§ 63.1088 - In what situations may I delay leak repair, and what actions must I take for delay of repair?

§ 63.1088 In what situations may I delay leak repair, and what actions must I take for delay of repair?

You may delay the repair of heat exchange systems if the leaking equipment is isolated from the process. You At any time before the compliance dates specified in § 63.1081(a), you may also delay repair if repair is technically infeasible without a shutdown, and you meet one of the conditions in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this section. Beginning no later than the compliance dates specified in § 63.1081(a), paragraphs (a) through (c) of this section no longer apply; instead, you may delay repair if the conditions in paragraph (d) of this section are met.

(a) If a shutdown is expected within the next 2 months of determining delay of repair is necessary, you are not required to have a special shutdown before that planned shutdown.

(b) If a shutdown is not expected within the next 2 months of determining delay of repair is necessary, you may delay repair if a shutdown for repair would cause greater emissions than the potential emissions from delaying repair until the next shutdown of the process equipment associated with the leaking heat exchanger. You must document the basis for the determination that a shutdown for repair would cause greater emissions than the emissions likely to result from delay of repair. The documentation process must include the activities in paragraphs (b)(1) through (4) of this section.

(1) State the reason(s) for delaying repair.

(2) Specify a schedule for completing the repair as soon as practical.

(3) Calculate the potential emissions from the leaking heat exchanger by multiplying the concentration of HAP listed in Table 1 to this subpart (or other monitored substances) in the cooling water from the leaking heat exchanger by the flow rate of the cooling water from the leaking heat exchanger and by the expected duration of the delay.

(4) Determine emissions of HAP listed in Table 1 to this subpart (or other monitored substances) from purging and depressurizing the equipment that will result from the unscheduled shutdown for the repair.

(c) If repair is delayed because the necessary equipment, parts or personnel are not available, you may delay repair a maximum of 120 calendar days. You must demonstrate that the necessary equipment, parts or personnel were not available.

(d) Beginning no later than the compliance dates specified in § 63.1081(a), you may delay repair when one of the conditions in paragraph (d)(1) or (2) of this section is met and the leak is less than the delay of repair action level specified in paragraph (d)(3) of this section. You must determine if a delay of repair is necessary as soon as practicable, but no later than 45 days after first identifying the leak.

(1) If the repair is technically infeasible without a shutdown and the total strippable hydrocarbon concentration or total hydrocarbon mass emissions rate is initially and remains less than the delay of repair action level for all monitoring periods during the delay of repair, then you may delay repair until the next scheduled shutdown of the heat exchange system. If, during subsequent monitoring, the delay of repair action level is exceeded, then you must repair the leak within 30 days of the monitoring event in which the leak was equal to or exceeded the delay of repair action level.

(2) If the necessary equipment, parts, or personnel are not available and the total strippable hydrocarbon concentration or total hydrocarbon mass emissions rate is initially and remains less than the delay of repair action level for all monitoring periods during the delay of repair, then you may delay the repair for a maximum of 120 calendar days. You must demonstrate that the necessary equipment, parts, or personnel were not available. If, during subsequent monitoring, the delay of repair action level is exceeded, then you must repair the leak within 30 days of the monitoring event in which the leak was equal to or exceeded the delay of repair action level.

(3) The delay of repair action level is a total strippable hydrocarbon concentration (as methane) in the stripping gas of 62 ppmv or, for heat exchange systems with a recirculation rate of 10,000 gallons per minute or less, the delay of repair action level is a total hydrocarbon mass emissions rate (as methane) or 1.8 kg/hr. The delay of repair action level is assessed as described in paragraph (d)(3)(i) or (ii) of this section, as applicable.

(i) For once-through heat exchange systems for which the inlet water feed is monitored as described in § 63.1086(e)(2)(ii), the delay of repair action level is exceeded if the difference in the measurement value of the sample taken from a location specified in § 63.1086(e)(2)(i) and the measurement value of the corresponding sample taken from the location specified in § 63.1086(e)(2)(ii) equals or exceeds the delay of repair action level.

(ii) For all other heat exchange systems, the delay of repair action level is exceeded if a measurement value of the sample taken from a location specified in § 63.1086(e)(1)(i) and (ii) or § 63.1086(e)(2)(i) equals or exceeds the delay of repair action level.

[67 FR 46271, July 12, 2002, as amended at 85 FR 40421, July 6, 2020]