San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD)
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District covers eight counties in California’s Central Valley including San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern County (Valley portion only).
It is a region with some of the most challenging air quality issues in the nation. The area is designated as Extreme nonattainment for ozone under both the 2008 and 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), and is also in nonattainment for PM2.5.
Under federal nonattainment New Source Review (NSR) rules, 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 areas classified as Extreme nonattainment, the required offset ratio is 1.5 to 1. For example, a new facility proposing 100 tons per year (tpy) of NOx must obtain 150 tpy of NOx ERCs.
| Pollutant | New Major Source Emission Rates | Major Modification to existing Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | ≥10 tons/year | ≥10 tons/year |
| Volatile Organic compounds (VOC) | ≥10 tons/year | ≥10 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.