On January 15, 2013, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized revisions to standards to reduce air pollution from stationary engines that generate electricity and power equipment at industrial, agricultural, oil and gas production, power generation and other facilities.
The final amendments to the 2010 “National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines (RICE)” reflect new technical information submitted by stakeholders after the 2010 standards were issued.
According to EPA, the final amendments include monitoring and compliance options for certain large spark ignition (generally natural gas-fueled) stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines, management practices for a subset of existing spark ignition stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines in populated areas, and alternative testing options for such engines in sparsely populated areas. The final amendments also establish management practices for existing compression ignition engines on offshore vessels.
Further, the final amendments establish limits on the hours that stationary emergency engines may be used for emergency demand response and establishing fuel and reporting requirements for certain emergency engines used for emergency demand response, and correct certain minor technical or editing errors in the current regulations for stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines.
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