§ 63.1255 Standards: Equipment leaks.

(a) General equipment leak requirements. (1) The provisions of this section apply to pumps, compressors, agitators, pressure relief devices, sampling connection systems, open-ended valves or lines, valves, connectors, instrumentation systems, control devices, and closed-vent systems required by this section that are intended to operate in organic hazardous air pollutant service 300 hours or more during the calendar year within a source subject to the provisions of this subpart.

(2) Consistency with other regulations. After the compliance date for a process, equipment subject to both this section and either of the following will be required to comply only with the provisions of this subpart:

(i) 40 CFR part 60.

(ii) 40 CFR part 61.

(3) [Reserved]

(4) The provisions in § 63.1(a)(3) of subpart A of this part do not alter the provisions in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.

(5) Lines and equipment not containing process fluids are not subject to the provisions of this section. Utilities, and other nonprocess lines, such as heating and cooling systems which do not combine their materials with those in the processes they serve, are not considered to be part of a process.

(6) The provisions of this section do not apply to bench-scale processes, regardless of whether the processes are located at the same plant site as a process subject to the provisions of this subpart.

(7) Equipment to which this section applies shall be identified such that it can be distinguished readily from equipment that is not subject to this section. 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 boundaries by some form of weatherproof identification. If changes are made to the affected source subject to the leak detection requirements, equipment identification for each type of component shall be updated, if needed, within 90 calendar days or by the next Periodic Report following the end of the monitoring period for that component, whichever is later.

(8) Equipment that is in vacuum service is excluded from the requirements of this section.

(9) Equipment that is in organic HAP service, but is in such service less than 300 hours per calendar year, is excluded from the requirements of this section if it is identified as required in paragraph (g)(9) of this section.

(10) When each leak is detected by visual, audible, or olfactory means, or by monitoring as described in § 63.180(b) or (c), the following requirements apply:

(i) A weatherproof and readily visible identification, marked with the equipment identification number, shall be attached to the leaking equipment.

(ii) The identification on a valve in light liquid or gas/vapor service may be removed after it has been monitored as specified in paragraph (e)(7)(iii) of this section, and no leak has been detected during the follow-up monitoring.

(iii) The identification on equipment, except on a valve in light liquid or gas/vapor service, may be removed after it has been repaired.

(11) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(11)(i) 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 paragraph that imposes the requirement.

(i) 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 paragraph (a)(11)(ii) or (iii) of this section.

(ii) 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.

(iii) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(11)(i) or (ii) 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 paragraph (a)(11)(iii)(A) or (B) of this section, as appropriate.

(A) Compliance shall be required before the end of the standard calendar period within which the initial compliance date 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

(B) 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 date occurs.

(iv) 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.

(12) 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 section 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 section. 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 section.

(b) References. (1) The owner or operator of a source subject to this section shall comply with the provisions of subpart H of this part, as specified in paragraphs (b)(2) through (4) of this section. The term “process unit” as used in subpart H of this part shall be considered to be defined the same as “group of processes” for sources subject to this subpart GGG. The term “fuel gas system,” as used in subpart H of this part, shall not apply for the purposes of this subpart GGG.

(2) Sections 63.160, 63.161, 63.162, 63.163, 63.167, 63.168, 63.170, 63.173, 63.175, 63.176, 63.181, and 63.182 shall not apply for the purposes of this subpart GGG. The owner or operator shall comply with the provisions specified in paragraphs (b)(2)(i) through (viii) of this section.

(i) Sections 63.160 and 63.162 shall not apply; instead, the owner or operator shall comply with paragraph (a) of this section;

(ii) Section 63.161 shall not apply; instead, the owner or operator shall comply with § 63.1251;

(iii) Sections 63.163 and 63.173 shall not apply; instead, the owner or operator shall comply with paragraph (c) of this section;

(iv) Section 63.167 shall not apply; instead, the owner or operator shall comply with paragraph (d) of this section;

(v) Section 63.168 shall not apply; instead, the owner or operator shall comply with paragraph (e) of this section;

(vi) Section 63.170 shall not apply; instead, the owner or operator shall comply with § 63.1254;

(vii) Section 63.181 shall not apply; instead, the owner or operator shall comply with paragraph (g) of this section; and

(viii) Section 63.182 shall not apply; instead, the owner or operator shall comply with paragraph (h) of this section.

(3) The owner or operator shall comply with §§ 63.164, 63.165, 63.166, 63.169, 63.177, and 63.179 in their entirety, except that when these sections reference other sections of subpart H of this part, the references shall mean the sections specified in paragraphs (b)(2) and (4) of this section. Section 63.164 applies to compressors. Section 63.165 applies to pressure relief devices in gas/vapor service. Section 63.166 applies to sampling connection systems. Section 63.169 applies to pumps, valves, connectors, and agitators in heavy liquid service; instrumentation systems; and pressure relief devices in liquid service. Section 63.177 applies to general alternative means of emission limitation. Section 63.179 applies to alternative means of emission limitation for enclosed-vented process units.

(4) The owner or operator shall comply with §§ 63.171, 63.172, 63.174, 63.178, and 63.180, except as specified in paragraphs (b)(4)(i) through (vi) of this section.

(i) Section 63.171 shall apply, except § 63.171(a) shall not apply. Instead, delay of repair of equipment for which leaks have been detected is allowed if one of the conditions in paragraphs (b)(4)(i)(A) through (B) exists:

(A) The repair is technically infeasible without a process shutdown. Repair of this equipment shall occur by the end of the next scheduled process shutdown.

(B) The owner or operator determines that repair personnel would be exposed to an immediate danger if attempting to repair without a process shutdown. Repair of this equipment shall occur by the end of the next scheduled process shutdown.

(ii) Section 63.172 shall apply for closed-vent systems used to comply with this section, and for control devices used to comply with this section only, except:

(A) Section 63.172(k) and (l) shall not apply. The owner or operator shall instead comply with paragraph (f) of this section.

(B) Owners or operators may, instead of complying with the provisions of § 63.172(f), design a closed-vent system to operate at a pressure below atmospheric pressure. The system shall be equipped with at least one pressure gage or other pressure measurement device that can be read from a readily accessible location to verify that negative pressure is being maintained in the closed-vent system when the associated control device is operating.

(C) The requirements apply at all times, except as specified in § 63.1250(g). The owner or operator may not comply with the planned routine maintenance provisions in § 63.1252(h).

(iii) Section 63.174 shall apply except:

(A) Section 63.174(f), (g), and (h) shall not apply. Instead of § 63.174(f), (g), and (h), the owner or operator shall comply with paragraph (f) of this section. Section 63.174(b)(3) shall not apply. Instead of § 63.174(b)(3), the owner or operator shall comply with paragraphs (b)(4)(iii)(B) through (F) of this section.

(B) If the percent leaking connectors in a group of processes was greater than or equal to 0.5 percent during the initial monitoring period, monitoring shall be performed once per year until the percent leaking connectors is less than 0.5 percent.

(C) If the percent leaking connectors in the group of processes was less than 0.5 percent, but equal to or greater than 0.25 percent, during the initial or last required monitoring period, the owner or operator may elect to monitor once every 4 years. An owner or operator may comply with the requirements of this paragraph by monitoring at least 40 percent of the connectors in the first 2 years and the remainder of the connectors within the next 2 years. The percent leaking connectors will be calculated for the total of all required monitoring performed during the 4-year period.

(D) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(4)(iii)(B) of this section, if leaking connectors comprise at least 0.5 percent but less than 1.0 percent of the connectors during the last monitoring period, the owner or operator shall monitor at least once every 2 years for the next monitoring period. At the end of that 2-year monitoring period, if the percent leaking connectors is greater than or equal to 0.5 percent, the owner or operator shall monitor once per year until the percent leaking connectors is less than 0.5 percent. If, at the end of a monitoring period, the percent leaking connectors is less than 0.5 percent, the owner or operator shall monitor in accordance with paragraph (b)(4)(iii)(C) or (F) of this section, as appropriate.

(E) If an owner or operator determines that 1 percent or greater of the connectors in a group of processes are leaking, the owner or operator shall monitor the connectors once per year. The owner or operator may elect to use the provisions of paragraph (b)(4)(iii)(C), (D), or (F) of this section, as appropriate, after a monitoring period in which less than 1 percent of the connectors are determined to be leaking.