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Refinery Rules Definitions
Learn about the Air District's process for amending definitions of Petroleum Refinery, Gasoline, and Liquid Petroleum Gas in several refinery rules of Air District regulations.
Find out about the status and anticipated timeline of the rule development process. Information on hearings, workshops, and other events is provided below, along with supporting documents and materials.
Amendments to definitions of Petroleum Refinery, Gasoline, and Liquid Petroleum Gas in several refinery rules were adopted by the Air District Board of Directors at a public hearing on November 3, 2021:
- Staff Report - Proposed Amendments to Refinery Rules
- Regulation 3: Fees (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 6, Rule 5: Particulate Emissions from Refinery Fluidized Catalytic Cracking Units (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 8, Rule 1: General Provisions (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 8, Rule 5: Storage of Organic Liquids (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 8, Rule 6: Organic Liquid Bulk Terminals and Bulk Plants (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 8, Rule 7: Gasoline Dispensing Facilities (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 8, Rule 8: Wastewater Collection and Separation Systems (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 8, Rule 9: Vacuum Producing Systems (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 8, Rule 10: Process Vessel Depressurization (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 8, Rule 18: Equipment Leaks (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 8, Rule 28: Episodic Releases From Pressure Relief Devices at Refineries and Chemical Plants (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 8, Rule 33: Gasoline Bulk Terminals and Gasoline Cargo Tanks (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 8, Rule 39: Gasoline Bulk Plants and Gasoline Cargo Tanks (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 8, Rule 44: Marine Tank Vessel Operations (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 8, Rule 53: Vacuum Truck Operation (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 9, Rule 1: Sulfur Dioxide (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 9, Rule 10: Boilers, Steam Generators and Process Heaters in Refineries (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 11, Rule 10: Hexavalent Chromium Emissions From All Cooling Towers and Total Hydrocarbon Emissions From Refinery Cooling Towers (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 12, Rule 11: Flare Monitoring at Refineries (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 12, Rule 12: Flares at Refineries (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
- Regulation 12, Rule 15: Refining Emissions Tracking (Amendments Adopted 11/3/2021)
Two of the five petroleum refineries in the Bay Area have submitted permit applications to modify the facility operation to process alternative feedstocks with the intention of producing “renewable” products. These facilities use the term “renewable” to mean they will be producing fuel and other products by processing non-petroleum feedstocks. Petroleum refineries are subject to a variety of Air District rules and regulations. Some of these rules are exclusively applicable to petroleum refineries, and some of these rules are applicable to petroleum refineries as well as other facilities. Most of these rules determine the applicability by using the definition of petroleum refinery. There are also instances where a particular standard, requirement, or exemption is dependent on terms like fossil-derived, fossil-fuel, petroleum, and crude oil.
To ensure that the facilities that produce fuels and other products from non-petroleum feedstocks remain subject to and in compliance with the same emission standards and rule requirements that were in effect when the feedstock was petroleum based, the Air District developed proposed amendments to the following rules:
Without these proposed amendments to existing Air District Rules and Regulations, the facilities that change to non-petroleum operation may no longer be subject to the emission standards and other regulatory requirements that currently apply to them.
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Air District has concluded that the proposed amendments are exempt under CEQA guidelines Section 15301, Class 1. The rule amendment would involve negligible or no expansion of an existing use. Actual emissions will not increase. Air District Staff will file a Notice of Exemption with the County Clerk after adoption by the Board of Directors.
The Air District’s Board of Directors will be conducting a public hearing to consider adoption of the proposed amendments to refinery rules definitions on Wednesday, November 3, 2021. Information and instructions for joining the webcast will be available on the Air District website.
Documents
Supporting materials, such as staff reports, regulatory language, and other technical documents related to rule development, are posted throughout the development process.
Comments
Last Updated: 9/16/2021