California Air Resource Board Relaxes LSI Requirements

The California Air Resource Board (ARB) recently made changes to the requirements for operators of in-use Large Spark Ignition (LSI) equipment. 

The original LSI Fleet Requirements included limited hours of use (LHU) provisions. These provisions allowed LSI equipment operators to exclude LHU equipment from calculations to determine compliance with the fleet average emission level (FAEL) standards contained in Section 2775.1(a) Table 2 of the LSI Fleet Requirements if the equipment were used fewer than 251 hours per year on a three year running average. The original LHU provisions expired December 31, 2010.

 According to Mark Williamson, Air Pollution Specialist with the ARB, this provision is being relaxed by the ARB due to economic concerns and subsequent reductions in emissions.  The ARB has decided to extend the previously enforced LHU provision  indefinitely.  As a result, operators with LSI equipment can use the LHU provision for equipment with usage of  less than 251 hours in 2010 for their calculations in 2011.  In 2012, operators will need to use a value of less than 200 hours for their equipment to fit in this category.

For further details on this ARB change, please reference ARB Mail-Out #MSC 11-22