The CARB plans to amend the Emission Inventory Criteria Guidelines Regulation to include provisions for diesel engines in the AB 2588 Program. The information presented in this web site regarding AB 2588 requirements for diesel engines is subject to final approval of CARB’s rule amendments. Under the current CARB’s proposal, it is expected that the Air Toxics “Hot Spots” Information and Assessment Act (AB 2588) will require facilities with diesel engines to report their diesel emissions starting in 2006. In order to reduce the compliance cost to facilities, AQMD staff will use the Rule 1470 Compliance Status Report submittal for each facility to estimate emissions and health risks and assess the facility’s status in the AB 2588 program. This will enable the AQMD staff to ensure compliance with both programs and determine if a facility must prepare a health risk assessment and, if necessary, perform public notification and implement risk reduction.
Under the current CARB’s proposal, for new facilities with diesel engines that are not currently in the AB 2588 Program, the AQMD staff will estimate health risk from the information submitted in the Compliance Status Reports. For existing AB 2588 facilities, the AQMD staff will estimate health risk associated with the diesel engines from the Compliance Status Reports and add it to the risk from the other equipment at the facility to estimate a facility-wide health risk. Based on the estimated risks, the AQMD staff will place the facilities in different categories, if appropriate, which will determine if they are subject to any other AB 2588 requirements and/or fees.
According to the current proposed CARB’s regulation, the AQMD staff may classify a facility as a “Diesel Engine-Only” facility if diesel PM is the only air pollutant released from the facility that has the potential to impact public health. A “Diesel Engine-Only” facility is eligible for modified requirements for inventory reporting, risk assessment, public notification, and fees. However, if a “Diesel Engine Only” facility increases its emissions of any listed substance, including diesel PM, the facility is immediately subject to the AB 2588 requirements and must submit a complete inventory report to the AQMD upon request. An existing AB 2588 facility with “low priority” score may also request that the AQMD include them in the “Diesel Engine Only” facility classification.
Under the current CARB’s proposal, an existing AB 2588 facility designated as “intermediate priority” or “high priority” score may not be classified as a “Diesel Engine Only” facility. An existing AB 2588 facility with an approved Health Risk Assessment designated as “low risk” may also not be classified as a “Diesel Engine Only” facility.
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