New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 20 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Chapter 2 - AIR QUALITY (STATEWIDE)
Part 81 - WESTERN BACKSTOP SULFUR DIOXIDE TRADING PROGRAM
Section 20.2.81.109 - COMPLIANCE

Universal Citation: 20 NM Admin Code 20.2.81.109

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 18, September 24, 2024

A. Compliance with allowance limitations.

(1) The WEB source shall hold allowances, in accordance with Paragraph 2 of Subsection A of 20.2.81.109 NMAC and 20.2.81.108 NMAC, as of the allowance transfer deadline in the WEB source's compliance account (together with any current control year allowances held in the WEB source's special reserve compliance account under Subsection B of 20.2.81.106 NMAC in an amount not less than the total sulfur dioxide emissions for the control period from the WEB source, as determined under the monitoring and reporting requirements of 20.2.81.106 NMAC.
(a) For each source that is a WEB source on or before the program trigger date, the first control period is the calendar year that is six years following the calendar year for which sulfur dioxideemissions exceeded the milestone in accordance with procedures in section A of the sulfur dioxidemilestones and backstop trading program implementation plan.

(b) For any existing source that becomes a WEB source after the program trigger date, the first control period is the calendar year that is four years following the inventory year in which the source exceeded the sulfur dioxideemissions threshold.

(c) For any new WEB source after the program trigger date the first control period is the first full calendar year that the source is in operation.

(d) If the WEB trading program is triggered in accordance with the 2013 review procedures in section A4 of the sulfur dioxidemilestones and backstop trading program implementation plan, the first control period for each source that is a WEB source on or before the program trigger date is the year 2018.

(2) Allowance transfer deadline. An allowance may only be deducted from the WEB source's compliance account if:
(a) the allowance was allocated for the current control period or meets the requirements in 20.2.81.108 NMAC for use of allowances from a previous control period; and

(b) the allowance was held in the WEB source's compliance account as of the allowance transfer deadline for the current control period, or was transferred into the compliance account by an allowance transfer correctly submitted for recording by the allowance transfer deadline for the current control period.

(3) Compliance with allowance limitations shall be determined as follows.
(a) The total annual sulfur dioxide emissions for all sulfur dioxide emitting units at the source that are monitored under Subsection B of 20.2.81.106 NMAC, as reported by the source in Paragraph 2 or 4 of Subsection O of 20.2.81.106 NMAC, and recorded in the emissions tracking database shall be compared to the allowances held in the source's special reserve compliance account as of the allowance transfer deadline for the current control period, adjusted in accordance with 20.2.81.108 NMAC. If the emissions are equal to or less than the allowances in such account, all such allowances shall be retired to satisfy the obligation to hold allowances for such emissions. If the total emissions from such units exceeds the allowances in such special reserve account, the WEB source shall account for such excess emissions in Subparagraph b of this paragraph.

(b) The total annual sulfur dioxide emissions for all sulfur dioxide emitting units at the source that are monitored under Subsection A of 20.2.81.106 NMAC, as reported by the source in Paragraph 2 or 4 of Subsection O of 20.2.81.106 NMAC, and recorded in the emissions tracking database, together with any excess emissions as calculated in the preceding Subparagraph a, shall be compared to the allowances held in the source's compliance account as of the allowance transfer deadline for the current control period, adjusted in accordance with 20.2.81.108 NMAC.

(c) If the comparison in Subparagraph b of this paragraph results in emissions that exceed the allowances held in the source's compliance account, the source has exceeded its allowance limitation and the excess emissions are subject to the allowance deduction penalty in Subsection C of this section.

(4) Other than allowances in a special reserve compliance account for units monitored under Subsection B of 20.2.81.106 NMAC, to the extent consistent with 20.2.81.108 NMAC, allowances shall be deducted for a WEB source for compliance with the allowance limitation as directed by the WEB source's account representative. Deduction of any other allowances as necessary for compliance with the allowance limitation shall be on a first-in, first-out accounting basis in the order of the date and time of their recording in the WEB source's compliance account, beginning with the allowances allocated to the WEB source and continuing with the allowances transferred to the WEB source's compliance account from another compliance account or general account. The allowances held in a special reserve compliance account pursuant to Subsection B of 20.2.81.106 NMAC shall be deducted as specified in Subparagraph a of Paragraph 3 of Subsection A of 20.2.81.109 NMAC.

B. Certification of compliance.

(1) For each control period in which a WEB source is subject to the allowance limitation, the account representative of the source shall submit to the department a compliance certification report for the source.

(2) The compliance certification report shall be submitted no later than the allowance transfer deadline of each control period, and shall contain the following:
(a) identification of each WEB source;

(b) at the account representative's option, the serial numbers of the allowances that are to be deducted from a source's compliance account for compliance with the allowance limitation; and

(c) the compliance certification report according to Paragraph 3 of this section.

(3) In the compliance certification report, the account representative shall certify, based on reasonable inquiry of those persons with primary responsibility for operating the WEB source in compliance with the WEB trading program, whether the WEB source for which the compliance certification is submitted was operated during the control period covered by the report in compliance with the requirements of the WEB trading program applicable to the source including:
(a) whether the WEB source operated in compliance with the sulfur dioxideallowance limitation;

(b) whether sulfur dioxideemissions data has been submitted to the department in accordance with Subsection A of 20.2.81.106 NMAC and other applicable guidance, for review, revision as necessary, and finalization for forwarding to the sulfur dioxideallowance tracking system for recording;

(c) whether the monitoring plan that governs the WEB source has been maintained to reflect the actual operation and monitoring of the source, and contains all information necessary to attribute sulfur dioxide emissions to the source, in accordance with Subsection A of 20.2.81.106 NMAC;

(d) whether all the sulfur dioxide emissions from the WEB source if applicable, were monitored or accounted for either through the applicable monitoring or through application of the appropriate missing data procedures;

(e) if applicable, whether any sulfur dioxide emitting unit for which the WEB source is not required to monitor in accordance with Paragraph 3 of Subsection A of 20.2.81.106 NMAC remained permanently retired and had no emissions for the entire applicable period; and

(f) whether there were any changes in the method of operating or monitoring the WEB source that required monitor recertification; if there were any such changes, the report shall specify the nature, reason, and date of the change, the method to determine compliance status subsequent to the change, and specifically, the method to determine sulfur dioxideemissions.

C. Allowance deduction penalty for any WEB source exceeding its allowance limitations.

(1) If emissions from a WEB source exceed the allowance limitation for a control period, as determined in accordance with Subsection A of 20.2.81.109 NMAC, the source's allowance held in its compliance account will be reduced by an amount equal to three times the source's tons of excess emissions. If the compliance account does not have sufficient allowances allocated for that control period, the required number of allowances shall be deducted from the WEB source's compliance account regardless of the control period for which they were allocated, once allowances are recorded in the account.

(2) Any allowance deduction required under this section shall not affect the liability of the owners and operators of the WEB source for any fine, penalty or assessment or their obligation to comply with any other remedy, for the same violation, as ordered under the Clean Air Act, implementing regulations or applicable state or tribal law. Accordingly, a violation can be assessed each day of the control period for each ton of sulfur dioxideemissions in excess of its allowance limitation if the department so chooses.

D. Liability.

(1) WEB source liability for non-compliance. Separate and regardless of any allowance deduction penalty, a WEB source that violates any requirement of 20.2.81 NMAC is subject to civil and criminal penalties under the Air Quality Control Act and the Clean Air Act. Each day of the control period is a separate violation, and each ton of sulfur dioxideemissions in excess of a source's allowance limitation is a separate violation.

(2) General liability.
(a) Any provision of the WEB trading program that applies to a source or an account representative shall apply also to the owners and operators of such source.

(b) Any person who violates any requirement or prohibition of the WEB trading program shall be subject to enforcement pursuant to applicable state, tribal or federal law.

(c) Any person who knowingly makes a false material statement in any record, submission, or report under this WEB trading program shall be subject to criminal enforcement pursuant to the applicable state, tribal or federal law.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. New Mexico may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.