§ 61.342 - Standards: General.

§ 61.342 Standards: General.

(a) An owner or operator of a facility at which the total annual benzene quantity from facility waste is less than 10 megagrams per year (Mg/yr) (11 ton/yr) shall be exempt from the requirements of paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section. The total annual benzene quantity from facility waste is the sum of the annual benzene quantity for each waste stream at the facility that has a flow-weighted annual average water content greater than 10 percent or that is mixed with water, or other wastes, at any time and the mixture has an annual average water content greater than 10 percent. The benzene quantity in a waste stream is to be counted only once without multiple counting if other waste streams are mixed with or generated from the original waste stream. Other specific requirements for calculating the total annual benzene waste quantity are as follows:

(1) Wastes that are exempted from control under §§ 61.342(c)(2) and 61.342(c)(3) are included in the calculation of the total annual benzene quantity if they have an annual average water content greater than 10 percent, or if they are mixed with water or other wastes at any time and the mixture has an annual average water content greater than 10 percent.

(2) The benzene in a material subject to this subpart that is sold is included in the calculation of the total annual benzene quantity if the material has an annual average water content greater than 10 percent.

(3) Benzene in wastes generated by remediation activities conducted at the facility, such as the excavation of contaminated soil, pumping and treatment of groundwater, and the recovery of product from soil or groundwater, are not included in the calculation of total annual benzene quantity for that facility. If the facility's total annual benzene quantity is 10 Mg/yr (11 ton/yr) or more, wastes generated by remediation activities are subject to the requirements of paragraphs (c) through (h) of this section. If the facility is managing remediation waste generated offsite, the benzene in this waste shall be included in the calculation of total annual benzene quantity in facility waste, if the waste streams have an annual average water content greater than 10 percent, or if they are mixed with water or other wastes at any time and the mixture has an annual average water content greater than 10 percent.

(4) The total annual benzene quantity is determined based upon the quantity of benzene in the waste before any waste treatment occurs to remove the benzene except as specified in § 61.355(c)(1)(i) (A) through (C).

(b) Each owner or operator of a facility at which the total annual benzene quantity from facility waste is equal to or greater than 10 Mg/yr (11 ton/yr) as determined in paragraph (a) of this section shall be in compliance with the requirements of paragraphs (c) through (h) of this section no later than 90 days following the effective date, unless a waiver of compliance has been obtained under § 61.11, or by the initial startup for a new source with an initial startup after the effective date.

(1) The owner or operator of an existing source unable to comply with the rule within the required time may request a waiver of compliance under § 61.10.

(2) As part of the waiver application, the owner or operator shall submit to the Administrator a plan under § 61.10(b)(3) that is an enforceable commitment to obtain environmental benefits to mitigate the benzene emissions that result from extending the compliance date. The plan shall include the following information:

(i) A description of the method of compliance, including the control approach, schedule for installing controls, and quantity of the benzene emissions that result from extending the compliance date;

(ii) If the control approach involves a compliance strategy designed to obtain integrated compliance with multiple regulatory requirements, a description of the other regulations involved and their effective dates; and

(iii) A description of the actions to be taken at the facility to obtain mitigating environmental benefits, including how the benefits will be obtained, the schedule for these actions, and an estimate of the quantifiable benefits that directly result from these actions.

(c) Each owner or operator of a facility at which the total annual benzene quantity from facility waste is equal to or greater than 10 Mg/yr (11 ton/yr) as determined in paragraph (a) of this section shall manage and treat the facility waste as follows:

(1) For each waste stream that contains benzene, including (but not limited to) organic waste streams that contain less than 10 percent water and aqueous waste streams, even if the wastes are not discharged to an individual drain system, the owner or operator shall:

(i) Remove or destroy the benzene contained in the waste using a treatment process or wastewater treatment system that complies with the standards specified in § 61.348 of this subpart.

(ii) Comply with the standards specified in §§ 61.343 through 61.347 of this subpart for each waste management unit that receives or manages the waste stream prior to and during treatment of the waste stream in accordance with paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section.

(iii) Each waste management unit used to manage or treat waste streams that will be recycled to a process shall comply with the standards specified in §§ 61.343 through 61.347. Once the waste stream is recycled to a process, including to a tank used for the storage of production process feed, product, or product intermediates, unless this tank is used primarily for the storage of wastes, the material is no longer subject to paragraph (c) of this section.

(2) A waste stream is exempt from paragraph (c)(1) of this section provided that the owner or operator demonstrates initially and, thereafter, at least once per year that the flow-weighted annual average benzene concentration for the waste stream is less than 10 ppmw as determined by the procedures specified in § 61.355(c)(2) or § 61.355(c)(3).

(3) A waste stream is exempt from paragraph (c)(1) of this section provided that the owner or operator demonstrates initially and, thereafter, at least once per year that the conditions specified in either paragraph (c)(3)(i) or (c)(3)(ii) of this section are met.

(i) The waste stream is process wastewater that has a flow rate less than 0.02 liters per minute (0.005 gallons per minute) or an annual wastewater quantity of less than 10 Mg/yr (11 ton/yr); or

(ii) All of the following conditions are met:

(A) The owner or operator does not choose to exempt process wastewater under paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section,

(B) The total annual benzene quantity in all waste streams chosen for exemption in paragraph (c)(3)(ii) of this section does not exceed 2.0 Mg/yr (2.2 ton/yr) as determined in the procedures in § 61.355(j), and

(C) The total annual benzene quantity in a waste stream chosen for exemption, including process unit turnaround waste, is determined for the year in which the waste is generated.

(d) As an alternative to the requirements specified in paragraphs (c) and (e) of this section, an owner or operator of a facility at which the total annual benzene quantity from facility waste is equal to or greater than 10 Mg/yr (11 ton/yr) as determined in paragraph (a) of this section may elect to manage and treat the facility waste as follows:

(1) The owner or operator shall manage and treat facility waste other than process wastewater in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (c)(1) of this section.

(2) The owner or operator shall manage and treat process wastewater in accordance with the following requirements:

(i) Process wastewater shall be treated to achieve a total annual benzene quantity from facility process wastewater less than 1 Mg/yr (1.1 ton/yr). Total annual benzene from facility process wastewater shall be determined by adding together the annual benzene quantity at the point of waste generation for each untreated process wastewater stream plus the annual benzene quantity exiting the treatment process for each process wastewater stream treated in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section.

(ii) Each treated process wastewater stream identified in paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section shall be managed and treated in accordance with paragraph (c)(1) of this section.

(iii) Each untreated process wastewater stream identified in paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section is exempt from the requirements of paragraph (c)(1) of this section.

(e) As an alternative to the requirements specified in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, an owner or operator of a facility at which the total annual benzene quantity from facility waste is equal to or greater than 10 Mg/yr (11 ton/yr) as determined in paragraph (a) of this section may elect to manage and treat the facility waste as follows:

(1) The owner or operator shall manage and treat facility waste with a flow-weighted annual average water content of less than 10 percent in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (c)(1) of this section; and

(2) The owner or operator shall manage and treat facility waste (including remediation and process unit turnaround waste) with a flow-weighted annual average water content of 10 percent or greater, on a volume basis as total water, and each waste stream that is mixed with water or wastes at any time such that the resulting mixture has an annual water content greater than 10 percent, in accordance with the following:

(i) The benzene quantity for the wastes described in paragraph (e)(2) of this section must be equal to or less than 6.0 Mg/yr (6.6 ton/yr), as determined in § 61.355(k). Wastes as described in paragraph (e)(2) of this section that are transferred offsite shall be included in the determination of benzene quantity as provided in § 61.355(k). The provisions of paragraph (f) of this section shall not apply to any owner or operator who elects to comply with the provisions of paragraph (e) of this section.

(ii) The determination of benzene quantity for each waste stream defined in paragraph (e)(2) of this section shall be made in accordance with § 61.355(k).

(f) Rather than treating the waste onsite, an owner or operator may elect to comply with paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section by transferring the waste offsite to another facility where the waste is treated in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section. The owner or operator transferring the waste shall:

(1) Comply with the standards specified in §§ 61.343 through 61.347 of this subpart for each waste management unit that receives or manages the waste prior to shipment of the waste offsite.

(2) Include with each offsite waste shipment a notice stating that the waste contains benzene which is required to be managed and treated in accordance with the provisions of this subpart.

(g) Compliance with this subpart will be determined by review of facility records and results from tests and inspections using methods and procedures specified in § 61.355 of this subpart.

(h) Permission to use an alternative means of compliance to meet the requirements of §§ 61.342 through 61.352 of this subpart may be granted by the Administrator as provided in § 61.353 of this subpart.

[55 FR 8346, Mar. 7, 1990, as amended at 58 FR 3095, Jan. 7, 1993; 65 FR 62159, 62160, Oct. 17, 2000]