Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated the San Francisco Bay Area as a Marginal Nonattainment area for ozone under the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
This nonattainment area encompasses all or portions of the following nine counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma
Under nonattainment New Source Review (NSR) requirements, new or modified major sources within the Bay Area must obtain Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs) to satisfy offset obligations. For marginal ozone nonattainment areas, the required offset ratio is 1.1:1. This means that a proposed increase of 100 tons per year (tpy) of POC (aka VOC) emissions from a new or modified major facility must be offset with 110 tpy of ERCs to address the corresponding increase in POC 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 |
| Particulate Matter (PM10) | ||
| Sulfur Oxides (SOx) |