value for a search element is not the problem. If you do not

find the regulation you expected, use the navigation button “New Search” to specify new search

criteria. 
3-15

Figure 3-3: Results Table for Regulation Data Base

The results table displays a maximum of 50 records at a time. The user can select to show

all records or show only selected records on the page in the reports generated from the results

table. When more than 50 records are returned by a search, a link to the next group of records

appears above and below the results table. To work with the next or the previous group of

records, click on this link.

3.3.2 Viewing Search Results

Information about each of the regulations in the RBLC Web is organized by regulation,

process, and pollutant. The RBLC ID in the search results table links to details for each

regulation. Each process listed in the search results table links to details about the process

regulated by that rule. Successively deeper levels of information are viewed by clicking on the

navigation buttons near the top of each detail page. Links to pollutant information are provided

on the process details page. Use the “Search Results” button near the top of the page to return to

the search results table and pick another rule or process to view. 
3-16

Use the “Regulation Details” button to view detailed information about the regulation 

itself (Figure 3-4). Use the “Process/Pollutant Information” button to return to the process list. 

Refer to Section 3.1 for more information on regulation, process and pollutant data elements.

Figure 3-4: Regulation Details Page

The process details page presents specifics about the process (see Figure 3-5). Use the

“Process/Pollutant Information” button to go to the process list to select processes for viewing. 
3-17

Figure 3-5: Process Details Page

The pollutants for a process are displayed on the process details page. Each pollutant

name in the list is a link to a pollutant detail page that displays additional information about that

pollutant (see Figure 3-6). 
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Figure 3-6: Pollutant Details Page

3.3.3 Generating Data Base Reports

There are three pre-defined report formats available for RBLC Regulation data base

queries. These reports can be viewed on-line or downloaded to a PC. The report formats are

listed in a pick list at the bottom of the results page (see Figure 3-7). Choose a report format from

the list, and click the create button to generate the report. Formatting a report may take some

time, especially for a large number of affected facilities. All reports are created as ASCII text. 

Formatting time for reports can be reduced by selecting specific facilities using the check

box in the first column next to each Rule ID in the results table. Initially all affected facilities are

checked and will be included in the detail reports. Use the check box next to an affected facility

to de-select the facility. Click the “Reset” button to re-select all affected facilities.
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Figure 3-7: Report Format Options

The following report formats are available:

C Detailed Source Listing by RBLC ID: This option includes most of the

information in the regulation data base. Because it includes details about all

processes and pollutants for selected affected facilities, this is a very lengthy report.

C Freeform: There are two options for this report. The customizable fields option

allows the user to select the fields to display in the report. The other option

displays literally all information in the regulation data base for the selected

regulation. Each data field displays as one line in the report. Depending on the

fields selected and the number of rules in the search results table, this may be a

very lengthy report.

C Export - ASCII Delimited Text: With this option regulations are sorted by RBLC

ID. This report saves selected data fields in a quoted, comma-delimited format that

is suitable for importing into desktop data bases or spreadsheets.
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There are two options regarding the number of records displayed in a report: “Show All

Records,” or “Show Only Selected Records On This Page.” If you selected “Show All” in your

search criteria on the previous Web page, all records are displayed on one results page. Therefore,

if you did not uncheck any of the records on the results page, both report options will be the same. 

If you did uncheck records, the “Show Only Selected Records On This Page” option will include

only the checked records in the report, and the “Show All Records” option will include all records

(checked or unchecked) in the report. 

If you selected “Show 50 records per Page”in your search criteria on the previous Web

page, only 50 records can be displayed on a results page. If the search identifies 50 or fewer

records, all records will be displayed on the same page and the report options will function as

indicated above. However, if your search returns more than 50 records, the “Show Only Selected

Records On This Page” option will be limited to the selected (checked) records on the current

Web page. You must select the “Print All Records” report option to print all records that met the

search criteria on the current and subsequent pages. You may also choose the “Show Only

Selected Records On This Page” option and generate separate reports for the records displayed on

each results page. 

 When the RBLC Web has finished creating the report, either a Save dialog box or the

report itself will be displayed. The exact action depends upon the browser configuration. If the

report appears on the browser, choose the “Save As” command from the browser File menu to

save the report file. Then, use the back button to return to the results table. Netscape© users must

specify a ".txt" file extension when saving a report. The default extension is ".cfm" which could

cause problems when the file is re-opened. When using other browsers, using a “.txt” file

extension is also recommended if the file will be used with word processing or spreadsheet

software.

The report can also be printed directly from the RBLC Web using the browser print

function.