UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

REGION IX AIR DIVISION

Technical Support Document 

for

EPA’s Direct Final Rulemaking

for the

California State Implementation Plan

San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District Rule 4307

Boilers, Steam Generators, and Process Heaters – 2.0 MMBtu/hr to 5.00 

MMBtu/hr

Prepared by: Nicole Law

November 2014
2

Agency: San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control 

District (SJVUAPCD)

SIP Approved Rule: Rule 4307 - Boilers, Steam Generators, and Process 

Heaters – 2.0 MMBtu/hr to 5.0 MMBtu/hr

Amended – October 16, 2008

Submitted – March 17, 2008

EPA Approved – January 13, 2010 (75 FR 1715)

Superseded Submittals: none

Subject of this TSD: Rule 4307 - Boilers, Steam Generators, and Process 

Heaters – 2.0 MMBtu/hr to 5.0 MMBtu/hr

Amended – May 19, 2011

Submitted – July 25, 2014

RULE SUMMARY -

Rule 4307 has emissions control requirements for criteria air pollutants, including 

NOx and PM and certification requirements for gaseous fuel or liquid fuel fired 

boilers, steam generators, and process heaters with a total rated heat input of at 

least 2 MMBtu/hr and up to 5 MMBtu/hr. It also describes related compliance 

reporting, labelling, and test methods. Changes from the approved SIP include:

1. Added definitions for Environmental Protection Agency and Tree Nut 

Pasteurizer in section 3.0 Definitions. 

2. Added section 5.1.2 which requires that tree nut pasteurizers be fired 

exclusively on PUC quality natural gas. Tree nut pasteurizers are also 

exempt from having to comply with the emission limits in Table 1 and 2.

3. Section 5.4 was named Start-Up and Shutdown Requirements. Language 

in paragraph 5.4.4 was revised to clarify that the APCO, ARB, and EPA 

may approve longer start-up or shutdown durations than specified in 

section 5.4.1 or 5.4.2.

4. Added section 6.1.5 which describes operations and maintenance records 

requirements for tree nut pasteurizers.

EVALUATION CRITERIA - The following criteria were used to evaluate the 

submitted rule. 

1. Enforceability - The Bluebook (Issues Relating to VOC Regulation 

Cutpoints, Deficiencies, and Deviations, EPA, May 25, 1988) and the Little 
3

Bluebook (Guidance Document for Correcting Common VOC & Other Rule 

Deficiencies, EPA Region 9, August 21, 2001) were used to help evaluate 

compliance with the CAA §110(a)(2)(A) requirement for enforceability. 

2. Stringency - EPA’s Alternative Control Techniques Document (ACT) titled, 

“NOx Emissions from Industrial/Commercial/Institutional (ICI) Boilers” (EPA453/R-94-022-1994/03, March 1994), CARB’s RACT/BARCT guidance 

titled, “Industrial, Institutional, and Commercial Boilers, Steam Generators, 

and Process Heaters” (July 18, 1991), and other state and local rules for 

this category were used to help evaluate the stringency of the rule’s control 

requirements. 

3. SIP Relaxation - CAA §110(l) prohibits EPA from approving any SIP revision 

that would interfere with any applicable requirement concerning attainment 

and reasonable further progress (RFP) or any other applicable requirement 

of the CAA. In addition, CAA §193 prohibits the modification of any SIPapproved control requirement in effect before November 15, 1990, in a 

nonattainment area.

EPA EVALUATION - A summary of our evaluation of the three criteria follows.

1. The rule requirements and applicability are clear, and the certification, 

compliance reporting and other provisions sufficiently ensure that affected 

sources and regulators can evaluate and determine compliance with Rule 

4307 consistently. 

2. The SJVUAPCD regulates an extreme nonattainment area for the 8-hour 

1997 and 2008 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards and a nonattainment area for the 24-hr 1997 and 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS. As a result, 

Rule 4307 must fulfill RACT and RACM requirements.

The submitted rule has limits comparable to the BARCT limits in CARB’s 

RACT/BARCT guidance and limits more stringent than the RACT limits in 

CARB’s RACT/BARCT guidance for NOx. The controls for NOx in rule 

4307 are comparable to those in EPA’s ACT and other California District 

rules for this category, including South Coast Air Quality Management 

District Rule 1146.1 and Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management 

District Rule 411. Rule 4307 controls PM with requirements that units burn 

gas fuel, low sulfur fuel, or add controls. At this time, other California 

District rules for this category do not include similar requirements and there 

is no guidance on what constitutes RACM for this category. Accordingly, we 

find that the control requirements in this rule represent RACT and RACMlevel control for this source category for NOx and PM. 
4

3. We propose to determine that our approval of the submittal would comply 

with CAA §§110(l) and 193 because the proposed SIP revision would not 

interfere with the on-going process for ensuring that requirements for RFP 

and attainment of the NAAQS are met.

Prior to this rule revision, the single almond pasteurization unit currently 

affected by the rule in the District was operating under a variance, so no 

new emissions will occur because of this rule revision. While this revision 

exempts tree nut pasteurizers from complying with the emission limits in 

Tables 1 and 2, it improves the SIP by requiring that they be fired 

exclusively on PUC quality natural gas as an emission control measure, and 

by adding accompanying operation and maintenance recordkeeping 

requirements. SJVUAPCD has demonstrated in their staff report that further 

controls on tree nut pasteurizers would not be cost effective. In addition to 

the capital and operational costs of installing controls, there would be costs 

for testing for the re-validation of the sterilization process as required under 

FDA regulations. The single almond pasteurization unit is estimated to emit 

1.0 to 1.5 tons per year of NOx. It is less than 1.5% of the NOx emissions 

emitted from sources controlled by Rule 4307, which is 124 tpy, and less 

than 0.0015% of the total NOx emissions in SJVAPCD. See the District’s 

staff report for further details.

RULE DEFICIENCIES – We have identified no deficiencies with Rule 4307

sufficient for EPA to propose less than full approval.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEXT RULE REVISION – We 

have identified no additional recommended for the next time the rule is amended.

EPA ACTION -

The submitted Rule 4307 strengthens the SIP, and the associated District staff 

report projects no emission changes. The rule satisfies the applicable CAA §110 

requirements. Therefore, EPA staff recommends a full approval of Rule 4307

pursuant to CAA §110(k)(3). 

REFERENCES -

1. SJVUAPCD Rule 4307, Boilers, Steam Generators, and Process Heaters –

2.0 MMBtu/hr to 5.00 MMBtu/hr, as amended May 19, 2011 and submitted 

to EPA on July 25, 2014.

2. SJVUAPCD Rule 4307, Boilers, Steam Generators, and Process Heaters –

2.0 MMBtu/hr to 5.00 MMBtu/hr, as approved into the SIP on January 13, 

2010.
5

3. “Alternative Control Techniques Document- NOx Emissions from 

Industrial/Commercial/Institutional (ICI) Boilers” EPA-453/R-94-022-

1994/03, March 1994. 

http://www.epa.gov/groundlevelozone/SIPToolkit/ctg_act/199403_nox_epa

453_r-94-022_ici_boilers.pdf

4. “Determination of Reasonably Available Control Technology and Best 

Available Retrofit Control Technology for Industrial, Institutional, and 

Commercial Boilers, Steam Generators, and Process Heaters,” CARB, July 

18, 1991.

5. “Issues Relating to VOC Regulation Cutpoints, Deficiencies, and 

Deviations,” (a.k.a., Bluebook) EPA OAQPS, May 25, 1988 (web citation).

6. “Guidance Document for Correcting Common VOC & Other Rule 

Deficiencies,” (a.k.a., Little Bluebook), EPA Region 9, August 21, 2001 

(http://www.epa.gov/region09/air/sips/littlebluebook2001.pdf).

7. “2012 PM2.5 Plan,” Appendix B and D, SJVUAPCD, December 20, 2012.