Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 33 - ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY › Part III - Air › Chapter 9 - General Regulations on Control of Emissions and Emission Standards › Section III-921 - Stack Heights

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
This regulation applies to all stacks in existence and all
				  dispersion techniques implemented since December 31, 1970.
A. Definitions. For the purpose of this
				Section, the terms below will have the meaning herein given.
Dispersion Technique
- any technique which
				  attempts to affect the concentration of a pollutant in the ambient air
				  by:
1. using that portion of a stack
				which exceeds good engineering practice stack height;
2. varying the rate of emission of a
				pollutant according to atmospheric conditions or ambient concentrations of that
				pollutant; or
3. increasing final
				exhaust gas plume rise by manipulating source process parameters, exhaust gas
				parameters, stack parameters or combining exhaust gases from several existing
				stacks into one stack; or other selective handling of exhaust gas streams so as
				to increase the exhaust gas plume rise. LAC 33:III.921.A.
Dispersion
				Technique
.3 does not include:
a. the
				reheating of a gas stream, following use of a pollution control system, for the
				purpose of returning the gas to the temperature at which it was originally
				discharged from the facility generating the gas stream;
b. the merging of exhaust gas streams where:
i. the source owner or operator demonstrates
				that the facility was originally designed and constructed with such merged gas
				streams;
ii. after July 8, 1985,
				such merging is part of a change in operation at the facility that includes the
				installation of pollution controls and is accompanied by a net reduction in the
				allowable emissions of a pollutant. This exclusion from the definition of
dispersion techniques
shall apply only to the emission
				limitation for the pollutant affected by such change in operation; or
iii. before July 8, 1985, such merging was
				part of a change in operation at the facility that included the installation of
				emissions control equipment or was carried out for sound economic or
				engineering reasons. Where there was an increase in the emission limitation or,
				in the event that no emission limitation was in existence prior to the merging,
				an increase in the quantity of pollutants actually emitted prior to the
				merging, the administrative authority shall presume that merging was
				significantly motivated by an intent to gain emissions credit for greater
				dispersion. Absent a demonstration by the source owner or operator that merging
				was not significantly motivated by such intent, the administrative authority
				shall deny credit for the effects of such merging in calculating the allowable
				emissions for the source;
c. smoke management in agricultural or
				silvicultural prescribed burning programs;
d. episodic restrictions on residential
				woodburning and open burning; or
e.
				techniques under LAC 33:III.921.A.
Dispersion Technique
.3,
				which increase final exhaust gas plume rise where the resulting allowable
				emissions of sulfur dioxide from the facility do not exceed 5,000 tons per
				year.
Emission Limitation and Emission Standard
-
				  a requirement established by the administrative authority or administrator
				  which limits the quantity, rate, or concentration of emissions of air
				  pollutants on a continuous basis, including any requirements which limit the
				  level of opacity, prescribe equipment, set fuel specifications, prescribe
				  operation or maintenance procedures for a source to assure continuous emission
				  reduction.
Excessive Concentrations
- is defined for
				  the purpose of determining good engineering practice stack height under LAC
				  33:III.921.A.
Good Engineering Practice (GEP) Stack Height
.3
				  and means:
1. for sources seeking
				credit for stack height exceeding that established under LAC
				33:III.921.A.
Good Engineering Practice (GEP) Stack Height
.2, a
				maximum ground-level concentration due to emissions from a stack due in whole
				or part to downwash, wakes, and eddy effects produced by nearby structures or
				nearby terrain features which individually is at least 40 percent in excess of
				the maximum concentration experienced in the absence of such downwash, wakes,
				or eddy effects and which contributes to a total concentration due to emissions
				from all sources that is greater than an ambient air quality standard. For
				sources subject to the prevention of significant deterioration program (PSD),
				an excessive concentration alternatively means a maximum ground-level
				concentration due to emissions from a stack due in whole or part to downwash,
				wakes, or eddy effects produced by nearby structures or nearby terrain features
				which individually is at least 40 percent in excess of the maximum
				concentration experienced in the absence of such downwash, wakes, or eddy
				effects and a greater than a prevention of significant deterioration increment.
				The allowable emission rate to be used in making demonstrations under this
				Section shall be prescribed by the new source performance standard that is
				applicable to the source category unless the owner or operator demonstrates
				that this emission rate is infeasible. Where such demonstrations are approved
				by the administrative authority, an alternative emission rate shall be
				established in consultation with the source owner or operator.
2. for sources seeking credit after October
				11, 1983, for increases in existing stack heights up to the heights established
				under LAC 33:III.921.A.
Good Engineering Practice (GEP) Stack
				Height
.2, either:
a. a maximum
				ground-level concentration due in whole or part to downwash, wakes, or eddy
				effects as provided in Paragraph 1 above, except that the emission rate
				specified by these regulations (or in the absence of such a limit, the actual
				emission rate) shall be used; or
b.
				the actual presence of a local nuisance caused by the existing stack, as
				determined by the administrative authority;
3. for sources seeking credit after January
				12, 1979 for a stack height determined under LAC 33:III.921.A.
Good
				Engineering Practice (GEP) Stack Height
.2 where the administrative
				authority requires the use of a field study or fluid model to verify GEP stack
				height, for sources seeking stack height credit after November 9, 1984 based on
				the aerodynamic influence of cooling towers, and for sources seeking stack
				height credit after December 31, 1970 based on the aerodynamic influence of
				structures not adequately represented by the equations in LAC
				33:III.921.A.
Good Engineering Practice (GEP) Stack Height
.2, a
				maximum ground-level concentration due in whole or part to downwash, wakes, or
				eddy effects that is at least 40 percent in excess of the maximum concentration
				experienced in the absence of such downwash, wakes, or eddy effects.
Good Engineering Practice (GEP) Stack
				  Height
- the greater of:
1. 65 meters, measured from the ground-level
				elevation at the base of the stack;
2.
a.
i. for stacks in existence on January 12,
				1979, and for which the owner or operator had obtained all applicable permits
				or approvals required under state or federal regulations:
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ii. provided
				the owner or operator produces evidence that this equation was actually relied
				on in establishing an emission limitation;
b.
i. for
				all other stacks:
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where:
Hg = good engineering practice stack height, measured from
				  the ground-level elevation of the base of the stack;
H = height of nearby structure(s) measured from the
				  ground-level elevation at the base of the stack;
L = lesser dimension, height or projected width, of nearby
				  structure(s);
ii. provided
				that EPA or the administrative authority may require the use of a field study
				or fluid model to verify GEP stack height for the source;
				or
3. the
				height demonstrated by a fluid model or a field study approved by EPA or the
				administrative authority, which ensures that the emissions from a stack do not
				result in excessive concentrations of any air pollutant as a result of
				atmospheric downwash, wakes, or eddy effects created by the source itself,
				nearby structures, or nearby terrain features.
Nearby
- as used in LAC
				  33:III.921.A.
Good Engineering Practice (GEP) Stack Height
of
				  this Section is defined for a specific structure or terrain feature
				  and:
1. for purposes of
				applying the formulae provided in LAC 33:III.921.A.
Good Engineering
				Practice (GEP) Stack Height
.2 means that distance up to five times the
				lesser of the height or the width dimension of a structure, but not greater
				than 0.8 km (1/2 mile); and
2. for
				conducting the demonstrations under LAC 33:III.921.A.
Good Engineering
				Practice (GEP) Stack Height
.3 means not greater than 0.8 km (1/2
				mile), except that the portion of a terrain feature may be considered to be
				nearby which falls within a distance of up to 10 times the maximum height
				(Ht) of the feature, not to exceed 2 miles if such
				feature achieves a height (Ht) 0.8 km from the stack
				that is at least 40 percent of the GEP stack height determined by the formulae
				provided in LAC 33:III.921.A.
Good Engineering Practice (GEP) Stack
				Height
.2.b or 26 meters, whichever is greater, as measured from the
				ground-level elevation at the base of the stack. The height of the structure or
				terrain feature is measured from the ground-level elevation at the base of the
				stack.
Stack
- any point in a source designed to
				  emit solids, liquids, or gases into the air, including a pipe or duct but not
				  including flares.
Stack in Existence
- the owner or operator
				  had:
1. begun, or caused to begin, a
				continuous program of physical on-site construction of the stack; or
2. entered into binding agreements or
				contractual obligations, which could not be cancelled or modified without
				substantial loss to the owner or operator, to undertake a program of
				construction of the stack to be completed in a reasonable time.