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 First adopted in 1998,
Rule 1118 - Control of Emissions from Refinery Flares
(96.4Kb pdf) required refineries and related facilities
to provide AQMD with data regarding the nature and quantity of emissions
produced by their vent-gas flaring operations.
The following table presents flare emissions data reported in tons per year
by facilities subject to Rule 1118. These data show that flare
emissions decreased in the years following the adoption of Rule 1118 in
1998. These voluntary reductions in flare gas flow and associated
emissions resulted as the refineries became more sensitive to flaring
issues, implemented voluntary measures to reduce the vent gas flow combusted
in the flares, and better managed their flare operations.
Rule 1118 Reported Annual Flare Emissions
(tons)
| Year |
Flow(scf) |
NOx |
VOC |
CO |
PM10 |
SOx |
Total |
| 2000 |
4,085,000,000 |
136 |
125 |
733 |
43 |
2,633 |
3,670 |
| 2001 |
8,324,000,000 |
380 |
456 |
2,058 |
87 |
1,793 |
4,774 |
| 2002 |
2,440,000,000 |
83 |
78 |
450 |
25 |
754 |
1,390 |
| 2003 |
2,235,000,000 |
79 |
75 |
423 |
23 |
735 |
1,335 |
| 2004 |
2,392,000,000 |
93 |
70 |
364 |
27 |
352 |
906 |
A significant decrease in SOx
emissions from flaring is evident over the reporting period, but flaring was
still a significant source of such emissions in the region.
The November 4, 2005 amendment of Rule 1118 established additional
requirements to ensure that flare operations were limited to emergencies,
shutdowns, startups and other essential operational needs, beginning
January 1, 2007. In addition, the amendment also included provisions
that would require each flare operator to:
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Establish a 24-hour telephone "hotline" to
respond to public inquiries about the flares and flare events;
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Notify AQMD within one hour of an unplanned flare
event or at least twenty-four hours prior to any planned flare event;
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Achieve performance emission targets for oxides of sulfur(SOx);
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Record relevant flare emission data
and submit the information to AQMD on a quarterly basis;
-
Develop and submit to AQMD a flare minimization plan that will require facilities
in excess of the emission targets to outline their strategy for
achieving the emission performance targets in the coming year.
The changes to Rule 1118 are expected to reduce
SOx emissions from
about 4000 pounds per day in 2003 to less than 1000 pounds per day by 2012.
Further information can be obtained from the Rule 1118
Staff Report (October, 2005) and
the Rule 1118
Implementation Guidance Document (April,
2006).
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