Amended October 14, 2010 (Effective July 1, 2011)

Placer County APCD 234 - 1 Rules and Regulations

RULE 234 AUTOMOTIVE REFINISHING OPERATIONS

Adopted 11-03-94 

(Amended 8-24-95, 8-8-96, 4-9-98, 10-14-10 [Effective 7-1-11]) 

CONTENTS

100 GENERAL

101 PURPOSE 

102 APPLICABILITY 

103 SEVERABILITY 

104 EXEMPTIONS 

200 DEFINITIONS

201 ADHESION PROMOTER 

202 AEROSOL COATING PRODUCT 

203 ASSSEMBLY LINE 

204 ASSOCIATED PARTS AND COMPONENTS 

205 AUTOMOTIVE COATING 

206 AUTOMOTIVE COATING COMPONENT 

207 AUTOMOTIVE REFINISHING FACILITY 

208 CAPTURE EFFICIENCY 

209 CLEANING OPERATIONS 

210 CLEAR COATING 

211 COATING 

212 COLOR COATING 

213 CONTROL EFFICIENCY 

214 ELECTROSTATIC SPRAY APPLICATION 

215 EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM 

216 EXEMPT COMPOUNDS 

217 GRAPHIC DESIGN APPLICATION 

218 HIGH VOLUME, LOW PRESSURE (HVLP) SPRAY EQUIPMENT 

219 LACQUER 

220 MOBILE EQUIPMENT 

221 MOTOR VEHICLE 

222 MULTI COLOR COATING 

223 PRETREATMENT COATING 

224 PRIMER 

225 PRIMER SEALER 

226 REDUCER 

227 SINGLE STAGE COATING 

228 SOLVENT 

229 SPOT REPAIR 

230 TEMPORARY PROTECTIVE COATING 

231 TRANSFER EFFICIENCY 

232 TRUCK BED LINER COATING 

233 UNDERBODY COATING 

234 UNIFORM FINISH COATING 

235 VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOC) 

236 VOC CONTENT 

300 STANDARDS 

301 LIMITS 
Amended October 14, 2010 (Effective July 1, 2011)

Rules and Regulations 234 - 2 Placer County APCD 

302 MOST RESTRICTIVE VOC LIMIT 

303 APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS 

304 EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM 

305 SOLVENT LIMITS AND EVAPORATIVE LOSS MINIMIZATION 

306 TOXIC AIR CONTAMINANT 

400 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

401 PROHIBITION OF POSSESSION 

402 PROHIBITION OF SPECIFICATION 

403 PROHIBITION OF SALE OR MANUFACTURE 

404 VOC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT REQUIREMENT 

405 LABELING REQUIREMENTS 

406 HVLP MARKING 

500 MONITORING AND RECORDS

501 USER COATING RECORDS 

502 EMISSION CONTROL EQUIPMENT RECORDS 

503 SALES RECORDS 

504 PROHIBITION OF SALE OR MANUFACTURE RECORDS 

505 BURDEN OF PROOF 

506 MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS 

507 TEST METHODS 
Amended October 14, 2010 (Effective July 1, 2011)

Placer County APCD 234 - 3 Rules and Regulations

100 GENERAL

101 PURPOSE: To limit the emission of volatile organic compounds from coating and solvent 

operations associated with motor vehicles, mobile equipment, and associated parts and 

components. 

102 APPLICABILITY: The provisions of this rule apply to any person who uses, applies or 

solicits the use or application of any automotive coating or associated solvent; or any person 

who supplies, sells, offers for sale, manufacturers or distributes for use or application within 

the District, any automotive coating or associated solvent. 

103 SEVERABILITY: If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this rule 

is, for any reason, held invalid, unconstitutional or unenforceable by any court of competent 

jurisdiction, that portion shall be deemed as a separate, distinct, and independent provision, 

and the holding shall not affect the validity to the remaining portions of the rule. 

104 EXEMPTIONS 

104.1 Exemption From Rule 219: The provisions of Rule 219, ORGANIC SOLVENTS, shall 

not apply to the operations subject to this rule. 

104.2 Exemption, Small Quantity: The provisions of this rule shall not apply to any 

automotive coating that is sold, supplied, or offered for sale in 0.5 fluid ounce or 

smaller containers intended to be used by the general public to repair tiny surface 

imperfections. 

104.3 Exemption, Assembly Line: The provisions of this rule shall not apply to any coating 

applied to motor vehicles or mobile equipment, or their associated parts and 

components during manufacture on an assembly line. 

104.4 Exemption, Aerosol Products Coating: The provisions of this rule shall not apply to 

the application of aerosol coating products from non-refillable aerosol containers 

having a capacity of one liter (34 fluid ounces), or less.

104.5 Exemption, Use Outside of District: The provisions of this rule shall not apply to any 

automotive coating or associated solvent that is offered for sale, sold, or 

manufactured for use outside of the District or for shipment to other manufacturers for 

reformulation or packing. 

200 DEFINITIONS

201 ADHESION PROMOTER: A coating which is labeled and formulated to be applied to 

uncoated plastic surfaces to facilitate bonding of subsequent coatings, and on which, a 

subsequent coating is applied. 

202 AEROSOL COATING PRODUCT: A pressurized coating product containing pigments or 

resins that dispenses product ingredients by means of a propellant, and is packaged in a 

non-refillable can for hand-held application, or for use in specialized equipment for ground 

traffic/marking applications. 

203 ASSEMBLY LINE: An arrangement of industrial equipment and workers in which the 

product passes from one specialized operation to another until complete, by either automatic 

or manual means. 

204 ASSOCIATED PARTS AND COMPONENTS: Any structures, devices, pieces, modules, 

sections, assemblies, sub-assemblies, or elements of motor vehicles or mobile equipment 
Amended October 14, 2010 (Effective July 1, 2011)

Rules and Regulations 234 - 4 Placer County APCD 

that are designed to be a part of motor vehicles or mobile equipment but which are not 

attached to motor vehicles or mobile equipment at the time of coating the structure, device, 

piece, module, section assembly, sub-assembly, or element. “Associated parts and 

components” does not include circuit boards. 

205 AUTOMOTIVE COATING: Any coating or coating component used or recommended for use 

in motor vehicle or mobile equipment refinishing, service, maintenance, repair, restoration, or 

modification, except metal plating activities. Any reference to automotive refinishing or 

automotive coating made by a person on the container or in product literature constitutes a 

recommendation for use in motor vehicle or mobile equipment refinishing. 

206 AUTOMOTIVE COATING COMPONENT: Any portion of a coating including, but not limited 

to, a reducer or thinner, toner, hardener, and additive, which is recommended by any person 

to distributors or end-users for use in an automotive coating, or which is supplied for or used 

in an automotive coating. The raw materials used to produce the components are not 

considered automotive coating components. 

207 AUTOMOTIVE REFINISHING FACILITY: Any shop, business, location, or parcel of land 

where motor vehicles or mobile equipment or their associated parts and components are 

coated, including autobody collision repair shops. “Automotive Refinishing Facility” does not 

include the original equipment manufacturing plant where the motor vehicle or mobile 

equipment is completely assembled. 

208 CAPTURE EFFICIENCY: The fraction, in percent, of all VOC's generated by a process that 

is directed to an abatement or recovery device. 

209 CLEANING OPERATIONS: Involves the removal of loosely held uncured adhesives, inks, 

coatings, or contaminants, including, but not limited to, dirt, soil, or grease, from motor 

vehicles, mobile equipment, associated parts and components, substrates, parts, products, 

tools, machinery, equipment, or general work areas.

210 CLEAR COATING: Any coating that contains no pigments and is labeled and formulated for 

application over a color coating or clear coating. 

211 COATING: A material which is applied to a surface and forms a film in order to beautify, 

preserve, repair, and/or protect such surface. 

212 COLOR COATING: Any pigmented coating, excluding adhesion promoters, primers, and 

multi-color coatings, that requires a subsequent clear coating and which is applied over a 

primer, adhesion promoter, or color coating. Color coatings include metallic/iridescent color 

coatings. 

213 CONTROL EFFICIENCY: The fraction, in percent, of pollution prevented by a control device 

and the pollution introduced to the control device.

214 ELECTROSTATIC SPRAY APPLICATION: Any method of spray application of coatings 

where an electrostatic attraction is created between the part to be coated and the paint 

particles. 

215 EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM: Any combination of capture systems and control devices 

used to reduce VOC emissions from automotive coating operations. 

216 EXEMPT COMPOUNDS: For the purpose of this Rule, exempt compounds are as defined in 

Rule 102, DEFINITIONS. 
Amended October 14, 2010 (Effective July 1, 2011)

Placer County APCD 234 - 5 Rules and Regulations

217 GRAPHIC DESIGN APPLICATION: The application of logos, letters, numbers, and graphics 

to a painted surface, with or without the use of a template by brush, roller, or airbrush. 

218 HIGH VOLUME, LOW PRESSURE (HVLP) SPRAY EQUIPMENT: Spray equipment, 

permanently labeled as such, used to apply coatings by means of a gun which is designed to 

be operated and which is operated between 0.1 and 10 pounds per square inch, gauge, 

(psig) air atomized pressure, measured dynamically at the center of the air cap and at the air 

horns. 

219 LACQUER: A coating that dries primarily by solvent evaporation and is resoluble in its 

original solvent. 

220 METALLIC/IRIDESCENT COLOR COATING: Any coating that contains more than 0.042 

pounds per gallon (5 grams per liter) of metal or iridescent particles as applied, where such 

particles are visible in the dried film. 

221 MOBILE EQUIPMENT: Equipment which may be drawn or is capable of being driven on 

rails or on a roadway, including, but not limited to, trains, railcars, truck bodies, truck trailers, 

camper shells, mobile cranes, bulldozers, street cleaners, golf carts, and implements of 

husbandry or agriculture. 

222 MOTOR VEHICLE: Any self-propelled vehicle, including, but not limited to cars, trucks, 

buses, golf carts, vans, motorcycles, tanks, and armored personnel carriers. 

223 MULTI COLOR COATING: Any coating that exhibits more than one color in the dried film 

after a single application, is packaged in a single container, and hides surface defects on 

areas of heavy use, and which is applied over a primer or adhesion promoter. 

224 PRETREATMENT COATING: A coating which contains a minimum of one-half (0.5) percent 

acid by weight, and not more than 16 percent solids by weight, to provide surface etching, 

and which is labeled and formulated to be applied directly to bare metal surfaces to provide 

corrosion resistance and topcoat adhesion. 

225 PRIMER: Any coating, which is labeled and formulated for application to a substrate to 

provide: (1) a bond between the substrate and subsequent coats, (2) corrosion resistance, (3) 

a smooth substrate surface, or (4) resistance to penetration of subsequent coats, and on 

which a subsequent coating is applied. Primers may be pigmented. 

226 PRIMER SEALER: Any coating which is labeled and formulated for application prior to the 

application of a color coating for the purpose of color uniformity, or to promote the ability of 

the underlying coating to resist penetration by the color coating. 

227 REDUCER: Products used to thin a coating. 

228 SINGLE-STAGE COATING: Any pigmented coating, excluding primers and multi-color 

coatings, labeled and formulated for application without a subsequent clear coat. Singlestage coatings include single-stage metallic/iridescent coatings. 

229 SOLVENT: A VOC-containing fluid used to perform surface preparation and cleaning 

operations. 

230 SPOT REPAIR: Repair of an area on a motor vehicle, piece of mobile equipment, or 

associated parts or components of less than 1 square foot (929 square centimeters). 

231 TEMPORARY PROTECTIVE COATING: Any coating which is labeled and formulated for 

the purpose of temporarily protecting areas from overspray or mechanical damage. 
Amended October 14, 2010 (Effective July 1, 2011)

Rules and Regulations 234 - 6 Placer County APCD 

232 TRANSFER EFFICIENCY: The ratio of the amount of coating solids adhering to the object 

being coated to the total amount of coating solids sprayed, expressed as a percentage. 

233 TRUCK BED LINER COATING: Any coating, excluding clear, color, multi-color, and single 

stage coatings, labeled and formulated for application to a truck bed to protect it from surface 

abrasion. 

234 UNDERBODY COATING: Any coating labeled and formulated for application to wheel wells, 

the inside of door panels or fenders, the underside of a trunk or hood, or the underside of the 

motor vehicle. 

235 UNIFORM FINISH COATING: Any coating labeled and formulated for application to the area 

around a spot repair for the purpose of blending a repaired area’s color or clear coat to match 

the appearance of an adjacent area’s existing coating. 

236 VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOC): Any chemical compound containing at least 

one atom of carbon except for the Exempt Compounds listed in Rule 102, DEFINITIONS. 

237 VOC CONTENT:

237.1 VOC Regulatory Content: The weight of VOC per combined volume of VOC and 

coating solids, calculated with the following equation: 

VOC Regulatory Content = (Ws – Ww – Wec) / (Vm – Vw – Vec) 

237.2 VOC Actual Content: The weight of VOC per volume of material, calculated with the 

following equation: 

VOC Actual Content = (Ws – Ww – Wec) / Vm

Where: 

 

Ws = Weight of volatile compounds in grams 

Ww = Weight of water in grams 

Wec = Weight of exempt compounds in grams 

Vm = Volume of material in liters 

Vw = Volume of water in liters 

Vec = Volume of exempt compounds, as defined in Rule 102, 

DEFINITIONS, in liters 

300 STANDARDS 

301 LIMITS: No person shall apply to any motor vehicle, mobile equipment, or associated parts 

and components, any coating with a VOC regulatory content, as calculated pursuant to 

Section 237.1 for VOC regulatory, in excess of the following limits, except as provided in 

Section 304. 

Coating Category Regulatory VOC Content 

g/l (lb/gal) 

Adhesion Promoter 540 (4.5) 

Clear Coating 250 (2.1) 

Color Coating 420 (3.5) 

Multi-Color Coating 680 (5.7) 

Pretreatment Coating 660 (5.5) 
Amended October 14, 2010 (Effective July 1, 2011)

Placer County APCD 234 - 7 Rules and Regulations

Coating Category Regulatory VOC Content 

g/l (lb/gal) 

Primer 250 (2.1) 

Primer Sealer 250 (2.1) 

Single-Stage Coating 340 (2.8) 

Temporary Protective Coating 60 (0.5) 

Truck Bed Liner Coating 310 (2.6) 

Underbody Coating 430 (3.6) 

Uniform Finish Coating 540 (4.5) 

Any Other Coating Type 250 (2.1) 

302 MOST RESTRICTIVE VOC LIMIT: If anywhere on the container of any automotive coating, 

or any label or sticker affixed to the container, or in any sales, advertising or technical 

literature supplied by a person, any representation is made that indicates that the coating 

meets the definition of or is recommended for use for more than one of the coating categories 

listed in Section 301, then the lowest VOC content limit shall apply.

303 APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: No person shall apply a coating to any motor vehicle, 

mobile equipment, or associated parts and components unless one of the following 

application methods is used: 

303.1 Brush, dip, or roller; 

303.2 Electrostatic spray application equipment, operated in accordance with the 

manufacturer's recommendations; 

303.3 High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) spray equipment, operated in accordance with 

the manufacturer's recommendations; 

303.4 Spray gun, demonstrated to meet the HVLP definition in Section 218 in design and 

use; 

303.5 Any other equivalent coating application method which has been demonstrated to 

have a transfer efficiency equivalent to or higher than, the application methods listed 

in this Section, as determined per subsection 507.2, Determination of Transfer 

Efficiency, and which has been submitted to and approved in writing prior to use by 

the Air Pollution Control Officer. 

304 EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM: In lieu of complying with VOC content limits of Section 

301, a person may use a VOC emission control system that controls emissions from the 

source operation provided the following conditions are met: 

304.1 The VOC emission control system shall be approved in writing by the Air Pollution 

Control Officer. 

304.2 The VOC emission control system shall be operated with an overall control efficiency 

(capture and control), as determined in Sections 507.3 and 507.4, of at least 85 

percent by weight, during periods of emission producing activity. The approved 

emission control system must be maintained and used at all times in proper working 

condition. 

304.3 Submit an Operation and Maintenance Plan at least 90 days in advance of the date 

on which VOC emission control system is to be used in lieu of compliance with VOC 

content limitations. The Plan shall specify operation and maintenance procedures 

which will demonstrate continuous operation and compliance of the emissions control 
Amended October 14, 2010 (Effective July 1, 2011)

Rules and Regulations 234 - 8 Placer County APCD 

equipment during periods of emissions-producing operations. The Plan shall also 

specify which daily records must be kept to document these operations and 

maintenance procedures. These records shall comply with the requirements of 

Section 502. The Plan shall be implemented upon approval by the Air Pollution 

Control Officer. 

304.4 Submittal of an application for Authority to Construct per Rule 501, GENERAL 

PERMIT REQUIREMENTS, prior to control system construction. 

305 SOLVENT LIMITS AND EVAPORATIVE LOSS MINIMIZATION: 

305.1 Closed, non-leaking, non-absorbent containers shall be used for the storage or 

disposal of VOC-laden materials, including cloth or paper used for solvent surface 

preparation and cleanup. 

305.2 Fresh or spent solvent, coating, catalyst, thinner, or reducer, shall be stored in closed 

vapor-tight containers when not in use. Containers may only be open when adding or 

removing contents. Disposal shall be done in a manner to prevent evaporation of 

VOCs into the atmosphere at the facility. 

305.3 Solvents shall not be used for the cleanup of spray equipment including paint lines 

unless an enclosed system or other system, that has been approved in writing for use 

by the Air Pollution Control Officer, is used for cleanup. The system must enclose 

spray guns, cups, nozzles, bowls, and other parts during washing, rinsing, and 

draining procedures. Equipment used shall minimize the evaporation of organic 

compounds to the atmosphere. Spray equipment may be cleaned without the use of 

an enclosed system if cleaning solutions are used that do not contain VOCs. 

305.4 For solvent cleaning operations other than for bug and tar removal, solvents must 

have VOC content less than 25 g/l, as calculated using the equation listed in Section 

237.2 for VOC actual content. For solvents used for bug and tar removal, the VOC 

content shall meet requirements for such products under the Consumer Products 

Regulation (California Code of Regulations Section 94509, with a maximum limit of 

40% volatile organic compound by weight). 

306 TOXIC AIR CONTAMINANT: No person shall apply a coating to any motor vehicle, mobile 

equipment, or associated parts and components, containing cadmium or hexavalent 

chromium. 

400 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS 

401 PROHIBITION OF POSSESSION: No person shall possess at any automotive refinishing 

facility, any VOC-containing product that is not in compliance with Section 301 or 304 or 

305.4, as applicable. 

402 PROHIBITION OF SPECIFICATION: No person shall solicit or require for use or specify the 

application of any coating or solvents to a motor vehicle, mobile equipment, or part or 

component if such use results in a violation of the provisions of this rule. The prohibition of 

this Section will apply to all written or oral contracts, including but not limited to, job orders, 

under the terms of which any coating which is subject to the provisions of this rule is to be 

applied to any motor vehicle, mobile equipment, or part or component at any physical location 

within the District. 

403 PROHIBITION OF SALE OR MANUFACTURE:
Amended October 14, 2010 (Effective July 1, 2011)

Placer County APCD 234 - 9 Rules and Regulations

403.1 No person shall manufacture, blend, repackage for sale, supply, sell, offer for sale, or 

distribute within the District, any coating with a VOC content in excess of the limits 

specified in Section 301. This shall apply to the sale of any coating which will be 

applied at any physical location within the jurisdiction of the District. 

403.2 The provision of Section 403.1 shall not apply to the application of coatings where 

either: (a) The product is used exclusively within a emission control systems as 

allowed in Section 304; or (b) For coatings for use outside of the District. 

404 VOC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT REQUIREMENT: The manufacturer or repackager of 

automotive coatings and automotive coating components and solvents subject to this rule 

shall provide the following product information to the purchaser, on product data sheets, or 

equivalent medium (including in electronic or web media format), for each coating, coating 

component, solvent, and ready to spray mixture: 

404.1 VOC actual content and VOC regulatory content, expressed in grams per liter or 

pounds per gallon; 

404.2 Weight percentage of volatiles, water, and exempt compounds; 

404.3 Volume percentage of water and exempt compounds; 

404.4 Density of the material, in grams per liter. 

405 LABELING REQUIREMENTS: The manufacturer and repackager of automotive coatings 

and automotive coating components and solvents shall include on all containers the material 

type (applicable use category(ies)), and the VOC actual content and VOC regulatory content 

for coatings and solvents, as supplied, expressed in grams per liter or pounds per gallon. For 

products manufactured prior to July 1, 2011, labeling does not need to identify the material 

type (applicable coating category(ies)). 

406 HVLP MARKING: A person shall not sell, offer for sale, or distribute for use within the 

District any HVLP gun without a permanent marking, or accurate information provided on 

company letterhead or in the form of technical literature clearly identifying the spray gun 

manufacturer, salesperson or distributer, denoting the maximum inlet air pressure in psig at 

which the gun will operate within the parameters specified in Section 218. 

500 MONITORING AND RECORDS 

501 USER COATING RECORDS: Operators of facilities subject to this Rule shall maintain, and 

have available at all times on the site, the following: 

501.1 A current listing of all VOC containing materials in use at their facility. This listing 

shall include, for each product: 

501.1.1 Material name and manufacturer identification; 

501.1.2 Application method; 

501.1.3 Material type (applicable use category(ies)), mix ratio, and specific use 

instructions; 

501.1.4 Specific mixing instructions; 

501.1.5 VOC actual content and VOC regulatory content. 
Amended October 14, 2010 (Effective July 1, 2011)

Rules and Regulations 234 - 10 Placer County APCD 

501.2 Current manufacturing specification sheets, technical data sheets, material data 

sheets, or current air quality data sheets, which list the VOC actual content and VOC 

regulatory content of each material ready to spray coating (based on the 

manufacturer’s stated mix ratio) and automotive coating component, and VOC 

content of each solvent. 

501.3 Records on a monthly basis for the quantity and material type (applicable use 

category(ies)) of each coating applied, and total facility VOC emissions. These 

records shall be summarized for the previous calendar year and submitted to the 

District by June 1. 

501.4 Purchase records identifying the coating or solvent material type (applicable use 

category(ies)), product name and/or identification number, product volume, and name 

and address of the seller, The material type (applicable use category(ies)) may be 

contained on product data sheets or manufacturer specification sheets. Purchase 

records may be stored offsite. 

502 EMISSION CONTROL EQUIPMENT RECORDS: Any person using emissions control 

equipment pursuant to Section 304 as a means of complying with this rule shall maintain 

such records as required by the Operation and Maintenance Plan in Section 304, Section 

501, and also including: 

502.1 Monthly usage records of all materials used such as coatings, catalysts, additives, 

and reducers. 

502.2 Daily records of key operating parameters such as temperatures, pressures, 

flowrates, and hours of operation of the control device to verify compliance of the 

capture and control device. 

502.3 Maintenance work which interferes with the operation of the control device.

503 SALES RECORDS: Any person within the District selling coatings subject to this Rule shall 

maintain the following records for on-site sales, for a three-year period, and make such 

records available on request to the Air Pollution Control Officer: 

503.1 Business name, street address, phone number, and either business license or drivers 

license; 

503.2 Product name and volume; 

503.3 VOC content and material type (applicable use category(ies)). This information must 

be available on-site, and does not need to be included in each sales transaction; 

503.4 Date of sale. 

504 PROHIBITION OF SALE OR MANUFACTURE RECORDS: Any person claiming an 

exemption under subsection 403.2 shall keep a detailed log of each automotive coating 

component and automotive coating manufactured, blended, repackaged for sale, supplied, 

sold, offered for sale, or distributed showing: 

504.1 Quantity, including size, and number of containers; 

504.2 Regulatory and actual VOC content for coatings; 

504.3 Purchaser, including name, address, phone number, and retail tax license number; 
Amended October 14, 2010 (Effective July 1, 2011)

Placer County APCD 234 - 11 Rules and Regulations

504.4 The specific exemption being utilized under Section 403. 

505 BURDEN OF PROOF: Any person claiming an exemption pursuant to Section 104 shall 

have information available including product data or material data safety sheets or records 

that allow the Air Pollution Control Officer to verify eligibility of the exemption. 

506 MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS: Records required by this rule shall be retained for a 

minimum of three years, except for sources subject to Rule 507, FEDERAL OPERATING 

PERMIT PROGRAM, which shall retain records for five (5) years. Records shall be made 

available to the Air Pollution Control Officer upon request. 

507 TEST METHODS: The following test methods are incorporated by reference, and shall be 

used to test coatings and solvents subject to the provisions of this rule. A source is in 

violation of this rule if any measurement by any of the listed applicable test methods exceeds 

the standards of this rule. 

507.1 Determination of VOC Content: The VOC content of coatings or solvents, subject to 

the provisions of this Rule, shall be determined by procedures contained in U.S. EPA 

Reference Test Method 24 (40 CFR 60), “Determination of Volatile Matter Content, 

Water Content, Density, Volume Solids, and Weight Solids of Surface Coatings”. 

507.2 Determination of Transfer Efficiency: Transfer efficiency as required in Section 303 

of this rule shall be determined in accordance with the South Coast Air Quality 

Management District Test Method "Spray Equipment Transfer Efficiency (TE) Test 

Procedure for Equipment User,” May 24, 1989, or other equivalent method which has 

been approved in writing by the Air Pollution Control Officer and submitted to and 

approved by U.S. EPA. 

507.3 Determination of Control Efficiency: Control efficiency as required by Section 304 of 

this rule, shall be determined in accordance with U.S. EPA Method 25 25A, or 25B; 

and U.S. EPA Method 2 or 2C (whichever is applicable). U.S. EPA Method 18 or 

CARB Method 422 “Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds Emissions from 

Stationary Sources” may be used to determine emissions of exempt compounds. 

507.4 Determination of Capture Efficiency: Capture efficiency as required in Section 304, 

of this rule shall be determined by and reported in accordance with U.S. EPA 

“Guidelines for Determining Capture Efficiency”, January 9, 1995, and 40 CFR 51, 

Appendix M, Methods 204-204f, as applicable. 

507.5 Determination of Acid Concentration: Acid concentration in pretreatment wash 

primer as defined in Section 223, of this rule shall be determined by ASTM Test 

Method D-1613-06 “Standard Test Method for Acidity in Volatile Solvents and 

Chemical Intermediates Used in Paint, Varnish, Lacquer, and Related Products”, 

2006. 

507.6 HVLP Equivalency: Spray equipment HVLP equivalency shall be determined using 

South Coast Air Quality Management District “Guidelines for Demonstrating 

Equivalency with District Approved Transfer Efficiency Spray Guns”, September 26, 

2002. 

507.7 Determination of Exempt Compounds: Measurement of exempt compounds shall be 

determined by using CARB Method 432, “Determination of Dichloromethane and 

1,1,1-Trichloroethane in Paints and Coatings,” September 12, 1998”; ARB Method 

422 “Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds in Emission from Stationary 

Sources”, January 22, 1987; or South Coast Air Quality Management District Method 

303-91, “Determination of Exempt Compounds”, February 1993. 
Amended October 14, 2010 (Effective July 1, 2011)

Rules and Regulations 234 - 12 Placer County APCD 

507.8 Determination of Methyl Acetate, Acetone, t-Butyl Acetate, and 

parachlorobenzotrifluoride (PCBTF) Content: Measurement of methyl acetate, 

acetone t-butyl acetate and PCBTF, shall be determined using ASTM D6133-02, 

“Standard Test Method for Acetone, p-chlorobenzoftrifluoride, Methyl Acetate or tButyl Acetate Content of Solventborne and Waterborne Paints, Coatings, Resins, and 

Raw Materials by Direct Injection into a Gas Chromatograph”, February 2003. 

507.9 Multiple Test Methods: When more than one test method or a 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. 

507.10 Alternative Test Methods: The use of other test methods which are determined to be 

equivalent or better and approved, in writing, by the Air Pollution Control Officer, and 

U.S. EPA may be used in place of test methods specified in this rule.