Air Curtain Burners Now Exempt!
Big news: The recent EPA Title V update exempts mobile air curtain biochar systems from permitting.
CharBoss from Air Burners Inc.
From US Biochar Initiative:
On April 17th, the EPA removed a massive barrier to entry for the place-based biochar market seeking to utilize air curtain systems like the Air Burners CharBoss and the TigerCat Carbonator.
This is very important to the biochar industry as these types of mobile, multi-functional, place-based biochar systems have the ability to scale rapidly. They are an excellent entry point into the biochar industry for compost manufacturers, landowners, clean C&D waste disposal facilities, municipalities and many more sectors—not to mention the disaster cleanup opportunities to convert hazardous fuels to biochar for durable carbon benefit after an event.
We anticipate that removal of the burdensome pricing of permitting for these systems will result in rapid adoption, as they now qualify for carbon credits. Additionally, these systems can be paired with thermal heat capture to generate electricity on-site. There are significant IRA tax incentives available through the end of calendar year 2024 that make adoption of this technology extremely attractive. [USBI has upcoming webinars.
The important highlights:
- EPA believes removing Title V permitting requirements for Air Curtain Incinerators (ACI’s) "will simplify compliance and reduce administrative cost burden for owners and operators of these types of units."
- The new rule states, "If you are the owner or operator of an air curtain incinerator that burns only wood waste, clean lumber, and yard waste...you are exempt from the obligation to obtain a Title V operating permit."
- For decades, ACI’s have been subject to financially burdensome Title V permitting. USBI has been involved with tests where Title V permitting cost $40,000 for a single day demonstration permit! Ouch!
- The EPA received supportive comments from states & industry stakeholders to remove Title V permitting requirements for these ACI’s, indicating the requirements were unnecessarily burdensome & expensive. (We know that Air Burners Inc. spent years advocating for ACI systems—a key reason this rule has been updated.)
- State & industry stakeholders commented that the Title V requirements for these units are overly burdensome & costly, particularly in light of the dependence on ACI units to mitigate natural disaster debris, such as massive amounts of clean wood & vegetative waste for wildfire mitigation & forest management; burning of storm-generated wood & vegetative debris; and burning of land clearing debris.
- EPA concludes "the Title V permit requirement for ACIs that only burn wood waste, clean lumber, and yard waste is inconsistent with the definition of 'solid waste incineration unit' in CAA section 129(g)(1)."