Bay Area Air Quality Management District proposes rule changes for refinery conversions

In California, two of the five petroleum refineries in the Bay Area have submitted permit applications to modify the facility operation to process alternative feedstocks with the intention of producing “renewable” products. These facilities use the term “renewable” to mean they will be producing fuel and other products by processing non-petroleum feedstocks. Petroleum refineries are subject to a variety of Bay Area Air Quality Management District rules and regulations. Some of these rules are exclusively applicable to petroleum refineries, and some of these rules are applicable to petroleum refineries as well as other facilities.  Most of these rules determine the applicability by using the definition of petroleum refinery. There are also instances where a particular standard, requirement, or exemption is dependent on terms like fossil-derived, fossil-fuel, petroleum, and crude oil.

To ensure that the facilities that produce fuels and other products from non-petroleum feedstocks remain subject to and in compliance with the same emission standards and rule requirements that were in effect when the feedstock was petroleum based, the Air District is proposing amendments to several of the rules. The Air District’s Board of Directors will be conducting a public hearing to consider adoption of the proposed amendments to refinery rules definitions on Wednesday, November 3, 2021. The Air District is providing this Public Hearing Notice, Staff Report, and proposed amended rule language for public review and comments.