WAC 173-400-120   Bubble rules.  (1) Applicability. The owner(s) or operator(s) of any source(s) may apply for a bubble for any contaminant regulated by state or federal law for which the emission requirement may be stated as an allowable limit in weight of contaminant per unit time for the emissions units involved.

     (2) Conditions. A bubble may be authorized provided the following conditions have been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the permitting authority.

     (a) The contaminants exchanged must be of the same type, that is, PM₁₀ for PM₁₀, sulfur dioxide for sulfur dioxide, etc.

     (b) The bubble will not interfere with the attainment and maintenance of air quality standards. No bubble shall be authorized in a nonattainment area unless there is an EPA-approved SIP which demonstrates attainment for that area.

     (c) The bubble will not result in a delay in compliance by any source, nor a delay in any existing enforcement action.

     (d) The bubble will not supersede NSPS, NESHAPS, BACT, or LAER. The emissions of hazardous contaminants shall not be increased.

     (e) The bubble will not result in an increase in the sum of actual emission rates of the contaminant involved from the emissions units involved.

     (f) A bubble may not be authorized only for opacity limits. However, if the emission limit for particulates for a given emissions unit is increased as part of a bubble, the opacity limit for the given emissions unit may be increased subject to the following limitations:

     (i) The new opacity limit shall be specific for the given emissions unit;

     (ii) The new opacity limit shall be consistent with the new particulates limit;

     (iii) An opacity greater than sixty percent shall never be authorized;

     (iv) If the given emissions unit emits or has the potential to emit one hundred tons per year or more of particulate matter, the opacity shall be monitored continuously.

     (g) The emission limits of the bubble are equivalent to existing limits in enforceability.

     (h) Concurrent with or prior to the authorization of a bubble, each emission unit involved in a bubble shall receive or have received a regulatory order or permit that establishes total allowable emissions from the source for the contaminant being bubbled, expressed as weight of the contaminant per unit time.

     (i) There will be no net adverse impact upon air quality from the establishment of new emission requirements for a specific source or emissions unit. Determination of net adverse impact shall include but not be limited to public perception of opacity and public perception of odorous contaminants.

     (j) Specific situations may require additional demonstration as requested by the permitting authority.

     (3) Jurisdiction. Whenever a bubble application involves emissions units, some of which are under the jurisdiction of an authority, approval will require concurrence by both authorities. The new emission limits for each emissions unit will be enforced by the authority of original jurisdiction.

     (4) Additional information. Within thirty days, after the receipt of a bubble application and all supporting data and documentation, the permitting authority may require the submission of additional information needed to review the application.

     (5) Approval. Within thirty days after all the required information has been received, the permitting authority shall approve or deny the application, based on a finding that conditions in subsection (2)(a) through (j) of this section have been satisfied or not. If the application is approved, a regulatory order or equivalent document shall be issued which includes new allowable emissions limits expressed in weight of pollutant per unit time for each emissions unit affected by the bubble. The regulatory order or equivalent document shall include any conditions required to assure that subsection (2)(a) through (j) of this section will be satisfied. If the bubble depends in whole or in part upon the shutdown of equipment, the regulatory order or equivalent document must prohibit operation of the affected equipment. The regulatory order establishing the bubble is subject to the public involvement requirements of WAC 173-400-171.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 70.94.152. 05-03-033 (Order 03-07), § 173-400-120, filed 1/10/05, effective 2/10/05. Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.94 RCW. 93-18-007 (Order 93-03), § 173-400-120, filed 8/20/93, effective 9/20/93; 91-05-064 (Order 90-06), § 173-400-120, filed 2/19/91, effective 3/22/91. Statutory Authority: Chapters 43.21A and 70.94 RCW. 89-02-055 (Order 88-39), § 173-400-120, filed 1/3/89; 83-09-036 (Order DE 83-13), § 173-400-120, filed 4/15/83. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.94.331. 80-11-059 (Order DE 80-14), § 173-400-120, filed 8/20/80. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.21A.080 and 70.94.331. 79-06-012 (Order DE 78-21), § 173-400-120, filed 5/8/79; Order DE 76-38, § 173-400-120, filed 12/21/76. Formerly WAC 18-04-120.]