AIMs Facts
What is AIMs?
Air Information Management System (AIMS)
Regulatory requirements include Title V permitting, the Annual Inventory, and Emission Statements, as well as other regulations that are part of the State Implementation Plan (SIP). The Title V regulation is found in the Pennsylvania Code, Title 25, Chapter 127. The Annual Inventory regulation is found in the Pennsylvania Code, Title 25, Chapter 135.1-135.5. The Emission Statement regulation is found in Pennsylvania Code, Title 25, Chapter 135.21. The Emission Statement information is due March 1 of each year. The Annual Inventory information is due March 1 or within 60 days of the date the facility is notified by DEP that the facility is subject to Annual Inventory, whichever is later. DEP has chosen March 1 as the deadline for the forms to avoid having to request Emission Statement and Annual Inventory information separately.
When a facility submits the necessary information to the appropriate DEP regional office, the inspector responsible for the plant enters the data into the Bureau of Air Quality’s computer database. This database is called the Air Information Management System (AIMS). AIMS data confirmation reports showing site emissions totals are sent each summer to all companies whose data entry into AIMS has been completed.
Who must submit Annual Emission Statements (AES)?
All owners/operators of Title V facilities must complete the AES. Owners/operators of Title V facilities are subject to the Annual Emission Statement because by definition they exceed the reporting thresholds in the Emission Statement and SIP regulations. Inventory information from Title V facilities is used for emission fee purposes and, in combination with other information, to demonstrate compliance.
Facilities Inventoried for Emission Statement Purposes
Owners or operators of facilities that are located in Bucks, Chester, Delaware or Montgomery Counties that emit or have the potential to emit 25 tons or more per year of VOC or 25 tons or more per year of NOx are required to report. Owners or operators of facilities located in the remainder of the Commonwealth that emit or have a potential to emit 50 tons or more per year of VOC or 100 tons or more per year of NOx must complete the AES. Facilities that emit less than 25 tons per year of either oxides of nitrogen or VOC and that are on the exemption list do not have to complete the AES.
Owners/operators of facilities must report VOC and NOx actual emissions of 1.0 TPY or more per sub facility. Emissions less than 1.0 ton per year do not have to be reported. Report to the nearest hundredth (0.00) of a ton. All emissions must be reported sub facility by sub facility, not as facility totals. The emission estimates for other pollutants will be calculated by BAQ AIMS/eFACTS database using emission factors. The facility’s owner/operator has the option of reporting emission estimates for other pollutants if the facility’s owner/operator’s estimates are better than the factor-based calculations. These facilities may also be required to report HAPs.
For the purposes of Title V fees, owners/operators of facilities must provide emission estimates and pay fees on all sub facilities covered by the regulations, whether or not the sub facilities appear on the AES.
Any owners/operators of facilities that are applying for synthetic minor status must document all parameters that they agree to cap in their application. These caps are in place from the time the synthetic minor application was submitted. Therefore, any facility’s owner/operator that has applied for a synthetic minor permit and has agreed to cap production must document compliance with the caps. The AES is one method of documenting compliance.
Which sub-facilities must be reported?
RAQ staff determine which sub facilities will appear on the AIMS/eFACTS reporting forms. In some cases, the facility’s owner/operator and RAQ staff may agree to treat multiple pieces of related equipment as one sub facility in the Title V permit. The facility’s owner/operator must provide operating schedules and throughputs for all sub facilities on the forms. NOx, SOx, VOC, PM10, PM2.5, ammonia (NH3) and CO emissions of 1.0 ton per year or more per sub facility must be reported on a sub facility by sub facility basis. Report to the nearest hundredth (0.00) of a ton.
What pollutants must be reported and what are the reporting thresholds?
NOx, SOx, VOC, PM10, PM2.5, ammonia (NH3) and CO emissions of 1.0 ton per year or more per sub facility must be reported on a sub facility by sub facility basis. Report to the nearest hundredth (0.00) of a ton. All HAPs must be reported. HAPs must be reported individually (speciated). Any HAP emissions greater than 0.5 ton per speciated HAP per sub facility per year must be reported on a sub facility by sub facility basis. Report to the nearest hundredth (0.00) of a ton. Sub facility by sub facility speciated reporting of HAPs is required for Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) purposes.
Based upon the Federal Clean Air Act, Section 112 (c) (6), certain pollutants are of special concern. For these HAPs of special concern, owners/operators of facilities should report any emissions above the following thresholds:
Polychlorobiphenols (PCB) -0.01 tons/yr per sub facility
Lead (Pb) -0.01 tons/yr per sub facility
Polycyclic Organic Matter (POM) -0.01 tons/yr per sub facility
Dioxins** -0.02 pounds/yr per sub facility
Furans** -0.02 pounds/yr per sub facility
Mercury (Hg) non-coal fired electric generating units (EGU) -0.0005 tons/yr per sub facility
Mercury (Hg) coal fired EGUs -0.0001 tons/yr per sub facility
Mercury (Hg) all other types of sub facilities - 0.01 tons/yr per sub facility
** Submit only in pounds per year
Non-Title V Facilities
Owners/operators of Non-Title V facilities subject to the Emission Statement regulation must report throughputs and operating schedules for all sub facilities in AIMS/eFACTS. In addition, these owners/operators of facilities must report VOC and NOx actual emissions of 1.0 TPY or more per sub facility. Emissions less than 1.0 ton per year do not have to be reported. Report to the nearest hundredth (0.00) of a ton. All emissions must be reported sub facility by sub facility, not as facility totals. The emission estimates for other pollutants will be calculated by BAQ AIMS/eFACTS database using emission factors. The facility’s owner/operator has the option of reporting emission estimates for other pollutants if the facility’s owner/operator’s estimates are better than the factor-based calculations. These facilities may also be required to report HAPs. Please refer to Section 3.1 of this document.