Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) – Cleveland, Ohio Nonattainment Area
The Cleveland, Ohio nonattainment area is classified as Serious under the 2015 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Counties in the Cleveland Nonattainment Area include Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit.
Under the federal nonattainment New Source Review (NSR) program, new or modified major stationary sources of ozone precursors—nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC)—must obtain Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs) to offset proposed increases in emissions. For a Serious nonattainment classification, the required offset ratio is 1.2 to 1. For example, a facility proposing to emit 100 tons per year (tpy) of NOx would need to secure 120 tpy of NOx ERCs.
Facilities that were emitting NOx or VOC may be eligible to generate Emission Reduction Credits
| Pollutant | New Major Source Emission Rates | Major Modification to existing Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | ≥50 tons/year | ≥25 tons/year |
| Volatile Organic compounds (VOC) | ≥50 tons/year | ≥25 tons/year |
(ERCs) with a permanent reduction of those emissions generating from a shutdown or installation of control technology or process change.
If your company has a new project that exceeds thresholds or had a facility with permanent reduction of emissions at any level, please reach out to see how Emissions Experts can assist.