A breakdown is defined as an unforeseeable failure or malfunction of equipment, air pollution control equipment, or related operating equipment which causes a violation of any rule, law, permit condition, or emission limitation; or any in-stack continuous emission monitoring (CEM) equipment failure or malfunction.
Breakdown/Title V Deviation Reporting Form
The facility may qualify for relief from enforcement for up to 24 hours or the end of the production run, whichever is sooner. CEM equipment breakdowns may qualify for up to 96 hours of relief. If need be, the facility may apply for an emergency variance to give it more time to solve the problem causing the violation.
To be eligible for breakdown relief, the following conditions must be met:
Note: A breakdown does not need to be reported unless a District rule or permit condition will be violated as a result of the incident.
The District will investigate and determine whether the condition constitutes a breakdown. If it determines that the condition does not constitute a breakdown, the facility will be notified of the denial and, consequently, the Air Pollution Control Officer may take appropriate enforcement action.
The facility must submit a written report within 10 days after a breakdown condition has been corrected. The report must include:
If the breakdown is expected to last more than 24 hours (96 hours for CEM equipment) the facility should file a petition for an emergency variance prior to the expiration of the breakdown period.
An emergency variance can grant the facility up to 30 days to repair the breakdown and achieve compliance.
For more information about breakdowns, please consult District Rule 1100 - Equipment Breakdown or contact the Compliance Department.
