DEPARTMENT OF natural resources and environmental control
Division of Air and Waste Management
FINAL
1114 Visible Emissions
Regulation No. 14 1114 Visible Emissions
07/17/1984
Section 1 –
1.1 The purpose of this regulation is to control the emissions of visible air contaminants from all stationary sources except electric arc furnaces and their associated dust-handling equipment as set forth in Section 2.2 of this regulation.
1.2 Measurements of air contaminant visibility shall be in accordance with accepted practices of Ringelmann values or opacity percentages.
1.3 The provisions of this regulation shall not apply to the start-up and shutdown of equipment which operates continuously or in an extended steady state when emissions from such equipment during start-up and shutdown are governed by an operation permit issued pursuant to the provisions of Section 2, Regulation No. 2 2.0 of 7 DE Admin. Code 1102.
07/1719/84
Section 2 –
2.1 No person shall cause or allow the emission of visible air contaminants and/or smoke from a stationary or mobile source, the shade or appearance of which is greater than twenty (20%) percent 20% opacity for an aggregate of more than three (3) minutes in any one (1) hour or more than fifteen (15) 15 minutes in any twenty-four (24) 24 hour period. For guideline purposes only, Shade Number 1 of the Ringlemann Smoke Chart coincides with the regulatory limit of 20% opacity, when observing black smoke.
2.2 The requirements of Section 2.1 of this regulation shall not apply to electric arc furnaces, and their associated dust-handling equipment, with a capacity of more than 100 tons which are governed by Regulation No. 23 7 DE Admin. Code 1123.
2.3 The requirements of Section 2.1 of this regulation shall not apply to any existing Catalytic Cracking Unit. No person shall cause or allow the emission of visible air contaminants and/or smoke from any existing Catalytic Cracking Unit, the shade or appearance of which is greater than 50% opacity.
07/17/1984
Section 3 –
3.1 Whenever the Secretary determines that a source complies with an applicable mass emission standard and demonstrates that the opacity of the complying emissions is more restrictive than the requirements of Section 2.1 of this regulation, the Secretary will make an appropriate adjustment to the opacity standard for the affected source.
3.2 Whenever an owner or operator can establish compliance with an applicable mass emission standard and fails to comply with Section 2.1 of this regulation, the owner or operator may petition the Secretary setting forth the results of the emission testing and/or evaluation and request the Secretary to make an appropriate adjustment to the opacity standard for the affected source.
3.3 The Secretary may grant such a petition as outlined in Section 3.2 of this regulation upon a demonstration by the owner or operator that the affected source and associated air pollution control equipment was operated and maintained during the mass emission test in a manner to minimize the opacity of emissions during emission testing and/or evaluation that the mass emissions testing was performed in accordance with procedures approved by the Department; and that the affected source and associated air pollution control equipment is incapable of continuously meeting applicable opacity standards as set forth in Section 2.1 of this regulation.
3.4 The Secretary may establish an opacity standard for the affected source at a level at which the source will be able to meet the adjusted opacity standard at all times during which the source is meeting the applicable mass emission rate standard. The Secretary will make the adjusted opacity standard a part of the operating permit in the form of an operating condition.
3.5 Any action by the Secretary pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 3.0 of this regulation shall be incorporated in the State Implementation Plan.
07/17/1984
Section 4 –
4.1 For purposes of this regulation, compliance with opacity standards shall be in accordance with Subsection 1.5(c) of Regulation 20 1.5.3 of 7 DE Admin. Code 1120.
