Ariz. Admin. Code § R18-2-1201 - Definitions

In addition to the definitions contained in Article 1 of this Chapter, and A.R.S. § 49-401.01, the following definitions apply to this Article:

"Account holder" means any person or entity who has opened an account in the emissions bank under R18-2-1206.

"Certification authority" means the Department or the county or multi-county district to which the Department has delegated authority to certify emission reduction credits under A.R.S. § 49-410(C).

1. "Certified credit" means an emission reduction credit that has been issued under R18-2-1203(C)(2), R18-2-1204(B), or R18-2-1205(E)(3).

2. "Conditional credit" means an emission reduction credit for a reduction in emissions by a plan generator that the certification authority has issued under R18-2-1205(D)(2) but the Administrator has not yet approved under R18-2-1205(E)(3).

3. "Credit generation" means the process by which a source obtains emission reduction credits for eventual listing in the registry.

4. "Credit retirement" means a person's purchase of a banked emission reduction credit for the purpose of permanent removal from the emissions bank.

5. "Credit utilization" means the use of a certified emission reduction credit.

6. "Credit withdrawal" means the removal of an emission reduction credit from the bank by the source originally depositing the emission reduction credit.

"Emissions bank" means the system created by the Department to record and make publicly available information on the issuance, certification, transfer, retirement, and use of emission reduction credits.

7. "Emission reduction credit" or "credit" means a a reduction in qualifying emissions expressed in tons per year for which the generator has submitted an application under R18-2-1203, R18-2-1204, or R18-2-1205 and which has not been withdrawn from the emissions bank under R18-2-1208(B)(5) or (C).

"Emission reduction plan" means a plan submitted under R18-2-1205 for assuring that reductions in qualifying emissions by a plan generator are permanent, quantifiable, surplus, enforceable, and real.

"Enforceable" means that specific measures for assessing compliance with an emissions limitation, control, or other requirement are established in a permit, offset-creation rule, or emission reduction plan in a manner that allows compliance to be readily determined by an inspection of records and reports.

"Form" means a paper document or online form provided through a web portal.

"Generator" means any permitted source or other activity that has made or proposes to make reductions in qualifying emissions.

"Issue," with respect to emission reduction credits, means to create and provide evidence of the creation of conditional credits or certified credits in the form or manner prescribed by the Department.

"Offset-creation rule" means a state, county, or multi-county district rule that has been approved into the state implementation plan and provides a method for allowing emission reductions from specific activities to qualify as offsets. Rule 242 of the Maricopa County Air Pollution Control Regulations is an example of an offset-creation rule.

"Offsets" means reductions in emissions required under R18-2-404 or the equivalent rule of a county or multi-county district.

"Pending credits" means emission reduction credits for which an application has been submitted under R18-2-1203, R18-2-1204, or R18-2-1205 but that have not yet been issued as conditional or certified credits.

"Permanent" means that the reduction in qualifying emissions are long-lasting and unchanging for the remaining life of the relevant activity.

"Permitted generator" means a generator that is a stationary source subject to a permit, other than a general permit, issued under A.R.S. § 49-426 or 49-480 and that seeks credits for reductions that are or will be made enforceable through permit condition.

8. "Permitting authority" means the state or county that has jurisdiction over a source under A.R.S. § 49-402 and may review, issue, revise, administer, and enforce a permit; and certify a credit under this Article.

"Plan generator" means a generator that intends to achieve or has achieved reductions in qualifying emissions in compliance with an emission reduction plan under R18-2-1205.

"Planning authority" means the organization responsible for preparing the state implementation plan for an area under A.R.S. § 49-404 or 49-406.

"Qualifying emissions" means emissions of any conventional air pollutant, other than elemental lead, or any precursor of a conventional air pollutant from any activity. Qualifying emissions does not include emissions from a fleet of motor vehicles if the fleet operates outside of a nonattainment area. A.R.S. § 49-410(H)(2).

"Quantifiable" means that the amount, rate, and characteristics of a reduction in qualifying emissions can be measured through reliable, replicable methods.

"Real" means that a reduction in qualifying emissions is a reduction in actual emissions released to the air resulting from a physical change or change in the method of operations of a generator.

9. "Registry" means the location where emission reduction credits are posted for the purpose of public notice, allowing a person to determine the availability of credits for related market transactions.

"Regulatory generator" means a generator that has achieved reductions in qualifying emissions in compliance with an offset-creation rule.

10. "Surplus" means that a reduction in qualifying emissions is not otherwise required by an applicable requirement and not relied upon in the state implementation plan.

"Ton" includes fraction of a ton as necessary to reflect the total amount of emissions reductions achieved or to be achieved by a generator.

Notes

Ariz. Admin. Code § R18-2-1201

New Section made by final rulemaking at 8 A.A.R. 1815, effective March 18, 2002 (Supp. 02-1). Amended by final rulemaking at 25 A.A.R. 1433, effective 7/28/2019.