Welcome to the RBLC Web Site
Under EPA's "New Source Review" (NSR) program, if a company is planning to build a new
plant or modify an existing plant such that air pollution emissions will increase by a large amount,
then the company must obtain an NSR permit. The NSR permit is a construction permit which requires
the company to minimize air pollution emissions by changing the process to prevent air pollution
and/or installing air pollution control equipment. For more information on the NSR program, go to
www.epa.gov/ttn/nsr.
The terms "RACT," "BACT," and "LAER" are acronyms for different program requirements under the
NSR program.
- RACT, or Reasonably Available Control Technology, is required on existing sources in areas
that are not meeting national ambient air quality standards (i.e., non-attainment areas).
- BACT, or Best Available Control Technology, is required on major new or modified sources in
clean areas (i.e., attainment areas).
- LAER, or Lowest Achievable Emission Rate, is required on major new or modified sources in
non-attainment areas.
BACT and LAER (and sometimes RACT) are determined on a case-by-case basis, usually by State or
local permitting agencies. EPA established the RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse, or RBLC,
to provide a central database of air pollution technology information (including past RACT, BACT,
and LAER decisions contained in NSR permits) to promote the sharing of information among
permitting agencies and to aid in future case-by-case determinations. However, data in the RBLC
are not limited to sources subject to RACT, BACT, and LAER requirements. Noteworthy prevention and
control technology decisions and information are included even if they are not related to past RACT,
BACT, or LAER decisions.
back to top of page
The RBLC permit data base contains over 5,000 determinations that can help
you identify appropriate technologies to mitigate most air pollutant emission streams. The RBLC
permit data base
was designed to help permit applicants and reviewers make pollution prevention and control
technology decisions for stationary air pollution sources and includes data submitted by several
U.S. territories and all 50 States on over 200 different air pollutants and 1,000 industrial processes.
You can search the RBLC permit data base on-line. You choose what you want to see by making
selections in a search routine or typing in search criteria. The result is a subset of data that
you can either view, print, or downloaded to your PC.
The RBLC permit data base groups the data into three levels:
- Facility data,
- Process data, and
- Pollutant data.
The data are organized so that each facility determination may have multiple processes and each
process may emit multiple pollutants. Each facility has at least one process and at least one
pollutant. Together these data make up the RBLC permit data base.
back to top of page
The RBLC gives you several options for searching the permit data base on-line to locate the
determinations you are most interested in:
- Basic Search
- Find the Lowest Emission Rate Search
- Standard Search
- Advanced Search
- Search by RBLC Identifier
Whichever option is used, the RBLC saves the results of your search in a data set that you can view
on-line. You can select successively more detailed information by examining the processes and pollutants
that comprise the determination for any facility found by your search. You can also choose a report
format and save your results in a file to download it to your PC.
The Basic Search is the easiest search routine for the new user of RBLC. There are a
limited number of search criteria, most of which have drop-down lists to choose from.
The Find the Lowest Emission Rate Search provides a rank order listing (most stringent to
least stringent emission rate) for the process and pollutant you select. The search is currently
limited to combustion sources but will be expanded in the future.
The Standard Search option offers more flexibility. It allows you to build a search
by selecting from groups of facility, process, and pollutant attributes.
Choose one or more search criteria as needed to find the information you want. Where possible,
pick-lists with the set of allowable values are provided. You can even specify a comparison operator
for many data fields. The standard search provides flexibility for designing a customized search along
with on-line help to ensure that the search will be successful in finding the desired data.
The Advanced Search option is the fastest way to build and run a customized search. It allows
you to fill in a series of input boxes in order to build a search criteria. The search
criteria consists of one to three separate search criteria joined by a connector -- 'and' or 'or'.
For each of these criteria, you can choose from any of 15 searchable fields, use one of the allowable
comparison operators, and specify the value you want to match or compare. The advanced search allows more
sophisticated RBLC users to design a search that locates a targeted set of matching determinations.
The Search by RBLC Identifier allows you to type in from one to three RBLC
identifiers (RBLC ID). The RBLC ID is a number assigned by the RBLC during data entry.
Each permit action is assigned a unique RBLC ID. Each ID starts with the two-letter
State abbreviation followed by a four-digit number. If you are looking for a specific facility
and you know it's RBLC ID, this is the fastest way to get to it.
back to top of page
You obtain reports from the RBLC permit data base by downloading selected data to your PC.
You must perform a search and create a valid data set at least once in order to download.
All of the RBLC search options allow you to select the format of the downloaded data. Choose from
summary and detail listings or a comma-delimited format that can be imported into spreadsheets or
desktop data bases. After you select the format, RBLC processes the data set to extract the
information needed for the output format and writes the data to a file. When processing is complete,
your file is available to your web browser. Depending on how you have configured your browser, the
file will be immediately available for saving on your local PC or will first be displayed in the
browser. Either way, use your browser to download the file. Choose as many download formats as you
like for the same data set before beginning another search or exiting the RBLC Web.
back to top of page
The RBLC regulation data base contains summaries of regulations and control technique guidelines
(CTG) that have been enacted at the federal level in response to the Clean Air Act and Amendments.
The regulation data base is organized so that a rule is associated with the type of facility whose
pollutant emissions are governed by the regulation. This facility is referred to as the affected
facility. Information at the regulation/affected facility level includes rule status, statutory
basis for emission limits, proposed and effective dates, references to supporting technical
documentation, and explanatory notes. Each affected facility consists of one or more processes that
are regulated by the rule. Each process, in turn, consists of information on one or more pollutants
and the emission limits required by the regulation. Pollutant-level information includes details
about add-on equipment and/or pollution prevention methods that can satisfy the rule, estimated
capital costs, annualized costs, and cost effectiveness in dollars per ton.
The RBLC Data Base Search page contains links to the options for searching the regulation data base.
These options function like the same commands for the RBLC Permit Data Base. You can search the
data base, view information on-line, and format selected rules as report files to be transferred
to your local PC. For newer rules, including MACT standards, the complete text of the regulation
and supporting background information documents is available on
the OAR Policy & Guidance (OAR P&G;) Web site. At the
OAR P&G; web site, you can use your browser's Find command to locate all the files associated
with a particular regulation.
back to top of page
RBLC gives designated users from State and local agencies the opportunity to input their agency's
determinations directly. Other users who are aware of a source or who have a unique process should
contact their State or local air quality authority with the pertinent information. Authorized users
can select from electronic or paper submittals:
- RBLC standalone editor for new determinations
- RBLC Web editor for new or updated determinatins
- Hard-copy submittals
Designated users can obtain a copy of the RBLC standalone editor to input new determinations for
their agency on a local PC and then transfer the data to the RBLC system administrator for inclusion
in the on-line data base. All the files you need and installation instructions can be downloaded
from the RBLC Software area.
Agency users with update responsibility who wish to add or change determinations using the RBLC Web
must obtain update authority and use an RBLC password in order to take advantage of this feature.
To receive an RBLC password, call
EPA at (919) 541-2736. To input new determinations or update determinations already entered for
their agency, authorized users must go to the Data Entry area of the RBLC Web.
Then the user must enter the correct password and select the option to add or edit RBLC
determination(s). RBLC displays a warning message and denies access if you try to update a
determination not authorized for your agency.
A blank input form that you can print and use for paper submittals is available from the
RBLC Documents area. Completed input forms can be mailed directly to EPA at:
Joe Steigerwald
RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse
USEPA (E143-03)
RTP, NC 27711
back to top of page
In addition to the Permit and Regulation data bases, the RBLC contains links to software,
documents, State/local agency contacts, and other technical information. The RBLC Software area
contains the RBLC Standalone Editor, mentioned above under Data Entry. RBLC Documents include the
User's Manual, Data Entry form, and annual reports of RBLC activity. State and local Agency Links
provides links to State and local air permitting agencies. The Reference Library contains links
to other clearinghouses and web sites where air pollution technology information may be found.
The Tool Box has links to software tools that can be used to estimate emissions, evaluate
alternative control and prevention technologies, or identify less polluting materials.
When you have a question about the RBLC, browse through the list of downloadable files in the
RBLC Documents area. The information you need may be available on-line. You can display text
files directly in your browser. (These files are indicated by a TXT or PDF icon in the list of files).
Follow your browser's procedures for viewing a file. You must download and dearchive files with a
ZIP extension. To download a file from the RBLC Web, follow the file transfer procedures for your
browser. Also, be sure to get a copy of the dearchiver from the
File Compression Utilities section of the TTNWeb.
back to top of page
|
