§ 63.2460 - What requirements must I meet for batch process vents?

§ 63.2460 What requirements must I meet for batch process vents?

(a) General. You must meet each emission limit in Table 2 to this subpart that applies to you, and you must meet each applicable requirement specified in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section and §§ 63.2492 and 63.2493(a) through (c).

(b) Group status. If a process has batch process vents, as defined in § 63.2550, you must determine the group status of the batch process vents by determining and summing the uncontrolled organic HAP emissions from each of the batch process vents within the process using the procedures specified in § 63.1257(d)(2)(i) and (ii), except as specified in paragraphs (b)(1) through (7) of this section.

(1) To calculate emissions caused by the heating of a vessel without a process condenser to a temperature lower than the boiling point, you must use the procedures in § 63.1257(d)(2)(i)(C)(3).

(2) To calculate emissions from depressurization of a vessel without a process condenser, you must use the procedures in § 63.1257(d)(2)(i)(D)(10).

(3) To calculate emissions from vacuum systems for the purposes of this subpart, the receiving vessel is part of the vacuum system, and terms used in Equation 33 to 40 CFR part 63, subpart GGG, are defined as follows:

P_system = absolute pressure of the receiving vessel;

P_i = partial pressure of the HAP determined at the exit temperature and exit pressure conditions of the condenser or at the conditions of the dedicated receiver;

P_j = partial pressure of condensables (including HAP) determined at the exit temperature and exit pressure conditions of the condenser or at the conditions of the dedicated receiver;

MW_HAP = molecular weight of the HAP determined at the exit temperature and exit pressure conditions of the condenser or at the conditions of the dedicated receiver.

(4) To calculate uncontrolled emissions when a vessel is equipped with a process condenser, you must use the procedures in § 63.1257(d)(3)(i)(B), except as specified in paragraphs (b)(4)(i) through (vii) of this section.

(i) You must determine the flowrate of gas (or volume of gas), partial pressures of condensables, temperature (T), and HAP molecular weight (MW_HAP) at the exit temperature and exit pressure conditions of the condenser or at the conditions of the dedicated receiver.

(ii) You must assume that all of the components contained in the condenser exit vent stream are in equilibrium with the same components in the exit condensate stream (except for noncondensables).

(iii) You must perform a material balance for each component.

(iv) For the emissions from gas evolution, the term for time, t, must be used in Equation 12 to 40 CFR part 63, subpart GGG.

(v) Emissions from empty vessel purging shall be calculated using Equation 36 to 40 CFR part 63, subpart GGG and the exit temperature and exit pressure conditions of the condenser or the conditions of the dedicated receiver.

(vi) You must conduct an engineering assessment as specified in § 63.1257(d)(2)(ii) for each emission episode that is not due to vapor displacement, purging, heating, depressurization, vacuum operations, gas evolution, air drying, or empty vessel purging. The requirements of paragraphs (b)(3) through (4) of this section shall apply.

(vii) You may elect to conduct an engineering assessment if you can demonstrate to the Administrator that the methods in § 63.1257(d)(3)(i)(B) are not appropriate.

(5) You may elect to designate the batch process vents within a process as Group 1 and not calculate uncontrolled emissions if you comply with one of the situations in paragraph (b)(5)(i), (ii), or (iii) of this section.

(i) If you comply with the alternative standard specified in § 63.2505.

(ii) If all Group 1 batch process vents within a process are controlled; you conduct the performance test under hypothetical worst case conditions, as defined in § 63.1257(b)(8)(i)(B); and the emission profile is based on capture and control system limitations as specified in § 63.1257(b)(8)(ii)(C).

(iii) If you comply with an emission limit using a flare that meets the requirements specified in § 63.987 or § 63.2450(e)(5), as applicable.

(6) You may change from Group 2 to Group 1 in accordance with either paragraph (b)(6)(i) or (ii) of this section. Before October 13, 2020, you must comply with the requirements of this section and submit the test report. Beginning on and after October 13, 2020, you must comply with the requirements of this section and submit the performance test report for the demonstration required in § 63.1257(b)(8) in accordance with § 63.2520(f).

(i) You may switch at any time after operating as Group 2 for at least 1 year so that you can show compliance with the 10,000 pounds per year (lb/yr) threshold for Group 2 batch process vents for at least 365 days before the switch. You may elect to start keeping records of emissions from Group 2 batch process vents before the compliance date. Report a switch based on this provision in your next compliance report in accordance with § 63.2520(e)(10)(i).

(ii) If the conditions in paragraph (b)(6)(i) of this section are not applicable, you must provide a 60-day advance notice in accordance with § 63.2520(e)(10)(ii) before switching.

(7) As an alternative to determining the uncontrolled organic HAP emissions as specified in § 63.1257(d)(2)(i) and (ii), you may elect to demonstrate that non-reactive organic HAP are the only HAP used in the process and non-reactive HAP usage in the process is less than 10,000 lb/yr. You must provide data and supporting rationale in your notification of compliance status report explaining why the non-reactive organic HAP usage will be less than 10,000 lb/yr. You must keep records of the non-reactive organic HAP usage as specified in § 63.2525(e)(2) and include information in compliance reports as specified in § 63.2520(e)(5)(iv).

(c) Exceptions to the requirements in subparts SS and WW of this part 63 are specified in paragraphs (c)(1) through (9) of this section.

(1) Process condensers. Process condensers, as defined in § 63.2550(i), are not considered to be control devices for batch process vents. You must determine whether a condenser is a control device for a batch process vent or a process condenser from which the uncontrolled HAP emissions are evaluated as part of the initial compliance demonstration for each MCPU and report the results with supporting rationale in your notification of compliance status report.

(2) Initial compliance.

(i) To demonstrate initial compliance with a percent reduction emission limit in Table 2 to this subpart, you must compare the sums of the controlled and uncontrolled emissions for the applicable Group 1 batch process vents within the process, and show that the specified reduction is met. This requirement does not apply if you comply with the emission limits of Table 2 to this subpart by using a flare that meets the requirements of § 63.987 or 63.2450(e)(5), as applicable.

(ii) When you conduct a performance test or design evaluation for a non-flare control device used to control emissions from batch process vents, you must establish emission profiles and conduct the test under worst-case conditions according to § 63.1257(b)(8) instead of under normal operating conditions as specified in § 63.7(e)(1) of subpart A or the conditions as specified in § 63.2450(g)(6). The requirements in § 63.997(e)(1)(i) and (iii) also do not apply for performance tests conducted to determine compliance with the emission limits for batch process vents. For purposes of this subpart, references in § 63.997(b)(1) to “methods specified in § 63.997(e)” include the methods specified in § 63.1257(b)(8).

(iii) As an alternative to conducting a performance test or design evaluation to demonstrate initial compliance with a percent reduction requirement for a condenser, you may determine controlled emissions using the procedures specified in § 63.1257(d)(3)(i)(B) and paragraphs (b)(3) through (4) of this section.

(iv) When § 63.1257(d)(3)(i)(B)(7) specifies that condenser-controlled emissions from an air dryer must be calculated using Equation 11 of 40 CFR part 63, subpart GGG, with “V equal to the air flow rate,” it means “V equal to the dryer outlet gas flow rate,” for the purposes of this subpart. Alternatively, you may use Equation 12 of 40 CFR part 63, subpart GGG, with V equal to the dryer inlet air flow rate. Account for time as appropriate in either equation.

(v) If a process condenser is used for boiling operations in which HAP (not as an impurity) is heated to the boiling point, you must demonstrate that it is properly operated according to the procedures specified in § 63.1257(d)(2)(i)(C)(4)(ii) and (d)(3)(iii)(B), and the demonstration must occur only during the boiling operation. The reference in § 63.1257(d)(3)(iii)(B) to the alternative standard in § 63.1254(c) means § 63.2505 for the purposes of this subpart. As an alternative to measuring the exhaust gas temperature, as required by § 63.1257(d)(3)(iii)(B), you may elect to measure the liquid temperature in the receiver.

(vi) You must conduct a subsequent performance test or compliance demonstration equivalent to an initial compliance demonstration within 180 days of a change in the worst-case conditions.

(3) Establishing operating limits. You must establish operating limits under the conditions required for your initial compliance demonstration, except you may elect to establish operating limit(s) for conditions other than those under which a performance test was conducted as specified in paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section and, if applicable, paragraph (c)(3)(ii) of this section.

(i) The operating limits may be based on the results of the performance test and supplementary information such as engineering assessments and manufacturer's recommendations. These limits may be established for conditions as unique as individual emission episodes for a batch process. You must provide rationale in the precompliance report for the specific level for each operating limit, including any data and calculations used to develop the limit and a description of why the limit indicates proper operation of the control device. The procedures provided in this paragraph (c)(3)(i) have not been approved by the Administrator and determination of the operating limit using these procedures is subject to review and approval by the Administrator.

(ii) If you elect to establish separate monitoring levels for different emission episodes within a batch process, you must maintain records in your daily schedule or log of processes indicating each point at which you change from one operating limit to another, even if the duration of the monitoring for an operating limit is less than 15 minutes. You must maintain a daily schedule or log of processes according to § 63.2525(c).

(4) Averaging periods. As an alternative to the requirement for daily averages in § 63.998(b)(3), you may determine averages for operating blocks. An operating block is a period of time that is equal to the time from the beginning to end of batch process operations within a process.

(5) [Reserved]

(6) Outlet concentration correction for supplemental gases. If you use a control device other than a combustion device to comply with a TOC, organic HAP, or hydrogen halide and halogen HAP outlet concentration emission limit for batch process vents, you must correct the actual concentration for supplemental gases using Equation 1 to this paragraph (e)(6); you may use process knowledge and representative operating data to determine the fraction of the total flow due to supplemental gas.

Where:

C_a = corrected outlet TOC, organic HAP, or hydrogen halide and halogen HAP concentration, dry basis, ppmv;

C_m = actual TOC, organic HAP, or hydrogen halide and halogen HAP concentration measured at control device outlet, dry basis, ppmv;

Q_a = total volumetric flowrate of all gas streams vented to the control device, except supplemental gases;

Q_s = total volumetric flowrate of supplemental gases.

(7) If flow to a control device could be intermittent, you must install, calibrate, and operate a flow indicator at the inlet or outlet of the control device to identify periods of no flow. Periods of no flow may not be used in daily or block averages, and it may not be used in fulfilling a minimum data availability requirement.

(8) Terminology. When the term “storage vessel” is used in subpart WW of this part 63, the term “process tank,” as defined in § 63.2550(i), applies for the purposes of this section.

(9) Requirements for a biofilter. If you use a biofilter to meet either the95the 95-percent reduction requirement or outlet concentration requirement specified in Table 2 to this subpart, you must meet the requirements specified in paragraphs (c)(9)(i) through (viiv) of this section.

(i) Operational requirements. The biofilter must be operated at all times when emissions are vented to it.

(ii) Performance tests. To demonstrate initial compliance, you must conduct a performance test according to the procedures in §§ 63.2450(g) and 63.997 of subpart SS, and paragraphs (c)(9)(ii)(A) through (D) of this section. The design evaluation option for small control devices is not applicable if you use a biofilter.

(A) Keep up-to-date, readily accessible continuous records of either the biofilter bed temperature averaged over the full period of the performance test or the outlet total organic HAP or TOC concentration averaged over the full period of the performance test. Include these data in your notification of compliance status report as required by § 63.999(b)(3)(ii).

(B) Record either the percent reduction of total organic HAP achieved by the biofilter determined as specified in § 63.997(e)(2)(iv) or the concentration of TOC or total organic HAP determined as specified in § 63.997(e)(2)(iii) at the outlet of the biofilter, as applicable.

(C) If you monitor the biofilter bed temperature, you may elect to use multiple thermocouples in representative locations throughout the biofilter bed and calculate the average biofilter bed temperature across these thermocouples prior to reducing the temperature data to 15 minute (or shorter) averages for purposes of establishing operating limits for the biofilter. If you use multiple thermocouples, include your rationale for their site selection in your notification of compliance status report.

(D) Before October 13, 2020, submit a performance test report as specified in § 63.999(a)(2)(i) and (ii) and include the records from paragraph (c)(9)(ii)(B) of this section. Beginning on and after October 13, 2020, you must submit a performance test report as specified in § 63.2520(f).

(iii) Monitoring requirements. Use either a biofilter bed temperature monitoring device (or multiple devices) capable of providing a continuous record or an organic monitoring device capable of providing a continuous record. Comply with the requirements in § 63.2450(e)(4), the general requirements for monitoring in § 63.996, and keep records of temperature or other parameter monitoring results as specified in § 63.998(b) and (c), as applicable. If you monitor temperature, the operating temperature range must be based on only the temperatures measured during the performance test; these data may not be supplemented by engineering assessments or manufacturer's recommendations as otherwise allowed in § 63.999(b)(3)(ii)(A). If you establish the operating range (minimum and maximum temperatures) using data from previous performance tests in accordance with § 63.996(c)(6), replacement of the biofilter media with the same type of media is not considered a process change under § 63.997(b)(1). You may expand your biofilter bed temperature operating range by conducting a repeat performance test that demonstrates compliance with the 95-percent reduction requirement or outlet concentration limit, as applicable.

(iv) Repeat performance tests. You must conduct a repeat performance test using the applicable methods specified in §§ 63.2450(g) and 63.997 within 2 years following the previous performance test and within 150 days after each replacement of any portion of the biofilter bed media with a different type of media or each replacement of more than 50 percent (by volume) of the biofilter bed media with the same type of media.

[68 FR 63888, Nov. 10, 2003, as amended at 70 FR 38559, July 1, 2005; 71 FR 40333, July 14, 2006; 85 FR 49139, Aug. 12, 2020; 89 FR 23868, Apr. 4, 2024]