Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) - Allegan County Ozone Nonattainment Area
Allegan County, located along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, is designated as a Marginal nonattainment area under the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS. This designation applies specifically to a portion of the county identified by EPA based on historical ozone exceedances, often influenced by regional transport and lake breeze effects.
Under the federal nonattainment New Source Review (NSR) program, new or modified major stationary sources of ozone precursors—volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)—must offset proposed emissions increases using Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs). The offset ratio for a Marginal ozone nonattainment area is 1.1 to 1. For instance, a new source proposing 100 tons/year of NOx would need to secure 110 tons/year of NOx ERCs.
| Pollutant | New Major Source Emission Rates | Major Modification to existing Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | ≥100 tons/year | ≥40 tons/year |
| Volatile Organic compounds (VOC) | ≥100 tons/year | ≥40 tons/year |
Facilities that were emitting NOx or VOC 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.