New BAAQMD Greenhouse Gas Fee in Effect

The San Francisco Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) approved an annual greenhouse gas fee to help fund the agency's climate protection work.  Beginning July 1, 2008, facilities in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area must begin paying 4.4 cents for every ton of carbon dioxide emitted, which will be assessed using the last year's emission inventory.

The new regulation specifies the fee "would be assessed to sources required to obtain a District Permit to Operate (and abatement devices on permitted sources) in proportion to the annual emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) expressed on a carbon dioxide equivalent (CDE) basis, excluding any emitted biogenic carbon dioxide."

In general, since the BAAQMD requires a Permit to Operate for any equipment or operation that emits pollutants into the atmosphere as well as any air pollution control equipment associated with a source, this will impact all facilities in the district.

For more information: contact NPCA’s Alison Keane or John Hopewell.

Source: July/August 2008 Coatings, posted 6/30/08