Plain Text Law

Regulation .03 General Requirements.

Regulation .03 General Requirements.Copy Citation

A.
An electric generating unit subject to this chapter shall comply with the emission limitations for NOx, SO2, and mercury as provided in this regulation.
B.
NOx Emission Limitations.
(1)
Except as provided in §E of this regulation, annual NOx emissions from each affected electric generating unit may not exceed the number of tons in §B(2) of this regulation.
(2)
Annual Tonnage Limitations.
(3)
Except as provided in §E of this regulation, ozone season NOx emissions from each affected electric generating unit may not exceed the number of tons in §B(4) of this regulation.
(4)
Ozone Season Tonnage Limitations.
(5)
Except as provided in §§B(7) and E of this regulation, if after reviewing 2009 ozone season measured ozone levels at air monitoring stations located in Maryland, the Department determines that ozone levels in Maryland exceed the levels required to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone, commencing on May 1, 2012, ozone season NOx emissions from each affected electric generating unit may not exceed the number of tons in §B(6) of this regulation.
(6)
Ozone Season Tonnage Limitations.
(7)
Electric System Reliability During Ozone Seasons.
(a)
An exceedance of the NOx limitations in §B(4) or (6) of this regulation which occurs because PJM Interconnection, LLC or a successor independent system operator, acts to invoke “Maximum Emergency Generation”, “Load Reduction”, “Voltage Reduction”, “Curtailment of Non-essential Building Load”, or “Manual Load Dump” procedures in accordance with the current PJM Manual, or a PJM alert preceding such action as to a generating unit that has temporarily shut down in order to avoid potential interruption in electric service and maintain electric system reliability is not a violation of this chapter provided that:
(i)
Within 36 hours following the action, the owner or operator of the affected electric generating unit or units notifies the Manager of the Air Quality Compliance Program of the action taken by PJM Interconnection and provides the Department with documentation of the action which is satisfactory to the Department;
(ii)
Within 48 hours after completion of the action, the owner or operator of the affected unit or units provides the Department with the estimated NOx emissions in excess of the emission limitation; and
(iii)
Not later than December 31 of the year in which the emission limitation is exceeded, the owner or operator of the affected generating unit or units transfers to the Maryland Environmental Surrender Account, ozone season NOx allowances equivalent in number to the tons of NOx emitted in excess of the emission limitation in §B(4) or (6), as applicable.
(b)
The owner or operator of an electric generating unit or system, as applicable, shall send written notice to the Manager of the Air Quality Compliance Program not later than 5 business days following the day when the cumulative ozone season NOx emissions of an electric generating unit or system, as applicable, are:
(i)
Equal to approximately 80 percent of the applicable ozone season emission limitation; and
(ii)
Equal to the applicable ozone season emission limitation.
C.
SO2 Emission Limitations.
(1)
Except as provided in §E of this regulation, annual SO2 emissions from each affected electric generating unit may not exceed the number of tons in §C(2) of this regulation.
(2)
Annual Tonnage Limitations.
D.
Mercury Emission Limitations.
(1)
For the 12-month period from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010 and ending with the 12-month period beginning December 1, 2012 through November 30, 2013, each affected facility shall meet a 12-month rolling average removal efficiency for mercury of at least 80 percent.
(2)
For the 12 months beginning January 1, 2013 and thereafter, each affected facility shall meet a 12-month rolling average removal efficiency for mercury of at least 90 percent.
(3)
The mercury removal efficiency required in §D(1) and (2) of this regulation shall be determined in accordance with Regulation .04 of this chapter.
E.
System-Wide Compliance Determinations.
(1)
Compliance with the emission limitations in §§B and C of this regulation may be achieved by demonstrating that the total number of tons emitted from all electric generating units in a system does not exceed the sum of the tonnage limitations for all electric generating units in that system.
(2)
A system-wide compliance determination shall be based only upon emissions from units in Maryland that are subject to the emission limitations in §§B and C of this regulation.
(3)
If a unit that is part of a system is transferred to a different person that does not own, operate, lease, or control an affected unit subject to this chapter, the transferred unit shall meet the limitations in §§B and C of this regulation applicable to that electric generating unit.