EPA proposes Maryland air plan approval for NOx limits at municipal waste combustors
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
This proposal would approve Maryland’s updated air rules for municipal waste combustors, which are the state’s large trash-burning incinerators. The main effect is tighter nitrogen oxide limits, continuous monitoring, and reporting requirements for the two large facilities in Maryland, plus updated definitions and operating rules that help make the standards enforceable. For operators, the practical takeaway is that Maryland’s limits for startup, shutdown, warm-up, and normal operation would become part of the federally approved state air plan if finalized. The public can comment through May 29, 2026, and affected facilities should review whether their current monitoring, logging, and emissions controls match the proposed limits.
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Key Changes
- EPA would approve Maryland’s NOx RACT rules for municipal waste combustors as part of the state air plan.
- The proposal sets updated NOx limits for Maryland’s two large municipal waste combustors, including separate limits for normal operation and startup/shutdown periods.
- Large facilities would need continuous emissions monitoring and quarterly reporting, with updated definitions and operating rules added to the SIP.
Obligations
What this law requires
Maryland municipal waste combustor operators at the two large facilities must meet individual NOx 30-day rolling average emission limits: 105 ppmv for Montgomery County Resource Recovery Facility and 145 ppmv for Wheelabrator Baltimore, Inc.
During startup and shutdown, the Montgomery County Resource Recovery Facility must comply with a facility-wide NOx limit of 202 lbs/hr timed-average mass loading over a 24-hour period, and Wheelabrator Baltimore, Inc. must comply with a facility-wide NOx limit of 252 lbs/hr timed-average mass loading over a 24-hour period.
Startup and shutdown procedures for a large municipal waste combustor must not exceed three hours per occurrence.
Large municipal waste combustors must continuously monitor NOx emissions using a continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS).
Large municipal waste combustors must submit quarterly reports to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE).