North Carolina Administrative Code
Title 15A - Environmental Quality
Chapter 02 - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Subchapter D - AIR POLLUTION CONTROL REQUIREMENTS
Section .1400 - NITROGEN OXIDES
Section 02D .1401 - DEFINITIONS
Universal Citation: 15A NC Admin Code 02D .1401
Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 6, September 16, 2024
(a) For the purpose of this Section, in addition to the definitions in G.S. 143-212, G.S. 143-213, and 15A NCAC 02D .0101, the following definitions shall apply. If a term in this Rule is also defined at 15A NCAC 02D .0101, then the definition in this Rule controls.
(1) "Acid Rain Program" means the
federal program for the reduction of acid rain including 40 CFR Parts 72, 75,
76, and 77.
(2) "Actual emissions"
means for
15A NCAC
02D .1418, emissions of NOx as measured and
calculated pursuant to 40 CFR Part 75, Subpart H.
(3) "Actual heat input" means for
15A NCAC
02D .1418, heat input as measured and
calculated pursuant to 40 CFR Part 75, Subpart H.
(4) "Averaging set of sources" means all the
stationary sources included in an emissions averaging plan pursuant to
15A NCAC
02D .1410.
(5) "Averaging source" means a stationary
source that is included in an emissions averaging plan pursuant to
15A NCAC
02D .1410.
(6) "Boiler" means an enclosed fossil or
other fuel-fired combustion device used to produce heat and to transfer heat to
recirculating water, steam, or other medium.
(7) "Combined cycle system" means a system
consisting of one or more combustion turbines, heat recovery steam generators,
and steam turbines configured to improve overall efficiency of electricity
generation or steam production.
(8)
"Combustion turbine" means an enclosed fossil or other fuel-fired device that
is comprised of a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine, and in which the flue
gas resulting from the combustion of fuel in the combustor passes through the
turbine, rotating the turbine.
(9)
"Diesel engine" means a compression ignited two- or four-stroke engine in which
liquid fuel injected into the combustion chamber ignites when the air charge
has been compressed to a temperature sufficiently high for
auto-ignition.
(10) "Dual fuel
engine" means a compression ignited stationary internal combustion engine that
is burning liquid fuel and gaseous fuel simultaneously.
(11) "EGU" or electric generating unit means
a stationary, fossil fuel-fired boiler or combustion turbine that serves a
generator with a nameplate capacity greater than 25 MWe producing electricity
for sale at any time, except a large non-EGU.
(12) "Emergency generator" means a stationary
internal combustion engine used to generate electricity only during:
(A) the loss of primary power at the facility
that is beyond the control of the owner or operator of the facility;
or
(B) maintenance when maintenance
is being performed on the power supply to equipment that is essential in
protecting the environment or to such equipment itself.
An emergency generator may be operated periodically to ensure that it will operate.
(13) "Emergency use internal combustion
engines" means stationary internal combustion engines used to drive pumps,
aerators, and other equipment only during:
(A)
the loss of primary power at the facility that is beyond the control of the
owner or operator of the facility; or
(B) maintenance when maintenance is being
performed on the power supply to equipment that is essential in protecting the
environment or to such equipment itself.
An emergency use internal combustion engine may be operated periodically to ensure that it will operate.
(14) "Excess emissions" means an emission
rate that exceeds the applicable limitation or standard; for the purposes of
this definition, NOx emitted by a source regulated by
15A NCAC
02D .1418 during the ozone season above its
allocation are not considered excess emissions.
(15) "Fossil fuel fired" means:
(A) For sources that began operation before
January 1, 1996, where fossil fuel combusted either alone or in combination
with any other fuel, comprises more than 50 percent of the annual heat input on
a Btu basis during 1995, or, if a source had no heat input in 1995, during the
last year of operation of the unit before 1995;
(B) For sources that began operation on or
after January 1, 1996 and before January 1, 1997, where fossil fuel combusted
either alone or in combination with any other fuel, comprises more than 50
percent of the annual heat input on a Btu basis during 1996; or
(C) For sources that began operation on or
after January 1, 1997:
(i) Where fossil fuel
combusted either alone or in combination with any other fuel, comprises more
than 50 percent of the annual heat input on a Btu basis during any year;
or
(ii) Where fossil fuel combusted
either alone or in combination with any other fuel, is projected to comprise
more than 50 percent of the annual heat input on a Btu basis during any year,
provided that the unit shall be "fossil fuel-fired" as of the date, during such
year, on which the source begins combusting fossil fuel.
(16) "Indirect-fired process
heater" means an enclosed device using controlled flame where the device's
primary purpose is to transfer heat by indirect heat exchange to a process
fluid, a process material that is not a fluid, or a heat transfer material,
instead of steam, for use in a process.
(17) "Large non-EGU" or large non-electric
generating unit means a stationary fossil fuel fired boiler or combustion
turbine with a maximum heat input greater than 250 MMBtu/hr that either:
(A) does not serve at any time a generator
producing electricity for sale; or
(B) serves at any time a generator producing
electricity for sale and qualifies under
40 CFR
72.6(b)(4), that addresses
certain cogeneration facilities, as an unaffected unit for purposes of the Acid
Rain Program.
(18)
"Lean-burn internal combustion engine" means a spark ignition internal
combustion engine originally designed and manufactured to operate with an
exhaust oxygen concentration greater than one percent.
(19) "NOx" means nitrogen oxides.
(20) "NOx SIP Call control period" for the
purposes of the NOx SIP Call budgets in
15A NCAC
02D .1425 means the period May 1 through the
end of September 30.
(21) "Ozone
season" means the period beginning May 1 and ending September 30.
(22) "Potential emissions" means the quantity
of NOx that would be emitted at the maximum capacity of a stationary source to
emit NOx under its physical and operational design. Any physical or operational
limitation on the capacity of the source to emit NOx shall be treated as a part
of its design if the limitation is federally enforceable. Such physical or
operational limitations include air pollution control equipment and
restrictions on hours of operation or on the type or amount of material
combusted, stored, or processed.
(23) "Projected seasonal energy input" means
the maximum design heat input per hour times 3300 hours.
(24) "Projected seasonal energy output" means
the maximum design energy output per hour times 3300 hours.
(25) "Reasonable assurance" means a
demonstration to the Director that a method, procedure, or technique is
possible and practical for a source or facility under the expected operating
conditions.
(26) "Reasonably
Available Control Technology" or "RACT" means the lowest emission limitation
for NOx that a particular source can meet by the application of control
technology that is reasonably available considering technological and economic
feasibility.
(27) "Reasonable
effort" means the proper installation of technology designed to meet the
requirements of
15A NCAC
02D .1407,
02D .1408, or .1409 and the
utilization of this technology according to the manufacturer's recommendations
or other similar guidance for not less than six months, in an effort to meet
the applicable limitation for a source.
(28) "Rich-burn internal combustion engine"
means a spark ignition internal combustion engine originally designed and
manufactured to operate with an exhaust oxygen concentration less than or equal
to one percent.
(29) "Seasonal
energy input" means the total energy input of a combustion source during the
period beginning May 1 and ending September 30.
(30) "Seasonal energy output" means the total
energy output of a combustion source during the period beginning May 1 and
ending September 30.
(31)
"Shutdown" means the cessation of operation of a source or its emission control
equipment.
(32) "Source" means a
stationary boiler, combustion turbine, combined cycle system, reciprocating
internal combustion engine, indirect-fired process heater, or a stationary
article, machine, process equipment, or other contrivance, or combination
thereof, from which NOx emanate or are emitted.
(33) "Startup" means the commencement of
operation of any source that has shutdown or ceased operation for a period
sufficient to cause temperature, pressure, process, chemical, or pollution
control device imbalance that would result in excess emissions.
(34) "Stationary internal combustion engine"
means a reciprocating internal combustion engine that is not self-propelled;
however, it may be mounted on a vehicle for portability.
(b) Whenever reference is made to the Code of Federal Regulations in this Section, the definitions in the Code of Federal Regulations shall apply unless specifically stated otherwise in a particular rule in this Section.
Authority
G.S.
143-215.3(a)(1);
143-215.107(a)(5);
143-215.107(a)(7);
143-215.107(a)(10);
Eff. April 1, 1995;
Temporary Amendment Eff. August 1, 2001;
November 1, 2000;
Amended Eff. July 18, 2002;
Readopted
Eff. October 1, 2020;
Amended Eff. May 1,
2022.
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