C4. Air Emissions

Code 8.0

Air emissions of volatile organic chemicals, aerosols, corrosives, particulates, ozone depleting substances, and combustion byproducts generated from operations shall be characterized, routinely monitored, controlled, and treated as required prior to discharge. Ozone-depleting substances shall be effectively managed in accordance with the Montreal Protocol and applicable regulations. Participants shall conduct routine monitoring of the performance of its air emission control systems.

Elements to Demonstrate Compliance to RBA Code

1. Policy

Ensure the facility environmental policy includes air emission elements including:

• a. Air emissions are routinely monitored.
• b. Proper Air emission control systems are in place and routinely monitored for performance.
• c. Environmental noise levels are within regulatory limits.

2. Procedures & Practices

Procedures & Practices are in place such that:

• a. The facility has fully characterized its air emissions (type, nature, quantity, etc.)
  • i. Ozone depleting substances are clearly labeled.
• b. The supplier has all required emissions permits and is in compliance with all permit requirements and local environmental standards. Results are tabulated and regularly reported.
• c. Treatment
  • i. Air emissions are treated prior to discharge in accordance with permit requirements.
  • ii. Where required, the facility has exhaust ventilation systems designed to capture emissions and pollution treatment systems (i.e. scrubbers, catalytic removal, thermal oxidation, etc.,), which reduce emission to an acceptable level before discharging,
  • iii. The facility has exhaust ventilation systems designed to capture emissions at the source and pollution treatment systems (i.e. scrubbers, catalytic removal, thermal oxidation, etc.), to remove or reduce the concentration of emissions before discharge, as required by local laws and regulations.
• d. Noise
  • i. Adequate and effective procedures are in place for environmental noise control including boundary noise sources are identified, evaluated, routinely monitored, and controlled.
  • ii. Boundary noise levels are evaluated per the permit conditions upon changes to zoning or land use permits about the facility or if there are any community noise complaints, and boundary noise–level criteria are set accordingly.
  • iii. Adequate and effective process to track and review environmental noise.
  • iv. Appropriate boundary-noise-control devices are installed and maintained to control boundary noise levels include:
    1. A routine preventive maintenance program
    2. System efficiency monitoring program
    3. A program to evaluate the integrity of existing boundary-noise-control devices.

3. Controls & Monitoring

Controls & Monitoring should include:

• a. A program to evaluate the integrity of existing process air emission treatment and noise control systems:
  • i. Regularly test of the air emission and noise control systems
  • ii. Correct any identified deficiencies immediately.
• b. A specific individual or individuals within the facility organization who will be responsible for all aspects of process air emission treatment and noise control.
• c. Engineering and administrative systems intended to improve resource and equipment operations and efficiency, reducing emissions and noise, are in good repair or operating at high capacity.

4. Records

Records are maintained including:

• a. Inspection records of air emission and their points of discharge are maintained and available for review.
• b. Testing and reporting records are maintained and available for review for air emissions and environmental noise.
• c. Revise the inventory after any changes to the production or process that are likely to affect air emissions.
• d. The list of air emissions and Ozone Depleting Substances is up to date and accurate.

2.0.0 (2022-06-01)

Changed

• Not-Applicable exemption narrowed to exclude sites with ODS: The Not-Applicable exemption was narrowed from "No air emissions - site does not have requirements for air emissions" to "No air emissions AND no Ozone Depleting Substances". A facility that has ODS but no other air emissions could be exempted (Not-Applicable = pass) under 7.0.0 but can no longer be exempted under 7.1.2 — it must now be assessed against the ODS/Montreal-Protocol requirements and could fail. A prior pass can become a fail, hence major.

Removed

• Reduction-program and emergency-response conformance items dropped: The 7.0.0 mandatory reduction-program elements, the resource-efficiency hierarchy, and the emergency-response-on-malfunction item were removed from the conformance requirements. A loosening (it only removes ways to fail), so it does not drive the severity; the Not-Applicable narrowing above makes the boundary major.

1.0.0 (2021-01-01)

Changed

• Initial historical baseline — Air Emissions (RBA Code of Conduct 7.0, code C5): Earliest imported version of the criterion (published as C5 under VAP 7.0.0). Air emissions of volatile organic chemicals, aerosols, corrosives, particulates, ozone depleting substances, and combustion byproducts characterized, routinely monitored, controlled, and treated prior to discharge; ODS managed per the Montreal Protocol; emission control systems with preventive maintenance and integrity evaluation; a mandatory reduction program (annual objectives, tracking, progress monitoring, off-track adjustments) and resource-efficiency hierarchy; emergency-response actions on treatment malfunction; and boundary noise identification, evaluation, monitoring, and control. Not-Applicable exemption applied broadly to any site with no air emissions.