Regulatory Text: 
Louisiana Administrative Code, Title 33 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, Part III Air (LAC 33:III)

Chapter 21. Control of Emission of Organic Compounds

Subchapter H. Graphic Arts


Section 2143.  Graphic Arts (Printing) by Rotogravure and Flexographic
Processes. LAc60 and LAc64 to LAd34 - Revised
Approved by EPA 05/05/94 (59 FR 23166) at 52.970(c)(60) effective 06/06/94.  Revisions approved by EPA 07/25/96 (61 FR 38591) at 52.970(c)(64) effective 08/26/96.

   A.  Control Requirements. No person shall operate or allow the operation of a packaging rotogravure, publication rotogravure, or flexographic printing facility unless volatile organic compound emissions are controlled by one of the following methods:

       1.  The volatile organic compound fraction of ink, as it is applied to the substrate,  less water and exempt solvent, contains 25 volume percent or less of organic solvent and 75 volume percent or more of water. Also acceptable as an alternative limit is ink containing no more than 0.5 pounds of volatile organic compounds per pound of solids.

       2.  A volatile organic compound adsorption or incineration system having at least 90 percent (by weight) control efficiency across the control device, which can be demonstrated to have an overall capture and abatement reduction of at least:

           a.  75 percent where a publication rotogravure process is employed.

           b.  65 percent where a packaging rotogravure process is employed.

           c.  65 percent where a flexographic printing process is employed.

       3.  The ink as it is applied to the substrate, less water and exempt solvent, contains 60 percent by volume or more of nonvolatile material.

       4.  This rule applies to affected machines on which both surface coating and printing operations are performed.

       5.  Line-by-line compliance with the emission limits or control requirements of this rule is required.  Any cross-line averaging or bubbling must receive approval from the administrative authority*.

   B.  Exemptions.  This Section applies to Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee and West Baton Rouge parishes.  A rotogravure or flexographic printing facility which has a potential to emit on an uncontrolled basis at full  production (8760 hours per year basis) a combined weight of volatile organic compounds less than 50 TPY calculated from historical records of actual consumption of ink is exempt from the provisions of LAC 33:III.2143.A.  All other parishes shall maintain the limitation of 100 TPY or less, for exemption purposes. Once a facility exceeds this exemption threshold it is subject to the provisions of LAC 33:III.2143.A and remains so regardless of future variations in production.

   C.  Compliance. The owner/operator of any facility subject to LAC 33:III.2143 shall install and maintain monitors to accurately measure and record operational parameters of all required control devices as necessary to ensure the proper functioning of those devices in accordance with the design specification.
   Compliance with this Section shall be determined by certification from the ink manufacturer concerning the solvent makeup of the ink or by applying the following test methods as appropriate:

       1.  Test Method 24 (LAC 33:III.6083) for determination of volatile matter content, water content, density volume solids and weight of solids;

       2.  Test Methods 1 through 4 (LAC 33:III.6001, 6003, 6009 and 6013) for determining flow rates;

       3.  Test Method 25 (LAC 33:III.6085) for determining total gaseous nonmethane organic emissions as carbon; and

       4.  capture efficiency test by a method approved by the administrative authority*.

   D.  Recordkeeping.  The owner or operator of any graphic arts facility shall maintain records at the facility to verify compliance with or exemption from LAC 33:III.2143.  The records shall be maintained for at least two years and will include, but not be limited to, the following:

       1.  records of any testing done in accordance with LAC 33:III.2143.C;

       2.  records of operational parameters of control devices including:

           a.  the exhaust gas temperature of direct-flame incinerators and/or the gas temperature immediately upstream or downstream of any catalyst bed;

           b.  the total amount of volatile organic compounds recovered by carbon adsorption or other solvent recovery systems during a calendar month;

           c.  the dates for any malfunction of a required control device and the estimated quantity and duration of volatile organic compound emissions during the upset period; and

           d.  continuous monitoring for breakthrough of a carbon adsorption bed.

       3.  material data sheets which document the volatile organic compound content, composition, solids content, solvent density and other relevant information regarding each ink or coating used.

   AUTHORITY NOTE:  Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:2054.
   HISTORICAL NOTE:  Promulgated by the Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Air Quality and Nuclear Energy, Air Quality Division, LR 13:741 (December 1987), amended LR 16:959 (November 1990), LR 18:1123 (October 1992).

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