Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) - Virginia – Washington, DC–MD–VA Ozone Nonattainment Area
The Virginia portion of the Washington, DC–MD–VA ozone nonattainment area is designated as Moderate under the 2015 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
Counties and cities in the Virginia portion include Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Prince William County, Stafford County, and cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park.
Under the federal Nonattainment New Source Review (NSR) program, any new or modified major stationary source of ozone precursors—nitrogen oxides (NOx) or volatile organic compounds (VOC)—in Marginal nonattainment areas must obtain Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs) to offset emission increases at a ratio of 1.15 to 1. For example, a facility proposing to emit 100 tons/year of NOx must secure 115 tons/year 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.