Proposed Amended Rule 1302 – Definitions

California Senate Bill (SB) 1383 requires the increased diversion of organic waste from landfills, whose owners/operators have the option of conducting open composting via windrows or enclosed composting vented to emission control equipment. While windrow composting does not require a South Coast AQMD permit, an enclosed composting operation is subject to: 1) Rule 1133.3 – Emission Reductions from Composting Operations, which requires emissions to be routed to emission control equipment; 2) Regulation II – Permits, which requires a permit to operate the emission control equipment; and 3) Regulation XIII – New Source Review, which requires the purchase of emission offsets. Rule 1302 – Definitions, contains key terms used throughout Regulation XIII, such as the term Essential Public Service, which currently includes the construction and operation of a landfill gas control or processing facility that may otherwise now be subject to organic waste diversion requirements in SB 1383. Any facility which qualifies as an Essential Public Service obtains emission offsets from the Priority Reserve at no charge. The purpose of Proposed Amended Rule 1302 (PAR 1302) is to expand the definition of Essential Public Service to include composting operations subject to Rule 1133.3 that are vented to emission control systems which are capable of achieving at least an 80 percent emission reduction by weight (e.g., aeration systems or enhanced emission controls) and provide access to the emission offsets from the Priority Reserve. While PAR 1302 will not require or result in emission reductions or require the installation of air pollution control equipment, certain composting operations will benefit from qualifying as an Essential Public Service and obtaining emission offsets from the Priority Reserve, so long as all applicable criteria are satisfied, by eliminating the costs of purchasing emission offsets from the open market.