Section 370. Definitions

As used in this article and related permits and orders issued by the board, all words and terms not defined herein shall have the meaning given them in 9VAC5 Chapter 10 (9VAC5-10-10 et seq.), unless the context clearly indicates otherwise; otherwise, words and terms shall have the following meanings:

"Acid rain compliance option" means one of the methods of compliance used by an affected unit under the acid rain program as described in a compliance plan submitted and approved in accordance with 9VAC5-80-450 or 40 CFR Part 76.

"Acid rain compliance plan" means the document submitted for an affected source in accordance with 9VAC5-80-430 specifying the method or methods (including one or more acid rain compliance options under 9VAC5-80-450 or 40 CFR Part 76) by which each affected unit at the source will meet the applicable acid rain emissions limitation and acid rain emissions reduction requirements.

"Acid rain emissions limitation" means:

1. For the purposes of sulfur dioxide emissions:

a. The tonnage equivalent of the allowances authorized to be allocated to an affected unit for use in a calendar year under §§ 404(a)(1), (a)(3), and (h) of the federal Clean Air Act, or the basic Phase II allowance allocations authorized to be allocated to an affected unit for use in a calendar year, or the allowances authorized to be allocated to an opt-in source under § 410 of the federal Clean Air Act for use in a calendar year;

b. As adjusted:

(1) By allowances allocated by the administrator pursuant to §§ 403, 405(a)(2), (a)(3), (b)(2), (c)(4), (d)(3), and (h)(2), and 406 of the federal Clean Air Act;

(2) By allowances allocated by the administrator pursuant to Subpart D of 40 CFR Part 72; and thereafter

(3) By allowance transfers to or from the compliance subaccount for that unit that were recorded or properly submitted for recordation by the allowance transfer deadline as provided in 40 CFR 73.35, after deductions and other adjustments are made pursuant to 40 CFR 73.34(c); and

2. For purposes of nitrogen oxides emissions, the applicable limitation established by 40 CFR Part 76, as modified by an acid rain permit application submitted to the board, and an acid rain permit issued by the board, in accordance with 40 CFR Part 76.

"Acid rain emissions reduction requirement" means a requirement under the acid rain program to reduce the emissions of sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides from a unit to a specified level or by a specified percentage.

"Acid rain permit" or "permit" means the legally binding written document, or portion of such document, issued by the board (following an opportunity for appeal pursuant to 40 CFR Part 78 or the Administrative Process Act), including any permit revisions, specifying the acid rain program requirements applicable to an affected source, to each affected unit at an affected source, and to the owners and operators and the designated representative of the affected source or the affected unit.

"Acid rain program" means the national sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides air pollution control and emissions reduction program established in accordance with Title IV of the federal Clean Air Act, 40 CFR Parts 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, and 78, and this article.

"Acid rain program regulations" means regulations implementing Title IV of the federal Clean Air Act, including 40 CFR Parts 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, and 78, and this article.

"Actual sulfur dioxide emissions rate" means the annual average sulfur dioxide emissions rate for the unit (expressed in lb/mmBtu), for the specified calendar year; provided that, if the unit is listed in the NADB, the "1985 actual sulfur dioxide emissions rate" for the unit shall be the rate specified by the administrator in the NADB under the data field "SO2RTE."

"Administrative record" means the written documentation that supports the issuance or denial of the acid rain permit and that contains the following:

1. The permit application and any supporting or supplemental data submitted by the designated representative.

2. The draft permit.

3. The statement of basis.

4. Copies of any documents cited in the statement of basis and any other documents relied on by the board in issuing or denying the draft permit (including any records of discussions or conferences with owners, operators, or the designated representative of affected units at the source or interested persons regarding the draft permit), or, for any such documents that are readily available, a list of those documents and a statement of their location.

5. Copies of all written public comments submitted on the draft permit or denial of a draft permit.

6. The record of any public hearing on the draft permit or denial of a draft permit.

7. The acid rain permit.

8. Any response to public comments submitted on the draft permit or denial of a draft permit and copies of any documents cited in the response and any other documents relied on by the board to issue or deny the acid rain permit, or, for any such documents that are readily available, a list of those documents and a statement of their location.

"Affected source" means a source that includes one or more affected units.

"Affected states" means all states (i) whose air quality may be affected by the permitted source and that are contiguous to Virginia or (ii) that are within 50 miles of the permitted source.

"Affected unit" means a unit that is subject to any acid rain emissions reduction requirement or acid rain emissions limitation. Affected units are specifically designated in 9VAC5-80-380.

"Allocate" or "allocation" means the initial crediting of an allowance by the administrator to an allowance tracking system unit account or general account.

"Allowable emissions" means the emission rates of an affected source calculated by using the maximum rated capacity of the emissions units within the source (unless the source is subject to state or federally enforceable limits which restrict the operating rate or hours of operation of both) and the most stringent of the following:

1. Applicable emission standards.

2. The emission limitation specified as a state or federally enforceable permit condition, including those with a future compliance date.

3. Any other applicable emission limitation, including those with a future compliance date.

"Allowance" means an authorization by the administrator under the acid rain program to emit up to one ton of sulfur dioxide during or after a specified calendar year.

"Allowance deduction" or "deduct" (when referring to allowances) means the permanent withdrawal of allowances by the administrator from an allowance tracking system compliance subaccount, or future year subaccount, to account for the number of the tons of sulfur dioxide emissions from an affected unit for the calendar year, for tonnage emissions estimates calculated for periods of missing data as provided in 40 CFR Part 75, or for any other allowance surrender obligations of the acid rain program.

"Allowances held" or "hold allowances" means the allowances recorded by the administrator, or submitted to the administrator for recordation in accordance with 40 CFR 73.50, in an allowance tracking system account.

"Allowance tracking system" means the acid rain program system by which the administrator allocates, records, deducts, and tracks allowances.

"Allowance tracking system account" means an account in the allowance tracking system established by the administrator for purposes of allocating, holding, transferring, and using allowances.

"Allowance transfer deadline" means midnight of January 30 or, if January 30 is not a business day, midnight of the first business day thereafter and is the deadline by which allowances may be submitted for recordation in an affected unit's compliance subaccount for the purposes of meeting the unit's acid rain emissions limitation requirements for sulfur dioxide for the previous calendar year.

"Applicable federal requirement" means all of the following as they apply to emissions units in a source subject to this article (including requirements that have been promulgated or approved by the administrator through rulemaking at the time of permit issuance but have future effective compliance dates):

1. Any standard or other requirement provided for in the implementation plan, including any source-specific provisions such as consent agreements or orders.

2. Any term or condition of any preconstruction permit issued pursuant to the new source review program or of any operating permit issued pursuant to the state operating permit program, except for terms or conditions derived from applicable state requirements.

3. Any standard or other requirement prescribed under the Regulations for the Control and Abatement of Air Pollution, particularly the provisions of 9VAC5 Chapter 40 (9VAC5-40-10 et seq.), 9VAC5 Chapter 50 (9VAC5-50-10 et seq.), or 9VAC5 Chapter 60 (9VAC5-60-10 et seq.), adopted pursuant to requirements of the federal Clean Air Act or under § 111, 112 or 129 of the federal Clean Air Act.

4. Any requirement concerning accident prevention under § 112(r)(7) of the federal Clean Air Act.

5. Any standard or other requirement of the acid rain program under Title IV of the federal Clean Air Act or the acid rain program regulations.

6. Any compliance monitoring requirements established pursuant to either § 504(b) or § 114(a)(3) of the federal Clean Air Act or the Regulations for the Control and Abatement of Air Pollution.

7. Any standard or other requirement for consumer and commercial products under § 183(e) of the federal Clean Air Act.

8. Any standard or other requirement for tank vessels under § 183(f) of the federal Clean Air Act.

9. Any standard or other requirement in 40 CFR Part 55 to control air pollution from outer continental shelf sources.

10. Any standard or other requirement of the regulations promulgated to protect stratospheric ozone under Title VI of the federal Clean Air Act, unless the administrator has determined that such requirements need not be contained in a permit issued under this article.

"Applicable requirement" means any applicable federal requirement or any applicable state requirement included in a permit issued under this article as provided in 9VAC5-80-700.

"Applicable state requirement" means all of the following as they apply to emissions units in a source subject to this article (including requirements that have been promulgated or approved through rulemaking at the time of permit issuance but have future effective compliance dates):

1. Any standard or other requirement prescribed by any regulation of the board that is not included in the definition of applicable federal requirement.

2. Any regulatory provision or definition directly associated with or related to any of the state requirements listed in this definition.

"Authorized account representative" means a responsible natural person who is authorized, in accordance with 40 CFR Part 73, to transfer and otherwise dispose of allowances held in an allowance tracking system general account; or, in the case of a unit account, the designated representative of the owners and operators of the affected unit.

"Basic Phase II allowance allocations" means:

1. For calendar years 2000 through 2009 inclusive, allocations of allowances made by the administrator pursuant to § 403 (sulfur dioxide allowance program for existing and new units) and §§ 405(b)(1), (3), and (4); (c)(1), (2), (3), and (5); (d)(1), (2), (4), and (5); (e); (f); (g)(1), (2), (3), (4), and (5); (h)(1); (i); and (j) (Phase II sulfur dioxide requirements) of the federal Clean Air Act.

2. For each calendar year beginning in 2010, allocations of allowances made by the administrator pursuant to § 403 (sulfur dioxide allowance program for existing and new units) and §§ 405(b)(1), (3), and (4); (c)(1), (2), (3), and (5); (d)(1), (2), (4), and (5); (e); (f); (g)(1), (2), (3), (4), and (5); (h)(1) and (3); (i); and (j) (Phase II sulfur dioxide requirements) of the federal Clean Air Act.

"Boiler" means an enclosed fossil or other fuel-fired combustion device used to produce heat and to transfer heat to recirculating water, steam, or any other medium.

"Certificate of representation" means the completed and signed submission required by 40 CFR 72.20, for certifying the appointment of a designated representative for an affected source or a group of identified affected sources authorized to represent the owners and operators of such source or sources and of the affected units at such source or sources with regard to matters under the acid rain program.

"Certifying official" means:

1. For a corporation, a president, secretary, treasurer, or vice-president of the corporation in charge of a principal business function, or any other person who performs similar policy or decision-making functions for the corporation;

2. For partnership or sole proprietorship, a general partner or the proprietor, respectively; and

3. For a local government entity or state, federal, or other public agency, either a principal executive officer or ranking elected official.

"Coal" means all solid fuels classified as anthracite, bituminous, subbituminous, or lignite by the American Society for Testing and Materials publication, "Standard Classification of Coals by Rank" (see 9VAC5-20-21).

"Coal-derived fuel" means any fuel, whether in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state, produced by the mechanical, thermal, or chemical processing of coal (e.g., pulverized coal, coal refuse, liquified or gasified coal, washed coal, chemically cleaned coal, coal-oil mixtures, and coke).

"Coal-fired" means the combustion of fuel consisting of coal or any coal-derived fuel (except a coal-derived gaseous fuel with a sulfur content no greater than natural gas), alone or in combination with any other fuel, where:

1. For purposes of 40 CFR Part 75 (continuous emissions monitoring), a unit is "coal-fired" independent of the percentage of coal or coal-derived fuel consumed in any calendar year (expressed in mmBtu); and

2. For all other purposes under the acid rain program, except for purposes of applying 40 CFR Part 76, a unit is "coal-fired" if it uses coal or coal-derived fuel as its primary fuel (expressed in mmBtu); provided that, if the unit is listed in the NADB, the primary fuel is the fuel listed in the NADB under the data field "PRIMFUEL."

"Cogeneration unit" means a unit that has equipment used to produce electric energy and forms of useful thermal energy (such as heat or steam) for industrial, commercial, heating or cooling purposes, through the sequential use of energy.

"Commence commercial operation" means to have begun to generate electricity for sale, including the sale of test generation.

"Commence construction" means that an owner or operator has either undertaken a continuous program of construction or has entered into a contractual obligation to undertake and complete, within a reasonable time, a continuous program of construction.

"Commence operation" means to have begun any mechanical, chemical, or electronic process, including start-up of an emissions control technology or emissions monitor or of a unit's combustion chamber.

"Common stack" means the exhaust of emissions from two or more units through a single flue.

"Complete application" means an application that contains all the information required pursuant to 9VAC5-80-430 and 9VAC5-80-440 sufficient to determine all applicable requirements and to evaluate the source and its application. Designating an application complete does not preclude the board from requesting or accepting additional information.

"Compliance certification" means a submission to the administrator or board, as appropriate, that is required by the acid rain program regulations to report an affected source or an affected unit's compliance or noncompliance with a provision of the acid rain program and that is signed and verified by the designated representative in accordance with Subparts B and I of 40 CFR Part 72, 9VAC5-80-470 and 9VAC5-80-490 P, and the acid rain program regulations.

"Compliance plan" means the document submitted for an affected source in accordance with 9VAC5-80-430 specifying the method or methods by which each emissions unit at the source will meet applicable requirements.

"Compliance subaccount" means the subaccount in an affected unit's allowance tracking system account, established pursuant to 40 CFR 73.31(a) or (b), in which are held, from the date that allowances for the current calendar year are recorded under 40 CFR 73.34(a) until December 31, allowances available for use by the unit in the current calendar year and, after December 31 until the date that deductions are made under 40 CFR 73.35(b), allowances available for use by the unit in the preceding calendar year, for the purpose of meeting the unit's acid rain emissions limitation for sulfur dioxide.

"Compliance use date" means the first calendar year for which an allowance may be used for purposes of meeting a unit's acid rain emissions limitation for sulfur dioxide.

"Construction" means fabrication, erection, or installation of a unit or any portion of a unit.

"Customer" means a purchaser of electricity not for the purpose of retransmission or resale. For generating rural electrical cooperatives, the customers of the distribution cooperatives served by the generating cooperative will be considered customers of the generating cooperative.

"Designated representative" means a responsible natural person authorized by the owners and operators of an affected source and of all affected units at the source or by the owners and operators of a combustion source or process source, as evidenced by a certificate of representation submitted in accordance with Subpart B of 40 CFR Part 72, to represent and legally bind each owner and operator, as a matter of federal law, in matters pertaining to the acid rain program. Whenever the term "responsible official" is used in this article, it shall be deemed to refer to the "designated representative" with regard to all matters under the acid rain program.

"Diesel fuel" means a low sulfur fuel oil of grades 1-D or 2-D, as defined in the American Society for Testing and Materials publication, "Standard Specification for Diesel Fuel Oils" (see 9VAC5-20-21), grades 1-GT or 2-GT, as defined by ASTM D2990-90a, "Standard Specification for Gas Turbine Fuel Oils," or grades 1 or 2, as defined by ASTM D396-90, "Standard Specifications for Fuel Oils" (incorporated by reference in 40 CFR 72.13).

"Direct public utility ownership" means direct ownership of equipment and facilities by one or more corporations, the principal business of which is sale of electricity to the public at retail. Percentage ownership of such equipment and facilities shall be measured on the basis of book value.

"Draft permit" or "draft acid rain permit" means the version of a permit, or the acid rain portion of a federal operating permit, for which the board offers public participation under 9VAC5-80-670 or affected state review under 9VAC5-80-690.

"Emissions" means air pollutants exhausted from a unit or source into the atmosphere, as measured, recorded, and reported to the administrator by the designated representative and as determined by the administrator, in accordance with the emissions monitoring requirements of 40 CFR Part 75.

"Emissions allowable under the permit" means a federally and state enforceable or state-only enforceable permit term or condition determined at issuance to be required by an applicable requirement that establishes an emissions limit (including a work practice standard) or a federally and state enforceable emissions cap that the source has assumed to avoid an applicable requirement to which the source would otherwise be subject.

"Emissions unit" means any part or activity of an affected source that emits or has the potential to emit any regulated air pollutant. This term is not meant to alter or affect the definition of the term "unit" in this article or 40 CFR Part 72.

"EPA" means the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

"Excess emissions" means:

1. Any tonnage of sulfur dioxide emitted by an affected unit during a calendar year that exceeds the acid rain emissions limitation for sulfur dioxide for the unit; and

2. Any tonnage of nitrogen oxide emitted by an affected unit during a calendar year that exceeds the annual tonnage equivalent of the acid rain emissions limitation for nitrogen oxides applicable to the affected unit taking into account the unit's heat input for the year.

"Existing unit" means a unit (including a unit subject to § 111 of the federal Clean Air Act) that commenced commercial operation before November 15, 1990, and that on or after November 15, 1990, served a generator with a nameplate capacity of greater than 25 MWe. "Existing unit" does not include simple combustion turbines or any unit that on or after November 15, 1990, served only generators with a nameplate capacity of 25 MWe or less. Any "existing unit" that is modified, reconstructed, or repowered after November 15, 1990, shall continue to be an "existing unit."

"Facility" means any institutional, commercial, or industrial structure, installation, plant, source, or building.

"Federal operating permit" means a permit issued under this article, Article 1 (9VAC5-80-50 et seq.) of this part, 40 CFR Part 72, or any other regulation implementing Title V of the federal Clean Air Act.

"Federal Power Act" means 16 USC § 791a et seq.

"Federally enforceable" means all limitations and conditions that are enforceable by the administrator and citizens under the federal Clean Air Act or that are enforceable under other statutes administered by the administrator. Federally enforceable limitations and conditions include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Emission standards, alternative emission standards, alternative emission limitations, and equivalent emission limitations established pursuant to § 112 of the federal Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990.

2. New source performance standards established pursuant to § 111 of the federal Clean Air Act, and emission standards established pursuant to § 112 of the federal Clean Air Act before it was amended in 1990.

3. All terms and conditions in a federal operating permit, including any provisions that limit a source's potential to emit unless expressly designated as not federally enforceable.

4. Limitations and conditions that are part of an approved implementation plan.

5. Limitations and conditions that are part of a federal construction permit issued under 40 CFR 52.21 or a new source review program permit issued under regulations approved by the EPA into the implementation plan.

6. Limitations and conditions that are part of a state operating permit issued under regulations approved by the EPA into the implementation plan as meeting the EPA's minimum criteria for federal enforceability, including adequate notice and opportunity for EPA and public comment prior to issuance of the final permit and practicable enforceability.

7. Limitations and conditions in a Virginia regulation or program that has been approved by the EPA under subpart E of 40 CFR Part 63 for the purposes of implementing and enforcing § 112 of the federal Clean Air Act.

8. Individual consent agreements that the EPA has legal authority to create.

"Final permit" means the version of a permit issued by the board under this article that has completed all review procedures required by 9VAC5-80-670 and 9VAC5-80-690.

"Fossil fuel" means natural gas, petroleum, coal, or any form of solid, liquid, or gaseous fuel derived from such material.

"Fossil fuel-fired" means the combustion of fossil fuel or any derivative of fossil fuel, alone or in combination with any other fuel, independent of the percentage of fossil fuel consumed in any calendar year (expressed in mmBtu).

"Fuel oil" means any petroleum-based fuel (including diesel fuel or petroleum derivatives such as oil tar) as defined in the American Society for Testing and Materials publication, "Standard Specification for Fuel Oils" (see 9VAC5-20-21), and any recycled or blended petroleum products or petroleum by-products used as a fuel whether in a liquid, solid or gaseous state; provided that for purposes of monitoring requirements, "fuel oil" shall be limited to the petroleum-based fuels for which applicable ASTM methods are specified in Appendices D, E, or F of 40 CFR Part 75.

"Fugitive emissions" are those emissions which cannot reasonably pass through a stack, chimney, vent, or other functionally equivalent opening.

"Gas-fired" means:

1. The combustion of:

a. Natural gas or other gaseous fuel (including coal-derived gaseous fuel), for at least 90% of the unit's average annual heat input during the previous three calendar years and for at least 85% of the annual heat input in each of those calendar years; and

b. Any fuel other than coal or coal-derived fuel (other than coal-derived gaseous fuel) for the remaining heat input, if any; provided that for purposes of 40 CFR Part 75, any fuel used other than natural gas shall be limited to:

(1) Gaseous fuels containing no more sulfur than natural gas; or

(2) Fuel oil.

2. For purposes of 40 CFR Part 75, a unit may initially qualify as gas-fired under the following circumstances:

a. If the designated representative provides fuel usage data for the unit for the three calendar years immediately prior to submission of the monitoring plan, and if the unit's fuel usage is projected to change on or before January 1, 1995, the designated representative submits a demonstration satisfactory to the administrator that the unit will qualify as gas-fired under the first sentence of this definition using the years 1995 through 1997 as the three-calendar-year period; or

b. If a unit does not have fuel usage data for one or more of the three calendar years immediately prior to submission of the monitoring plan, the designated representative submits:

(1) The unit's designated fuel usage;

(2) Any fuel usage data, beginning with the unit's first calendar year of commercial operation following 1992;

(3) The unit's projected fuel usage for any remaining future period needed to provide fuel usage data for three consecutive calendar years; and

(4) Demonstration satisfactory to the administrator that the unit will qualify as gas-fired under the first sentence of this definition using those three consecutive calendar years as the three-calendar-year period.

"General account" means an allowance tracking system account that is not a unit account.

"Generator" means a device that produces electricity and was or would have been required to be reported as a generating unit pursuant to the United States Department of Energy Form 860 (1990 edition).

"Generator output capacity" means the full-load continuous rating of a generator under specific conditions as designed by the manufacturer.

"Hazardous air pollutant" means any air pollutant listed in § 112(b) of the federal Clean Air Act, as amended by 40 CFR 63.60.

"Heat input" means the product (expressed in mmBtu/time) of the gross calorific value of the fuel (expressed in Btu/lb) and the fuel feed rate into the combustion device (expressed in mass of fuel/time) and does not include the heat derived from preheated combustion air, recirculated flue gases, or exhaust from other sources.

"Implementation plan" means the portion or portions of the state implementation plan, or the most recent revision thereof, which has been approved in Subpart VV of 40 CFR Part 52 by the administrator under § 110 of the federal Clean Air Act, or promulgated under § 110(c) of the federal Clean Air Act, or promulgated or approved pursuant to regulations promulgated under § 301(d) of the federal Clean Air Act and which implements the relevant requirements of the federal Clean Air Act.

"Independent power production facility" means a source that:

1. Is nonrecourse project-financed, as defined by the Secretary of Energy at 10 CFR Part 715;

2. Is used for the generation of electricity, 80% or more of which is sold at wholesale; and

3. Is a new unit required to hold allowances under Title IV of the federal Clean Air Act; but only if direct public utility ownership of the equipment comprising the facility does not exceed 50%.

"Insignificant activity" means any emissions unit listed in 9VAC5-80-720 A, any emissions unit that meets the emissions criteria described in 9VAC5-80-720 B, or any emissions unit that meets the size or production rate criteria in 9VAC5-80-720 C. An emissions unit is not an insignificant activity if it has any applicable requirements unless those requirements apply identically to all emissions units at the facility.

"Life-of-the-unit, firm power contractual arrangement" means a unit participation power sales agreement under which a utility or industrial customer reserves, or is entitled to receive, a specified amount or percentage of nameplate capacity and associated energy generated by any specified generating unit and pays its proportional amount of such unit's total costs, pursuant to a contract:

1. For the life of the unit;

2. For a cumulative term of no less than 30 years, including contracts that permit an election for early termination; or

3. For a period equal to or greater than 25 years or 70% of the economic useful life of the unit determined as of the time the unit was built, with option rights to purchase or release some portion of the nameplate capacity and associated energy generated by the unit at the end of the period.

"Malfunction" means any sudden and unavoidable failure of air pollution control equipment or process equipment or of a process to operate in a normal or usual manner that (i) arises from sudden and reasonably unforeseeable events beyond the control of the source, including acts of God, (ii) causes an exceedance of a technology-based emission limitation under the permit due to unavoidable increases in emissions attributable to the failure and (iii) requires immediate corrective action to restore normal operation. Failures that are caused entirely or in part by improperly designed equipment, poor maintenance, careless or improper operation, operator error, or any other preventable upset condition or preventable equipment breakdown shall not be considered malfunctions.

"Nameplate capacity" means the maximum electrical generating output (expressed in MWe) that a generator can sustain over a specified period of time when not restricted by seasonal or other deratings, as listed in the NADB under the data field "NAMECAP" if the generator is listed in the NADB or as measured in accordance with the United States Department of Energy standards if the generator is not listed in the NADB.

"National allowance data base" or "NADB" means the data base established by the administrator under § 402(4)(C) of the federal Clean Air Act.

"Natural gas" means a naturally occurring fluid mixture of hydrocarbons (e.g., methane, ethane, or propane) containing one grain or less hydrogen sulfide per 100 standard cubic feet, and 20 grains or less total sulfur per 100 standard cubic feet, produced in geological formations beneath the earth's surface, and maintaining a gaseous state at standard atmospheric temperature and pressure under ordinary conditions.

"New source review program" means a program for the preconstruction review and permitting of new stationary sources or expansions to existing ones in accordance with 9VAC5-80-10, or Article 7 (9VAC5-80-1400 et seq.), Article 8 (9VAC5-80-1700 et seq.) or Article 9 (9VAC5-80-2000 et seq.) of this part promulgated to implement the requirements of §§ 110(a)(2)(C), 165 (relating to permits in prevention of significant deterioration areas), 173 (relating to permits in nonattainment areas), and 112 (relating to permits for hazardous air pollutants) of the federal Clean Air Act.

"New unit" means a unit that commences commercial operation on or after November 15, 1990, including any such unit that serves a generator with a nameplate capacity of 25 MWe or less or that is a simple combustion turbine.

"Nonrecourse project-financed" means when being financed by any debt, such debt is secured by the assets financed and the revenues received by the facility being financed including, but not limited to, part or all of the revenues received under one or more agreements for the sale of the electric output from the facility, and which neither an electric utility with a retail service territory, nor a public utility as defined by § 201(e) of the Federal Power Act, as amended, 16 USC § 824(e), if any of its facilities are financed with general credit, is obligated to repay in whole or in part. A commitment to contribute equity or the contribution of equity to a facility by an electric utility shall not be considered an obligation of such utility to repay the debt of a facility. The existence of limited guarantees, commitments to pay for cost overruns, indemnity provisions, or other similar undertakings or assurances by the facility's owners or other project participants shall not disqualify a facility from being "nonrecourse project-financed" as long as, at the time of the financing for the facility, the borrower is obligated to make repayment of the term debt from revenues generated by the facility, rather than from other sources of funds. Projects that are 100% equity financed are also considered "nonrecourse project-financed" for purposes of § 416(a)(2)(B) of the federal Clean Air Act.

"Offset plan" means a plan pursuant to 40 CFR Part 77 for offsetting excess emissions of sulfur dioxide that have occurred at an affected unit in any calendar year.

"Oil-fired" means:

1. The combustion of fuel oil for more than 10% of the average annual heat input during the previous three calendar years or for more than 15% of the annual heat input in any one of those calendar years; and any solid, liquid, or gaseous fuel (including coal-derived gaseous fuel), other than coal or any other coal-derived fuel, for the remaining heat input, if any; provided that for purposes of 40 CFR Part 75, any fuel used other than fuel oil shall be limited to gaseous fuels containing no more sulfur than natural gas.

2. For purposes of 40 CFR Part 75, a unit that does not have fuel usage data for one or more of the three calendar years immediately prior to submission of the monitoring plan may initially qualify as oil-fired if the designated representative submits:

a. The unit design fuel usage;

b. The unit's designed fuel usage;

c. Any fuel usage data, beginning with the unit's first calendar year of commercial operation following 1992;

d. The unit's projected fuel usage for any remaining future period needed to provide fuel usage data for three consecutive calendar years; and

e. A demonstration satisfactory to the administrator that the unit will qualify as oil-fired under the first sentence of this definition using those three consecutive calendar years as the three-calendar-year period.

"Owner," with respect to affected units, combustion sources, or process sources, means any of the following persons:

1. Any holder of any portion of the legal or equitable title in an affected unit, a combustion source, or a process source;

2. Any holder of a leasehold interest in an affected unit, a combustion source, or a process source;

3. Any purchaser of power from an affected unit, a combustion source, or a process source under a life-of-the-unit, firm power contractual arrangement. However, unless expressly provided for in a leasehold agreement, owner shall not include a passive lessor, or a person who has an equitable interest through such lessor, whose rental payments are not based, either directly or indirectly, upon the revenues or income from the affected unit; or

4. With respect to any allowance tracking system general account, any person identified in the submission required by 40 CFR 73.31(c) that is subject to the binding agreement for the authorized account representative to represent that person's ownership interest with respect to allowances.

"Owner or operator" means any person who is an owner or who operates, controls, or supervises an affected unit, affected source, combustion source, or process source, and shall include, but not be limited to, any holding company, utility system, or plant manager of an affected unit, affected source, combustion source, or process source.

"Permit" (unless the context suggests otherwise) means any permit or group of permits covering a source subject to this article that is issued, renewed, amended, or revised pursuant to this article.

"Permit modification" means a revision to a permit issued under this article that meets the requirements of 9VAC5-80-570 on minor permit modifications, 9VAC5-80-580 on group processing of minor permit modifications, or 9VAC5-80-590 on significant modifications.

"Permit revision" means any permit modification that meets the requirements of 9VAC5-80-570, 9VAC5-80-580, or 9VAC5-80-590 or any administrative permit amendment that meets the requirements of 9VAC5-80-560.

"Permit revision for affected units" means a permit modification, fast track modification, administrative permit amendment for affected units, or automatic permit amendment, as provided in 9VAC5-80-600 through 9VAC5-80-630.

"Phase II" means the acid rain program period beginning January 1, 2000, and continuing into the future thereafter.

"Potential electrical output capacity" means the MWe capacity rating for the units which shall be equal to 33% of the maximum design heat input capacity of the steam generating unit, as calculated according to Appendix D of 40 CFR Part 72.

"Potential to emit" means the maximum capacity of an affected source to emit any air pollutant under its physical and operational design. Any physical or operational limitation on the capacity of a source to emit an air pollutant, including air pollution control equipment and restrictions on hours of operation or on the type or amount of material combusted, stored, or processed, shall be treated as part of its design if the limitation is state and federally enforceable.

"Power distribution system" means the portion of an electricity grid owned or operated by a utility that is dedicated to delivering electric energy to customers.

"Power purchase commitment" means a commitment or obligation of a utility to purchase electric power from a facility pursuant to:

1. A power sales agreement;

2. A state regulatory authority order requiring a utility to (i) enter into a power sales agreement with the facility; (ii) purchase from the facility; or (iii) enter into arbitration concerning the facility for the purpose of establishing terms and conditions of the utility's purchase of power;

3. A letter of intent or similar instrument committing to purchase power (actual electrical output or generator output capacity) from the source at a previously offered or lower price and a power sales agreement applicable to the source executed within the time frame established by the terms of the letter of intent but no later than November 15, 1993, or, where the letter of intent does not specify a time frame, a power sales agreement applicable to the source executed on or before November 15, 1993; or

4. A utility competitive bid solicitation that has resulted in the selection of the qualifying facility or independent power production facility as the winning bidder.

"Power sales agreement" means a legally binding agreement between a qualifying facility, independent power production facility or firm associated with such facility and a regulated electric utility that establishes the terms and conditions for the sale of power from the facility to the utility.

"Primary fuel" or "primary fuel supply" means the main fuel type (expressed in mmBtu) consumed by an affected unit for the applicable calendar year.

"Proposed permit" means the version of a permit that the board proposes to issue and forwards to the administrator for review in compliance with 9VAC5-80-690.

"Qualifying facility" means a "qualifying small power production facility" within the meaning of § 3(17)(C) of the Federal Power Act or a "qualifying cogeneration facility" within the meaning of § 3(18)(B) of the Federal Power Act.

"Qualifying power purchase commitment" means a power purchase commitment in effect as of November 15, 1990, without regard to changes to that commitment so long as:

1. The identity of the electric output purchaser, or the identity of the steam purchaser and the location of the facility remain unchanged as of the date the facility commences commercial operation; and

2. The terms and conditions of the power purchase commitment are not changed in such a way as to allow the costs of compliance with the acid rain program to be shifted to the purchaser.

"Qualifying repowering technology" means:

1. Replacement of an existing coal-fired boiler with one of the following clean coal technologies: atmospheric or pressurized fluidized bed combustion, integrated gasification combined cycle, magnetohydrodynamics, direct and indirect coal-fired turbines, integrated gasification fuel cells, or as determined by the administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, a derivative of one or more of these technologies, and any other technology capable of controlling multiple combustion emissions simultaneously with improved boiler or generation efficiency and with significantly greater waste reduction relative to the performance of technology in widespread commercial use as of November 15, 1990; or

2. Any oil- or gas-fired unit that has been awarded clean coal technology demonstration funding as of January 1, 1991, by the Department of Energy.

"Receive" or "receipt of" means the date the administrator or the board comes into possession of information or correspondence (whether sent in writing or by authorized electronic transmission), as indicated in an official correspondence log, or by a notation made on the information or correspondence, by the administrator or the board in the regular course of business.

"Recordation," "record," or "recorded" means, with regard to allowances, the transfer of allowances by the administrator from one allowance tracking system account or subaccount to another.

"Regulated air pollutant" means any of the following:

1. Nitrogen oxides or any volatile organic compound.

2. Any pollutant for which an ambient air quality standard has been promulgated.

3. Any pollutant subject to any standard promulgated under § 111 of the federal Clean Air Act.

4. Any Class I or II substance subject to a standard promulgated under or established by Title VI of the federal Clean Air Act concerning stratospheric ozone protection.

5. Any pollutant subject to a standard promulgated under or other requirements established under § 112 of the federal Clean Air Act concerning hazardous air pollutants and any pollutant regulated under Subpart C of 40 CFR Part 68.

6. Any pollutant subject to an applicable state requirement included in a permit issued under this article as provided in 9VAC5-80-300.

"Renewal" means the process by which a permit is reissued at the end of its term.

"Responsible official" means one of the following:

1. For a business entity, such as a corporation, association or cooperative:

a. The president, secretary, treasurer, or vice-president of the business entity in charge of a principal business function, or any other person who performs similar policy- or decision-making functions for the business entity; or

b. A duly authorized representative of such business entity if the representative is responsible for the overall operation of one or more manufacturing, production, or operating facilities applying for or subject to a permit and either:

(1) The facilities employ more than 250 persons or have gross annual sales or expenditures exceeding $25 million (in second quarter 1980 dollars); or

(2) The authority to sign documents has been assigned or delegated to such representative in accordance with procedures of the business entity and the delegation of authority is approved in advance by the board;

2. For a partnership or sole proprietorship: a general partner or the proprietor, respectively;

3. For a municipality, state, federal, or other public agency: either a principal executive officer or ranking elected official. A principal executive officer of a federal agency includes the chief executive officer having responsibility for the overall operations of a principal geographic unit of the agency (e.g., a regional administrator of EPA); or

4. For affected sources:

a. The designated representative insofar as actions, standards, requirements, or prohibitions under Title IV of the federal Clean Air Act or the regulations promulgated thereunder are concerned; and

b. The designated representative or any other person specified in this definition for any other purposes under this article or 40 CFR Part 70.

"Schedule of compliance" means an enforceable sequence of actions, measures, or operations designed to achieve or maintain compliance, or correct noncompliance, with an applicable requirement of the acid rain program, including any applicable acid rain permit requirement.

"Secretary of Energy" means the Secretary of the United States Department of Energy or the secretary's duly authorized representative.

"Simple combustion turbine" means a unit that is a rotary engine driven by a gas under pressure that is created by the combustion of any fuel. This term includes combined cycle units without auxiliary firing. This term excludes combined cycle units with auxiliary firing, unless the unit did not use the auxiliary firing from 1985 through 1987 and does not use auxiliary firing at any time after November 15, 1990.

"Solid waste incinerator" means a source as defined in § 129(g)(1) of the federal Clean Air Act.

"Source" means any governmental, institutional, commercial, or industrial structure, installation, plant, building, or facility that emits or has the potential to emit any regulated air pollutant under the federal Clean Air Act. For purposes of § 502(c) of the federal Clean Air Act, a source, including a source with multiple units, shall be considered a single facility.

"Stack" means a structure that includes one or more flues and the housing for the flues.

"State enforceable" means all limitations and conditions which are enforceable by the board, including those requirements developed pursuant to 9VAC5-170-160, requirements within any applicable order or variance, and any permit requirements established pursuant to this chapter.

"State operating permit program" means a program for issuing limitations and conditions for stationary sources in accordance with Article 5 (9VAC5-80-800 et seq.) of this part, promulgated to meet EPA's minimum criteria for federal enforceability, including adequate notice and opportunity for EPA and public comment prior to issuance of the final permit and practicable enforceability.

"Submit" or "serve" means to send or transmit a document, information, or correspondence to the person specified in accordance with the applicable regulation:

1. In person;

2. By United States Postal Service; or

3. By other equivalent means of dispatch or transmission and delivery. Compliance with any "submission," "service," or "mailing" deadline shall be determined by the date of dispatch, transmission, or mailing and not the date of receipt.

"Title I modification" means any modification under Parts C and D of Title I or §§ 111(a)(4), 112(a)(5), or § 112(g) of the federal Clean Air Act; under regulations promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency thereunder or in 40 CFR 61.07; or under regulations approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to meet such requirements.

"Ton" or "tonnage" means any "short ton" (i.e., 2,000 pounds). For the purpose of determining compliance with the acid rain emissions limitations and reduction requirements, total tons for a year shall be calculated as the sum of all recorded hourly emissions (or the tonnage equivalent of the recorded hourly emissions rates) in accordance with 40 CFR Part 75, with any remaining fraction of a ton equal to or greater than 0.50 ton deemed to equal one ton and any fraction of a ton less than 0.50 ton deemed not to equal any ton.

"Total planned net output capacity" means the planned generator output capacity, excluding that portion of the electrical power which is designed to be used at the power production facility, as specified under one or more qualifying power purchase commitments or contemporaneous documents as of November 15, 1990.

"Total installed net output capacity" shall be the generator output capacity, excluding that portion of the electrical power actually used at the power production facility, as installed.

"Unit" means a fossil fuel-fired combustion device.

"Unit account" means an allowance tracking system account, established by the administrator for an affected unit pursuant to 40 CFR 73.31 (a) or (b).

"Utility" means any person that sells electricity.

"Utility competitive bid solicitation" means a public request from a regulated utility for offers to the utility for meeting future generating needs. A qualifying facility, independent power production facility, or new independent power production facility may be regarded as having been "selected" in such solicitation if the utility has named the facility as a project with which the utility intends to negotiate a power sales agreement.

"Utility regulatory authority" means an authority, board, commission, or other entity (limited to the local, state, or federal level, whenever so specified) responsible for overseeing the business operations of utilities located within its jurisdiction, including, but not limited to, utility rates and charges to customers.

"Utility unit" means a unit owned or operated by a utility:

1. That serves a generator in any state that produces electricity for sale; or

2. That during 1985, served a generator in any state that produced electricity for sale.

Notwithstanding subdivisions 1 and 2 of this definition, a unit that was in operation during 1985, but did not serve a generator that produced electricity for sale during 1985, and did not commence commercial operation on or after November 15, 1990, is not a utility unit for purposes of the acid rain program.

Notwithstanding subdivisions 1 and 2 of this definition, a unit that cogenerates steam and electricity is not a utility unit for purposes of the acid rain program, unless the unit is constructed for the purpose of supplying, or commences construction after November 15, 1990, and supplies, more than one-third of its potential electrical output capacity and more than 25 MWe output to any power distribution system for sale.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 12, Issue 25, eff. October 15, 1996; amended, Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 02, eff. January 1, 1998; Volume 17, Issue 04, eff. January 1, 2001; Volume 18, Issue 07, eff. February 1, 2002.

Statutory Authority

§ 10.1-1308 of the Code of Virginia.