The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in a recent publication, proposed changes to the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants. These include modifications for institutional, commercial, and institution boilers and process heaters. These new emission limits are called Boiler MACT or Maximum Achievable Technology. The proposal proposes to adjust existing emission limits and establish stricter limits for major sources hazardous air pollutants. Comments are due 60 days following publication and must be submitted by October 24, 2020.
Performance stack test – The boiler must pass the performance stack test (PST), which requires that it operate at the minimum load to meet the emission limits set forth in Table 1 and Table 2. These tests measure the boiler’s average liquid flow rate, pressure drop, and total secondary electric power. These are the most important safety standards that institutions can adhere to. These standards are not applicable to all institutions. Some institutions use boilers that are only for limited purposes. If you have a facility with an existing PST, the EPA has guidelines for these types of units.
EPA standards also cover oil-fired boilers. The rule allows institutions to purchase an oil-fired boiler with a 0.50 percent sulfur content. These boilers must have an EPA Standard Temperature (PST) of 0.1 The HST emissions limit is based on arithmetic mean of four CMS data values during each fifteen-minute period. The amount of carbon dioxide in a single hour is the equivalent of the amount of CO2 in a bucket of water.
Institutions must also follow the federal boiler code in addition to the rules above. There are many regulations that govern Institutions boilers. The operating limits for each type of boiler vary. A typical year is 48 hours for a biomass-fired institution, and a year-long period for a coal-fired unit. These standards require periodic testing. The annual period must not exceed one year. These requirements must be met.
Most types of institutional boilers are regulated by the Clean Air Act. As part of the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized new standards for major source boilers. These standards apply to industrial and institutional boilers, and process heaters that transfer heat to other processes. Listed equipments are more likely to have low emissions than industrial or institutional boilers. Some exceptions are steam-fired or condensing systems.
In addition to the emission standards for Institutions boilers, operators must also comply with work practices standards, emission reduction measures, and management practices. For example, EPA requires that operators of boilers meet certain energy efficiency standards. They must also be compliant with the work practice standard for the unit. To avoid violating the law, they must adhere to the emission limits. They must also keep track of the fuel they use each month.