N.J. Admin. Code § 7:27-8.12

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 24, December 18, 2024

Section 7:27-8.12 - State-of-the-art

(a) If an application proposes construction, installation, reconstruction, or modification of equipment and control apparatus that is a significant source meeting the following criteria, the applicant shall document state-of-the-art (SOTA) for the source:

1. The equipment and control apparatus has a potential to emit any HAP or NJHAP at a rate equal to or greater than the SOTA Threshold at N.J.A.C. 7:27-17.9, Tables 3A and 3B; or

2. The equipment and control apparatus has a potential to emit any other air contaminant or category of air contaminant, except carbon dioxide (CO2), at a rate equal to or greater than the SOTA threshold in Appendix 1, Table A, incorporated herein by reference.

(b) For equipment and control apparatus with the potential to emit an air contaminant that meets the SOTA criteria in (a) above, documentation of SOTA is only required for the air contaminant(s) that meets those criteria. Documentation of SOTA is not required for an air contaminant if the equipment's potential to emit that air contaminant does not meet the criteria in (a) above.

(c) Documentation of SOTA is not required for equipment and control apparatus that has, for every air contaminant, a potential to emit that is less than the levels indicated in (a) above.

(d) For purposes of determining whether a source meets the threshold levels in (a) above, the potential to emit an air contaminant shall be calculated separately for each piece of equipment. If the equipment is served by control apparatus, the equipment's potential to emit shall include fugitive emissions released from the equipment (but shall not include fugitive emissions released from the general infrastructure of the facility), and shall be calculated after controls, so that the effects of the control apparatus are included in the calculation of the equipment's potential to emit. This is consistent with the definition of "potential to emit" at N.J.A.C. 7:27-8.1. For example:

1. If two or more separate pieces of equipment are to be vented through the same control apparatus, the relative contribution made by each piece of equipment to the emissions from the control apparatus shall be calculated. Using these relative contributions, the applicant shall calculate each piece of equipment's potential to emit; and

2. If one piece of equipment is to be vented through two or more control apparatus, the applicant shall calculate the piece of equipment's potential to emit using the emissions from all of the control apparatus.

(e) An applicant shall document SOTA by complying with all of the following that apply:

1. For an air contaminant subject to LAER (Lowest Achievable Emission Rate) requirements pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:27-18, compliance with LAER requirements for that air contaminant represents SOTA. LAER is a case by case determination;

2. For an air contaminant subject to BACT (Best Available Control Technology) requirements pursuant to 40 CFR 52.21, compliance with BACT requirements represents SOTA. BACT is a case-by-case determination;

3. For an air contaminant that is a HAP, emitted by equipment for which MACT (Maximum Achievable Control Technology) requirements have been promulgated in 40 CFR Part 63, compliance with MACT requirements represents SOTA;

4. For an air contaminant emitted by equipment for which New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) have been promulgated on or after August 2, 1995, compliance with the NSPS represents SOTA;

5. For an air contaminant not subject to (e)1 through 4 above, SOTA shall be documented through one of the following options. The applicant may choose which option to pursue:

i. An applicant shall document compliance with a SOTA Manual (available from the Department at the address in N.J.A.C. 7:27-8.4(b) ) that applies to the source;

ii. If the source is eligible for a general permit under N.J.A.C. 7:27-8.8, an applicant shall register for the general permit in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:27-8.8; or

iii. An applicant shall document compliance with a case by case SOTA standard determined through the process detailed in (f) below.

(f) A case-by-case SOTA standard shall be determined by the Department based on a demonstration by the applicant, using a "top down" approach. To perform a "top down" SOTA demonstration, the applicant shall:

1. Identify and evaluate a list of air pollution control technologies or measures that may be applied to the source. This list shall not be limited to measures that have been applied to other existing sources in this same source category. The list shall include measures applied to sources in similar source categories, as well as innovative control technologies, modification of the process or process equipment, other pollution prevention measures, and combinations of the above measures; and

2. Arrange the measures on the list in descending order of air pollution control effectiveness. The first-listed or "top" measure shall constitute SOTA for the source, unless the applicant provides one of the following:

i. A demonstration that the top measure should be eliminated from consideration because it is technically infeasible, based on physical, chemical, or engineering principles, and/or technical difficulties that would prevent the successful application of the measure;

ii. A demonstration that the top measure should be eliminated from consideration based on its environmental impacts. The justification shall show that the adverse environmental effects of the top measure (for example, effects on water or land, HAP or NJHAP emissions, or increased environmental hazards), when compared with its air contaminant emission reduction benefits, would make use of the top measure unreasonable;

iii. A demonstration that the top measure should be eliminated from consideration based on its economic impacts. The justification shall show that the total and incremental costs of the top measure are greater than the total and incremental costs of the proposed measure(s); and that the extra costs, when compared with the air contaminant emission reduction benefits resulting from the top measure, would make use of the top measure unreasonable. All costs shall be calculated using the techniques in the latest edition of EPA's control cost manual; or

iv. A demonstration that the top measure should be eliminated from consideration based on its energy impacts. The justification shall show that the top measure uses fuels that are not reliably available; or that the energy consumed by the top measure is greater than the proposed measure(s), and that the extra energy used, when compared with the air contaminant emission reduction benefits resulting from the top measure, would make use of the top measure unreasonable; and

3. If the top measure is eliminated from consideration under any of the provisions at (f)2i through iv above, the applicant shall evaluate each successive measure on the list, using the procedures described in (f)2 above, until a measure is reached that is not eliminated. Upon the Department's approval of the SOTA demonstration, this measure shall constitute the case by case SOTA for the source.

N.J. Admin. Code § 7:27-8.12

Adopted by 50 N.J.R. 409(a), effective 1/16/2018

Amended by 54 N.J.R. 560(a), effective 4/4/2022