2023 Connecticut General Statutes › Title 22a - Environmental Protection › Chapter 446c - Air Pollution Control › Section 22a-198. - Title IV sulfur dioxide emission standards. Credit trading. Suspension of credit trading prohibition by the commissioner.

(a) On and after January 1, 2005, the owner or operator of a Title IV source that is also an affected unit or units shall:
(1) Combust liquid fuel, gaseous fuel, solid fuel or a combination of each provided that each fuel possesses a fuel sulfur limit equal to or less than 0.3 per cent sulfur, by weight (dry basis); or
(2) Meet an average emission rate equal to or less than 0.33 pounds SO
2
per MMBtu for each calendar quarter for an affected unit at the premises; or
(3) Meet an average emission rate equal to or less than 0.3 pounds SO
2
per MMBtu calculated for each calendar quarter, if such owner or operator averages the emissions from two or more affected units at the premises.
(b) On and after January 1, 2005, no owner or operator of a Title IV source that is also an affected unit or units may use SO
2
DERCs or SO
2
allowances to comply with the requirements of subsection (a) of this section except if the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection requires the owner or operator of an affected unit or units using a low-sulfur fuel to comply with subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section to offset excess SO
2
emissions that were emitted during a suspension period, as described in subsection (c) of this section, through the purchase or retirement of such SO
2
DERCs or SO
2
allowances.
(c) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may suspend the requirements of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section for the owner or operator of any affected unit using a low-sulfur fuel, including a low-sulfur solid fuel. Such suspension shall be made only when the commissioner finds that the availability of fuel that complies with such requirements is inadequate to meet the needs of residential, commercial and industrial users in this state and that such inadequate supply constitutes an emergency, provided such suspension shall not exceed the period that the inadequate supply constitutes an emergency. Any such suspension by the commissioner shall not suspend or alter the sulfur dioxide average emission rate requirements that are in effect as of May 2, 2002. The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall specify in writing the period of time that such suspension shall be in effect and shall provide notice of such suspension to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the environment and energy and technology. No later than thirty days after the termination of such suspension, the owner or operator of an affected unit or units shall report to the commissioner, in writing, the amount of SO
2
emissions in excess of those that would have occurred if the use of compliant fuel at such affected unit or units had not been interrupted. If such excess SO
2
emissions from any premises exceed fifty tons, the commissioner shall require that the owner or operator of such affected unit or units offset such SO
2
emissions through the purchase or retirement of SO
2
DERCs or SO
2
allowances.
(d) The provisions of subsections (c) and (f) of this section, when implemented by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, shall not suspend any underlying procedures or requirements in the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies adopted by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection pertaining to SO
2
emissions.
(e) No provision of section 22a-197, this section or subsection (a) of section 16-245
l
shall be construed to prohibit the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection from waiving or suspending any applicable sulfur dioxide emissions standard as may be allowed under current federal or state laws or regulations, or other permit limits of a must run Title IV source, as ordered by the Independent System Operator, as may be allowed under current federal or state laws or regulations. The commissioner may attach any conditions to such suspension or waiver, as the commissioner deems necessary to mitigate any adverse environmental or public health impacts.
(f) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation with the chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, may suspend the prohibition of subsection (b) of this section for a Title IV source if it is determined that the application of the prohibition established under subsection (b) of this section adversely affects the ability to meet the reliability standards, as defined by the New England Power Pool or its successor organization, and the suspension thereof is intended to mitigate such reliability problems. The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation with the chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, shall specify in writing the reasons for such suspension and the period of time that such suspension shall be in effect and shall provide notice of such suspension at the time of issuance, or the next business day, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the environment and energy and technology. No such waiver shall last more than thirty days. The commissioner may reissue additional waivers for such source after said initial waiver has expired. Within ten days of receipt of the commissioner's notice of suspension, the committees having cognizance of matters relating to the environment and energy and technology may hold a joint public hearing and meeting of the committees to either modify or reject the commissioner's suspension by a majority vote. If the committees do not meet, the commissioner's suspension shall be deemed approved.
(P.A. 02-64, S. 2; P.A. 03-123, S. 3, 4; P.A. 11-80, S. 1, 63.)
History: P.A. 02-64 effective January 1, 2005; P.A. 03-123 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (f), effective June 26, 2003 (Revisor's note: Because Sec. 22a-198 takes effect on January 1, 2005, these amendments become effective at that time); P.A. 11-80 changed “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection”, changed “Department of Environmental Protection” to “Department of Energy and Environmental Protection” and changed “Public Utilities Control Authority” to “Public Utilities Regulatory Authority”, effective July 1, 2011.