§ 61.13 - Emission tests and waiver of emission tests.

§ 61.13 Emission tests and waiver of emission tests.

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (a)(3), (a)(4), (a)(5), and (a)(6) of this section, if required to do emission testing by an applicable subpart and unless a waiver of emission testing is obtained under this section, the owner or operator shall test emissions from the source:

(1) Within 90 days after the effective date, for an existing source or a new source which has an initial startup date before the effective date.

(2) Within 90 days after initial startup, for a new source which has an initial startup date after the effective date.

(3) If a force majeure is about to occur, occurs, or has occurred for which the affected owner or operator intends to assert a claim of force majeure, the owner or operator shall notify the Administrator, in writing as soon as practicable following the date the owner or operator first knew, or through due diligence should have known that the event may cause or caused a delay in testing beyond the regulatory deadline specified in paragraphs (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this section or beyond a deadline established pursuant to the requirements under paragraph (b) of this section, but the notification must occur before the performance test deadline unless the initial force majeure or a subsequent force majeure event delays the notice, and in such cases, the notification shall occur as soon as practicable.

(4) The owner or operator shall provide to the Administrator a written description of the force majeure event and a rationale for attributing the delay in testing beyond the regulatory deadline to the force majeure; describe the measures taken or to be taken to minimize the delay; and identify a date by which the owner or operator proposes to conduct the performance test. The performance test shall be conducted as soon as practicable after the force majeure occurs.

(5) The decision as to whether or not to grant an extension to the performance test deadline is solely within the discretion of the Administrator. The Administrator will notify the owner or operator in writing of approval or disapproval of the request for an extension as soon as practicable.

(6) Until an extension of the performance test deadline has been approved by the Administrator under paragraphs (a)(3), (a)(4), and (a)(5) of this section, the owner or operator of the affected facility remains strictly subject to the requirements of this part.

(b) The Administrator may require an owner or operator to test emissions from the source at any other time when the action is authorized by section 114 of the Act.

(c) The owner or operator shall notify the Administrator of the emission test at least 30 days before the emission test to allow the Administrator the opportunity to have an observer present during the test.

(d) If required to do emission testing, the owner or operator of each new source and, at the request of the Administrator, the owner or operator of each existing source shall provide emission testing facilities as follows:

(1) Sampling ports adequate for test methods applicable to each source.

(2) Safe sampling platform(s).

(3) Safe access to sampling platform(s).

(4) Utilities for sampling and testing equipment.

(5) Any other facilities that the Administrator needs to safely and properly test a source.

(e) Each emission test shall be conducted under such conditions as the Administrator shall specify based on design and operational characteristics of the source.

(1) The performance testing shall include a test method performance audit (PA) during the performance test. The PAs consist of blind audit samples supplied by an accredited audit sample provider and analyzed during the performance test in order to provide a measure of test data bias. Gaseous audit samples are designed to audit the performance of the sampling system as well as the analytical system and must be collected by the sampling system during the compliance test just as the compliance samples are collected. If a liquid or solid audit sample is designed to audit the sampling system, it must also be collected by the sampling system during the compliance test. If multiple sampling systems or sampling trains are used during the compliance test for any of the test methods, the tester is only required to use one of the sampling systems per method to collect the audit sample. The audit sample must be analyzed by the same analyst using the same analytical reagents and analytical system and at the same time as the compliance samples. Retests are required when there is a failure to produce acceptable results for an audit sample. However, if the audit results do not affect the compliance or noncompliance status of the affected facility, the compliance authority may waive the reanalysis requirement, further audits, or retests and accept the results of the compliance test. Acceptance of the test results shall constitute a waiver of the reanalysis requirement, further audits, or retests. The compliance authority may also use the audit sample failure and the compliance test results as evidence to determine the compliance or noncompliance status of the affected facility. A blind audit sample is a sample whose value is known only to the sample provider and is not revealed to the tested facility until after they report the measured value of the audit sample. For pollutants that exist in the gas phase at ambient temperature, the audit sample shall consist of an appropriate concentration of the pollutant in air or nitrogen that can be introduced into the sampling system of the test method at or near the same entry point as a sample from the emission source. If no gas phase audit samples are available, an acceptable alternative is a sample of the pollutant in the same matrix that would be produced when the sample is recovered from the sampling system as required by the test method. For samples that exist only in a liquid or solid form at ambient temperature, the audit sample shall consist of an appropriate concentration of the pollutant in the same matrix that would be produced when the sample is recovered from the sampling system as required by the test method. An accredited audit sample provider (AASP) is an organization that has been accredited to prepare audit samples by an independent, third party accrediting body.

(i) The source owner, operator, or representative of the tested facility shall obtain an audit sample, if commercially available, from an AASP for each test method used for regulatory compliance purposes. No audit samples are required for the following test methods: Methods 3A and 3C of appendix A-3 of part 60 of this chapter; Methods 6C, 7E, 9, and 10 of appendix A-4 of part 60; Method 18 and 19 of appendix A-6 of part 60; Methods 20, 22, and 25A of appendix A-7 of part 60; Methods 30A and 30B of appendix A-8 of part 60; and Methods 303, 318, 320, and 321 of appendix A of part 63 of this chapter. If multiple sources at a single facility are tested during a compliance test event, only one audit sample is required for each method used during a compliance test. The compliance authority responsible for the compliance test may waive the requirement to include an audit sample if they believe that an audit sample is not necessary. “Commercially available” means that two or more independent AASPs have blind audit samples available for purchase. If the source owner, operator, or representative cannot find an audit sample for a specific method, the owner, operator, or representative shall consult the EPA Web site at the following URL, www.epa.gov/ttn/emc, to confirm whether there is a source that can supply an audit sample for that method. If the EPA Web site does not list an available audit sample at least 60 days prior to the beginning of the compliance test, the source owner, operator, or representative shall not be required to include an audit sample as part of the quality assurance program for the compliance test. When ordering an audit sample, the source owner, operator, or representative shall give the sample provider an estimate for the concentration of each pollutant that is emitted by the source or the estimated concentration of each pollutant based on the permitted level and the name, address, and phone number of the compliance authority. The source owner, operator, or representative shall report the results for the audit sample along with a summary of the emission test results for the audited pollutant to the compliance authority and shall report the results of the audit sample to the AASP. The source owner, operator, or representative shall make both reports at the same time and in the same manner or shall report to the compliance authority first and then report to the AASP. If the method being audited is a method that allows the samples to be analyzed in the field and the tester plans to analyze the samples in the field, the tester may analyze the audit samples prior to collecting the emission samples provided a representative of the compliance authority is present at the testing site. The tester may request, and the compliance authority may grant, a waiver to the requirement that a representative of the compliance authority must be present at the testing site during the field analysis of an audit sample. The source owner, operator, or representative may report the results of the audit sample to the compliance authority and then report the results of the audit sample to the AASP prior to collecting any emission samples. The test protocol and final test report shall document whether an audit sample was ordered and utilized and the pass/fail results as applicable.

(ii) An AASP shall have and shall prepare, analyze, and report the true value of audit samples in accordance with a written technical criteria document that describes how audit samples will be prepared and distributed in a manner that will ensure the integrity of the audit sample program. An acceptable technical criteria document shall contain standard operating procedures for all of the following operations:

(A) Preparing the sample;

(B) Confirming the true concentration of the sample;

(C) Defining the acceptance limits for the results from a well qualified tester. This procedure must use well established statistical methods to analyze historical results from well qualified testers. The acceptance limits shall be set so that there is 95 percent confidence that 90 percent of well qualified labs will produce future results that are within the acceptance limit range;

(D) Providing the opportunity for the compliance authority to comment on the selected concentration level for an audit sample;

(E) Distributing the sample to the user in a manner that guarantees that the true value of the sample is unknown to the user;

(F) Recording the measured concentration reported by the user and determining if the measured value is within acceptable limits;

(G) Reporting the results from each audit sample in a timely manner to the compliance authority and to the source owner, operator, or representative by the AASP. The AASP shall make both reports at the same time and in the same manner or shall report to the compliance authority first and then report to the source owner, operator, or representative. The results shall include the name of the facility tested, the date on which the compliance test was conducted, the name of the company performing the sample collection, the name of the company that analyzed the compliance samples including the audit sample, the measured result for the audit sample, and whether the testing company passed or failed the audit. The AASP shall report the true value of the audit sample to the compliance authority. The AASP may report the true value to the source owner, operator, or representative if the AASP's operating plan ensures that no laboratory will receive the same audit sample twice.

(H) Evaluating the acceptance limits of samples at least once every two years to determine in consultation with the voluntary consensus standard body if they should be changed;

(I) Maintaining a database, accessible to the compliance authorities, of results from the audit that shall include the name of the facility tested, the date on which the compliance test was conducted, the name of the company performing the sample collection, the name of the company that analyzed the compliance samples including the audit sample, the measured result for the audit sample, the true value of the audit sample, the acceptance range for the measured value, and whether the testing company passed or failed the audit.

(iii) The accrediting body shall have a written technical criteria document that describes how it will ensure that the AASP is operating in accordance with the AASP technical criteria document that describes how audit or samples are to be prepared and distributed. This document shall contain standard operating procedures for all of the following operations:

(A) Checking audit samples to confirm their true value as reported by the AASP.

(B) Performing technical systems audits of the AASP's facilities and operating procedures at least once every two years.

(C) Providing standards for use by the voluntary consensus standard body to approve the accrediting body that will accredit the audit sample providers.

(iv) The technical criteria documents for the accredited sample providers and the accrediting body shall be developed through a public process guided by a voluntary consensus standards body (VCSB). The VCSB shall operate in accordance with the procedures and requirements in the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-119. A copy of Circular A-119 is available upon request by writing the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, by calling [phone] or downloading online at http://standards.gov/standards_gov/a119.cfm. The VCSB shall approve all accrediting bodies. The Administrator will review all technical criteria documents. If the technical criteria documents do not meet the minimum technical requirements in paragraphs (e)(1)(ii) through (iv) of this section, the technical criteria documents are not acceptable and the proposed audit sample program is not capable of producing audit samples of sufficient quality to be used in a compliance test. All acceptable technical criteria documents shall be posted on the EPA Web site at the following URL, http://www.epa.gov/ttn/emc.

(2) [Reserved]

(f) Unless otherwise specified in an applicable subpart, samples shall be analyzed and emissions determined within 30 days after each emission test has been completed. The owner or operator shall report the determinations of the emission test to the Administrator by a registered letter sent before the close of business on the 31st day following the completion of the emission test.

(g) The owner or operator shall retain at the source and make available, upon request, for inspection by the Administrator, for a minimum of 2 years, records of emission test results and other data needed to determine emissions.

(h)

(1) Emission tests shall be conducted as set forth in this section, the applicable subpart and appendix B unless the Administrator -

(i) Specifies or approves the use of a reference method with minor changes in methodology; or

(ii) Approves the use of an alternative method; or

(iii) Waives the requirement for emission testing because the owner or operator of a source has demonstrated by other means to the Administrator's satisfaction that the source is in compliance with the standard.

(2) If the Administrator finds reasonable grounds to dispute the results obtained by an alternative method, he may require the use of a reference method. If the results of the reference and alternative methods do not agree, the results obtained by the reference method prevail.

(3) The owner or operator may request approval for the use of an alternative method at any time, except -

(i) For an existing source or a new source that had an initial startup before the effective date, any request for use of an alternative method during the initial emission test shall be submitted to the Administrator within 30 days after the effective date, or with the request for a waiver of compliance if one is submitted under § 60.10(b); or

(ii) For a new source that has an initial startup after the effective date, any request for use of an alternative method during the initial emission test shall be submitted to the Administrator no later than with the notification of anticipated startup required under § 60.09.

(i)

(1) Emission tests may be waived upon written application to the Administrator if, in the Administrator's judgment, the source is meeting the standard, or the source is being operated under a waiver or compliance, or the owner or operator has requested a waiver of compliance and the Administrator is still considering that request.

(2) If application for waiver of the emission test is made, the application shall accompany the information required by § 61.10 or the notification of startup required by § 61.09, whichever is applicable. A possible format is contained in appendix A to this part.

(3) Approval of any waiver granted under this section shall not abrogate the Administrator's authority under the Act or in any way prohibit the Administrator from later cancelling the waiver. The cancellation will be made only after notice is given to the owner or operator of the source.

[50 FR 46292, Nov. 7, 1985, as amended at 72 FR 27442, May 16, 2007; 75 FR 55652, Sept. 13, 2010; 79 FR 11275, Feb. 27, 2014; 81 FR 59825, Aug. 30, 2016]