Manure Manager

Features Regional Regulations
Deadline looms for CA air permits


December 9, 2010  by Western United Dairymen

December 1, 2010 –
December 10 is the deadline for submitting air quality permit applications due
to new emission permitting thresholds.
December 1, 2010 –
December 10 is the deadline for submitting air quality permit applications due
to new emission permitting thresholds.

The San Joaquin Valley Air
Pollution Control District
has changed its attainment status to extreme (the
worst possible status) with the result that many smaller farming operations now
fall under emission permitting thresholds.

The major source threshold
has dropped from 25 tons per year of NOx and VOC emissions to 10 tons per year.
Agriculture facilities have been required to obtain air permits with emissions
of half the major source threshold, so the new rules mean that the permit
threshold for agricultural sources is now five tons per year for NOx and VOCs.

The immediate impact for
Central Valley dairies is that those with herds of approximately 175 cows or
more will be subject to district air permit requirements.

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Western United Dairymen
(WUD)
members are encouraged to contact their local field representative for
assistance in filling out the air quality permit applications by the Dec. 10,
2010 deadline.

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