Rule 463: Organic Liquid Storage
Beginning June 7, 2026, owners or operators of internal floating
roof tanks must install secondary seals in accordance with Rule
463 requirements. Secondary seals must be added at the time of
the next internal API 653 inspection or the next time the tank is
cleaned and degassed, whichever occurs first.
Rule 1146.2: Emissions of Oxides of Nitrogen from Large
Water Heaters and Small Boilers and Process Heaters
Beginning January 1, 2026, Type 1 units with a rated heat
input capacity less than or equal to 400,000 Btu per hour and
instantaneous water heaters with a rated heat input capacity less
than or equal to 200,000 Btu per hour for installation in new
buildings must comply with zero-emission limits.
Rule 1148.1: Oil and Gas Production Wells
Engines, gas turbines, and fuel cells using produced gas at
onshore oil producing wells, well cellars, and produced gas
handling and maintenance operations must meet a lower NOx
standard and begin source testing starting August 2, 2026.
Rule 1151: Motor Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Non-
Assembly Line Coating Operations
Automotive refinishing coatings, with the exception of color
coatings, containing tert-Butyl Acetate (t-BAc) or para-
Chlorobenzotriflouride (pCBtF) may not be manufactured for
sale or use in South Coast AQMD after May 1, 2025. Coatings
manufactured before that date may continue to be sold for use
in South Coast AQMD until May 1, 2026, and may continue
to be used in the South Coast AQMD until July 1, 2027.
Automotive refinishing color coatings containing t-BAc or
pCBtF may not be manufactured for sale or use in South Coast
AQMD after November 1, 2025. Coatings manufactured before
that date may continue to be sold for use in South Coast AQMD
until November 1, 2026, and may continue to be used in the
South Coast AQMD until January 1, 2028.
Rule 1159.1: Control of NOx Emissions from Nitric Acid
Tanks
Facilities with one or more Nitric Acid Tanks shall, no later
than January 1, 2026, demonstrate: 1) NOx emissions from
nitric acid tanks are below a combined emission rate based on
source tests; 2) additions of nitric acid to tanks do not exceed
per tank or per facility limits; or 3) submit a permit application
if installing a control device for a nitric acid tank.
Rule 1168: Adhesive and Sealant Applications
Beginning January 1, 2026:
• Clear, paintable, and immediately water-resistant sealants
exceeding 250 g/L VOCs may not be manufactured for
sale and use within South Coast AQMD. These products
manufactured prior to January 1, 2026, may be sold until
January 1, 2029, and used until January 1, 2030;
• Clear, paintable, and immediately water-resistant sealants
containing pCBtF or t-BAc may not be manufactured for sale
or use in South Coast AQMD. These products manufactured
prior to January 1, 2026, may be sold until January 1, 2029,
and used until January 1, 2030; and
• Each container of Foam Insulation, One-Component Foam
Sealants, High-Pressure Two-Component Foam Sealants, and
Low Pressure Two-Component Foam Sealant shall display
the VOC content on the label as percent VOC by weight.
Rule 1171: Solvent Cleaning Operations
Beginning January 1, 2026, solvent cleaning materials
containing pCBtF or t-BAc may not be manufactured for sale
or use in South Coast AQMD. These solvent cleaning materials
manufactured prior to January 1, 2026, containing t-BAc or
pCBtF, may be sold until January 1, 2027, and used until
July 1, 2028.
Rule 1173: Control of Volatile Organic Compound Leaks
and Releases from Components at Petroleum Facilities and
Chemical Plants
Operators of refineries, re-refiners, chemical plants, marine
terminals, oil and gas production sites, natural gas processing
plants, and pipeline transfer stations must begin monitoring all
components using Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) and maintain
valves, fittings, and other components below 100 ppm VOC,
maintain compressors and light liquid pumps below 400 ppm
VOC, and begin monitoring and tagging of fin fans by
January 1, 2026.
Rule 1180: Fenceline and Community Air Monitoring for
Petroleum Refineries and Related Facilities
Rule 1180.1: Fenceline and Community Air Monitoring for
Other Refineries
Phase two community air monitoring system fees are due by
January 31, 2026.
Rule 1405: Control of Ethylene Oxide Emissions from
Sterilization and Related Operations
Small and medium facilities performing EtO (ethylene oxide)
sterilization must vent captured fugitive EtO emissions to a
compliant control system by January 1, 2026. Small facilities
sterilizing and aerating separately and all medium facilities
must sterilize within a permanent total enclosure, also by
January 1, 2026.
These brief rule summaries and compliance deadlines are
provided for informational purposes only. Please consult
the rule language available at: https://www.aqmd.gov/home/rules-compliance/rules for complete requirements. If there is
a discrepancy between the information included here and the
rule language adopted by the Governing Board, the official
rule language shall govern.