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RULE 4682 POLYSTYRENE, POLYETHYLENE, AND POLYPROPYLENE PRODUCTS 

MANUFACTURING (Adopted May 21, 1992; Amended December 17, 1992; 

Amended June 16, 1994; Amended September 20, 2007; Amended December 

15, 2011) 

1.0 Purpose 

 The purpose of this rule is to limit emissions of VOC and trichlorofluoromethane 

(CFC-11) and dichlorofluoromethane (CFC-12) from manufacturing and processing of 

products composed of polystyrene, polyethylene, or polypropylene and from the storage 

of VOC blowing agents. 

2.0 Applicability 

 The provisions of this rule shall apply to any manufacturing, processing, and storage of 

products composed of polystyrene, polyethylene, or polypropylene. 

3.0 Definitions 

 For the purpose of this rule, the following definitions shall apply: 

3.1 APCO: as defined in Rule 1020 (Definitions). 

3.2 Approved Emission Control System: any system used to reduce emissions and 

consists of a capture and a control device, which are approved, in writing, by 

the APCO. The control system must be maintained and operated in such a 

manner that meets the following requirements: 

3.2.1 The emission capture system shall collect at least 90 percent by weight of 

the emissions; and 

3.2.2 The control device shall reduce emissions from the emission capture 

system by at least 95 percent, by weight. 

3.3 ARB: California Air Resource Board. 

3.4 Blowing Agent: any liquid or gaseous material, including VOCs, that facilitates 

the formation of a cellular product from raw polymeric material. 

3.5 Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC): any chlorinated fluorinated compound of carbon, 

excluding chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22), dichlorotrifluoromethane (HCFC123), tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a), dichlorofluoroethane (HCFC-141b), and 

chlorodifluoroethane (HCFC-142b). 

 
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 3.6 Controllable VOC Emission Sources: fluff silos or bins, reclaim extruders, 

condenser devolatizer vents, styrene recovery unit vents, and reclaim die hood 

exhausts in which materials manufactured with a VOC blowing agent are 

processed, or are stored, and from which emissions are vented to the 

atmosphere. 

 3.7 EPA: United States Environmental Protection Agency. 

3.8 Expandable Polystyrene Molding: a series of processes where expandable 

polystyrene beads, which are polystyrene resin particles impregnated with 

blowing agent, undergo expansion, aging and then cup, shape or block molding 

to form a low-density foam product. During expansion, the beads are expanded 

to the appropriate desired density by exposure to steam or hot air in a preexpander. During aging, the expanded beads (or pre-puff) are transferred to 

storage silos or mesh bags to stabilize and dry. During molding, the aged prepuff is exposed to heat in a closed mold that causes the beads to soften, reexpand, and fuse together to form the shaped product. 

 3.9 Extrusion: the process in which a plastic resin is melted in an extruder and 

continuously forced through a die opening shaped like the finished product. As 

it leaves the die opening, the extruded plastic melt partially expands and is then 

drawn by a puller through forming equipment that sizes, cools, and cuts the 

product to length or winds it into a roll. With extruded foam products, blowing 

agent is injected under pressure directly into the extruder where it mixes with 

the plastic melt. 

 3.10 Fluff Silo or Bin: a container utilized for the storage of ground polystyrene 

foam for recycling. 

3.11 Manufacturing Emissions: all emissions of VOC, CFC, or methylene chloride 

that occur during the manufacturing operation, quantified before any capture or 

control. 

3.12 Manufacturing Operation: a production line or lines consisting of all steps in 

the processing of a polymer or resin, from the receipt of raw polymeric material 

by the manufacturing facility through the final step prior to shipment of the 

finished product from the manufacturing facility, and that results in VOC 

emissions to the atmosphere. Individual steps include, but are not limited to: 

expandable bead storage, finished product storage/aging, extrusion, expansion, 

softening or annealing, intermediate (pre-puff) storage/aging, decomposition, 

molding, grinding, and forming. 

3.13 Operator: includes but is not limited to any person who owns, leases, 

supervises, or operates a facility and/or equipment. 
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 3.14 Polyethylene (High and Low Density): linear thermoplastic polymers of ethylene 

with densities from 0.94 gram per cubic centimeter or higher. 

 3.15 Polymeric Material: a multi-molecular compound or mixture of compounds 

formed by polymerization and consisting essentially of repeating structural units. 

 3.16 Polypropylene: a high molecular weight thermoplastic crystalline polymer of 

propylene. 

 3.17 Polystyrene: a thermoplastic material which is a polymer of styrene. 

3.18 Raw Material: all polystyrene, polyethylene and polypropylene, and blowing 

agent used in the manufacturing operation, including virgin and recycled 

polymeric materials. 

3.19 Reclaim Die Hood Exhaust: an exhaust hood above reclaim extruder die 

intended to remove VOCs which escape from the extruder die. 

3.20 Reclaim Extruder: equipment used to reprocess ground polystyrene foam into 

polystyrene pellets. 

3.21 Reclaim Extruder Vent: the vent or opening through which emissions are 

expelled from the reclaim extruder. 

3.22 Total Product Emissions: includes emissions from the manufacturing operation, 

after controls, plus the residual blowing agent in the finished product. 

3.23 Volatile Organic Compound (VOC): defined in Rule 1020 (Definitions). 

4.0 Exemptions 

 The provisions of Sections 5.1 and 5.2 shall not apply to manufacturing and processing 

operations using polymeric materials containing less than 1 percent volatile organic 

compounds by weight, and not using a blowing agent in their process. 

 

5.0 Requirements 

 5.1 No operator shall place, hold, or store any VOC blowing agent in any stationary 

tank, reservoir or container having a capacity greater than 200 gallons unless 

one (1) of the following emission control systems is provided: 

 5.1.1 The container is a pressure vessel maintaining a working pressure at all 

times sufficient to prevent release of VOC emissions to the atmosphere 

under normal operating conditions; or 
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 5.1.2 The container is equipped with an emission control device or system 

which collects and disposes of VOC emissions, and which achieves and 

maintains a vapor recovery/control efficiency of at least 95 percent by 

weight. 

5.2 The operator shall not conduct any manufacturing operations, as defined in 

Section 3.0, unless one of the following emission reduction methods is met: 

5.2.1 Effective until December 31, 2012, the operator demonstrates, to the 

satisfaction of the APCO, that the total product emissions do not exceed 

2.4 pounds of VOC per 100 pounds of total material processed, 

calculated over a monthly period. 

5.2.2 Effective on and after January 1, 2013, the operator of an extrusion 

facility shall demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the APCO, that the total 

product emissions do not exceed 2.4 pounds of VOC per 100 pounds of 

total material processed, calculated over a monthly period. 

 

 5.2.3 Effective on and after January 1, 2013, the operator of an expandable 

polystyrene molding facility shall demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the 

APCO, that the total product emissions do not exceed the following: 

5.2.3.1 3.4 pounds of VOC per 100 pounds of total material processed, 

calculated daily, and 

5.2.3.2 2.4 pounds of VOC per 100 pounds of total material processed, 

calculated over a monthly period. 

5.2.4 A blowing agent other than a VOC or trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) 

or dichlorofluoromethane (CFC-12) is exclusively used. 

5.2.5 An approved emission control system is installed and operating with 

manufacturing emissions vented only to the approved emission control 

system; and emissions from the final manufactured product are to be 

vented only to the approved emission control system for at least: 

5.2.5.1 48 hours, in the case of expandable polystyrene molding 

operations that process more than 800,000 pounds per calendar 

year of raw material; or 

5.2.5.2 24 hours, in the case of all other manufacturing operations. 

 
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5.2.5.3 The provision of Section 5.2.5.1 or 5.2.5.2 are not required for 

any facility that only manufactures polystyrene products and the 

highest concentration of the blowing agent in the product is 1.8 

percent or less by weight, within 15 minutes after the 

completion of the final processing step, prior to any finished 

product storage. Verification of the concentration shall be 

demonstrated annually, pursuant to a protocol submitted to the 

District and subject to approval by the APCO. 

5.2.6 The operator demonstrates to the satisfaction of the APCO that the 

manufacturing emissions are no greater than the facility emissions which 

would occur under Section 5.2.5, as calculated according to Section 5.4, 

and which does not include the use of trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) 

or dichlorodifluoromethane (CFC-12). 

5.2.7 A control system that meets all of the following requirements shall be 

deemed as meeting the requirements of Section 5.2.6, unless the APCO 

determines that additional controls are required. 

5.2.7.1 The beads used in manufacturing have an annual-average VOC 

content of less than 4.2% per weight; and 

5.2.7.2 The manufacturing emissions (not including finished product 

storage emissions) are controlled with an overall capture and 

control efficiency of at least 93% by weight. 

5.3 Operators subject to the provisions of Section 5.2.1, 5.2.2, or 5.2.3 who exceed 

the limit based on the monthly calculation, shall be considered to have been in 

violation for each day of that monthly period. 

5.4 Facility emissions that would occur under 5.2.5 shall be calculated using the 

following formula, or other formula approved by the APCO and EPA: 

FE = [1- (0.90 x 0.95)] x [(P1+AS - P2) + (P2 - P3)] 

where 

FE = Facility Emissions for Section 5.2.5 

P1 = Amount of VOC in the received material 

AS = Amount of VOC added to the material 

P2 = Amount of VOC in the finished product, measured within 15 

minutes after the final processing step, prior to finished product 

storage. 
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P3 = Amount of VOC in the finished product after warehousing for 

48 hours (for facilities subject to Section 5.2.5.1) or 24 hours 

(for all others). (P2 - P3) = 0 for products with residual VOC 

amounts of 1.8 percent or less by weight. 

5.5 Compliance Plan 

No later than March 20, 2009, operators complying with Section 5.2.1, 5.2.6, 

or 5.2.7 shall submit to the APCO a Compliance Plan which includes all 

necessary information to show the proposed method of compliance with the 

applicable section. No later than January 1, 2013, operators complying with 

Section 5.2.3 shall submit to the APCO a Compliance Plan which includes all 

necessary information to show the proposed method of compliance with the 

applicable section. Such information shall include, but not be limited to: 

5.5.1 Potential VOC emissions, 

5.5.2 Overall VOC capture and control efficiency of VOC emission control 

system, 

5.5.3 Material VOC content at relevant manufacturing points. The amount of 

VOC in the material shall be determined using the test method in Section 

6.2.4, or other method approved by the APCO and EPA. 

5.5.4 VOC emission calculation formula which will be used to show 

compliance, and 

5.5.5 Operational characteristics of the VOC emission control systems which 

will be monitored to show continued compliance with the applicable 

limits. 

5.5.6 Any operational or equipment limitations that are necessary to make the 

demonstration enforceable and which will be included as a condition on 

the appropriate Permit to Operate. 

 
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6.0 Administrative Requirements 

 6.1 Recordkeeping 

 6.1.1 Any person subject to the provisions of this rule, including exempt 

facilities, shall maintain records of operation, including but not limited to 

the amount of material processed, the equipment used, and the type of 

the blowing agent used. Records shall be maintained with a minimum 

monthly totals with the ability to calculate daily averages in any given 

month. 

6.1.2 Any person using an emissions control system as a means of complying 

with this rule, shall maintain daily records of key system operating and 

maintenance procedures which will demonstrate continuous operation 

and compliance of the emission control device. Key system operating 

parameters are those necessary to ensure compliance with VOC emission 

requirements such as temperature, pressures, and flow rates. 

6.1.3 Operators complying with Section 5.2.1, 5.2.2, or 5.2.3 shall maintain 

records necessary to show compliance with that section and shall, once 

every month, calculate the daily average VOC emissions, based on the 

records for the preceding monthly period, according to the approved 

VOC emission calculation formula. 

6.1.4 Operators complying with Section 5.2.3 shall maintain records necessary 

to show compliance with that section and shall, once every day, calculate 

the daily VOC emissions, according to the approved VOC emission 

calculation formula. 

6.1.5 The operator shall keep in the facility all records required to demonstrate 

compliance with the requirements of this rule for a minimum of five 

years. The records shall be made available at the facility during normal 

business hours to the APCO, ARB, or EPA. The records shall be 

submitted to the APCO, ARB, or EPA upon request. 

 6.2 Test Methods 

Alternative test methods, that are equivalent to those specified in Sections 6.2.1 

through 6.2.4, may be used, provided that those test methods have been 

approved in writing by the APCO and EPA. 

 
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 6.2.1 The control efficiency of the emission control system shall be determined 

using EPA Methods 2, 2A, or 2D for measuring flow rates, and EPA 

Methods 25, 25A, or 25B for measuring total gaseous organic 

concentrations at the inlet and outlet of the control device. 

6.2.2 The capture efficiency of an emission capture control system shall be 

determined according to EPA’s “Guidelines for Determining Capture 

Efficiency,” January 9, 1995 and 40 CFR 51, Appendix M, Methods 

204-204F, as applicable. 

 6.2.3 EPA Method 18 or ARB Test Method 422 for determination of exempt 

compounds and halogenated blowing agents. 

6.2.4 The VOC blowing agent contained in polymeric materials shall be 

determined using South Coast Air Quality Management District 

(SCAQMD) Method 306 (Analysis of Pentanes in Expandable Styrene 

Polymers) or Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) 

Method 45 (Determination of Butanes and Pentanes in Polymeric 

Materials). 

6.2.5 When more than one test method or set of test methods is specified for 

any testing, a violation of any requirement of this rule established by any 

one of the specified test methods or set of test methods shall constitute a 

violation of this rule.