Regulatory Text: 
Chapter 115.  Control of Air Pollution from Volatile Organic Compounds.

SUBCHAPTER D : PETROLEUM REFINING, NATURAL GAS PROCESSING, AND PETROCHEMICAL PROCESSES

[D:5] FUGITIVE EMISSION CONTROL IN PETROLEUM REFINING, NATURAL GAS/GASOLINE PROCESSING, AND PETROCHEMICAL PROCESSES IN OZONE NONATTAINMENT AREAS 
 
Outline:
          §115.352.  Control Requirements.
          §115.353.  Alternate Control Requirements.
          §115.354.  Inspection Requirements.
          §115.355.  Approved Test Methods.
          §115.356.  Monitoring and Recordkeeping Requirements.
          §115.357.  Exemptions.
          §115.359.  Counties and Compliance Schedules.


§115.352.  Control Requirements.

104E  For the Beaumont/Port Arthur, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, and Houston/Galveston areas as defined in §115.10 of this title (relating to Definitions), no person shall operate a petroleum refinery; a synthetic organic chemical, polymer, resin, or methyl tert-butyl ether manufacturing process; or a natural gas/gasoline processing operation as defined in §115.10 of this title, without complying with the following requirements.

105P       (1)  Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this section, no component shall be allowed to have a volatile organic compound (VOC) leak for more than 15 calendar days after the leak is found which exceeds the following:

104B            (A)  a VOC concentration greater than 500 parts per million by volume (ppmv) above background as methane, propane, or hexane, or the dripping or exuding of process fluid based on sight, smell, or sound for all components except pump seals and compressor seals;

104B            (B)  a VOC concentration greater than 10,000 ppmv above background as methane, propane, or hexane, or the dripping or exuding of process fluid based on sight, smell, or sound for all pump seals and compressor seals.

105P       (2)  A first attempt at repair shall be made no later than five calendar days after the leak is found and the component shall be repaired no later than 15 calendar days after the leak is found, unless the repair of the component would require a unit shutdown which would create more emissions than the repair would eliminate.  A component in gas/vapor or light liquid service is considered to be repaired when it is monitored with an instrument using Test Method 21 and shown to no longer have a leak after adjustments or alterations to the component.  A component in heavy liquid service is considered to be repaired when it is monitored by audio, visual, and olfactory means and shown to no longer have a leak after adjustments or alterations to the component.  If the repair of a component would require a unit shutdown which would create more emissions than the repair would eliminate, the repair may be delayed until the next shutdown.

104B       (3)  All leaking components, as defined in paragraph (1) of this section, which cannot be repaired until a unit shutdown shall be identified for such repair by tagging.  The Executive Director, at his discretion, may require an early unit shutdown or other appropriate action based on the number and severity of tagged leaks awaiting a unit shutdown.
104B       (4)  Except for safety pressure relief valves, no valves shall be installed or operated at the end of a pipe or line containing VOC unless the pipe or line is sealed with a second valve, a blind flange, a plug, or a cap.  The sealing device may be removed only while a sample is being taken or during maintenance operations, and when closing the line, the upstream valve shall be closed first.

104B       (5)  Construction of new and reworked piping, valves, and pump and compressor systems shall conform to applicable American National Standards Institute, American Petroleum Institute, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, or equivalent codes.

104B       (6)  New and reworked underground process pipelines shall contain no buried valves such that fugitive emission monitoring is rendered impractical.

104B       (7)  To the extent that good engineering practice will permit, new and reworked valves and piping connections shall be so located to be reasonably accessible for leak-checking during plant operation.  Valves elevated more than two meters above a support surface will be considered nonaccessible.  Nonaccessible valves shall be identified in a list to be made available upon request.

104B       (8)  New and reworked piping connections shall be welded or flanged.  Screwed connections are permissible only on new piping smaller than two inches in diameter.  No later than the next scheduled quarterly monitoring after initial installation or replacement, all new or reworked connections shall be gas tested or hydraulically tested at no less than normal operating pressure and adjustments made, as necessary, to obtain leak-free performance.

105P       (9)  For valves equipped with rupture discs, a pressure gauge or an equivalent device or system shall be installed between the relief valve and rupture disc to monitor disc integrity.  All leaking discs shall be replaced at the earliest opportunity, but no later than the next process shutdown. Equivalent devices or systems shall be identified in a list to be made available upon request and must have been approved by the methods required by §115.353 of this title (relating to Alternate Control Requirements).

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§115.353.  Alternate Control Requirements.

105P  For all affected persons in the Beaumont/Port Arthur, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, and Houston/Galveston areas, any alternate methods of demonstrating and documenting continuous compliance with the applicable control requirements or exemption criteria in this undesignated head (relating to Fugitive Emission Control in Petroleum Refining, Natural Gas/Gasoline Processing, and Petrochemical Processes in Ozone Nonattainment Areas) may be approved by the executive director in accordance with §115.910 of this title (relating to Availability of Alternate Means of Control) if emission reductions are demonstrated to be substantially equivalent.

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§115.354.  Inspection Requirements.

104E  All affected persons in the Beaumont/Port Arthur, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, and Houston/Galveston areas, shall conduct a monitoring program consistent with the following provisions.

104B       (1)  Measure yearly (with a hydrocarbon gas analyzer) the emissions from all:

104B            (A)  process drains;

104B            (B)  nonaccessible valves as identified in §115.352(7) of this title (relating to Control Requirements); and

105P            (C)  unsafe to monitor valves.  An unsafe to monitor valve is a valve that the owner or operator determines is unsafe to monitor because monitoring personnel would be exposed to an immediate danger as a consequence of complying with paragraph (2) of this section.  Valves which are unsafe to monitor shall be identified in a list made available upon request.  If an unsafe to monitor valve is not considered safe to monitor within a calendar year, then it shall be monitored as soon as possible during safe to monitor times.

104B       (2)  Measure each calendar quarter (with a hydrocarbon gas analyzer) the emissions from all:

104B            (A)  compressor seals;

104B            (B)  pump seals;

104B            (C)  accessible valves; and

104B            (D)  pressure relief valves in gaseous service.

104B       (3)  Inspect weekly, by visual, audible, and/or olfactory means, all flanges.

105P       (4)  Measure (with a hydrocarbon gas analyzer) emissions from any relief valve which has vented to the atmosphere within 24 hours.

105P       (5)  Upon the detection of a leaking component, affix to the leaking component a weatherproof and readily visible tag, bearing an identification number and the date the leak was detected.  This tag shall remain in place until the leaking component is repaired.

105P       (6)  The monitoring schedule of paragraphs (1)-(3) of this section may be modified to require an increase in the frequency of monitoring in a given process area if the executive director determines that there is an excessive number of leaks in that process area.

105P       (7)  After completion of the required quarterly valve monitoring for a period of at least two years, the operator of a petroleum refinery; synthetic organic chemical, polymer, resin, or methyl-tert-butyl ether manufacturing process; or a natural gas/gasoline processing operation may request in writing to the executive director that the valve monitoring schedule be revised based on the percent of valves leaking.  The percent of valves leaking shall be determined by dividing the sum of valves leaking during current monitoring and valves for which repair has been delayed (including valves which have been classified as non-repairable under §115.357(8) of this title (relating to Exemptions)) by the total number of valves subject to the requirements.  This request shall include all data that have been developed to justify the following modifications in the monitoring schedule.

105P            (A)  After two consecutive quarterly leak detection periods with the percent of valves leaking equal to or less than 2.0%, an owner or operator may begin to skip one of the quarterly leak detection periods for the valves in gas/vapor and light liquid service.

105P            (B)  After five consecutive quarterly leak detection periods with the percent of valves leaking equal to or less than 2.0%, an owner or operator may begin to skip three of the quarterly leak detection periods for the valves in gas/vapor and light liquid service.

105P       (8)  Alternate monitoring schedules approved before November 15, 1996, under §§115.324(a)(8)(A), 115.334(3)(A), and 115.344(3)(A) of this title (relating to Inspection Requirements), as in effect December 3, 1993, are approved monitoring schedules for the purposes of paragraph (7) of this section.

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§115.355.  Approved Test Methods.

104E  For all affected persons in the Beaumont/Port Arthur, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, and Houston/Galveston areas, compliance with this undesignated head (relating to Fugitive Emission Control in Petroleum Refining and Petrochemical Processes) shall be determined by applying the following test methods, as appropriate.

104B       (1)  Test Method 21 (40 CFR 60, Appendix A) for determining volatile organic compound leaks;

104B       (2)  determination of true vapor pressure using American Society for Testing and Materials Test Methods D323-89, D2879, D4953, D5190, or D5191 for the measurement of Reid vapor pressure, adjusted for 68 degrees F (20 degrees C) in accordance with API Publication 2517, Third Edition, 1989; 

104B       (3)  minor modifications to these test methods approved by the Executive Director; or

104B       (4)  equivalent determinations using published vapor pressure data or accepted engineering calculations.

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§115.356.  Monitoring and Recordkeeping Requirements.

104E  All affected persons in the Beaumont/Port Arthur, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, and Houston/Galveston areas, shall have the following recordkeeping requirements:

104B       (1)  Maintain a components monitoring log which shall contain, at a minimum, the following data:

104B            (A)  the name of the process unit where the component is located;

104B            (B)  the type of component (e.g., valve or seal); 

104B            (C)  the tag number of the component;

104B            (D)  the date the component was monitored;

104B            (E)  the results of the monitoring (in parts per million by volume);

104B            (F)  a record of the calibration of the monitoring instrument;

104B            (G)  if a component is found leaking:

104B                 (i)  the date on which a leaking component is discovered;

104B                 (ii)  the date on which a leaking component is repaired;

104B                 (iii)  the date and instrument reading of the recheck procedure after a leaking component is repaired; and

104B                 (iv)  those leaks that cannot be repaired until a unit shutdown;

104B            (H)  the total number of components checked and the total number of components found leaking; and

105P            (I)  the test method used (Test Method 21, or sight/sound/smell).

104B       (2)  Records of the visual, audible, and olfactory inspections of flanges are not required unless a leak is detected.

105P       (3)  Maintain all monitoring records for at least two years and make them available for review upon request by authorized representatives of the executive director, United States Environmental Protection Agency, or local air pollution control agencies.

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§115.357.  Exemptions.

104E  For all affected persons in the Beaumont/Port Arthur, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, and Houston/Galveston areas, the following exemptions shall apply.

104B       (1)  Components which contact a process fluid containing VOCs having a true vapor pressure equal to or less than 0.044 pounds per square inch absolute (0.3 kPa) at 68 degrees F (20 degrees C) are exempt from the requirements of §115.354 of this title (relating to Inspection Requirements) if the components are inspected visually according to the inspection schedules specified within this same section.

105P       (2)  Storage tank valves, pressure relief valves equipped with a rupture disc or venting to a control device, components in continuous vacuum service, and valves that are not externally regulated (such as in-line check valves) are exempt from all the requirements of this undesignated head, except that each pressure relief valve equipped with a rupture disk shall comply with §115.352(9) of this title (relating to Control Requirements).

104B       (3)  Compressors in hydrogen service are exempt from the requirements of §115.354 of this title if the owner or operator demonstrates that the percent hydrogen content can be reasonably expected to always exceed 50.0% by volume.

104B       (4)  All pumps and compressors which are equipped with a shaft sealing system that prevents or detects emissions of VOC from the seal are exempt from the monitoring requirement of §115.354 of this title.  These seal systems may include, but are not limited to, dual pump seals with barrier fluid at higher pressure than process pressure, seals degassing to vent control systems kept in good working order, or seals equipped with an automatic seal failure detection and alarm system.  Submerged pumps or sealless pumps (including, but not limited to, diaphragm, canned or magnetic driven pumps) may be used to satisfy the requirements of this paragraph.

104B       (5)  Reciprocating compressors and positive displacement pumps used in natural gas/gasoline processing operations.

104B       (6)  Components at a petroleum refinery; synthetic organic chemical, polymer, resin, or methyl-tert-butyl ether manufacturing process, which contact a process fluid that contains less than 10% VOC by weight and components at a natural gas/gasoline processing operation which contact a process fluid that contains less than 1.0% VOC by weight are exempt from the requirements of this undesignated head.

104B       (7)  Facilities with less than 250 components in VOC service are exempt from the requirements of this undesignated head.

105P       (8)  Components in ethylene, propane, or propylene service, not to exceed 5% of the total components, may be classified as non-repairable beyond the second repair attempt at 500 ppmv. These components will remain in the fugitive monitoring program and be repaired no later than 15 calendar days after the concentration of VOC detected via Test Method 21 exceeds 10,000 ppmv.  For the purposes of this undesignated head, components which contact a process fluid with greater than 85% ethylene, propane, or propylene by weight are considered in ethylene, propane, or propylene service, respectively.

104B       (9)  Valves rated greater than 10,000 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) are exempt from the requirements of §115.352(4) of this title (relating to Control Requirements).

********************* end 115.357 **********************

§115.359.  Counties and Compliance Schedules.

104E  All affected persons in Brazoria, Chambers, Collin, El Paso, Dallas, Denton, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, Orange, Tarrant, and Waller Counties shall be in compliance with §115.352 of this title (relating to Control Requirements), §115.353 of this title (relating to Alternate Control Requirements), §115.354 of this title (relating to Inspection Requirements), §115.355 of this title (relating to Testing Requirements), §115.356 of this title (relating to Monitoring and Recordkeeping Requirements), and §115.357 of this title (relating to Exemptions) as soon as practicable, but no later than November 15, 1996.

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