The Boiler MACT Rule & Assistance Program
The big buzz in the industry lately has been all about the Boiler MACT Rule. The Boiler MACT Rule was introduced by the EPA in March 2011, requiring emissions control technologies to be implemented for all industrial and commercial boilers by March 2014. The rule was created to ensure compliance with the EPA’s strict air requirements, aimed at reducing emissions of hazardous air pollutants (including PM, Hg, HCI, and CO) from boilers and process heaters. This new requirement affects industries of all kinds, specifically companies who are labeled as major sources of emissions by the EPA. (Major sources are facilities that emit 10 tons per year or more of any single air toxin or 25 tons per year or more of any combination of air toxins).
The Department of Energy’s Clean Energy Application Center’s have devised a plan, the Boiler MACT Assistance Program, to help the more than 650 facilities affected by the Boiler MACT Rule. The program has been created to provide technical assistance to these facilities by promoting cleaner, more efficient boilers and presenting cost-effective clean-energy strategies for compliance. To learn more about the Boiler MACT Assistance Program, click here.
The Boiler MACT Rule has not only been a hot topic in industry, but also in Washington. Some in Congress claim the rule as a “job killer” and debate that there are insufficient domestic manufacturing resources to comply within the time frames set by the EPA. The American Boiler Manufacturer’s Association (ABMA) has diligently worked to educate politicians and the public on the truth about the Boiler MACT and a new website, www.boilermactfacts.com, has been developed to list the associations stand on the rule.
Despite claims, the Boiler MACT can be achieved with existing, affordable, state-of-the-art, technologically-advanced and fuel-flexible products, along with innovatively-designed-and-engineered application solutions, provided by members of the ABMA to meet boiler facilities that will be impacted. As stated online, “Implementation may not be cheap or easy, but it's entirely doable – and critically important for long-term public health, environmental quality and business stability.” ABMA members have the combined experience in meeting tough air-quality regulations with real-world solutions and are ready to help those affected by these rules to comply with them in a timely and affordable manner. While doing so, jobs will be generated not only for the boiler and pollution control technology industry, but also for small businesses that install, repair and tune-up boilers and boiler systems.
Resources are available to assure compliance with the boiler MACT rule in an affordable and timely manner, and the members of the ABMA, including Nationwide Boiler, are here to help.
Boiler Blog | Nationwide Boiler Inc.
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." ―Winston Churchill
Guests enjoyed drinks, mingled, and purchased raffle tickets during the cocktail hour in the new Fairway One Room at Pebble Beach. Dinner consisted of a clam bake buffet with mouthwatering lobster, oysters, prime rib, and more, followed by a number of choices for desert. At the end of the night, President Larry Day, or Judge Smales for the evening, announced the scramble & ‘Bushwood Ball’ winners, along with our big winner that evening, Steve Graves from Campbell-Sevey. Mr. Graves won the “Raffle of a Lifetime” prize; a golf stay & play package at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, including $600 in airfare.
Bright and early the next morning hole signs were set out on the green and guests arrived to check-in for the big day of golf. Golfers had the opportunity to buy in for the “Best Ball” prize (a 50/50 style competition), purchase mulligans, and receive their thank-you gift, a Pebble Beach golf towel. As foursomes finished up at the 18th-hole, scorecards were collected and golfers had time to relax and socialize at the scoring room as other foursomes completed the course. That evening, over 100 guests arrived at the Pebble Beach Room for the awards banquet and ceremony, where additional fundraising activities were held. This included a card raffle with a $1,000 prize, and both silent and live auction events.
The food was delicious, the speakers were fantastic, and the event was a huge success. At the end of the evening, Nationwide Boiler’s Bill Testa announced our tournament winners: Miles Freeman from HTS brought home first place in the callaway division, Mike Moore from MG Sales brought home first place in the Handicap division, and our overall low gross winner was Jordan Bliss. The big winners, however, were Make-A-Wish® Greater Bay Area and the ABMA Scholarship fund. Nationwide President, Larry Day, 
announced at the end of the night that we raised at least $50,000 for the charities. Our final donation amount was $51,435, and a check was cut for each charity in the amount of $25,717.50.
Save the date! Next year’s tournament is scheduled for May 8 – 9, 2019 and will coincide with Pebble Beach’s Centennial Anniversary and the return of the US Open Championship in June, which will make the course conditions for our tournament much tougher (i.e. narrow fairways and longer rough). It is surely an event you won’t want to miss!
Like Nationwide Boiler Inc. on facebook, and check out all of the photos from the event!
June is typically a busy month filled with various industry events, and this year is no different. Next week we are sending Sales Engineer Luke Honnen to Indianapolis, IN to man our booth at this year’s Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo. Being held in the “Crossroads of America” June 10-12, the event is the longest running ethanol conference in the world, providing industry professionals with cutting-edge content and unparalleled networking opportunities. This year’s agenda is segmented into five concurrent tracks:
- Production & Operations
- Leadership & Financial Management
- Coproducts & Product Diversification
- Infrastructure and Market Development
- Advanced Biofuels
Nationwide Boiler will be co-exhibiting with our representative Combustion Systems Inc., as well as Babcock & Wilcox and Zeeco. Luke and the crew will be located at booth #1619, eager to discuss how we can assist with your next boiler or combustion-related project.
That same week, our Director of Sales Bill Testa will be in Houston, TX attending the Downstream Conference, the world’s largest downstream industry event. With over 7,000 industry professionals within Process Engineering, Engineering & Construction, Reliability & Maintenance, Shutdowns & Turnarounds, and Supply Chain & Logistics, the conference will tackle core challenges with world-class experts. If you will be in the Houston area that week, feel free to reach out to connect with Bill and our rep from HTS during or after the show.
At the end of the month, President & CEO Larry Day will head to Asheville, NC with Bill Testa to attend the ABMA’s Annual Summer Meeting, a four-day event that provides educational and networking opportunities geared for the boiler manufacturing industry. The focus of this year’s meeting will be leadership and innovation, two key factors of a successful business model.
Our last event of the month is the IDEA Annual Tradeshow and Conference, scheduled for June 24 – 27 in Pittsburgh, PA. This year’s theme is, “Energy for More Resilient Cities”, focused on building a better tomorrow. Nationwide Boiler’s Eastern US Business Manager, Jim Barbeau, will be at booth #95. Be sure to stop by to learn about how Nationwide Boiler’s family of companies can support the district heating industry with temporary and permanent boiler solutions, environmental control equipment, and integrated combustion controls.
Rental boilers are often overlooked as a necessity for many processing industries. However, in the midst of a crisis, the need for steam becomes much more apparent to the public eye. In the latest podcast episode from Inside the Boiler Room, ABMA President Scott Lynch discusses the rental boiler industry with Larry Day, Nationwide Boiler's President & CEO. Larry shares his insights on the world of rental boilers, which has significant relevance during the COVID-19 crisis with boilers near capacity at many hospitals and food processing facilities.
Larry and Scott discuss an array of topics, including the importance of rental boilers in times of crisis. As Larry stated, "Anytime there is a natural disaster, rental boilers are looked at almost like generators or air compressors. Steam is a utility, and that's where it comes in as an emergency condition. [Many businesses] need that utility to keep running."
A rental boiler can provide added capacity for increased production needs or it can temporarily replace an existing boiler to keep a plant running. Specific information about the process must be known for the supplier to accurately quote a rental boiler application. This includes:
- (1) Boiler Size / Steam Capacity Requirement (typically in HP or lb/hr)
- (2) Operating Pressure
- (3) Saturated or Superheated Steam Need (if superheat, what temperature)
- (4) Fuel Requirement
- (5) Any Auxiliary Equipment Needs
- (6) Emissions Requirements
Listen to the podcast now to learn more about rental boiler basics, the evolution of the rental boiler industry, and potential challenges with different technology and maintenance of rental boiler systems. Also, be sure to check out the ABMA’s Guideline for Rental Boilers, developed by members of the ABMA Rental Boiler Group, including Nationwide Boiler Inc.