South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD)
The South Coast Air Quality Management District is responsible for air quality regulation across Los Angeles County, Orange County, the western urban portion of San Bernardino County, and the western portion of Riverside County.
This region, known as the South Coast Air Basin, is designated as an Extreme nonattainment area 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 fully offset any proposed emissions increases. Due to the Extreme nonattainment designation, the required offset ratio is 1.5 to 1. For example, if a project emits 100 tons per year (tpy) of ROG (aka VOCs), it must obtain 150 tpy of ROG 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.