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NOTICE OF PUBLIC WORKSHOP AND CEQA SCOPING MEETING

PROPOSED RULE 1144 – LUBRICANTS AND RUST INHIBITORS

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

1:30 p.m.

South Coast Air Quality Management District Headquarters

21865 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765

Auditorium

PURPOSE OF THE MEETING

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) has scheduled a public workshop to

solicit information and suggestions from the public on Proposed Rule (PR) 1144 – Lubricants

and Rust Inhibitors.

PR 1144 will be considered for adoption by the AQMD Governing Board at a public hearing

tentatively scheduled for December 5, 2008. This public workshop and CEQA scoping session

will allow comments and discussion of PR 1144 with all public members including potentially

impacted stakeholders and other interested parties.

AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVE

The air quality objective of PR 1144 is to reduce VOC emissions from the use of lubricants and

rust inhibitors. PR 1144 will implement Control Measure CTS-01 from the 2007 AQMP. These

potential VOC emission reductions are necessary for the AQMD to attain state and federal air

quality standards for this region.

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED RULE

The proposed rule would apply to suppliers and users of lubricants and rust inhibitors used in the

manufacture and assembly of products and parts. Affected facilities and operations include but

are not limited to steel tube and spring manufacturers, steel mills, aerospace manufacturers,

automobile part manufacturers and rebuilders and machine shops including broaching, drilling,

drawing, heading, honing, forging, milling, stamping, tapping, threading and turning operations.

The proposed rule will include the following key provisions;

· Establish a VOC content limit on a grams per liter of material basis for the use of lubricants

and rust inhibitors.

· Prohibit the sale of lubricants and rust inhibitors, except those subject to California Air

Resources Board consumer products regulation found in Title 17 of the California Code of

Regulations, beginning at Section 94507, unless they meet applicable VOC limits.

· Require containers for lubricants and rust inhibitors to display the VOC content as supplied

and after recommended dilution.

CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT

Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and AQMD Rule 110, appropriate

documentation will be prepared to analyze any potential adverse environmental impacts

associated with PR 1144. Comments received at the public workshop and CEQA scoping

meeting will be considered when preparing the CEQA document.

Comments or suggestions regarding environmental impacts from the proposed project should be

directed to:

James Koizumi

Planning, Rule Development & Area Sources

SCAQMD

21865 Copley Drive

Diamond Bar, CA 91765

Phone: (909) 396-3234

Email: jkoizumi@aqmd.gov

SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS OR COMMENTS

The public is requested to send documents, studies, data, reports, comments and any other

information relevant to PR 1144 by October 3, 2008 to:

Mike Morris

Planning, Rule Development & Area Sources

21865 Copley Drive

Diamond Bar, CA 91765

Phone: (909) 396-3282

Email: mmorris@aqmd.gov

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS AND OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

The following supporting documents are available on the AQMD website at

http:/www.aqmd.gov/rules/proposed.html:

Preliminary Draft PAR 1144

Preliminary Draft Staff Report for PAR 1144

Copies of the above documents may also be obtained from:

Ms. Lourdes Cordova Martinez

Public Information Center

SCAQMD

21865 Copley Drive

Diamond Bar, CA 91765

Phone: (909) 396-2039

Email: lcmartinez@aqmd.gov

 

SCAQMD Proposes New Rule

 

Metalworking Industry in the Crosshairs

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), a quasi-governmental agency that regulates air quality in the Los Angeles basin, has proposed a new Rule that limits the VOC content of all metalworking fluids (metal removal including cutting and grinding, drawing and stamping, rolling oils and rust preventatives (RP). Some shops will see little effect at first, but many will be severely limited as to what kinds of oils, coolants, and RP they can use. A link to the proposed rule is on our website.

 

 

AQMD freely admits that this new rule will not have much effect on smog, certainly nothing that the average person will notice. Frankly, to use their words, they have ”picked all the low-hanging fruit already”. They are desperate for every little bit of VOC reduction, real or otherwise, so that they can demonstrate to the US EPA that they are doing something to improve air quality. Furthermore, since our industry did not effectively fight the cleaning regulations they figure we are an easy target.

 

 

OPERATIONS AFFECTED

 

EVERY shop that cuts, grinds, forms, stamps, or rolls metal will be regulated in some manner. The proposed new rule will limit the VOC (volatile organic compound) content of metalworking fluids to 25 grams per liter. The key types of fluids most affected and/or prohibited will be vanishing films (stamping), low viscosity stamping oils, carbide and high speed grinding oils,  rolling oils, aluminum cutting oils, honing oils, lapping compounds, and all types of RP, especially those used in  the tubing industry. Coolants (water soluble, synthetic, and semi-synthetic) will also be regulated, as they will have a legally mandated minimum dilution ratio.  As a supplier, we will be prohibited from selling non-compliant fluids and will be forced to test our products, at a cost of $10,000.00 to $50,000.00.

 

 

OUR POSITION

 

We believe that this regulation is unnecessary and will add needless costs and burdens to any industry already struggling to survive and prosper. It will limit your ability to choose the best fluid for your job, and will create opportunities for your competitors, both domestic and foreign, to take your jobs away from you.

 

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO

 

There is a Public Workshop Tuesday, Sept. 23, at the AQMD headquarters.  BE THERE! If you cannot attend in person, please write the AQMD. They need to know we cannot take much more of this senseless over regulation.

 

 

Many customers have told us they are leery of going to this Workshop because the AQMD will immediately inspect them. Frankly, 99% of the time they already know all about you. DO NOT BE PARALYZED BY FEAR! Our industry needs you to stand tall and tell AQMD how this regulation, as currently written,  will place your jobs at further risk and once again adds another onerous regulation in these difficult and challenging times. Rule 1144, if enacted as-is, will place you at a competitive disadvantage with no real gain to the environment.

 

 

We have posted the meeting notice on the front page of our website:

 

 

www.wsdodgeoil.com

 

 

 

 

For further information, please call us. We will be happy to fax a copy of the meeting notice to you, and will answer any questions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom Downs                                       Anne Marie Downs                                      Mike Pearce

 

President                                           Vice President                                              Sales