If you own or operate a stationary [1] generator, pump, compressor or some other piece of stationary equipment then you probably need to “retrofit” its engine to comply with federal National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) covering stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE). Leading engine manufacturers warn that compliance is not going to be cheap, easy, or quick – especially when a limited number of qualified experts have just over two months to meet the nation’s retrofit needs. Also be aware that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently to the RICE NESHAP rule, mainly regarding RICE used for emergency or back-up power (78 Fed. Reg. 6674, Jan. 30, 2013). EPA just announced it will host a series of free in advance of the May 3, 2013, compliance deadline.
Nearly one million existing stationary diesel RICE are affected by the federal standards and certain existing non-emergency engines (see below) must cut exhaust levels of carbon monoxide by 70 percent or more. The U.S. EPA published the final NESHAP for stationary RICE on March 3, 2010, at (75 FR 9648). EPA set the following dates for compliance with the national emission limits and operating limits—
- Non-Emergency Diesel (compression-ignition or CI) Engines by May 3, 2013.
- Non-Emergency Gas (spark-ignition or SI) Engines by Oct. 19, 2013.
- Combustion Portal:
- RICE Quiz:
- Replace the numerical emissions limits for existing area source, spark ignition engines above 500 horsepower in populated areas with requirements to install catalytic controls with an initial test and annual performance test checks of the catalyst and to equip the engine with a high temperature shutdown device or monitor the catalyst inlet temperature continuously;
- Subject existing area source, spark ignition four-stroke engines above 500 HP that are not located in populated areas to management practice standards;
- Allow certain compression ignition engines scheduled for replacement - due to state or local rules - to meet management practices rather than emissions limits until January 1, 2015 (or 12 years after installation date, but not later than June 1, 2018);
- Add a 30 percent reduction of total hydrocarbon emissions as an alternative for demonstrating compliance with the formaldehyde emissions limit for 4-stroke, rich burn, spark ignition engines above 500 HP;
- Subject existing area source, compression ignition, non-emergency engines above 300 HP on offshore drilling vessels to management practice requirements; and
- Broaden the definition of “remote areas of Alaska” to allow wider use of the option to comply with management practices rather than emissions limits.