§ 63.1571 - How and when do I conduct a performance test or other initial compliance demonstration?

§ 63.1571 How and when do I conduct a performance test or other initial compliance demonstration?

(a) When must I conduct a performance test? You must conduct initial performance tests and report the results by no later than 150 days after the compliance date specified for your source in § 63.1563 and according to the provisions in § §§ 63.7(a)(2) and 63.1574(a)(3). If you are required to do a performance evaluation or test for a semi-regenerative catalytic reforming unit catalyst regenerator vent, you may do them at the first regeneration cycle after your compliance date and report the results in a followup Notification of Compliance Status report due no later than 150 days after the test. You must conduct additional performance tests as specified in paragraphs (a)(5) and (6) of this section and report the results of these performance tests according to the provisions in § 63.1575(f).

(1) For each emission limitation or work practice standard where initial compliance is not demonstrated using a performance test, opacity observation, or visible emission observation, you must conduct the initial compliance demonstration within 30 calendar days after the compliance date that is specified for your source in § 63.1563.

(2) For each emission limitation where the averaging period is 30 days, the 30-day period for demonstrating initial compliance begins at 12:00 a.m. on the compliance date that is specified for your source in § 63.1563 and ends at 11:59 p.m., 30 calendar days after the compliance date that is specified for your source in § 63.1563.

(3) If you commenced construction or reconstruction between September 11, 1998 and April 11, 2002, you must demonstrate initial compliance with either the proposed emission limitation or the promulgated emission limitation no later than October 8, 2002 or within 180 calendar days after startup of the source, whichever is later, according to § 63.7(a)(2)(ix).

(4) If you commenced construction or reconstruction between September 11, 1998 and April 11, 2002, and you chose to comply with the proposed emission limitation when demonstrating initial compliance, you must conduct a second compliance demonstration for the promulgated emission limitation by October 10, 2005, or after startup of the source, whichever is later, according to § 63.7(a)(2)(ix).

(5) Periodic performance testing for PM or Ni. Except as provided in paragraphs (a)(5)(i) and (ii) of this section, conduct a periodic performance test for PM or Ni for each catalytic cracking unit at least once every 5 years according to the requirements in Table 4 of this subpart. You must conduct the first periodic performance test no later than August 1, 2017 or within 150 days of startup of a new unit.

(i) Catalytic cracking units monitoring PM concentration with a PM CEMS are not required to conduct a periodic PM performance test.

(ii) Conduct a performance test annually if you comply with the emission limits in Item 1 (NSPS subpart J) or Item 4 (Option 1a) in Table 1 of this subpart and the PM emissions measured during the most recent performance source test are greater than 0.80 g/kg coke burn-off.

(6) One-time performance testing for Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN). Conduct a performance test for HCN from each catalytic cracking unit no later than August 1, 2017 or within 150 days of startup of a new unit according to the applicable requirements in paragraphs (a)(6)(i) and (ii) of this section.

(i) If you conducted a performance test for HCN for a specific catalytic cracking unit between March 31, 2011 and February 1, 2016, you may submit a request to the Administrator to use the previously conducted performance test results to fulfill the one-time performance test requirement for HCN for each of the catalytic cracking units tested according to the requirements in paragraphs (a)(6)(i)(A) through (D) of this section.

(A) The request must include a copy of the complete source test report, the date(s) of the performance test and the test methods used. If available, you must also indicate whether the catalytic cracking unit catalyst regenerator was operated in partial or complete combustion mode during the test, the control device configuration, including whether platinum or palladium combustion promoters were used during the test, and the CO concentration (measured using CO CEMS or manual test method) for each test run.

(B) You must submit a separate request for each catalytic cracking unit tested and you must submit each request to the Administrator no later than March 30, 2016.

(C) The Administrator will evaluate each request with respect to the completeness of the request, the completeness of the submitted test report and the appropriateness of the test methods used. The Administrator will notify the facility within 60 days of receipt of the request if it is approved or denied. If the Administrator fails to respond to the facility within 60 days of receipt of the request, the request will be automatically approved.

(D) If the request is approved, you do not need to conduct an additional HCN performance test. If the request is denied, you must conduct an additional HCN performance test following the requirements in (a)(6)(ii) of this section.

(ii) Unless you receive approval to use a previously conducted performance test to fulfill the one-time performance test requirement for HCN for your catalytic cracking unit as provided in paragraph (a)(6)(i) of this section, conduct a performance test for HCN for each catalytic cracking unit no later than August 1, 2017 according to following requirements:

(A) Select sampling port location, determine volumetric flow rate, conduct gas molecular weight analysis and measure moisture content as specified in either Item 1 of Table 4 of this subpart or Item 1 of Table 11 of this subpart.

(B) Measure HCN concentration using Method 320 of appendix A of this part. The method ASTM D6348-03 (Reapproved 2010) including Annexes A1 through A8 (incorporated by reference - see § 63.14) is an acceptable alternative to EPA Method 320 of appendix A of this part. The method ASTM D6348-12e1 (incorporated by reference - see § 63.14) is an acceptable alternative to EPA Method 320 of appendix A of this part with the following two caveats:

(1) The test plan preparation and implementation in the Annexes to ASTM D6348-03 (Reapproved 2010), Sections A1 through A8 are mandatory; and

(2) In ASTM D6348-03 (Reapproved 2010) Annex A5 (Analyte Spiking Technique), the percent (%) R must be determined for each target analyte (Equation A5.5). In order for the test data to be acceptable for a compound, %R must be 70% ≥ R ≤ 130%. If the %R value does not meet this criterion for a target compound, the test data is not acceptable for that compound and the test must be repeated for that analyte (i.e., the sampling and/or analytical procedure should be adjusted before a retest). The %R value for each compound must be reported in the test report, and all field measurements must be corrected with the calculated %R value for that compound by using the following equation:

Reported Result = (Measured Concentration in the Stack × 100÷/% R.

(C) Measure CO concentration as specified in either Item 2 or 3a of Table 11 of this subpart.

(D) Record and include in the test report an indication of whether the catalytic cracking unit catalyst regenerator was operated in partial or complete combustion mode and the control device configuration, including whether platinum or palladium combustion promoters were used during the test.

(b) What are the general requirements for performance test and performance evaluations? You must:

(1) Performance tests shall be conducted according to the provisions of § 63.7(e) except that performance tests shall be conducted at maximum representative operating capacity for the process. During the performance test, you must operate the control device at either maximum or minimum representative operating conditions for monitored control device parameters, whichever results in lower emission reduction. You must not conduct a performance test during startup, shutdown, periods when the control device is bypassed or periods when the process, monitoring equipment or control device is not operating properly. You may not conduct performance tests during periods of malfunction. You must record the process information that is necessary to document operating conditions during the test and include in such record an explanation to support that the test was conducted at maximum representative operating capacity. Upon request, you must make available to the Administrator such records as may be necessary to determine the conditions of performance tests.

(2) Except for opacity and visible emission observations, conduct three separate test runs for each performance test as specified in § 63.7(e)(3). Each test run must last at least 1 hour.

(3) Conduct each performance evaluation according to the requirements in § 63.8(e).

(4) Calculate the average emission rate for the performance test by calculating the emission rate for each individual test run in the units of the applicable emission limitation using Equation 2, 5, or 8 of § 63.1564, and determining the arithmetic average of the calculated emission rates.

(c) What procedures must I use for an engineering assessment? You may choose to use an engineering assessment to calculate the process vent flow rate, net heating value, TOC emission rate, and total organic HAP emission rate expected to yield the highest daily emission rate when determining the emission reduction or outlet concentration for the organic HAP standard for catalytic reforming units. If you use an engineering assessment, you must document all data, assumptions, and procedures to the satisfaction of the applicable permitting authority. An engineering assessment may include the approaches listed in paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(4) of this section. Other engineering assessments may be used but are subject to review and approval by the applicable permitting authority.

(1) You may use previous test results provided the tests are representative of current operating practices at the process unit, and provided EPA methods or approved alternatives were used;

(2) You may use bench-scale or pilot-scale test data representative of the process under representative operating conditions;

(3) You may use maximum flow rate, TOC emission rate, organic HAP emission rate, or organic HAP or TOC concentration specified or implied within a permit limit applicable to the process vent; or

(4) You may use design analysis based on engineering principles, measurable process parameters, or physical or chemical laws or properties. Examples of analytical methods include, but are not limited to:

(i) Use of material balances based on process stoichiometry to estimate maximum TOC concentrations;

(ii) Calculation of hourly average maximum flow rate based on physical equipment design such as pump or blower capacities; and

(iii) Calculation of TOC concentrations based on saturation conditions.

(d) Can I adjust the process or control device measured values when establishing an operating limit? If you do a performance test to demonstrate compliance, you must base the process or control device operating limits for continuous parameter monitoring systems on the results measured during the performance test. You may adjust the values measured during the performance test according to the criteria in paragraphs (d)(1) through (3) of this section.

(1) If you must meet the HAP metal emission limitations in § 63.1564, you elect the option in paragraph (a)(1)(iiiv) in § 63.1564 (Ni lb/hr), and you use continuous parameter monitoring systems, you must establish an operating limit for the equilibrium catalyst Ni concentration based on the laboratory analysis of the equilibrium catalyst Ni concentration from the initial performance test. Section 63.1564(b)(2) allows you to adjust the laboratory measurements of the equilibrium catalyst Ni concentration to the maximum level. You must make this adjustment using Equation 1 of this section as follows:

Where:

Ecat-Limit = Operating limit for equilibrium catalyst Ni concentration, mg/kg;

NiEmR1_st = Average Ni emission rate calculated as the arithmetic average Ni emission rate using Equation 5 of this section for each performance test run, g Ni/hr; and

Ecat_st = Average equilibrium Ni concentration from laboratory test results, mg/kg.

(2) If you must meet the HAP metal emission limitations in § 63.1564, you elect the option in paragraph (a)(1)(ivvi) in § 63.1564 (Ni per coke burn-off), and you use continuous parameter monitoring systems, you must establish an operating limit for the equilibrium catalyst Ni concentration based on the laboratory analysis of the equilibrium catalyst Ni concentration from the initial performance test. Section 63.1564(b)(2) allows you to adjust the laboratory measurements of the equilibrium catalyst Ni concentration to the maximum level. You must make this adjustment using Equation 2 of this section as follows:

Where:

NiEmR2_st = Average Ni emission rate calculated as the arithmetic average Ni emission rate using Equation 8 of § 63.1564 for each performance test run, mg/kg coke burn-off.

(3) If you choose to adjust the equilibrium catalyst Ni concentration to the maximum level, you can't adjust any other monitored operating parameter (i.e., gas flow rate, voltage, pressure drop, liquid-to-gas ratio).

(4) Except as specified in paragraph (d)(3) of this section, if you use continuous parameter monitoring systems, you may adjust one of your monitored operating parameters (flow rate, total power and secondary current, pressure drop, liquid-to-gas ratio) from the average of measured values during the performance test to the maximum value (or minimum value, if applicable) representative of worst-case operating conditions, if necessary. This adjustment of measured values may be done using control device design specifications, manufacturer recommendations, or other applicable information. You must provide supporting documentation and rationale in your Notification of Compliance Status, demonstrating to the satisfaction of your permitting authority, that your affected source complies with the applicable emission limit at the operating limit based on adjusted values.

(e) Can I change my operating limit? You may change the established operating limit by meeting the requirements in paragraphs (e)(1) through (3) of this section.

(1) You may change your established operating limit for a continuous parameter monitoring system by doing an additional performance test, a performance test in conjunction with an engineering assessment, or an engineering assessment to verify that, at the new operating limit, you are in compliance with the applicable emission limitation.

(2) You must establish a revised operating limit for your continuous parameter monitoring system if you make any change in process or operating conditions that could affect control system performance or you change designated conditions after the last performance or compliance tests were done. You can establish the revised operating limit as described in paragraph (e)(1) of this section.

(3) You may change your site-specific opacity operating limit or Ni operating limit only by doing a new performance test.

[67 FR 17773, Apr. 11, 2002, as amended at 80 FR 75276, Dec. 1, 2015; 83 FR 60723, Nov. 26, 2018]