§ 63.923 - Standards - Container Level 2 controls.

§ 63.923 Standards - Container Level 2 controls.

(a) This section applies to owners and operators subject to this subpart and required to control air emissions from containers using Container Level 2 controls.

(b) A container using Container Level 2 controls is one of the following:

(1) A container that meets the applicable U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations on packaging hazardous materials for transportation as specified in paragraph (f) of this section.

(2) A container that has been demonstrated to operate with no detectable organic emissions as defined in § 63.921 of this subpart.

(3) A container that has been demonstrated within the preceding 12 months to be vapor-tight by using Method 27 in appendix A of 40 CFR part 60 in accordance with the procedure specified in § 63.925(b) of this subpart.

(c) Transfer of regulated-material in to or out of a container using Container Level 2 controls shall be conducted in such a manner as to minimize exposure of the regulated-material to the atmosphere, to the extent practical, considering the physical properties of the regulated-material and good engineering and safety practices for handling flammable, ignitable, explosive, or other hazardous materials. Examples of container loading procedures that meet the requirements of this paragraph include using any one of the following: a submerged-fill pipe or other submerged-fill method to load liquids into the container; a vapor-balancing system or a vapor-recovery system to collect and control the vapors displaced from the container during filling operations; or a fitted opening in the top of a container through which the regulated-material is filled, with subsequent purging of the transfer line before removing it from the container opening.

(d) Whenever a regulated-material is in a container using Container Level 2 controls, the owner or operator shall install all covers and closure devices for the container, and secure and maintain each closure device in the closed position except as follows:

(1) Opening of a closure device or cover is allowed for the purpose of adding material to the container as follows:

(i) In the case when the container is filled to the intended final level in one continuous operation, the owner or operator shall promptly secure the closure devices in the closed position and install the covers, as applicable to the container, upon conclusion of the filling operation.

(ii) In the case when discrete quantities or batches of material intermittently are added to the container over a period of time, the owner or operator shall promptly secure the closure devices in the closed position and install covers, as applicable to the container, upon either the container being filled to the intended final level, the completion of a batch loading after which no additional material will be added to the container within 15 minutes, the person performing the loading operation leaves the immediate vicinity of the container, or the shutdown of the process generating the material being added to the container, whichever condition occurs first.

(2) Opening of a closure device or cover is allowed for the purpose of removing material from the container as follows:

(i) For the purpose of meeting the requirements of this section, an empty container as defined in § 63.921 of this subpart may be open to the atmosphere at any time (e.g., covers and closure devices are not required to be secured in the closed position on an empty container).

(ii) In the case when discrete quantities or batches of material are removed from the container but the container does not meet the conditions to be an empty container as defined in § 63.921 of this subpart, the owner or operator shall promptly secure the closure devices in the closed position and install covers, as applicable to the container, upon the completion of a batch removal after which no additional material will be removed from the container within 15 minutes or the person performing the unloading operation leaves the immediate vicinity of the container, whichever condition occurs first.

(3) Opening of a closure device or cover is allowed when access inside the container is needed to perform routine activities other than transfer of regulated-material. Examples of such activities include those times when a worker needs to open a port to measure the depth of or sample the material in the container, or when a worker needs to open a manhole hatch to access equipment inside the container. Following completion of the activity, the owner or operator shall promptly secure the closure device in the closed position or reinstall the cover, as applicable to the container.

(4) Opening of a spring-loaded pressure-vacuum relief valve, conservation vent, or similar type of pressure relief device which vents to the atmosphere is allowed during normal operations for the purpose of maintaining the container internal pressure in accordance with the container design specifications. The device shall be designed to operate with no detectable organic emissions when the device is secured in the closed position. The settings at which the device opens shall be established such that the device remains in the closed position whenever the container internal pressure is within the internal pressure operating range determined by the owner or operator based on container manufacturer recommendations, applicable regulations, fire protection and prevention codes, standard engineering codes and practices, or other requirements for the safe handling of flammable, combustible, explosive, reactive, or hazardous materials. Examples of normal operating conditions that may require these devices to open are during those times when the container internal pressure exceeds the internal pressure operating range for the container as a result of loading operations or diurnal ambient temperature fluctuations.

(5) Opening of a safety device, as defined in § 63.921 of this subpart, is allowed at any time conditions require it to do so to avoid an unsafe condition.

(e) The owner or operator shall inspect containers using Container Level 2 controls in accordance with the procedures specified in § 63.926(a) of this subpart.

(f) For the purpose of compliance with paragraph (b)(1) of this section, containers shall be used that meet the applicable U.S. DOT regulations on packaging hazardous materials for transportation as follows:

(1) The container meets the applicable requirements specified in 49 CFR part 178 - Specifications for Packagings or 49 CFR part 179 - Specifications for Tank Cars.

(2) Regulated-material is managed in the container in accordance with the applicable requirements specified in 49 CFR part 107 subpart B - Exemptions; 49 CFR part 172 - Hazardous Materials Table, Special Provisions, Hazardous Materials Communications, Emergency Response Information, and Training Requirements; 49 CFR part 173 - Shippers - General Requirements for Shipments and Packaging; and 49 CFR part 180 - Continuing Qualification and Maintenance of Packagings.

(3) For the purpose of complying with this subpart, no exceptions to the 49 CFR part 178 or part 179 regulations are allowed except as provided for in paragraph (f)(4) of this section.

(4) For a lab pack that is managed in accordance with the requirements of 49 CFR part 178 for the purpose of complying with this subpart, an owner or operator may comply with the exceptions for those packagings specified in 49 CFR 173.12(b).