§ 63.1271 - Definitions.

§ 63.1271 Definitions.

All terms used in this subpart shall have the meaning given to them in the Clean Air Act, subpart A of this part (General Provisions), and in this section. If the same term is defined in subpart A and in this section, it shall have the meaning given in this section for purposes of this subpart.

Affirmative defense means, in the context of an enforcement proceeding, a response or defense put forward by a defendant, regarding which the defendant has the burden of proof, and the merits of which are independently and objectively evaluated in a judicial or administrative proceeding.

Boiler means an enclosed device using controlled flame combustion and having the primary purpose of recovering and exporting thermal energy in the form of steam or hot water. Boiler also means any industrial furnace as defined in 40 CFR 260.10.

BTEX means benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene.

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 one or more control devices. If gas or vapor from regulated equipment is routed to a process (e.g., to a fuel gas system), the conveyance system shall not be considered a closed-vent system and is not subject to closed-vent system standards.

Combustion device means an individual unit of equipment, such as a flare, incinerator, process heater, or boiler, used for the combustion of organic HAP emissions.

Compressor station means any permanent combination of compressors that move natural gas at increased pressure from fields, in transmission pipelines, or into storage.

Continuous recorder means a data recording device that either records an instantaneous data value at least once every hour or records hourly or more frequent block average values.

Control device means any equipment used for recovering or oxidizing HAP or volatile organic compound (VOC) vapors. Such equipment includes, but is not limited to, absorbers, carbon absorbers, condensers, incinerators, flares, boilers, and process heaters. For the purposes of this subpart, if gas or vapor from regulated equipment is used, reused (i.e., injected into the flame zone of an enclosed combustion device), returned back to the process, or sold, then the recovery system used, including piping, connections, and flow inducing devices, is not considered to be a control device or a closed-vent system.

Custody transfer means the transfer of natural gas after processing and/or treatment in the production operations to pipelines or any other forms of transportation.

Facility means any grouping of equipment where natural gas is processed, compressed, or stored prior to entering a pipeline to a local distribution company or (if there is no local distribution company) to a final end user. Examples of a facility for this source category are: an underground natural gas storage operation; or a natural gas compressor station that receives natural gas via pipeline, from an underground natural gas storage operation, or from a natural gas processing plant. The emission points associated with these phases include, but are not limited to, process vents. Processes that may have vents include, but are not limited to, dehydration and compressor station engines.

Facility, for the purpose of a major source determination, means natural gas transmission and storage equipment that is located inside the boundaries of an individual surface site (as defined in this section) and is connected by ancillary equipment, such as gas flow lines or power lines. Equipment that is part of a facility will typically be located within close proximity to other equipment located at the same facility. Natural gas transmission and storage equipment or groupings of equipment located on different gas leases, mineral fee tracts, lease tracts, subsurface unit areas, surface fee tracts, or surface lease tracts shall not be considered part of the same facility.

Flame zone means the portion of the combustion chamber in a combustion device occupied by the flame envelope.

Flare means a thermal oxidation system using an open flame (i.e., without enclosure).

Flash tank. See the definition for gas-condensate-glycol (GCG) separator.

Flow indicator means a device which indicates whether gas flow is present in a line or whether the valve position would allow gas flow to be present in a line.

Gas-condensate-glycol (GCG) separator means a two-or three-phase separator through which the “rich” glycol stream of a glycol dehydration unit is passed to remove entrained gas and hydrocarbon liquid. The GCG separator is commonly referred to as a flash separator or flash tank.

Glycol dehydration unit means a device in which a liquid glycol (including, but not limited to, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, or triethylene glycol) absorbent directly contacts a natural gas stream and absorbs water in a contact tower or absorption column (absorber). The glycol contacts and absorbs water vapor and other gas stream constituents from the natural gas and becomes “rich” glycol. This glycol is then regenerated in the glycol dehydration unit reboiler. The “lean” glycol is then recycled.

Glycol dehydration unit baseline operations means operations representative of the large glycol dehydration unit operations as of June 17, 1999 and the small glycol dehydration unit operations as of August 23, 2011. For the purposes of this subpart, for determining the percentage of overall HAP emission reduction attributable to process modifications, glycol dehydration unit baseline operations shall be parameter values (including, but not limited to, glycol circulation rate or glycol-HAP absorbency) that represent actual long-term conditions (i.e., at least 1 year). Glycol dehydration units in operation for less than 1 year shall document that the parameter values represent expected long-term operating conditions had process modifications not been made.

Glycol dehydration unit process vent means the glycol dehydration unit reboiler vent and the vent from the GCG separator (flash tank), if present.

Glycol dehydration unit reboiler vent means the vent through which exhaust from the reboiler of a glycol dehydration unit passes from the reboiler to the atmosphere or to a control device.

Hazardous air pollutants or HAP means the chemical compounds listed in section 112(b) of the Clean Air Act (Act). All chemical compounds listed in section 112(b) of the Act need to be considered when making a major source determination. Only the HAP compounds listed in Table 1 of this subpart need to be considered when determining compliance.

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 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.

Initial startup means the first time a new or reconstructed source begins production. For the purposes of this subpart, initial startup does not include subsequent startups (as defined in this section) of equipment, for example, following malfunctions or shutdowns.

Large glycol dehydration unit means a glycol dehydration unit with an actual annual average natural gas flowrate equal to or greater than 283.0 thousand standard cubic meters per day and actual annual average benzene emissions equal to or greater than 0.90 Mg/yr, determined according to § 63.1282(a). A glycol dehydration unit complying with the 0.9 Mg/yr control option under 63.1275(b)(1)(ii) is considered to be a large dehydrator.

Major source, as used in this subpart, shall have the same meaning as in § 63.2, except that:

(1) Emissions from any pipeline compressor station or pump station shall not be aggregated with emissions from other similar units, whether or not such units are in a contiguous area or under common control; and

(2) Emissions from processes, operations, and equipment that are not part of the same facility, as defined in this section, shall not be aggregated.

Natural gas means a naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbon and nonhydrocarbon gases found in geologic formations beneath the earth's surface. The principal hydrocarbon constituent is methane.

Natural gas transmission means the pipelines used for the long distance transport of natural gas (excluding processing). Specific equipment used in natural gas transmission includes the land, mains, valves, meters, boosters, regulators, storage vessels, dehydrators, compressors, and their driving units and appurtenances, and equipment used for transporting gas from a production plant, delivery point of purchased gas, gathering system, storage area, or other wholesale source of gas to one or more distribution area(s).

No detectable emissions means no escape of HAP from a device or system to the atmosphere as determined by:

(1) Instrument monitoring results in accordance with the requirements of § 63.1282(b); and

(2) The absence of visible openings or defects in the device or system, such as rips, tears, or gaps.

Operating parameter value means a minimum or maximum value established for a control device or process parameter which, if achieved by itself or in combination with one or more other operating parameter values, indicates that an owner or operator has complied with an applicable operating parameter limitation, over the appropriate averaging period as specified in § 63.1282 (e) and (f).

Operating permit means a permit required by 40 CFR part 70 or part 71.

Organic monitoring device means an instrument used to indicate the concentration level of organic compounds exiting a control device based on a detection principle such as infra-red, photoionization, or thermal conductivity.

Primary fuel means the fuel that provides the principal heat input (i.e., more than 50 percent) to the device. To be considered primary, the fuel must be able to sustain operation without the addition of other fuels.

Process heater means an enclosed device using a controlled flame, the primary purpose of which is to transfer heat to a process fluid or process material that is not a fluid, or to a heat transfer material for use in a process (rather than for steam generation) .

Responsible official means one of the following:

(1) For a corporation: A president, secretary, treasurer, or vice-president of the corporation in charge of a principal business function, or any other person who performs similar policy or decision-making functions for the corporation, or a duly authorized representative of such person if the representative is responsible for the overall operation of one or more manufacturing, production, or operating facilities applying for or subject to a permit and either:

(i) The facilities employ more than 250 persons or have gross annual sales or expenditures exceeding $25 million (in second quarter 1980 dollars); or

(ii) The delegation of authority to such representatives is approved in advance by the permitting authority;

(2) For a partnership or sole proprietorship: A general partner or the proprietor, respectively;

(3) For a municipality, State, Federal, or other public agency: Either a principal executive officer or ranking elected official. For the purposes of this part, a principal executive officer of a Federal agency includes the chief executive officer having responsibility for the overall operations of a principal geographic unit of the agency (e.g., a Regional Administrator of EPA); or

(4) For affected sources:

(i) The designated representative in so far as actions, standards, requirements, or prohibitions under title IV of the Act or the regulations promulgated thereunder are concerned; and

(ii) The designated representative for any other purposes under part 70.

Safety device means a device that meets both of the following conditions: the device is not used for planned or routine venting of liquids, gases, or fumes from the unit or equipment on which the device is installed; and the device remains in a closed, sealed position at all times except when an unplanned event requires that the device open for the purpose of preventing physical damage or permanent deformation of the unit or equipment on which the device is installed in accordance with good engineering and safety practices for handling flammable, combustible, explosive, or other hazardous materials. Examples of unplanned events which may require a safety device to open include failure of an essential equipment component or a sudden power outage.

Shutdown means for purposes including, but not limited to, periodic maintenance, replacement of equipment, or repair, the cessation of operation of a glycol dehydration unit, or other affected source under this subpart, or equipment required or used solely to comply with this subpart.

Small glycol dehydration unit means a glycol dehydration unit, located at a major source, with an actual annual average natural gas flowrate less than 283.0 thousand standard cubic meters per day or actual annual average benzene emissions less than 0.90 Mg/yr, determined according to § 63.1282(a).

Startup means the setting into operation of a glycol dehydration unit, or other affected equipment under this subpart, or equipment required or used to comply with this subpart. Startup includes initial startup and operation solely for the purpose of testing equipment.

Storage vessel means a tank or other vessel that is designed to contain an accumulation of crude oil, condensate, intermediate hydrocarbon liquids, produced water, or other liquid, and is constructed primarily of non-earthen materials (e.g., wood, concrete, steel, plastic) that provide structural support.

Surface site means any combination of one or more graded pad sites, gravel pad sites, foundations, platforms, or the immediate physical location upon which equipment is physically affixed.

Temperature monitoring device means an instrument used to monitor temperature and having a minimum accuracy of ±2 percent of the temperature being monitored expressed in °C, or ±2.5 °C, whichever is greater. The temperature monitoring device may measure temperature in degrees Fahrenheit or degrees Celsius, or both.

Total organic compounds or TOC, as used in this subpart, means those compounds which can be measured according to the procedures of Method 18, 40 CFR part 60, appendix A.

Underground storage means the subsurface facilities utilized for storing natural gas that has been transferred from its original location for the primary purpose of load balancing, which is the process of equalizing the receipt and delivery of natural gas. Processes and operations that may be located at an underground storage facility include, but are not limited to, compression and dehydration.

[64 FR 32648, June 17, 1999, as amended at 66 FR 34555, June 29, 2001; 77 FR 49585, Aug. 16, 2012]