Section 1695. Exemptions  


Latest version.
  • A. The requirements of this article shall not apply to a particular major stationary source or major modification if:

    1. The source or modification would be a major stationary source or major modification only if fugitive emissions, to the extent quantifiable, are considered in calculating the potential to emit of the stationary source or modification and the source does not belong to any of the following categories:

    a. Coal cleaning plants (with thermal dryers).

    b. Kraft pulp mills.

    c. Portland cement plants.

    d. Primary zinc smelters.

    e. Iron and steel mills.

    f. Primary aluminum ore reduction plants.

    g. Primary copper smelters.

    h. Municipal incinerators capable of charging more than 250 tons of refuse per day.

    i. Hydrofluoric acid plants.

    j. Sulfuric acid plants.

    k. Nitric acid plants.

    l. Petroleum refineries.

    m. Lime plants.

    n. Phosphate rock processing plants.

    o. Coke oven batteries.

    p. Sulfur recovery plants.

    q. Carbon black plants (furnace process).

    r. Primary lead smelters.

    s. Fuel conversion plants.

    t. Sintering plants.

    u. Secondary metal production plants.

    v. Chemical process plants (which shall not include ethanol production facilities that produce ethanol by natural fermentation included in NAICS codes 325193 or 312140).

    w. Fossil-fuel boilers (or combination of them) totaling more than 250 million British thermal units per hour heat input.

    x. Petroleum storage and transfer units with a total storage capacity exceeding 300,000 barrels.

    y. Taconite ore processing plants.

    z. Glass fiber processing plants.

    aa. Charcoal production plants.

    bb. Fossil fuel-fired steam electric plants of more than 250 million British thermal units per hour heat input.

    cc. Any other stationary source category which, as of August 7, 1980, is being regulated under 40 CFR Part 60 or 61; or

    2. The source or modification is a portable stationary source that has previously received a permit under this article, and

    a. The owner proposes to relocate the source and emissions of the source at the new location would be temporary;

    b. The emissions from the source would not exceed its allowable emissions;

    c. The emissions from the source would affect no class I area and no area where an applicable increment is known to be violated; and

    d. Reasonable notice is given to the board prior to the relocation identifying the proposed new location and the probable duration of operation at the new location. Such notice shall be given to the board not less than 10 days in advance of the proposed relocation unless a different time duration is previously approved by the board.

    B. The requirements of this article shall not apply to a major stationary source or major modification with respect to a particular pollutant if the owner demonstrates that, as to that pollutant, the source or modification is located in an area designated as nonattainment in 9VAC5-20-204.

    C. The requirements of 9VAC5-80-1715, 9VAC5-80-1735, and 9VAC5-80-1755 shall not apply to a major stationary source or major modification with respect to a particular pollutant, if the allowable emissions of that pollutant from the source, or the net emissions increase of that pollutant from the modification:

    1. Would affect no class I area and no area where an applicable increment is known to be violated; and

    2. Would be temporary.

    D. The requirements of 9VAC5-80-1715, 9VAC5-80-1735, and 9VAC5-80-1755 as they relate to any maximum allowable increase for a class II area shall not apply to a major modification at a stationary source that was in existence on March 1, 1978, if the net increase in allowable emissions of each regulated NSR pollutant from the modification after the application of best available control technology would be less than 50 tons per year.

    E. The board may exempt a proposed major stationary source or major modification from the requirements of 9VAC5-80-1735 with respect to monitoring for a particular pollutant if:

    1. The emissions increase of the pollutant from the new source or the net emissions increase of the pollutant from the modification would cause, in any area, air quality impacts less than the following amounts:

    Carbon monoxide -- 575 μg/m3, 8-hour average

    Nitrogen dioxide -- 14 μg/m3, annual average

    PM2.5 -- 0 µg/m3, 24-hour average*

    PM10 -- 10 µg/m3, 24-hour average

    Sulfur dioxide -- 13 μg/m3, 24-hour average

    Ozone**

    Lead -- 0.1 μg/m3, 3-month average

    Fluorides -- 0.25 μg/m3, 24-hour average

    Total reduced sulfur -- 10 μg/m3, 1-hour average

    Hydrogen sulfide -- 0.2 μg/m3, 1-hour average

    Reduced sulfur compounds -- 10 μg/m3, 1-hour average; or

    *No exemption is available with regard to PM2.5.

    **No de minimis air quality level is provided for ozone. However, any net increase of 100 tons per year or more of volatile organic compounds or NOX subject to this article would be required to perform an ambient impact analysis including the gathering of ambient air quality data.

    2. The concentrations of the pollutant in the area that the source or modification would affect are less than the concentrations listed in subdivision 1 of this subsection, or the pollutant is not listed in subdivision 1 of this subsection.

    F. The requirements of this article shall not apply to a particular major stationary source with respect to the use of an alternative fuel or raw material if the following conditions are met:

    1. The owner demonstrates to the board that, as a result of trial burns at the owner's facility or other facilities or other sufficient data, the emissions resulting from the use of the alternative fuel or raw material supply are decreased. No demonstration will be required for the use of processed animal fat, processed fish oil, processed vegetable oil, distillate oil, or any mixture thereof in place of the same quantity of residual oil to fire industrial boilers.

    2. The use of an alternative fuel or raw material would not be subject to review under this article as a major modification.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 22, Issue 23, eff. September 1, 2006; amended, Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 06, eff. December 31, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 20, eff. July 23, 2009; Volume 27, Issue 11, eff. March 2, 2011; Volume 27, Issue 23, eff. August 17, 2011; Volume 30, Issue 18, eff. June 4, 2014.

Statutory Authority

§ 10.1-1308 of the Code of Virginia; Clean Air Act (§§ 110, 112, 165, 173, and 182 and Title V); 40 CFR Parts 51, 61, 63, 70, and 72.