Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) -Dallas-Fort Worth Area (DFW) Ozone Nonattainment Area
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated the Dallas-Fort Worth area as a Severe Nonattainment area for ozone under the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). This designation includes the following ten counties: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, and Wise.
To comply with nonattainment New Source Review (NSR) requirements, new or modified major sources in the DFW area must obtain Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs) to meet offset obligations. For Severe ozone nonattainment areas, the required offset ratio is 1.3:1. This means that a proposed increase of 100 tons per year (tpy) of NOx emissions from a new or modified major facility must be offset with 130 tpy of ERCs to address the corresponding increase in NOₓ emissions.
| Pollutant | New Major Source Emission Rates | Major Modification to existing Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | ≥25 tons/year | ≥25 tons/year |
| Volatile Organic compounds (VOC) | ≥25 tons/year | ≥25 tons/year |
Facilities that were emitting NOx or VOC may be eligible to generate Emission Reduction Credits (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.