DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Chapter 340

Proposed Rulemaking

STATEMENT OF NEED AND FISCAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT

 

This form accompanies a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

 

Title of Proposed Rulemaking

 

Adoption of Federal Air Quality Regulations

 

Adopt OARs:

340-228-0601, Applicability

340-228-0609, General Requirements

340-228-0611, Additional Requirements to Provide Heat Input Data

340-228-0613, Monitoring of Hg Mass Emissions and Heat Input at the Unit Level

340-228-0615, Monitoring of Hg Mass Emissions and Heat Input at Common and Multiple Stacks

340-228-0617, Special Provisions for Measuring Hg Mass Emissions using the Sorbent Trap Monitoring Methodology

340-228-0619, Procedures for Hg Mass Emissions

340-228-0621, Initial Certification and Recertification Procedures

340-228-0623, Quality Assurance and Quality Control Requirements

340-228-0625, Specifications and Test Procedures for Total Vapor Phase Mercury CEMS

340-228-0627, Quality Assurance and Operating Procedures for Sorbent Trap Monitoring Systems

340-228-0629, Out of Control Periods and Adjustment for System Bias

340-228-0631, Standard Missing Data Procedures for Hg CEMS

340-228-0633, Missing Data Procedures for Sorbent Trap Monitoring Systems

340-228-0635, Recordkeeping

340-228-0637, Reporting

340-228 Table 1, Missing Data Procedures for Hg CEMS

340-228 Table 2, Quality Assurance/Quality Control Criteria for Sorbent Trap Monitoring Systems

340-230-0335, Standards for Municipal Waste Combustor Fugitive Ash Emissions

340-230-0359, Compliance Schedule

340-244-0232 – 0252, Emission Standards for Gasoline Dispensing Facilities

340-244-0242 Table 4, Management Practices for Gasoline Dispensing Facilities Subject to Stage I Vapor Controls

340-244-0242 Table 4, Management Practices for Gasoline Cargo Tanks Unloading at Gasoline Dispensing Facilities Equipped with Stage I Vapor Controls

 

Amend OARs:

340-200-0040, State of Oregon Clean Air Act Implementation Plan

340-216-0060, General Air Contaminant Discharge Permits

340-216-0020 Table 1

340-216-0020 Table 2

340-228-0600, Purpose

340-228-0602, Definitions

340-228-0603, Measurements, Abbreviations, and Acronyms

340-228-0606, Hg Emission Standards

340-230-0300 – 0330, Municipal Waste Combustors

340-230-0340 – 0350, Municipal Waste Combustors

340-238-0040 – Definitions

340-238-0060 – Federal Regulations Adopted by Reference

340-238-0090, Delegation

340-242-0520, General Provisions

340-244-0020 – 0030, General Provisions for Stationary Sources

340-244-0100, Compliance Extensions for Early Reductions

340-244-0210 – 0220, Emissions Standards

 

Delete OARs:

340-228-0604, Applicability

340-228-0605, Retired Unit Exemption

340-228-0608, Computation of Time

340-228-0610, Appeal Procedures

340-228-0612, Authorization and Responsibilities of Hg Designated Representative

340-228-0614, Alternative Hg Designated Representative

340-228-0616, Changing Hg Designated Representative and Alternative Hg Designated Representatives; Changes in Owners and Operators

340-228-0618, Certificate of Representation

340-228-0620, Objections Concerning Hg Designated Representatives

340-228-0622, General Hg Budget Trading Program Permit Requirements

340-228-0624, Submission of Hg Budget Permit Applications

340-228-0626, Information Requirements for Hg Budget Permit Applications

340-228-0628, Hg Budget Permit Contents and Term

340-228-0630, Hg Budget Permit Revisions

340-228-0632, State Trading Budget

340-228-0634, Timing Requirements for Hg Allowance Allocations

340-228-0636, Hg Allowance Allocations

340-228-0638, Establishment of Accounts

340-228-0640 – 0678, Utility Mercury Rule

340-232-0070, Gasoline Dispensing Facilities

340-238-0050, General Provisions

340-244-0110 – 0180, Compliance Extensions for Early Reductions

Statutory Authority or other Legal Authority

 

Statutes Implemented

 

ORS 468.020 & 468A.310

 

ORS 468A.025

Need for the Rule(s)

 

 

 

 

This rulemaking is needed to ensure the maintenance of Oregon’s NESHAP and NSPS program delegations and emission guideline plan approvals from EPA, to respond to court decisions, and to protect public health.

 

Adopting the new and amended NSPS and NESHAP standards will make Oregon’s rules consistent with EPA’s so that the Department can implement and keep its delegation of these regulations, which benefits industrial sources and the public. Benefits to sources include quicker approval of applicability determination requests and alternative testing, monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting requests. Benefits to the public include allowing the Department to ensure that the required emission reductions are achieved in Oregon.

Documents Relied Upon for Rulemaking

DEQ relied primarily on the Federal Register, the Code of Federal Regulations, and the Oregon Revised Statues, in developing this rulemaking proposal. Copies of the documents relied upon in the development of this rulemaking proposal can be reviewed at the Department of Environmental Quality’s office at 811 S.W. 6th Avenue, Portland, Oregon. Please contact Jerry Ebersole for times when the documents are available for review.

Requests for Other Options

Pursuant to ORS 183.335(2)(b)(G), DEQ requests public comment on whether other options should be considered for achieving the rule’s substantive goals while reducing negative economic impact of the rule on business.

Fiscal and Economic Impact, Statement of Cost Compliance

 

Overview

 

The rules proposed by DEQ consist of several parts: adoption by reference of new area source NESHAPs, adoption of new General Permits to implement the new area source NESHAPs, adoption of standards that implement and go beyond the federal Gasoline Dispensing NESHAP, adoption of standards that implement and go beyond the Emission Guidelines for municipal waste combustors, amendments to the Utility Mercury Rule to address the court vacated mercury cap-and-trade program, and the adoption of other federal air quality regulations.

 

This discussion of the estimated fiscal and economic impacts depends significantly on assumptions made by DEQ that are listed separately below in the section titled “Assumptions.”

 

Gasoline Dispensing Facilities (GDF):

This rulemaking proposes to require stage I vapor control at moderate and high volume facilities. This would be accomplished by reducing the federal volume trigger for stage I vapor controls from 100,000 gallons per month to 20,000 gallons per month phased-in over a six year period. GDFs currently required to have stage I vapor controls would continue to be required to have stage 1 vapor controls. New and reconstructed GDFs with a monthly throughput of 100,000 gallons or more would be required to have stage I vapor controls upon startup. New and reconstructed GDFs with an average monthly throughput between 20,000 and 100,000 gallons would be required to have stage I vapor controls by December 13, 2009 or upon startup, whichever is later. Existing GDFs with an average monthly throughput of 100,000 gallons or more would be required to have stage I vapor controls by January 10, 2011, as required in the Gasoline Dispensing NESHAP. Existing GDFs with an average monthly throughput between 40,000 and 100,000 gallons would also be required to have stage I vapor controls by January 10, 2011. Existing GDFs with an average monthly throughput between 20,000 and 40,000 gallons would be required to have stage I vapor controls by January 10, 2014. It is estimated that Oregon has between 2,900 and 3,200 GDFs. It is estimated that 620 facilities in Oregon are currently required to have stage I vapor controls.

The federal NESHAP will reduce benzene emissions caused by the filling of gasoline storage and dispensing tanks in Oregon by an estimated 12 tons per year (32%) and VOC emissions by an estimated 680 tons per year (32%), as well as save an estimated 221,000 gallons of gasoline per year (0.016%) statewide. By going beyond the NESHAP, this rulemaking would additionally reduce stage I benzene emissions in Oregon by an estimated 16 tons per year (44%) and VOC emissions by an estimated 930 tons per year (44%), and save an estimated 303,000 gallons of gasoline per year (0.021%) statewide. Combined, the federal NESHAP and the proposed statewide stage I vapor control requirement would reduce stage I benzene emissions in Oregon by an estimated 28 tons per year (76%) and VOC emissions by an estimated 1,610 tons per year (76%), and save an estimated 524,000 gallons of gasoline per year (0.037%) statewide.

 

The proposed statewide stage I vapor control requirement would directly impact GDFs, many which are small businesses, and indirectly impact the general public if individual GDF owners pass on the cost of stage I vapor controls. If the gasoline terminals or bulk plants saving money from this rule were to pass on their savings to the GDF, it could offset the cost increases and lower the likelihood of changes in gasoline prices in Oregon due to this rule. However, members of the industry informed DEQ that it is unlikely that the gasoline savings will be passed on from the terminal or bulk plant to the individual GDF owners.

 

Large Municipal Waste Combustors:

Oregon has one large municipal waste combustor, owned and operated by Covanta, and located in Brooks. Covanta is outperforming the newly tightened Emission Guidelines by a wide margin for dioxins/furans, cadmium, and lead. This rulemaking proposes to adopt standards that go beyond the federal Emission Guidelines for these pollutants.

 

DEQ anticipates no negative fiscal and economic impacts as a result of these proposed standards because annual testing over the past ten years has demonstrated that Covanta is meeting the proposed standards on a continual basis.

 

General Permits:

The proposed adoption of the new federal area source NESHAPs would trigger the requirement for affected source to have a Simple ACDP. To minimize the fiscal impact on affected sources, many of which are small businesses, this rulemaking proposes the adoption of several new General ACDPs. To further minimize the fiscal impacts on affected sources, this rulemaking proposes to add two new lower-cost General ACDP categories for sources with limited requirements and where existing Department resources can be leveraged to reduce the cost needed to implement the new standards.

 

Utility Mercury Rule:

On February 8, 2008, the D.C. Circuit Court vacated the federal utility mercury trading program. In response, this rulemaking proposes to remove references to the vacated federal trading rule but to retain the 90% control requirement and the State cap on mercury emissions. This rulemaking also proposed to insert monitoring requirements that were also vacated. The removal of the trading portions of the Utility Mercury Rule (UMR) would not have a negative fiscal or economic impact because the ability to buy and sell mercury credits ended when the D.C. Circuit Court vacated utility mercury trading program. The addition of the monitoring requirements would not have a negative fiscal or economic impact because the monitoring requirements were formerly referenced in the UMR.

Other Federal Air Quality Regulations:

DEQ is proposing to match changes in federal law by (1) adopting by reference 17 new federal NESHAPs applicable to non-major or area sources including: hospital sterilizers; steelmaking facilities; iron and steel foundries; gasoline terminals, bulk plants, and pipeline facilities; gasoline dispensing facilities; polyvinyl chloride and copolymers production; copper smelting; nonferrous metals production and processing; acrylic and modacrylic fibers production; carbon black production; chromium compounds production; flexible polyurethane foam fabrication and production; lead acid battery manufacturing; wood preserving; clay ceramics manufacturing; and glass manufacturing, (2) adopting five new federal NSPSs applicable to: synthetic organic chemical manufacturing, petroleum refineries, stationary internal combustion engines, and stationary combustion turbines, (3) updating DEQ’s adoptions by reference of federal NESHAPs and NSPSs, and (4) removing the Boiler and Process Heater NESHAP recently vacated by the courts.

 

DEQ anticipates that there will be no negative fiscal and economic impacts as a result of these proposed rules because any negative fiscal and economic impacts occurred when the EPA adopted the rules, and because the rules applied in Oregon upon EPA’s adoption. Therefore, if the EQC adopts the proposed rules listed above, which are substantively identical to their federal counterparts, there will be no substantive change to the requirements already applicable in Oregon today. EPA has evaluated the fiscal and economic effects of their rules and lists those effects in the preambles to their regulations. A list of the federal NESHAP and NSPS rules can be found in Attachments E and F, and the EPA regulations themselves can be found by going to EPA’s website http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/eparules.html.

Impacts on the General Public

 

Direct Impacts:

DEQ does not anticipate any direct fiscal or economic impacts from this proposed rulemaking on the general public.

 

Indirect Impacts:

•  Gasoline Dispensing Facilities. DEQ estimates that its proposal may indirectly impact the general public if individual GDF owners pass on the cost of stage I vapor controls (estimated at less than $0.003/gallon). If the gasoline terminals or bulk plants saving money from this rule were to pass on their savings to the GDF, it could offset the cost increases and lower the likelihood of changes in gasoline prices in Oregon due to this rule. However, members of the industry informed DEQ that it is unlikely that the gasoline savings will be passed on from the terminal or bulk plant to the individual GDF owners.

•  General Permits. The requirement that sources affected by a new federal area source NESHAPs obtain an ACDP permit could indirectly impact the general public if the permit fees are passed on in the form of higher prices for goods and services.

•  Public Health Benefits. Air pollution creates public health problems that can have negative economic impacts. DEQ anticipates that the proposed rule will reduce air pollution, and as a result, may benefit public health and welfare. It may also reduce public health costs associated with air pollution.

Impacts to Small Business

(50 or fewer employees –ORS183.310(10))

 

Direct Impacts:

•  Gasoline Dispensing Facilities. The proposed statewide stage I vapor control requirement would directly impact GDFs, many which are small businesses. The cost to retrofit an existing tank with stage I vapor controls is estimated to be between $450 and $1,150. The cost to include stage I vapor controls on a new tank is approximately $350. DEQ estimates that going beyond the federal Gasoline Dispensing NESHAP would cost $570,000 per year statewide for all small and large businesses, local governments and agencies that operate GDFs. However, going beyond the federal Gasoline Dispensing NESHAP will save an estimated $1,300,000 per year worth of gasoline. Since the saved gasoline will be recovered at the bulk terminal or bulk plant, the fuel cost savings would not directly benefit facility owners. DEQ estimates the proposed rules would result in an annual expense to facility owners of between $0.001/gallon and $0.003/gallon, with the biggest impact on owners of smaller facilities.

•  General Permits. The proposed adoption of the new federal area source NESHAPs would directly impact sources, many which are small businesses, because it would trigger the requirement for affected sources to have a Simple or Standard ACDP. To minimize the fiscal impact on affected sources, this rulemaking proposes the adoption of several new General ACDPs. To further minimize the fiscal impacts on affected sources, this rulemaking proposes to add new lower-cost General ACDP categories for sources with limited requirements and where existing Department resources can be leveraged to reduce the cost needed to implement the standards. The proposed cost of these new General ACDPs is $120/year and $360/year. Currently the lowest cost General ACDP is $720/year. The proposed adoption of new General ACDPs would save sources affected by the new federal area source NESHAPs between $3,120 (81%) and $3,720 (97%) per year versus the requirement to have a Simple ACDP, which costs $3,840/year. In addition, this rulemaking proposes to delay the permitting requirement for GDFs until January of 2010. Delayed permitting will allow station owners to apply one year worth of permitting fees to the installation of a vapor balance system(s).

 

Indirect Impacts:

•  Gasoline Dispensing Facilities. DEQ estimates that its proposal may indirectly impact the small businesses if individual GDF owners pass on the cost of stage I vapor controls (estimated at less than $0.003/gallon). If the gasoline terminals or bulk plants saving money from this rule were to pass on their savings to the GDF, it could offset the cost increases and lower the likelihood of changes in gasoline prices in Oregon due to this rule. However, members of the industry informed DEQ that it is unlikely that the gasoline savings will be passed on from the terminal or bulk plant to the individual GDF owners.

•  General Permits. The requirement that sources affected by a new federal area source NESHAPs obtain an ACDP permit could indirectly impact small businesses if the permit fees are passed on in the form of higher prices for goods and services.

Cost of Compliance on Small Business (50 or fewer employees –ORS183.310(10))

a) Estimated number of small businesses subject to the proposed rule

Gasoline Dispensing Facilities

DEQ estimates that Oregon has between 2,900 and 3,200 GDFs. It is estimated that of these 620 facilities in Oregon are currently required to have stage I vapor controls.

General Permits

DEQ estimates that 2,300 small businesses in Oregon are potentially affected by the new area source NESHAPs and/or the requirement to have a General ACDP.

 

b) Types of businesses and industries with small businesses subject to the proposed rule

Gasoline Dispensing Facilities

A GDF is any stationary facility which dispenses gasoline into the fuel tank of a motor vehicle.

General Permits

The 2,300 small businesses are in the following industries: clay ceramic manufacturing (13); flexible polyurethane foam fabrication and manufacturing (1); glass manufacturing (32); gasoline dispensing (2,200), hospital sterilization (4); iron and steel foundries (19); lead acid battery manufacturing (4); secondary nonferrous metals: (5); polyvinyl chloride production (13); and wood preserving (3).

 

c) Projected reporting, recordkeeping and other administrative activities required by small businesses for compliance with the proposed rule, including costs of professional services

Gasoline Dispensing Facilities: The proposed stage I vapor control requirement would trigger testing, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements for facilities that would not otherwise be required to meet these requirements under the federal Gasoline Dispensing NESHAP. These requirements include leak-rate, cracking pressure and static pressure testing.

General Permits: The new General ACDPs will not contain reporting, recordkeeping and other administrative activities other than those already required by the new federal rules. EPA has evaluated the fiscal and economic effects of their rules and lists those effects in the preambles to their regulations. A list of the federal rules can be found in Attachments E and F, and the EPA regulations themselves can be found by going to EPA’s website http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/eparules.html.

 

d) The equipment, supplies, labor, and increased administration required by small businesses for compliance with the proposed rule

Gasoline Dispensing Facilities: The cost to retrofit an existing tank with stage I vapor controls is estimated to be between $450 and $1,150. The proposed rule would require initial testing of the stage I vapor controls. The cost to test stage I vapor controls is estimated to be $233 per tank. Many of these facilities have 3 tanks. The cost to retrofit and test 3 tanks is estimated to be between $2,049 and $4,149. The cost to operate and maintain stage I vapor controls for 3 tanks, and to maintain records, is estimated to be between $310 and $545 per year.

General Permits: The new General ACDPs will ensure compliance with the new federal rules. EPA has evaluated the fiscal and economic effects of their rules and lists those effects in the preambles to their regulations. A list of the federal rules can be found in Attachments E and F, and the EPA regulations themselves can be found by going to EPA’s website http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/eparules.html.

 

e) A description of the manner in which the Department involved small businesses in the development of this rulemaking

Gasoline Dispensing Facilities: DEQ is involving small businesses affected by the proposal to go beyond the Gasoline Dispensing NESHAP through one on one discussion, industry associations, and public meetings. The Small Business Compliance Advisory Panel may also track and advise DEQ on the proposed rules. Industry associations involved in this rulemaking include the Oregon Petroleum Association and the Western States Petroleum Association.

General Permits: The Small Business Compliance Advisory Panel has tracked and advised DEQ on the requirement and development of General ACDPs.

Impacts on Large Business

(all businesses that are not “small businesses” under ORS183.310(10))

The fiscal and economic impacts on large businesses that operate GDFs are expected to be the same as those estimated for small businesses.

Impacts on Local Government

The fiscal and economic impacts on local government that operate GDFs are expected to be the same as those estimated for small businesses.

Impacts on State Agencies other than the Department

The fiscal and economic impacts on State Agencies that operate GDFs other than the Department are expected to be the same as those estimated for small businesses.

Impacts on the Department

 

 

To implement the new Area Source NESHAPs, the Department is requesting nine new positions (6 FTE) for consideration by the Governor and 2009 Legislature. The positions will be phased-in in line with NESHAP implementation. Eight of the positions will provide technical assistance to sources and work on permitting activities. One half-time position will be added to DEQ’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement staff to issue formal enforcement actions against violators.

 

Where ever possible the Department is working to maximize implementation efficiencies. For the gasoline dispensing regulation, DEQ Underground Storage Tanks Program inspectors are already inspecting gas stations. They will add the new NESHAP requirements on to their existing inspection activities and save personnel and travel costs. This innovative approach will minimize the additional revenue DEQ will need to implement the new federal gasoline dispensing regulation in Oregon.

 

The cost of the new positions will be funded by revenue generated by the new General Permits. The remaining cost impacts on the Department are expected to be the same as those estimated for small businesses.

Assumptions

 

Gasoline Dispensing Facilities: Assumptions to estimate the impact of the proposal to go beyond the Gasoline Dispensing NESHAP are as follows:

•  The cost to retrofit an existing tank with stage I vapor controls is estimated to be between $450 and $1,150. (Source: equipment vendor)

•  The cost to include stage I vapor controls on a new tank is approximately $350. (Source: equipment vendor)

•  The cost of the retrofits will be financed over the 15-year life of a gasoline storage tank at an interest rate of 7%. (Source: October 2, 2007 memo to Steve Shedd of EPA))

•  The cost to perform testing on stage I vapor controls is estimated to be $700 for the average GDF. (Source: October 2, 2007 memo to Steve Shedd of EPA)

•  The cost to perform annual inspection and maintenance of stage I vapor controls is estimated to be $200 for the average GDF. (Source: DEQ estimate)

•  The recordkeeping and reporting costs for stage I vapor control is estimated to be $110 per year for the average GDF. (Source: October 2, 2007 memo to Steve Shedd of EPA)

•  The average GDF has 3 gasoline storage tanks. (Source: DEQ assumption)

•  The average cost of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Oregon is $4.292 (June 30, 2008). (Source: AAA)

•  Stage I vapor controls reduce gasoline emissions by 4.7 pounds of VOC per thousand gallons of gasoline loaded. (Source: AP-42)

•   Stage I vapor controls reduce gasoline emissions by 0.083 pounds of benzene per thousand gallons of gasoline loaded. (Source: AP-42)

•  Oregon, excluding Lane County has between 2,900 and 3,200 GDFs. (Source: DEQ’s Underground Storage Tank Program, Oregon Department of Agriculture, and Oregon State Fire Marshal)

•  620 GDFs facilities in Oregon are currently required to have stage I vapor controls. (Source: DEQ Northwest Region Office)

•  Of the remaining 2,280 to 2,580 GDFs, 240 will be required to install stage I vapor controls under the federal NESHAP and 748 would be required to install stage I vapor controls if the proposed statewide stage I vapor control requirement is adopted. (Source: infoUSA and extrapolation to number of GDFs)

Housing Costs

Gasoline Dispensing Facilities:

DEQ has determined that the proposed rulemaking may have a negative effect, in the form of slightly higher gasoline prices, on the cost of development of a 6,000 square foot parcel and the construction of a 1,200 square foot detached single family dwelling on that parcel. The possible impact appears to be minimal because DEQ has estimated the maximum possible increased cost of gasoline at $0.0034/gallon. DEQ cannot quantify this impact at this time because the information available to it does not indicate whether the fee increases would be passed on to consumers and any such estimate would be speculative. A minimal amount of gasoline is needed to construct a house and DEQ did not find information on the cost of gasoline to develop a parcel. DEQ notes that the increased gasoline cost could be mitigated by the fuel savings that would result from the statewide implementation of stage I vapor controls.

 

General Permits:

DEQ has determined that the proposed fee increases may have a negative impact on the development of a 6,000 square foot parcel and the construction of a 1,200 square foot detached single family dwelling on that parcel if the permitting fees are passed through by permit holders providing products and services for such development and construction. The possible impact appears to be minimal. DEQ cannot quantify this impact at this time because the information available to it does not indicate whether the fee increases would be passed on to consumers and any such estimate would be speculative.

 

Other Federal Air Quality Regulations:

DEQ estimates that the “other federal air quality regulations” would not significantly effect the development of a 6,000 square foot parcel or the construction of a 1,200 square foot detached single family dwelling on that parcel.

Administrative Rule Advisory Committee

The standing Small Business Compliance Advisory Committee has been and will be utilized during this rulemaking. The purpose of addressing this committee is to present DEQ’s implementation strategy for the new area source NESHAPs and receive the committee’s input and/or recommendations. DEQ has and will meet with business associations in regard to the proposal to go beyond the Gasoline Dispensing NESHAP. DEQ also convened a Fiscal Impact Advisory Committee prior to the public comment period. Some members of the Fiscal Impact Advisory Committee believe that the draft proposed rules as proposed to the Committee would impose a significant adverse impact on small businesses.

 

As a result, DEQ solicited recommendations on how the fiscal impacts on small businesses could be mitigated. Members of the Committee suggested various options on how impacts could be mitigated, including the following:

•  Increase the draft rule’s regulatory Stage I threshold to a level above 10,000 gallons per month.

•  Adopt only the federal Gasoline Dispensing NESHAP

•  Establish an emergency or hardship, or small business exemption for facilities that would be forced out of business or heavily burdened by the regulations. Criteria could also include number of employees, throughput, revenue, location, population density and nature of the business.

•  Provide financial assistance to facilities with significant fiscal impacts.

•  Research whether the Business Energy Tax Credit could apply.

•  Shift costs to terminals and bulk plants by altering DEQ’s fee structure to recoup benefit from fuel savings.

 

After considering each recommendation and the public health and safety purpose of the rule, the Department revised the draft rules, considered by the Committee by:

•  Raising the volume trigger for stage I vapor controls from 10,000 gallons per month to 20,000 gallons per month; and

•  Providing existing dispensing facilities, with monthly throughputs below 40,000 gallons per month, an additional three years to install stage I vapor controls.

 

DEQ did not select the recommendation to adopt only the federal Gasoline Dispensing NESHAP because it does not meet the public health purpose of the proposal considering that benzene levels are higher in Oregon than other states and far exceed health benchmarks.

 

The recommendation to develop emergency or hardship exemptions based on a number of factors was not selected because of its complexity and potential to create significant administrative burdens, and because the proposed changes to the trigger volume and compliance schedule will reduce the potential hardship.

 

DEQ will further investigate if alternative financial assistance for facilities is available and whether the Business Energy Tax Credit could apply. These recommendations do not require changes to the proposal.

 

Finally, DEQ did not select the recommendation to shift the fee burden to other sources because the original proposal already modified the fee schedule by creating two new general permit categories for GDFs that have fees significantly lower than other AQ permitted sources.

       

 

Signed version on file with the Department _________________________________  __________________

Prepared by        Printed name            Date

 

     

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Approved by DEQ Budget Office      Printed name          Date