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Code of Federal Regulations (Last Updated: July 5, 2024) |
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Title 40 - Protection of Environment |
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Chapter I - Environmental Protection Agency |
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SubChapter C - Air Programs |
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Part 63 - National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Source Categories |
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Subpart SS - National Emission Standards for Closed Vent Systems, Control Devices, Recovery Devices and Routing to a Fuel Gas System or a Process |
§ 63.981 - Definitions.
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§ 63.981 Definitions.
Alternative test method means any method of sampling and analyzing for an air pollutant that is not a reference test or equivalent method, and that has been demonstrated to the Administrator's satisfaction, using Method 301 in appendix A of this part 63, or previously approved by the Administrator prior to the promulgation date of standards for an affected source or affected facility under a referencing subpart, to produce results adequate for the Administrator's determination that it may be used in place of a test method specified in this subpart.
Boiler means any enclosed combustion device that extracts useful energy in the form of steam and is not an incinerator or a process heater.
By compound means by individual stream components, not carbon equivalents.
Closed vent system means a system that is not open to the atmosphere and is composed of piping, ductwork, connections, and, if necessary, flow inducing devices that transport gas or vapor from an emission point to a control device. Closed vent system does not include the vapor collection system that is part of any tank truck or railcar.
Closed vent system shutdown means a work practice or operational procedure that stops production from a process unit or part of a process unit during which it is technically feasible to clear process material from a closed vent system or part of a closed vent system consistent with safety constraints and during which repairs can be effected. An unscheduled work practice or operational procedure that stops production from a process unit or part of a process unit for less than 24 hours is not a closed vent system shutdown. An unscheduled work practice or operational procedure that would stop production from a process unit or part of a process unit for a shorter period of time than would be required to clear the closed vent system or part of the closed vent system of materials and start up the unit, and would result in greater emissions than delay of repair of leaking components until the next scheduled closed vent system shutdown, is not a closed vent system shutdown. The use of spare equipment and technically feasible bypassing of equipment without stopping production are not closed vent system shutdowns.
Combustion device means an individual unit of equipment, such as a flare, incinerator, process heater, or boiler, used for the combustion of organic emissions.
Continuous parameter monitoring system (CPMS) means the total equipment that may be required to meet the data acquisition and availability requirements of this part, used to sample, condition (if applicable), analyze, and provide a record of process or control system parameters.
Continuous record means documentation, either in hard copy or computer readable form, of data values measured at least once every 15 minutes and recorded at the frequency specified in § 63.998(b).
Control device means, with the exceptions noted below, a combustion device, recovery device, recapture device, or any combination of these devices used to comply with this subpart or a referencing subpart. For process vents from continuous unit operations at affected sources in subcategories where the applicability criteria includes a TRE index value, recovery devices are not considered to be control devices. Primary condensers on steam strippers or fuel gas systems are not considered to be control devices.
Control System means the combination of the closed vent system and the control devices used to collect and control vapors or gases from a regulated emission source.
Day means a calendar day.
Ductwork means a conveyance system such as those commonly used for heating and ventilation systems. It is often made of sheet metal and often has sections connected by screws or crimping. Hard-piping is not ductwork.
Final recovery device means the last recovery device on a process vent stream from a continuous unit operation at an affected source in a subcategory where the applicability criteria includes a TRE index value. The final recovery device usually discharges to a combustion device, recapture device, or directly to the atmosphere.
First attempt at repair, for the purposes of this subpart, means to take action for the purpose of stopping or reducing leakage of organic material to the atmosphere, followed by monitoring as specified in § 63.983(c) to verify whether the leak is repaired, unless the owner or operator determines by other means that the leak is not repaired.
Flame zone means the portion of the combustion chamber in a boiler or process heater occupied by the flame envelope.
Flow indicator means a device which indicates whether gas flow is, or whether the valve position would allow gas flow to be, present in a line.
Fuel gas means gases that are combusted to derive useful work or heat.
Fuel gas system means the offsite and onsite piping and flow and pressure control system that gathers gaseous streams generated by onsite operations, may blend them with other sources of gas, and transports the gaseous streams for use as fuel gas in combustion devices or in-process combustion equipment such as furnaces and gas turbines, either singly or in combination.
Hard-piping means pipe or tubing that is manufactured and properly installed using good engineering judgment and standards, such as ANSI B31.3.
High throughput transfer rack means those transfer racks that transfer a total of 11.8 million liters per year or greater of liquid containing regulated material.
Incinerator means an enclosed combustion device that is used for destroying organic compounds. Auxiliary fuel may be used to heat waste gas to combustion temperatures. Any energy recovery section present is not physically formed into one manufactured or assembled unit with the combustion section; rather, the energy recovery section is a separate section following the combustion section and the two are joined by ducts or connections carrying flue gas. The above energy recovery section limitation does not apply to an energy recovery section used solely to preheat the incoming vent stream or combustion air.
Low throughput transfer rack means those transfer racks that transfer less than a total of 11.8 million liters per year of liquid containing regulated material.
Operating parameter value means a minimum or maximum value established for a control device parameter which, if achieved by itself or in combination with one or more other operating parameter values, determines that an owner or operator has complied with an applicable emission limit or operating limit.
Organic monitoring device means a unit of equipment used to indicate the concentration level of organic compounds based on a detection principle such as infra-red, photo ionization, or thermal conductivity.
Owner or operator means any person who owns, leases, operates, controls, or supervises a regulated source or a stationary source of which a regulated source is a part.
Performance level means the level at which the regulated material in the gases or vapors vented to a control or recovery device is removed, recovered, or destroyed. Examples of control device performance levels include: achieving a minimum organic reduction efficiency expressed as a percentage of regulated material removed or destroyed in the control device inlet stream on a weight-basis; achieving an organic concentration in the control device exhaust stream that is less than a maximum allowable limit expressed in parts per million by volume on a dry basis corrected to 3 percent oxygen if a combustion device is the control device and supplemental combustion air is used to combust the emissions; or maintaining appropriate control device operating parameters indicative of the device performance at specified values.
Performance test means the collection of data resulting from the execution of a test method (usually three emission test runs) used to demonstrate compliance with a relevant emission limit as specified in the performance test section of this subpart or in the referencing subpart.
Primary fuel means the fuel that provides the principal heat input to a device. To be considered primary, the fuel must be able to sustain operation without the addition of other fuels.
Process heater means an enclosed combustion device that transfers heat liberated by burning fuel directly to process streams or to heat transfer liquids other than water. A process heater may, as a secondary function, heat water in unfired heat recovery sections.
Recapture device means an individual unit of equipment capable of and used for the purpose of recovering chemicals, but not normally for use, reuse, or sale. For example, a recapture device may recover chemicals primarily for disposal. Recapture devices include, but are not limited to, absorbers, carbon adsorbers, and condensers. For purposes of the monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting requirements of this subpart, recapture devices are considered recovery devices.
Recovery device means an individual unit of equipment capable of and normally used for the purpose of recovering chemicals for fuel value (i.e., net positive heating value), use, reuse, or for sale for fuel value, use, or reuse. Examples of equipment that may be recovery devices include absorbers, carbon adsorbers, condensers, oil-water separators or organic-water separators, or organic removal devices such as decanters, strippers, or thin-film evaporation units. For purposes of the monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements of this subpart, recapture devices are considered recovery devices.
Recovery operations equipment means the equipment used to separate the components of process streams. Recovery operations equipment includes distillation units, condensers, etc. Equipment used for wastewater treatment shall not be considered recovery operations equipment.
Referencing subpart means the subpart which refers an owner or operator to this subpart.
Regulated material, for purposes of this subpart, refers to vapors from volatile organic liquids (VOL), volatile organic compounds (VOC), or hazardous air pollutants (HAP), or other chemicals or groups of chemicals that are regulated by a referencing subpart.
Regulated source for the purposes of this subpart, means the stationary source, the group of stationary sources, or the portion of a stationary source that is regulated by a relevant standard or other requirement established pursuant to a referencing subpart.
Repaired, for the purposes of this subpart, means that equipment; is adjusted, or otherwise altered, to eliminate a leak as defined in the applicable sections of this subpart; and unless otherwise specified in applicable provisions of this subpart, is inspected as specified in § 63.983(c) to verify that emissions from the equipment are below the applicable leak definition.
Routed to a process or route to a process means the gas streams are conveyed to any enclosed portion of a process unit where the emissions are recycled and/or consumed in the same manner as a material that fulfills the same function in the process; and/or transformed by chemical reaction into materials that are not regulated materials; and/or incorporated into a product; and/or recovered.
Run means one of a series of emission or other measurements needed to determine emissions for a representative operating period or cycle as specified in this subpart. Unless otherwise specified, a run may be either intermittent or continuous within the limits of good engineering practice.
Secondary fuel means a fuel fired through a burner other than the primary fuel burner that provides supplementary heat in addition to the heat provided by the primary fuel.
Sensor means a device that measures a physical quantity or the change in a physical quantity, such as temperature, pressure, flow rate, pH, or liquid level.
Specific gravity monitoring device means a unit of equipment used to monitor specific gravity and having a minimum accuracy of ±0.02 specific gravity units.
Supplemental combustion air means the air that is added to a vent stream after the vent stream leaves the unit operation. Air that is part of the vent stream as a result of the nature of the unit operation is not considered supplemental combustion air. Air required to operate combustion device burner(s) is not considered supplemental combustion air. Air required to ensure the proper operation of catalytic oxidizers, to include the intermittent addition of air upstream of the catalyst bed to maintain a minimum threshold flow rate through the catalyst bed or to avoid excessive temperatures in the catalyst bed, is not considered to be supplemental combustion air.
Temperature monitoring device means a unit of equipment used to monitor temperature and having a minimum accuracy of ±1 percent of the temperature being monitored expressed in degrees Celsius or ±1.2 degrees Celsius (°C), whichever is greater.
[64 FR 34866, June 29, 1999, as amended at 64 FR 63705, Nov. 22, 1999; 67 FR 46277, July 12, 2002]