§ 63.162 - Standards: General.

§ 63.162 Standards: General.

(a) Compliance with this subpart will be determined by review of the records required by § 63.181 of this subpart and the reports required by § 63.182 of this subpart, review of performance test results, and by inspections.

(b)

(1) An owner or operator may request a determination of alternative means of emission limitation to the requirements of §§ 63.163 through 63.170, and §§ 63.172 through 63.174 of this subpart as provided in § 63.177.

(2) If the Administrator makes a determination that a means of emission limitation is a permissible alternative to the requirements of §§ 63.163 through 63.170, and §§ 63.172 through 63.174 of this subpart, the owner or operator shall comply with the alternative.

(c) Each piece of equipment in a process unit to which this subpart applies shall be identified such that it can be distinguished readily from equipment that is not subject to this subpart. Identification of the equipment does not require physical tagging of the equipment. For example, the equipment may be identified on a plant site plan, in log entries, or by designation of process unit boundaries by some form of weatherproof identification.

(d) Equipment that is in vacuum service is excluded from the requirements of this subpart.

(e) Equipment that is in organic HAP service less than 300 hours per calendar year is excluded from the requirements of §§ 63.163 through 63.174 of this subpart and § 63.178 of this subpart if it is identified as required in § 63.181(j) of this subpart.

(f) When each leak is detected as specified in §§ 63.163 and 63.164; §§ 63.168 and 63.169; and §§ 63.172 through 63.174 of this subpart, the following requirements apply:

(1) Clearly identify the leaking equipment.

(2) The identification on a valve may be removed after it has been monitored as specified in §§ 63.168(f)(3), and 63.175(e)(7)(i)(D) of this subpart, and no leak has been detected during the follow-up monitoring. If the owner or operator elects to comply using the provisions of § 63.174(c)(1)(i) of this subpart, the identification on a connector may be removed after it is monitored as specified in § 63.174(c)(1)(i) and no leak is detected during that monitoring.

(3) The identification which has been placed on equipment determined to have a leak, except for a valve or for a connector that is subject to the provisions of § 63.174(c)(1)(i), may be removed after it is repaired.

(g) Except as provided in paragraph (g)(1) of this section, all terms in this subpart that define a period of time for completion of required tasks (e.g., weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual), refer to the standard calendar periods unless specified otherwise in the section or subsection that imposes the requirement.

(1) If the initial compliance date does not coincide with the beginning of the standard calendar period, an owner or operator may elect to utilize a period beginning on the compliance date, or may elect to comply in accordance with the provisions of paragraphs (g)(2) or (g)(3) of this section.

(2) Time periods specified in this subpart for completion of required tasks may be changed by mutual agreement between the owner or operator and the Administrator, as specified in subpart A of this part. For each time period that is changed by agreement, the revised period shall remain in effect until it is changed. A new request is not necessary for each recurring period.

(3) Except as provided in paragraph (g)(1) or (g)(2) of this section, where the period specified for compliance is a standard calendar period, if the initial compliance date does not coincide with the beginning of the calendar period, compliance shall be required according to the schedule specified in paragraphs (g)(3)(i) or (g)(3)(ii) of this section, as appropriate.

(i) Compliance shall be required before the end of the standard calendar period within which the compliance deadline occurs, if there remain at least 3 days for tasks that must be performed weekly, at least 2 weeks for tasks that must be performed monthly, at least 1 month for tasks that must be performed each quarter, or at least 3 months for tasks that must be performed annually; or

(ii) In all other cases, compliance shall be required before the end of the first full standard calendar period after the period within which the initial compliance deadline occurs.

(4) In all instances where a provision of this subpart requires completion of a task during each of multiple successive periods, an owner or operator may perform the required task at any time during each period, provided the task is conducted at a reasonable interval after completion of the task during the previous period.

(h) In all cases where the provisions of this subpart require an owner or operator to repair leaks by a specified time after the leak is detected, it is a violation of this subpart to fail to take action to repair the leaks within the specified time. If action is taken to repair the leaks within the specified time, failure of that action to successfully repair the leak is not a violation of this subpart. However, if the repairs are unsuccessful, a leak is detected and the owner or operator shall take further action as required by applicable provisions of this subpart.

[59 FR 19568, Apr. 22, 1994, as amended at 59 FR 48176, Sept. 20, 1994; 62 FR 2789, Jan. 17, 1997; 68 FR 37345, June 23, 2003]