Permitting of Agricultural Sources of Air Pollution (SB 700)
Senate Bill 700, authored by Senator Florez, amended air pollution control requirements in the California Health and Safety Code to include permit requirements for certain agricultural sources of air pollution. Rice farming operations using diesel-fueled irrigation pumps may be subject to the permit requirements under certain circumstances.
The criteria used to determine whether or not a rice operation is affected by this requirement vary by region. There are essentially two different regions, each with different trigger levels based on severity of regional air quality. An explanation of these regions and associated trigger levels is as follows:
Northern Sacramento Valley
Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter (northern portion) and Yuba counties
Agricultural operations with actual emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) from stationary engines that exceed 50 tons per year must apply for an air district Permit to Operate, and sources with potential emissions that exceed 100 tons per year must also apply for a federal Title V Operating Permit. In this region, growers that farm less than 1,850 acres of rice are not likely to be subject to air district or federal Title V permit requirements. Growers that farm more than this amount of rice acreage (or a variety of additional crops) should either call their air district to inquire or use the attached guidance (provided on Butte County Air Quality Management District's Website) to calculate the actual NOx emissions from their farming operations. Emission calculations are made from stationary engines only and do not include on-road and off-road vehicles.
Southern Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys
Including Fresno, Merced, Placer, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Stanislaus, Sutter (southern portion only) and Yolo counties
Agricultural operations with actual emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) from stationary engines that exceed 12.5 tons per year must apply for an air district Permit to Operate, and sources with potential emissions that exceed 25 tons per year must also apply for a federal Title V Operating Permit. In this region, growers that farm less than 350 acres of rice are not likely to be subject to air district or federal Title V permit requirements. Growers that farm more than this amount of rice acreage (or a variety of additional crops) should either call their air district to inquire or use the attached guidance (provided on Butte County Air Quality Management District's Website) to calculate the actual NOx emissions from their farming operations. Emission calculations are made from stationary engines only and do not include on-road and off-road vehicles.
| Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley Air District Websites | |
| County | Air District Website |
| Butte | http://www.bcaqmd.org |
| Colusa | http://www.colusanet.com/apcd/ |
| Fresno | http://www.valleyair.org |
| Glenn | http://www.countyofglenn.net |
| Merced | http://www.valleyair.org |
| Placer | http://www.placer.ca.gov/airpollution/airpolut.htm |
| Sacramento | http://www.airquality.org |
| San Joaquin | http://www.valleyair.org |
| Stanislaus | http://www.valleyair.org |
| Sutter | http://www.fraqmd.org |
| Tehama | http://www.tehcoapcd.net |
| Yolo | http://www.ysaqmd.org |
| Yuba | http://www.fraqmd.org |
