How is Pet Coke Regulated?
There are no national emission standards that apply specifically to the storage and handling of petroleum coke. However, EPA has established National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter 10 micrometers and smaller (referred to as PM10).
To meet the NAAQS, states must:
- create regulations to limit the emissions of particulate matter from emission units in their state
- establish a permit program for construction and operation of such sources
- submit those regulations to EPA as part of their Air State Implementation Plan (SIP). EPA approves those regulations and they become enforceable by both state and federal government.
Particulate matter standards vary state by state. They can be more stringent in areas of a state that have a history of non-attainment with the NAAQS.
- National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
- Particulate Matter
- State Implementation Plan Overview
Illinois regulations contain several provisions to limit emissions of dust from outdoor storage piles and material handling operations, including:
- a prohibition against fugitive dust crossing property boundaries
- limits on the opacity (i.e. darkness) of visible dust
- requirements to submit a fugitive dust plan to the Illinois EPA
Illinois Air State Implementation Plan - see Part 212
See also the sidebar: What are state and local governments doing?
For more Clean Air Act information, see:
- The Clean Air Act in a Nutshell: How it works (PDF) (23 pp, 235 K, About PDF) March 22, 2013
- Section 114 of the Clean Air Act Exit