Source: http://www.cogeneration.net/Cal%20SB%20700%20Update.htm
Timestamp: 2017-10-20 12:15:34
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California Senate Bill 700 Update
Overview of California SB 700
In the past, agricultural operations have been exempt from obtaining air quality permits from local air districts. However, in September 2003, the governor signed into law Senate Bill 700 (SB 700). This bill amended air pollution control requirements in the California Health and Safety Code to include regulatory requirements for agriculture.
SB 700 targeted agriculture and air pollution for two main reasons. First, California’s previous agriculture exemption conflicted with federal law. California would have lost billions of dollars in federal transportation funding, as well as faced other sanctions if the bill had not passed. Secondly, in some parts of the state -including the Sacramento air basin - air quality is poor and agricultural activities contribute to the problem. Poor air quality harms public health - causing and/or exacerbating asthma, respiratory illness, heart and lung disease, and early mortality.
SB 700 eliminated the agricultural operation permit exemption in the California Health and Safety Code in its entirety. As a result, agricultural operations may now be required to obtain air quality permits from the local air district. The bill sets up more specific guidance and required elements, but ultimately it will be up to individual air districts to determine how to implement the bill.
Permitting Structure - The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District is in the process of determining the best solutions to address SB 700 requirements for agricultural operations within our jurisdiction. SB 700, however, does require - at a minimum - a general three tiered permitting structure:
1. Title V Permits - Large agricultural operations, whose potential to emit (see definitions section) exceeds the District’s “major source threshold.”
2. Local Permits - Large agricultural operations, whose actual emissions (see definitions section) exceeds one-half (½) the District’s “major source threshold.”
3. CAFO Permits - “Large” confined animal feeding operations will require a CAFO permit. The definition of a “large” CAFO has not been determined yet. SB 700 requires the California Air Resources Board to review all available scientific information, including but not limited to emissions factors for CAFO’s, and the effect of those facilities on air quality in the basin and other relevant scientific information, and develop a definition for the source category of “large” CAFO (see definitions section). The definition must be adopted in a public hearing, and the hearing must occur on or before July 1, 2005.
EPA Part 71 program
Some farm owners/operators may remember applying for a Title V permit last year. In October 2002, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) partially withdrew the Title V operating permit program from California air districts since California’s agricultural exemption conflicted with federal law. EPA started a federal Part 71operating permit program for major agricultural operations in the state of California. Under this program, EPA required agricultural operations to submit their Part 71 permit applications to the Agency by May 14, 2003.
When SB 700 was signed into law, EPA withdrew the Part 71 program and restored the full Title V operating permit program to California air districts. Since EPA’s Part 71 program has dissolved, those who applied for the program are now required to re-apply for a Title V permit through the District. This may be frustrating to farm owners/operators who had applied for the Part 71 program, however, the District is committed to providing assistance to applicants throughout the permitting process.
Working with the Agricultural Community.
The goal of the District is to ensure that new SB 700 permitting requirements can be implemented and to make sure that everyone understands their responsibilities under this new law. District staff is ready to work with the agricultural community during the development of new agricultural permitting programs, as well as the permitting process. After decades of exemptions, the District has limited experience permitting agricultural operations. Therefore, to aid in the development of these new programs, the District has established the Agricultural Permitting Advisory Committee (APAC).
The idea behind APAC is to bring together the local agricultural community, agricultural officials, and other interested parties, to share their expertise and comments with the District. TheAPAC will ensure the District develops new rules that fulfill the required elements of SB 700 while remaining fair to the agricultural community. The diversity of this committee will bring different perspectives from eachparticipant - helping the District create effective permitting programs.
APAC participants were identified by the District as leaders within the local agricultural community orpossessing a strong interest in SB 700 regulations.
Potential candidates targeted for APAC participation include: the Yolo and Solano County Agricultural Commissioners, Yolo and Solano County Farm Bureau representatives, Sierra Club representatives and local grower’s groups/associations.
Application Forms and Outreach Current District application forms are not designed for agricultural permitting. Therefore, the District plans on creating new agricultural specific forms to help streamline the application process. The District is aiming for these forms to be available by October 2004.The District understands that these new rules and requirements are new to everyone. The District has a tentative plan to hold workshops between October-December 2004 to aid farm owners/operators in understanding the new requirements, determine which permitting program their operation falls into, and help fill out application forms.
Source - The term “source” may refer to an individual piece of equipment such as an internal combustion engine or to a group of emitting equipment.
Agricultural Source (Operation) - SB700 generally defines “agricultural source” as a source, or group of sources, used in the production of crops or the raising of fowl or animals located on contiguous property (see below) and under common ownership or control (see below).
Contiguous Property: The simplest definition of “contiguous” is when two property parcels are actually touching at a boundary. There are other situations that the courts have determined to be “contiguous” for the purposes of determining what emitting activities are part of the source. Some examples include parcels that are divided by roadways, or which are separated by some distance but are functionally interconnected. Generally, the courts have ruled that artificial separations between related activities do not create separate sources.
Common Ownership or Control - Property is under “common ownership or control” if the same person owns both parcels or operations. Contractual agreements between two parties can also constitute “commonownership or control.” This is another area that has been defined over time by court rulings.
Potential to Emit - An operation’s potential to emit is generally considered to be the maximum amount of air pollution it can emit, considering physical and other enforceable limitations.
Actual Emissions - The emissions produced by a source based on its normal operating conditions.
This may be derived from actual measurements or emissions testing, or historical records of activities which can be used to estimate emissions.
Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) - SB700 defines “confined animal feeding operation” to include essentially any type of confinement for animals or fowl that restricts them to a specific area, and involves feeding the animals by any method other than grazing. This specifically includes barns, pens, corrals, and coops, but should be interpreted broadly. The definition also specifically lists other markers of CAFs, including feed storage, milking parlors, and systems to collect, store, treat, and distribute liquid or solid manure from the confined animals.
An anaerobic digester is a device for optimizing the anaerobic digestion of biomass and/or animal manure, and possibly to recover biogas for energy production.
Digester types include batch, complete mix, continuous flow (horizontal or plug-flow, multiple-tank, and vertical tank), and covered lagoon.