Feather River Air Quality Management District Rule 3.22 (06/01/2009) 

Rule 3.22 Internal Combustion Engines (Adopted 06/01/2009) 

A. APPLICABILITY 

Rule 3.22 applies to all internal combustion engines with 

rated break horsepower greater than or equal to fifty (>50 

bhp) used in industrial, institutional, and commercial 

operations that operate within the boundaries of the 

District. 

B. EXEMPTIONS 

 

B.1 This rule shall not apply to the following: 

a. The operation of any engine while being used to 

preserve or protect property, human life, or public

health during the existence of a disaster or state of 

emergency, such as a fire or flood; 

b. Emergency standby engines whose total annual hours 

for maintenance and testing purposes do not exceed 

100 hours as determined by a nonresettable hour 

meter. Hours used specifically for emergencies shall 

not be limited by this rule; 

c. Engines whose total annual hours of operation do not 

exceed 200 hours as determined by a nonresettable 

hour meter; 

d. Portable engines, as defined in Health and Safety 

Code, Section 41751; 

e. Engines used directly and exclusively for the growing 

of crops or the raising of animals. This exemption 

does not apply to any engine used at an agricultural 

source of air pollution that emits in any 12-month 

period air emissions greater than or equal the major 

source thresholds for regulated air pollutants and/or 

HAPs; 

f. Engines operated exclusively in research or testing

programs; 

g. Gas turbine engines, and; 

h. Compression ignition engines with a permitted 

capacity factor of 15 percent or less. 

C. DEFINITIONS 

C.1 EMERGENCY STANDBY ENGINE: As defined in the Airborne 

Toxic Control Measure for Stationary Compression 

Ignition Engines §93115.4(a)(29). 
Feather River Air Quality Management District Rule 3.22 (06/01/2009) 

C.2 EMERGENCY USE: As defined in the Airborne Toxic Control 

Measure for Stationary Compression Ignition Engines

§93115.4(a)(30). 

C.3 EXISTING ENGINE: A stationary internal combustion engine 

installed and operating within the Feather River Air 

Quality Management District before the date of District 

adoption of this Rule. 

C.4 LEAN-BURN ENGINE: Any spark or compression ignited 

internal combustion engine that is operated with an

exhaust gas stream oxygen concentration of four percent 

(4%) by volume, or greater. The exhaust gas oxygen 

content shall be determined from the uncontrolled 

exhaust gas stream. 

C.5 MAINTENANCE AND TESTING: The operation of an emergency 

standby engine to: 

a. Evaluate the ability of the engine or its supported

equipment to perform during an emergency. “Supported 

Equipment” includes, but is not limited to, 

generators, pumps, transformers, switchgear, and 

breakers; or 

b. Facilitate the training of personnel on emergency 

activities; or 

c. Provide electrical power for the facility when the 

utility distribution company takes its power 

distribution equipment offline to service that 

equipment for any reason that does not qualify as an 

emergency use. 

C.6 NEW ENGINE: A stationary internal combustion engine 

installed and operating within the Feather River Air 

Quality Management District after the date of District 

adoption of this Rule. 

C.7 NORTH FRAQMD: The area of the Feather River Air Quality 

Management District which is north of a line connecting 

the northern border of Yolo County to the southwestern 

tip of Yuba County, and continuing along the Southern 

Yuba County border to Placer County. 

C.8 PERMITTED CAPACITY FACTOR: The annual permitted fuel use 

divided by the product of the manufacturer’s specified 

maximum hourly fuel consumption times 8,760 hours per 

year. 
Feather River Air Quality Management District Rule 3.22 (06/01/2009) 

C.9 RATED BRAKE HORSEPOWER (bhp): The maximum rated brake 

horsepower specified for the engine by the manufacturer 

and listed on the nameplate for the unit, regardless of 

any derating, unless limited by the engine's Permit to 

Operate. 

C.10 RICH-BURN ENGINE: Any spark or compression ignited 

internal combustion engine that is operated with an

exhaust gas stream oxygen concentration of less than 

four percent (4%) by volume. The exhaust gas oxygen

content shall be determined from the uncontrolled 

exhaust gas stream. 

C.11 SOUTH FRAQMD: The area of the Feather River Air Quality 

Management District which is south of a line connecting 

the northern border of Yolo County to the southwestern 

tip of Yuba County, and continuing along the southern 

Yuba County border to Placer County. 

C.12 STATIONARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE: Any spark or 

compression ignited internal combustion engine that is 

operated, or intended to be operated, at a specific site 

for more than twelve (12) consecutive months, is 

attached to a foundation at that site, or is determined 

to be stationary by the District. 

D. REQUIREMENTS 

D.1 Emission Limits: All new and existing internal 

combustion engines shall not operate above the emission 

limitations according to the area of designation and 

fuel type, as shown in Table 1 and 2. 

Table 1: North FRAQMD Emission Limits 

NOx 

(ppmv at 15% O2)

VOC 

(ppmv at 15% O2)

CO 

(ppmv at 15% O2)

Spark Ignited Rich Burn 90 250 4,000 

Spark Ignited Lean Burn 150 750 4,000 

Compression Ignited 600 750 4,000 
Feather River Air Quality Management District Rule 3.22 (06/01/2009) 

Table 2: South FRAQMD Emission Limits 

NOx 

(ppmv at 15% O2)

VOC 

(ppmv at 15% O2)

CO 

(ppmv at 15% O2) 

Spark Ignited Rich Burn 25 250 4,000 

Spark Ignited Lean Burn 65 750 4,000 

Compression Ignited 80 750 4,000 

D.2 Alternative Option: In lieu of complying with the 

requirements of D.1, the owner/operator may choose to 

permanently remove an existing engine from service and 

electrify the source. To satisfy this requirement, the 

owner/operator will: 

a. Submit a statement to the Air Pollution Control 

Officer identifying the engine to be removed no later 

than six (6) months after District adoption of this

rule, and; 

b. Have the engine removed and electrify the source no

later than three (3) years after District adoption of 

this rule. 

E. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS 

 

E.1 No later than one (1) year after District adoption of 

this Rule, the owner or operator of one or more 

stationary internal combustion engines subject to meet 

the emission limits of D.1 shall submit an Authority to 

Construct Application. 

F. COMPLIANCE DETERMINATION 

F.1 Initial Compliance Demonstration: All engines subject to 

meet the emission limits of D.1 shall demonstrate 

initial compliance. Initial compliance can be achieved 

by: 

a. Conducting a source test on a unit, or; 

b. Providing the District with support documentation 

which demonstrates that the engine is in compliance

with the emission limits of this Rule. 
Feather River Air Quality Management District Rule 3.22 (06/01/2009) 

F.2 Initial Compliance Timeline: Initial compliance shall be 

demonstrated no later than: 

a. Two years after District adoption of this Rule for all 

existing engines, or; 

b. Ninety (90) days after the date of initial startup for 

all new engines. 

F.3 On-going Compliance Program: Upon successful 

demonstration of initial compliance, the owner or 

operator shall demonstrate on-going compliance as 

followed: 

a. All units shall be source tested at least once every 

five (5) years, measured from the date of the last 

source test showing compliance. If initial compliance 

was satisfied without any source test data, the unit 

shall be source tested no later than five (5) years

after the date of initial startup. 

b. During any calendar year in which a source test is 

not performed, the owner/operator shall use an 

emission analyzer to take NOx, CO, and O2 readings to 

verify compliance with the applicable emission 

limits. 

1) The analyzer shall be calibrated, maintained, and 

operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s 

specifications and recommendations. 

2) Analyzer test data point intervals shall be no 

greater than five (5) minutes and data points 

shall be averaged over no less than fifteen (15) 

minutes of engine operation. 

3) An analyzer reading in excess of the limits 

specified in Section D.1 shall not be considered a 

violation so long as the problem is corrected and 

a follow-up emission reading is conducted within 

15 days of the initial emission reading. If the 

problem cannot be corrected, the operator shall 

shutdown the engine and notify the District. 

F.4 Compliance Inspection: For compliance demonstration 

purposes, the testing of emissions shall be conducted in 

the presence of District staff unless District staff is 

not available. 
Feather River Air Quality Management District Rule 3.22 (06/01/2009) 

G. TEST METHODS 

G.1 Test Methods: Compliance with the emission limits in 

Table 1 and 2 shall be determined using the following 

test procedures: 

a. Stack Gas Oxygen - EPA Method 3A or CARB Method 100. 

b. Oxides of Nitrogen – EPA Method 7E or CARB Method 100. 

c. Carbon Monoxide – EPA Method 10 or CARB Method 100.

d. Volatile Organic Compounds - EPA Method 25A or 25B or 

CARB Method 100. 

e. NOx emission limitations shall be expressed as 

nitrogen dioxide (NO2). All ppmv emission limitations 

shall be referenced at 15% volume stack gas oxygen on 

a dry basis. 

f. All emission readings shall be taken with the engine 

operating either at conditions representative of 

normal operations or conditions specified in the 

Permit to Operate. 

g. The APCO may authorize the use of specific portable

analyzers for the measurement of oxides of nitrogen, 

carbon monoxide, and oxygen which do not meet the 

requirements of the test methods specified in this 

section provided that evidence accompanies each test 

report that instrument operation conformed to 

manufacturer’s recommendations and that the 

instrument(s) used responded appropriately to 

calibration gases both before and after testing, and 

provided that measurements made by the methods 

specified in this section shall be recognized as more 

reliable in any dispute involving measurements made by 

different methods. Evidence of instrument response 

stability shall be provided if calibration checks are 

not performed at the test site immediately before and 

after testing. 

H. RECORDKEEPING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

H.1 The facility shall maintain records for a period of five 

(5) years and shall be made available for inspection by 

any authorized personnel upon request. The facility

shall maintain the following information: 

a. The monthly and annual hours of operation or quantity 

of fuel consumed for each unit, and; 
Feather River Air Quality Management District Rule 3.22 (06/01/2009) 

b. A testing log which includes, but is not limited to, 

initial and on-going emission test results to verify 

compliance, and; 

c. Date(s) and type of maintenance performed. 

H.2 A source test protocol shall be submitted to the 

District for review and approval at least thirty (30) 

days prior to the source test. The results from the

source test shall be submitted to the District within 

thirty (30) days after testing. 

H.3 The facility shall submit a report to the District 

demonstrating on-going compliance for each engine by 

March 31 every year. 

H.4 The APCO may include additional recordkeeping 

requirements to assure compliance of this rule for each 

unit.