§ 63.1331 - Equipment leak provisions.

§ 63.1331 Equipment leak provisions.

(a) Except § 63.165 and as provided for in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, the owner or operator of each affected source shall comply with the requirements of subpart H of this part, with the differences noted in paragraphs (a)(1) through (13) of this section.

(1) For an affected source producing polystyrene resin, the indications of liquids dripping, as defined in subpart H of this part, from bleed ports in pumps and agitator seals in light liquid service shall not be considered to be a leak. For purposes of this subpart, a “bleed port” is a technologically-required feature of the pump or seal whereby polymer fluid used to provide lubrication and/or cooling of the pump or agitator shaft exits the pump, thereby resulting in a visible dripping of fluid.

(2) The compliance date for the equipment leak provisions contained in this section is provided in § 63.1311. Whenever subpart H of this part refers to the compliance dates specified in any paragraph contained in § 63.100, the compliance dates listed in § 63.1311(d) shall instead apply, for the purposes of this subpart. When § 63.182(c)(4) refers to “sources subject to subpart F,” the phrase “sources subject to this subpart” shall apply, for the purposes of this subpart. In addition, extensions of compliance dates are addressed by § 63.1311(e) instead of § 63.182(a)(6), for the purposes of this subpart.

(3) Owners and operators of an affected source subject to this subpart are not required to submit the Initial Notification required by § 63.182(a)(1) and § 63.182(b).

(4) As specified in § 63.1335(e)(5), the Notification of Compliance Status required by paragraphs § 63.182(a)(2) and § 63.182(c) shall be submitted within 150 days (rather than 90 days) of the applicable compliance date specified in § 63.1311 for the equipment leak provisions.

(5) The information specified by § 63.182(a)(3) and § 63.182(d) (i.e., Periodic Reports) shall be submitted as part of the Periodic Reports required by § 63.1335(e)(6).

(6) For pumps, valves, connectors, and agitators in heavy liquid service; pressure relief devices in light liquid or heavy liquid service; and instrumentation systems; owners or operators of affected sources producing PET shall comply with the requirements of paragraphs (a)(6)(i) and (ii) of this section instead of with the requirements of § 63.139. Owners or operators of PET affected sources shall comply with all other provisions of subpart H of this part for pumps, valves, connectors, and agitators in heavy liquid service; pressure relief devices in light liquid or heavy liquid service; and instrumentation systems, except as specified in paragraphs (a)(6)(iii) through (v) of this section.

(i) A leak is determined to be detected if there is evidence of a potential leak found by visual, audible, or olfactory means. Method 21, 40 CFR part 60, appendix A may not be used to determine the presence or absence of a leak.

(ii)

(A) When a leak is detected, it shall be repaired as soon as practical, but not later than 15 days after it is detected, except as provided in § 63.171.

(B) The first attempt at repair shall be made no later than 5 days after each leak is detected.

(C) Repaired shall mean that the visual, audible, olfactory, or other indications of a leak have been eliminated; that no bubbles are observed at potential leak sites during a leak check using soap solution; or that the system will hold a test pressure.

(iii) An owner or operator is not required to develop an initial list of identification numbers as would otherwise be required under § 63.181(b)(1)(i) or § 63.181(b)(4).

(iv) When recording the detection of a leak under § 63.182(d)(1), the owner or operator of an affected source shall comply with paragraphs (a)(6)(iv)(A) through (a)(6)(iv)(B) of this section.

(A) When complying with § 63.181(d)(1), provide an identification number for the leaking equipment at the time of recordkeeping. Further, the owner or operator is not required to record the identification number of the instrument (i.e., Method 21 instrument) because the use of Method 21 is not an acceptable method for determining a leak under this paragraph (a)(6).

(B) An owner or operator is not required to comply with § 63.181(d)(4) which requires a record of the maximum instrument reading measured by Method 21 of 40 CFR part 60, appendix A.

(v) Indications of liquids dripping, as defined in subpart H of this part, from packing glands for pumps in ethylene glycol service where the pump seal is designed to weep fluid shall not be considered to be a leak. Ethylene glycol dripping from pump seals must be captured in a catchpan and returned to the process.

(7) When § 63.166(b)(4)(i) refers to Table 9 of subpart G of this part, the owner or operator is only required to consider organic HAP listed on Table 6 of this subpart for purposes of this subpart, except for ethylene glycol which need not be considered.

(8) When the provisions of subpart H of this part specify that Method 18, 40 CFR part 60, appendix A, shall be used, Method 18 or Method 25A, 40 CFR part 60, appendix A, may be used for the purposes of this subpart. The use of Method 25A, 40 CFR part 60, appendix A, shall conform with the requirements in paragraphs (a)(8)(i) and (a)(8)(ii) of this section.

(i) The organic HAP used as the calibration gas for Method 25A, 40 CFR part 60, appendix A, shall be the single organic HAP representing the largest percent by volume of the emissions.

(ii) The use of Method 25A, 40 CFR part 60, appendix A, is acceptable if the response from the high-level calibration gas is at least 20 times the standard deviation of the response from the zero calibration gas when the instrument is zeroed on the most sensitive scale.

(9) Requirements for pressure relief devices. Except as specified in paragraph (a)(9)(iv) of this section, the owner or operator must comply with the operating and pressure release requirements specified in paragraphs (a)(9)(i) and (ii) of this section for pressure relief devices in organic HAP gas or vapor service. Except as specified in paragraph (a)(9)(iv) of this section, the owner or operator must also comply with the pressure release management requirements specified in paragraph (a)(9)(iii) of this section for all pressure relief devices in organic HAP service.

(i) Operating requirements. Except during a pressure release event, operate each pressure relief device in organic HAP gas or vapor service with an instrument reading of less than 500 ppm above background as detected by Method 21 of 40 CFR part 60, appendix A.

(ii) Pressure release requirements. For pressure relief devices in organic HAP gas or vapor service, comply with paragraph (a)(9)(ii)(A) or (B) of this section, as applicable.

(A) If the pressure relief device does not consist of or include a rupture disk, conduct instrument monitoring, as detected by Method 21 of 40 CFR part 60, appendix A, no later than 5 calendar days after the pressure release to verify that the pressure relief device is operating with an instrument reading of less than 500 ppm above background, except as provided in § 63.171.

(B) If the pressure relief device consists of or includes a rupture disk, install a replacement disk as soon as practicable after a pressure release, but no later than 5 calendar days after the pressure release, except as provided in § 63.171.

(iii) Pressure release management. Except as specified in paragraph (a)(9)(iv) of this section, pressure releases to the atmosphere from pressure relief devices in organic HAP service are prohibited, and the owner or operator must comply with the requirements specified in paragraphs (a)(9)(iii)(A) and (B) of this section for all pressure relief devices in organic HAP service.

(A) For each pressure relief device in organic HAP service, the owner or operator must equip each pressure relief device with a device(s) or use a monitoring system that is capable of:

(1) Identifying the pressure release;

(2) Recording the time and duration of each pressure release; and

(3) Notifying operators immediately that a pressure release is occurring. The device or monitoring system may be either specific to the pressure relief device itself or may be associated with the process system or piping, sufficient to indicate a pressure release to the atmosphere. Examples of these types of devices and systems include, but are not limited to, a rupture disk indicator, magnetic sensor, motion detector on the pressure relief valve stem, flow monitor, or pressure monitor.

(B) If any pressure relief device in organic HAP service releases to atmosphere as a result of a pressure release event, the owner or operator must calculate the quantity of organic HAP released during each pressure release event and report this quantity as required in § 63.1335(e)(6)(xiii). Calculations may be based on data from the pressure relief device monitoring alone or in combination with process parameter monitoring data and process knowledge.

(iv) Pressure relief devices routed to a control device, process, or drain system. If a pressure relief device in organic HAP service is designed and operated to route all pressure releases through a closed vent system to a control device, process, or drain system, the owner or operator is not required to comply with paragraphs (a)(9)(i), (ii), or (iii) (if applicable) of this section. Both the closed vent system and control device (if applicable) must meet the requirements of § 63.172. The drain system (if applicable) must meet the requirements of § 63.136.

(10) If specific items of equipment, comprising part of a process unit subject to this subpart, are managed by different administrative organizations (e.g., different companies, affiliates, departments, divisions, etc.), those items of equipment may be aggregated with any TPPU within the affected source for all purposes under subpart H of this part, providing there is no delay in achieving the applicable compliance date.

(11) When the terms “equipment” and “equipment leak” are used in subpart H of this part, the definitions of these terms in § 63.1312 shall apply for the purposes of this subpart.

(12) The phrase “the provisions of subparts F, I, or JJJ of this part” shall apply instead of the phrase “the provisions of subpart F or I of this part” throughout §§ 63.163 and 63.168, for the purposes of this subpart. In addition, the phrase “subparts F, I, and JJJ” shall apply instead of the phrase “subparts F and I” in § 63.174(c)(2)(iii), for the purposes of this subpart.

(13) An owner or operator using a flare to comply with the requirements of this section shall conduct a compliance demonstration as specified in § 63.1333(e).

(b) The provisions of this section do not apply to each TPPU producing PET using a process other than a continuous terephthalic acid (TPA) high viscosity multiple end finisher process that is part of an affected source if all of the equipment leak components subject to this section § 63.1331 in the TPPU are either in vacuum service or in heavy liquid service.

(1) Owners and operators of a TPPU exempted under paragraph (b) of this section shall comply with paragraph (b)(1)(i) or (b)(1)(ii) of this section.

(i) Retain information, data, and analyses used to demonstrate that all of the components in the exempted TPPU are either in vacuum service or in heavy liquid service. For components in vacuum service, examples of information that could document this include, but are not limited to, analyses of process stream composition and process conditions, engineering calculations, or process knowledge. For components in heavy liquid service, such documentation shall include an analysis or demonstration that the process fluids do not meet the criteria of “in light liquid service” or “in gas or vapor service.”

(ii) When requested by the Administrator, demonstrate that all of the components in the TPPU are either in vacuum service or in heavy liquid service.

(2) If changes occur at a TPPU exempted under paragraph (b) of this section such that all of the components in the TPPU are no longer either in vacuum service or in heavy liquid service (e.g., by either process changes or the addition of new components), the owner or operator of the affected source shall comply with the provisions of this section for all of the components at the TPPU. The owner or operator shall submit a report within 180 days after the process change is made or the information regarding the process change is known to the owner or operator. This report may be included in the next Periodic Report, as specified in paragraph (a)(5) of this section. A description of the process change shall be submitted with this report.

(c)

(1) Each affected source producing PET using a continuous TPA high viscosity multiple end finisher process shall monitor for leaks upon startup following an outage where changes have been made to equipment in gas/vapor or light liquid service. This leak check shall consist of the introduction of hot ethylene glycol vapors into the system for a period of no less than 2 hours during which time sensory monitoring of the equipment shall be conducted.

(2) A leak is determined to be detected if there is evidence of a potential leak found by visual, audible, or olfactory means.

(3) When a leak is detected, it shall be repaired as soon as practical, but not later than 15 days after it is detected, except as provided in § 63.171.

(i) The first attempt at repair shall be made no later than 5 days after each leak is detected.

(ii) Repaired shall mean that the visual, audible, olfactory or other indications of a leak have been eliminated; that no bubbles are observed at potential leak sites during a leak check using soap solution; or that the system will hold a test pressure.

(4) When a leak is detected, the following information shall be recorded and kept for 2 years and reported in the next periodic report:

(i) The instrument and the equipment identification number and the operator name, initials or identification number.

(ii) The date the leak was detected and the date of first attempt to repair the leak.

(iii) The date of successful repair of the leak.

[61 FR 48229, Sept. 12, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 37722, July 15, 1997; 65 FR 38127, June 19, 2000; 66 FR 40907, Aug. 6, 2001; 79 FR 17367, Mar. 27, 2014]