Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (SBCAPCD)
The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District regulates air quality throughout Santa Barbara County, located on California’s central coast. The region is designated as a nonattainment-transitiaonl area for ozone as well as nontattainment for PM10 under the California Ambient Air Quality Standards and is in attainment for Federal NAAQS.
Under state regulations, 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 emission increases. For a Moderate nonattainment classification, the required offset ratio is 1.15 to 1. For example, if a project proposes 100 tons per year (tpy) of NOx emissions, it must obtain 115 tpy of NOx ERCs.
| Pollutant | New Major Source Emission Rates | Major Modification to existing Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | ≥100 tons/year | ≥50 tons/year |
| Volatile Organic compounds (VOC) | ≥100 tons/year | ≥50 tons/year |
| Particulate Matter (PM10) | ||
| Sulfur Oxides (SOx) |
Facilities that were emitting NOx, VOC, PM10 or SOx 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.