Or. Admin. Code § 340-012-0135

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 10, October 1, 2024

Section 340-012-0135 - Selected Magnitude Categories

(1) Magnitudes for selected Air Quality violations will be determined as follows:

(a) Opacity limit violations:

(A) Major - Opacity measurements or readings of 20 percent opacity or more over the applicable limit, or an opacity violation by a federal major source as defined in OAR 340-200-0020;

(B) Moderate - Opacity measurements or readings greater than 10 percent opacity and less than 20 percent opacity over the applicable limit; or

(C) Minor - Opacity measurements or readings of 10 percent opacity or less over the applicable limit.

(b) Operating a major source, as defined in OAR 340-200-0020, without first obtaining the required permit: Major - if a Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) or Best Available Control Technology (BACT) analysis shows that additional controls or offsets are or were needed, otherwise apply OAR 340-012-0130.

(c) Exceeding an emission limit established under New Source Review/Prevention of Significant Deterioration (NSR/PSD): Major - if exceeded the emission limit by more than 50 percent of the limit, otherwise apply OAR 340-012-0130.

(d) Exceeding an emission limit established under federal National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs): Major - if exceeded the Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standard emission limit for a directly-measured hazardous air pollutant (HAP), otherwise apply OAR 340-012-0130.

(e) Exceeding a cancer or noncancer risk limit that is equivalent to a Risk Action Level or a Source Risk Limit if the limit is a Risk Action Level established under OAR 340-245-0005 through 340-245-8050: Major, otherwise apply OAR 340-012-0130.

(f) Air contaminant emission limit violations for selected air pollutants: Magnitude determinations under this subsection will be made based upon significant emission rate (SER) amounts listed in OAR 340-200-0020.

(A) Major:

(i) Exceeding the annual emission limit as established by permit, rule or order by more than the annual SER; or

(ii) Exceeding the short-term (less than one year) emission limit as established by permit, rule or order by more than the applicable short-term SER.

(B) Moderate:

(i) Exceeding the annual emission limit as established by permit, rule or order by an amount from 50 up to and including 100 percent of the annual SER; or

(ii) Exceeding the short-term (less than one-year) emission limit as established by permit, rule or order by an amount from 50 up to and including 100 percent of the applicable short-term SER.

(C) Minor:

(i) Exceeding the annual emission limit as established by permit, rule or order by an amount less than 50 percent of the annual SER; or

(ii) Exceeding the short-term (less than one year) emission limit as established by permit, rule or order by an amount less than 50 percent of the applicable short-term SER.

(g) Violations of Emergency Action Plans: Major - Major magnitude in all cases.

(h) Violations of on road motor vehicle refinishing rules contained in OAR 340-242-0620: Minor - Refinishing 10 or fewer on road motor vehicles per year.

(i) Asbestos violations - These selected magnitudes apply unless the violation does not cause the potential for human exposure to asbestos fibers:

(A) Major - More than 260 linear feet or more than 160 square feet of asbestos-containing material or asbestos-containing waste material;

(B) Moderate - From 40 linear feet up to and including 260 linear feet or from 80 square feet up to and including 160 square feet of asbestos-containing material or asbestos-containing waste material; or

(C) Minor - Less than 40 linear feet or 80 square feet of asbestos-containing material or asbestos-containing waste material.

(D) The magnitude of the asbestos violation may be increased by one level if the material was comprised of more than five percent asbestos.

(j) Open burning violations:

(A) Major - Initiating or allowing the initiation of open burning of 20 or more cubic yards of commercial, construction, demolition and/or industrial waste; or 5 or more cubic yards of prohibited materials (inclusive of tires); or 10 or more tires;

(B) Moderate - Initiating or allowing the initiation of open burning of 10 or more, but less than 20 cubic yards of commercial, construction, demolition and/or industrial waste; or 2 or more, but less than 5 cubic yards of prohibited materials (inclusive of tires); or 3 to 9 tires; or if DEQ lacks sufficient information upon which to make a determination of the type of waste, number of cubic yards or number of tires burned; or

(C) Minor - Initiating or allowing the initiation of open burning of less than 10 cubic yards of commercial, construction, demolition and/or industrial waste; or less than 2 cubic yards of prohibited materials (inclusive of tires); or 2 or less tires.

(D) The selected magnitude may be increased one level if DEQ finds that one or more of the following are true, or decreased one level if DEQ finds that none of the following are true:

(i) The burning took place in an open burning control area;

(ii) The burning took place in an area where open burning is prohibited;

(iii) The burning took place in a non-attainment or maintenance area for PM10 or PM2.5; or

(iv) The burning took place on a day when all open burning was prohibited due to meteorological conditions.

(k) Oregon Low Emission Vehicle Non-Methane Gas (NMOG) or Green House Gas (GHG) fleet average emission limit violations:

(A) Major - Exceeding the limit by more than 10 percent; or

(B) Moderate - Exceeding the limit by 10 percent or less.

(l) Oregon Clean Fuels Program violations:

(A) Violating the clean fuel standards set forth in OAR 340-253-0100(6) and Tables 1 and 2 of OAR 340-253-8010: Major

(B) Failing to register under OAR 340-253-0100(1) and (4): Major;

(C) Failing to timely submit a complete and accurate annual compliance report or quarterly report under OAR chapter 340, division 253: Major;

(D) Generating an illegitimate credit under OAR chapter 340, division 253: Major;

(E) Committing any action related to a credit transfer that is prohibited under OAR 340-253-1005(8): Major.

(m) Failing to timely submit a complete and accurate emissions data report under the Oregon Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, OAR chapter 340, division 215, where the untimely, incomplete or inaccurate reporting impacts applicability, distribution of compliance instruments, or any compliance obligation under the Climate Protection Program, OAR chapter 340, division 271: Major.

(n) Oregon Climate Protection Program violations:

(A) Failing to demonstrate compliance according to OAR 340-271-0450: Major.

(B) Failing to comply with a BAER order issued under OAR 340-271-0320: Major

(C) Failing to comply with a condition in a permit, Climate Protection Program permit, or Climate Protection Program permit addendum issued according to OAR 340-271-0150 that requires the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions: Major.

(D) Failing to obtain a BAER order under OAR 340-271-0320 or a permit issued under OAR 340-271-0150(3)(c), for a covered entity, as identified in OAR 340-271-0110, that is a new source, as defined in OAR 340-271-0020: Major.

(2) Magnitudes for selected Water Quality violations will be determined as follows:

(a) Violating wastewater discharge permit effluent limitations:

(A) Major:

(i) The dilution (D) of the spill or technology based effluent limitation exceedance was less than two, when calculated as follows: D = ((QR /4) + QI)/ QI, where QR is the estimated receiving stream flow and QI is the estimated quantity or discharge rate of the incident;

(ii) The receiving stream flow at the time of the water quality based effluent limitation (WQBEL) exceedance was at or below the flow used to calculate the WQBEL; or

(iii) The resulting water quality from the spill or discharge was as follows:

(I) For discharges of toxic pollutants: CS/D was more than CAcute, where CS is the concentration of the discharge, D is the dilution of the discharge as determined under (2)(a)(A)(i), and CAcute is the concentration for acute toxicity (as defined by the applicable water quality standard);

(II) For spills or discharges affecting temperature, when the discharge temperature is at or above 32 degrees centigrade after two seconds from the outfall; or

(III) For BOD5 discharges: (BOD5)/D is more than 10, where BOD5 is the concentration of the five-day Biochemical Oxygen Demand of the discharge and D is the dilution of the discharge as determined under (2)(a)(A)(i).

(B) Moderate:

(i) The dilution (D) of the spill or the technology based effluent limitation exceedance was two or more but less than 10 when calculated as follows: D = ((QR /4)+ QI)/ QI, where QR is the estimated receiving stream flow and QI is the estimated quantity or discharge rate of the discharge; or

(ii) The receiving stream flow at the time of the WQBEL exceedance was greater than, but less than twice, the flow used to calculate the WQBEL.

(C) Minor:

(i) The dilution (D) of the spill or the technology based effluent limitation exceedance was 10 or more when calculated as follows: D = ((QR/4) + QI)/ QI, where QR is the receiving stream flow and QI is the quantity or discharge rate of the incident; or

(ii) The receiving stream flow at the time of the WQBEL exceedance was twice the flow or more of the flow used to calculate the WQBEL.

(b) Violating numeric water quality standards:

(A) Major:

(i) Increased the concentration of any pollutant except for toxics, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity, by 25 percent or more of the standard;

(ii) Decreased the dissolved oxygen concentration by two or more milligrams per liter below the standard;

(iii) Increased the toxic pollutant concentration by any amount over the acute standard or by 100 percent or more of the chronic standard;

(iv) Increased or decreased pH by one or more pH units from the standard; or

(v) Increased turbidity by 50 or more nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) over background.

(B) Moderate:

(i) Increased the concentration of any pollutant except for toxics, pH, and turbidity by more than 10 percent but less than 25 percent of the standard;

(ii) Decreased dissolved oxygen concentration by one or more, but less than two, milligrams per liter below the standard;

(iii) Increased the concentration of toxic pollutants by more than 10 percent but less than 100 percent of the chronic standard;

(iv) Increased or decreased pH by more than 0.5 pH unit but less than 1.0 pH unit from the standard; or

(v) Increased turbidity by more than 20 but less than 50 NTU over background.

(C) Minor:

(i) Increased the concentration of any pollutant, except for toxics, pH, and turbidity, by 10 percent or less of the standard;

(ii) Decreased the dissolved oxygen concentration by less than one milligram per liter below the standard;

(iii) Increased the concentration of toxic pollutants by 10 percent or less of the chronic standard;

(iv) Increased or decreased pH by 0.5 pH unit or less from the standard; or

(v) Increased turbidity by 20 NTU or less over background.

(c) The selected magnitude under (2)(a) or (b) may be increased one or more levels if the violation:

(A) Occurred in a water body that is water quality limited (listed on the most current 303(d) list) and the discharge is the same pollutant for which the water body is listed;

(B) Depressed oxygen levels or increased turbidity and/or sedimentation in a stream in which salmonids may be rearing or spawning as indicated by the beneficial use maps available at OAR 340-041-0101 through 0340;

(C) Violated a bacteria standard either in shellfish growing waters or during the period from June 1 through September 30; or

(D) Resulted in a documented fish or wildlife kill.

(3) Magnitudes for selected Solid Waste violations will be determined as follows:

(a) Operating a solid waste disposal facility without a permit or disposing of solid waste at an unpermitted site:

(A) Major - The volume of material disposed of exceeds 400 cubic yards;

(B) Moderate - The volume of material disposed of is greater than or equal to 40 cubic yards and less than or equal to 400 cubic yards; or

(C) Minor - The volume of materials disposed of is less than 40 cubic yards.

(D) The magnitude of the violation may be raised by one magnitude if the material disposed of was either in the floodplain of waters of the state or within 100 feet of waters of the state.

(b) Failing to accurately report the amount of solid waste disposed:

(A) Major - The amount of solid waste is underreported by 15 percent or more of the amount received;

(B) Moderate - The amount of solid waste is underreported by 5 percent or more, but less than 15 percent, of the amount received; or

(C) Minor - The amount of solid waste is underreported by less than 5 percent of the amount received.

(4) Magnitudes for selected Hazardous Waste violations will be determined as follows:

(a) Failure to make a hazardous waste determination;

(A) Major - Failure to make the determination on five or more waste streams;

(B) Moderate - Failure to make the determination on three or four waste streams; or

(C) Minor - Failure to make the determination on one or two waste streams.

(b) Hazardous Waste treatment, storage and disposal violations of OAR 340-012-0068(1)(b), (c), (h), (k), (l), (m), (p), (q) and (r):

(A) Major:

(i) Treatment, storage, or disposal of more than 55 gallons or 330 pounds of hazardous waste; or

(ii) Treatment, storage, or disposal of at least one quart or 2.2 pounds of acutely hazardous waste.

(B) Moderate:

(i) Treatment, storage, or disposal of 55 gallons or 330 pounds or less of hazardous waste; or

(ii) Treatment, storage, or disposal of less than one quart or 2.2 pounds of acutely hazardous waste.

(c) Hazardous waste management violations classified in OAR 340-012-0068(1)(d), (e) (f), (g), (i), (j), (n), (s) and (2)(a), (b), (d), (e), (h), (i), (k), (m), (n), (o), (p), (r) and (s):

(A) Major:

(i) Hazardous waste management violations involving more than 1,000 gallons or 6,000 pounds of hazardous waste; or

(ii) Hazardous waste management violations involving at least one quart or 2.2 pounds of acutely hazardous waste.

(B) Moderate:

(i) Hazardous waste management violations involving more than 250 gallons or 1,500 pounds, up to and including 1,000 gallons or 6,000 pounds of hazardous waste; or

(ii) Hazardous waste management violations involving less than one quart or 2.2 pounds of acutely hazardous waste.

(C) Minor: Hazardous waste management violations involving 250 gallons or 1,500 pounds or less of hazardous waste and no acutely hazardous waste.

(5) Magnitudes for selected Used Oil violations (OAR 340-012-0072) will be determined as follows:

(a) Used Oil violations set forth in OAR 340-012-0072(1)(f), (h), (i), (j); and (2)(a) through (h):

(A) Major - Used oil management violations involving more than 1,000 gallons or 7,000 pounds of used oil or used oil mixtures;

(B) Moderate - Used oil management violations involving more than 250 gallons or 1,750 pounds, up to and including 1,000 gallons or 7,000 pounds of used oil or used oil mixture; or

(C) Minor - Used oil management violations involving 250 gallons or 1,750 pounds or less of used oil or used oil mixtures.

(b) Used Oil spill or disposal violations set forth in OAR 340-012-0072(1)(a) through (e), (g) and (k).

(A) Major - A spill or disposal involving more than 420 gallons or 2,940 pounds of used oil or used oil mixtures;

(B) Moderate - A spill or disposal involving more than 42 gallons or 294 pounds, up to and including 420 gallons or 2,940 pounds of used oil or used oil mixtures; or

(C) Minor - A spill or disposal of used oil involving 42 gallons or 294 pounds or less of used oil or used oil mixtures.

Or. Admin. Code § 340-012-0135

DEQ 21-1992, f. & cert. ef. 8-11-92; DEQ 4-1994, f. & cert. ef. 3-14-94; DEQ 19-1998, f. & cert. ef. 10-12-98; DEQ 1-2003, f. & cert. ef. 1-31-03; Renumbered from 340-012-0090, DEQ 4-2005, f. 5-13-05, cert. ef. 6-1-05; DEQ 4-2006, f. 3-29-06, cert. ef. 3-31-06; DEQ 6-2006, f. & cert. ef. 6-29-06; DEQ 1-2014, f. & cert. ef. 1-6-14; DEQ 13-2015, f. 12-10-15, cert. ef. 1/1/2016; DEQ 197-2018, amend filed 11/16/2018, effective 11/16/2018; DEQ 199-2018, amend filed 11/16/2018, effective 1/1/2019; DEQ 14-2020, amend filed 05/07/2020, effective 5/7/2020; DEQ 27-2021, amend filed 12/16/2021, effective 12/16/2021; DEQ 16-2022, amend filed 09/23/2022, effective 9/23/2022; DEQ 17-2023, amend filed 11/16/2023, effective 11/16/2023

Tables & Publications referenced are available from the agency.

Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 468.065 & 468A.045

Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 468.090 - 468.140 & 468A.060