Virginia Law

A. Manufacturers of consumer products may seek an innovative products exemption in accordance with the following criteria:

1. The board will exempt a consumer product from the VOC limits specified in 9VAC5-45-430 A if a manufacturer demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that, due to some characteristic of the product formulation, design, delivery systems or other factors, the use of the product will result in less VOC emissions as compared to:

a. The VOC emissions from a representative consumer product that complies with the VOC limits specified in 9VAC5-45-430 A, or

b. The calculated VOC emissions from a noncomplying representative product, if the product had been reformulated to comply with the VOC limits specified in 9VAC5-45-430 A. VOC emissions shall be calculated using the following equation:

where:

E_R = The VOC emissions from the noncomplying representative product, had it been reformulated.

E_NC = The VOC emissions from the noncomplying representative product in its current formulation.

VOC_STD = the VOC limit specified in Table 45-4A.

VOC_NC = the VOC content of the noncomplying product in its current formulation.

If a manufacturer demonstrates that this equation yields inaccurate results due to some characteristic of the product formulation or other factors, an alternative method that accurately calculates emissions may be used upon approval of the board.

2. For the purposes of this subsection, "representative consumer product" means a consumer product that meets all of the following criteria:

a. The representative product shall be subject to the same VOC limit in 9VAC5-45-430 A as the innovative product;

b. The representative product shall be of the same product form as the innovative product unless the innovative product uses a new form that does not exist in the product category at the time the application is made; and

c. The representative product shall have at least a similar efficacy as other consumer products in the same product category based on tests generally accepted for that product category by the consumer products industry.

3. A manufacturer shall apply in writing to the board for an exemption claimed under subdivision A 1 of this section. The application shall include the supporting documentation that demonstrates the emissions from the innovative product, including the actual physical test methods used to generate the data and, if necessary, the consumer testing undertaken to document product usage. In addition, the applicant must provide the information necessary to enable the board to establish enforceable conditions for granting the exemption, including the VOC content for the innovative product and test methods for determining the VOC content. Information submitted to the board pursuant to this section shall be available to the public except where the owner makes a showing satisfactory to the board under 9VAC5-170-60 B that the information meets the criteria in 9VAC5-170-60 C, in which case the information shall be handled in accordance with the procedures specified in §§ 10.1-1314 and 10.1-1314.1 of the Air Pollution Control Law of Virginia.

4. Within 30 days of receipt of the exemption application, the board will determine whether an application is complete.

5. Within 90 days after an application has been deemed complete, the board will determine whether, under what conditions, and to what extent an exemption from the requirements of 9VAC5-45-430 A will be permitted. The board may extend this time period if additional time is needed to reach a decision, and additional supporting documentation may be submitted by the applicant before a decision has been reached. The board will notify the applicant of the decision in writing and specify such terms and conditions as are necessary to insure that emissions from the product will meet the emissions reductions specified in subdivision 1 of this subsection, and that such emissions reductions can be enforced.

6. In granting an exemption for a product, the board will establish enforceable conditions. These conditions shall include the VOC content of the innovative product, dispensing rates, application rates, and other parameters determined by the board to be necessary. The board will also specify the test methods for determining conformance to the conditions established. The test methods shall include criteria for reproducibility, accuracy, sampling, and laboratory procedures.

7. For a product for which an exemption has been granted pursuant to this section, the manufacturer shall notify the board in writing within 30 days of a change in the product formulation or recommended product usage directions and shall also notify the board within 30 days if the manufacturer learns of information that would alter the emissions estimates submitted to the board in support of the exemption application.

8. If the VOC limits specified in 9VAC5-45-430 A are lowered for a product category through a subsequent rulemaking, all innovative product exemptions granted for products in the product category, except as provided in this subdivision, shall have no force and effect as of the effective date of the modified VOC standard. This subdivision shall not apply to those innovative products that have VOC emissions less than the applicable lowered VOC limit and for which a written notification of the product's emissions status versus the lowered VOC limit has been submitted to and approved by the board at least 60 days before the effective date of such limits.

9. If the board believes that a consumer product for which an exemption has been granted no longer meets the criteria for an innovative product specified in subdivision 1 of this subsection, the board may modify or revoke the exemption as necessary to assure that the product will meet these criteria.

B. In granting an exemption under this section, the board will take into consideration whether the applicant has been granted an innovative product exemption by CARB. A manufacturer of consumer products that has been granted an innovative product exemption by the CARB under the innovative products provisions in Subchapter 8.5, Article 2, Section 94511, or Subchapter 8.5, Article 1, Section 94503.5 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations (see 9VAC5-20-21) may be exempt from Table 45-4A for the period of time that the CARB innovative products exemption remains in effect provided that all consumer products within the CARB innovative products exemption are contained in Table 45-4A. A manufacturer claiming such an exemption on this basis must submit to the board a copy of the innovative product exemption decision (i.e., the executive order), including all conditions established by CARB applicable to the exemption and certification that the manufacturer will comply with the CARB innovative product exemption decision for those products in the areas specified in 9VAC5-45-400 B.