New Industrial Solvent Air Quality Regulation in Pennsylvania

Regulatory Alert

Pennsylvania’s new industrial solvent air quality regulation is here, published in the PA Bulletin dated August 11, 2018.  The purpose of the new regulation (25 PA Code Section 129.63[a]) is to implement control measures to reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from industrial cleaning solvents used and applied during cleaning unit operations at facilities. Industrial cleaning solvents are used or applied in a cleaning activity to remove a contaminant, including an adhesive, ink, paint, dirt, soil, oil or grease, from a cleaning unit operation or work production-related work area or from a part, product, tool, machinery, equipment, vessel, floor or wall.  The regulations require that subject facilities either use compliant solvents (e.g., <0.42 lbs. VOC per gallon or <8 mmHg vapor pressure) or install capture and control systems to ensure compliance.

Certain exemptions do exist.  If your facility’s combined actual VOC emissions from all subject cleaning unit operations are less than 2.7 tons per 12-month rolling period, before controls, then your cleaning operations are exempt from the requirements of 129.63(a).  Additionally, industrial cleaning solvents already regulated by existing regulations in Chapter 129 or 130 are exempted from 129.63(a). For example, parts washing tables (e.g., cold solvent cleaning with a remote reservoir) and vapor degreasers have already been regulated under 25 PA Code 129.63 and are therefore exempt from 129.63(a).  See 129.63[a][c]for a complete list of exempt source categories).

To learn more about the new industrial solvent air quality regulation applicability, impacts, and cost effective compliance strategies, contact Gavin Biebuyck, Principal or Michael Zeiders, Project Manager – Air Quality at 800.305.6019.

https://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol48/48-32/1227.html