The Division of Air Quality will conduct a public workshop on draft amendments to Section 33.0 “Solvent Cleaning and Drying” of Delaware air regulation 7 DE Admin. Code 1124 Control of Volatile Organic Compound Emissions.

The draft amendments are designed to adopt certain provisions from the Ozone Transport Commission 2012 model rule for solvent degreasing to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from solvent cleaning operations. The EPA has designated certain areas of Delaware in non-attainment of the federal standard for ground-level ozone which is formed through the reaction of VOC and other compounds in the air in the presence of sunlight. High levels of ground-level ozone can cause or worsen difficulty in breathing, asthma and other serious respiratory problems.

The draft amendments are related to cold cleaning machines and the draft changes include:

1. Eliminating the exemption for cold cleaning machines containing less than one liter of solvent,
2. Allowing cold cleaning machines to be heated to below boiling,
3. Reducing the solvent VOC concentration from 100% to 25 grams VOC per liter of non-VOC solution for most applications, and
4. Allowing higher VOC concentrations to be used in conjunction with a DAQ approved VOC capture and control device.

These amendments do not substantially impact vapor cleaning.

The draft regulatory language will be made available for public review at the Department’s offices at 715 Grantham Lane, in New Castle, and 100 West Water Street, Suite 6A, in Dover.

The draft language and other documents of interest will also be available for review on the Department’s website at dnrec.delaware.gov/air/permitting/under-development.

Please contact Renae Held at (302) 739-9402 to make an appointment to inspect the draft regulation.

Statements and testimony may be presented either orally or in writing at the public workshops or to Renae Held at renae.held@delaware.gov or via USPS to the Division of Air Quality, 100 West Water Street, Suite 6A, Dover, DE 19904.

The Department will accept written comments postmarked (or emailed) no later than Thursday, February 14, 2020, unless a longer comment period is designated by the DNREC staff at the public workshops.