Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 33 - ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Part III - Air
Chapter 21 - Control of Emission of Organic Compounds
Subchapter A - General
Section III-2115 - Waste Gas Disposal

Universal Citation: LA Admin Code III-2115

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

A. Any waste gas stream containing volatile organic compounds (VOC) from any emission source shall be controlled by one or more of the applicable methods set forth in Subsections B-H of this Section. This Section shall apply to all waste gas streams located at facilities that have the potential to emit 25 TPY or more of VOC in the parishes of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston, and West Baton Rouge; 50 TPY or more of VOC in the parishes of Calcasieu and Pointe Coupee; or 100 TPY or more of VOC in any other parish. This Section does not apply to waste gas streams that must comply with a control requirement, meet an exemption, or are below an applicability threshold specified in another section of this Chapter. This Section does not apply to waste gas streams that are required by another federal or state regulation to implement controls that reduce VOC to a more stringent standard than would be required by this Section.

B. Control Requirements for Operations that Commenced Construction Prior to January 20, 1985. Nonhalogenated hydrocarbons shall be burned at 1300°F (704°C) for 0.3 second or greater in a direct-flame afterburner or an equally effective device which achieves a removal efficiency of 95 percent or greater, as determined in accordance with Paragraph K.1 of this Section, or if emissions are reduced to 50 ppm by volume, whichever is less stringent.

C. Control Requirements for Operations that Commenced Construction On or After January 20, 1985. Nonhalogenated hydrocarbons shall be burned at 1600°F (870°C) for 0.5 second or greater in a direct-flame afterburner or thermal incinerator. Other devices will be accepted provided 98 percent or greater VOC destruction or removal efficiency can be demonstrated, as determined in accordance with Paragraph K.1 of this Section, or if emissions are reduced to 20 ppm by volume, whichever is less stringent.

D. Control Requirements for Existing Polypropylene Plants Using Liquid Phase Processes. All waste gas streams containing VOCs at the following sources in existing polypropylene plants using liquid phase processes shall be controlled as specified in Subsection C of this Section:

1. polymerization reaction section (i.e., reactor vents);

2. material recovery section (i.e., decanter vents, neutralizer vents, by-product and diluent recovery operation vents); and

3. product finishing section (i.e., dryer vents and extrusion and pelletizing vents).

E. Control Requirements for Existing High-Density Polyethylene Plants Using Liquid Phase Slurry Processes. All waste gas streams containing VOCs at the following sources in existing high-density polyethylene plants using liquid phase slurry processes shall be controlled as specified in Subsection C of this Section:

1. material recovery section (i.e., ethylene recycle treater vents); and

2. product finishing section (i.e., dryer vents and continuous mixer vents).

F. Control Requirements for Polystyrene Plants Using Continuous Processes. The emissions from the material recovery section (e.g., product devolatilizer system) shall be limited to 0.12 kg VOC/1,000 kg of product.

G. Control Requirements for Halogenated Hydrocarbons. The halogenated hydrocarbons shall be combusted or controlled by other methods specified in Subsection H of this Section that achieve a removal efficiency of 95 percent or greater, as determined in accordance with Paragraph K.1 of this Section. If combusted, the halogenated products of combustion shall be reduced to an emission level acceptable to the administrative authority.

H. Alternative Control Requirements. Other methods of control (such as, but not limited to, carbon adsorption, refrigeration, catalytic and/or thermal reaction, secondary steam stripping, recycling, or vapor recovery system) may be substituted for burning provided the substitute is acceptable to the administrative authority and it achieves the same removal efficiency as required by this Section and determined in accordance with Paragraph K.1 of this Section or it achieves a degree of control not practically or safely achieved by other means.

I. Exemptions

1. All waste gas streams containing VOCs, except those subject to Subsections D, E, and F of this Section, are exempt from the requirements of this Section if any of the following conditions are met:
a. it can be demonstrated that the waste gas stream is not a part of a facility that emits, or has the potential to emit, 25 TPY or more of VOC in the parishes of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston, and West Baton Rouge; 50 TPY or more of VOC in the parishes of Calcasieu and Pointe Coupee; or 100 TPY or more of VOC in any other parish;

b. it is a waste gas stream from a low-density polyethylene plant and no more than 1.1 pounds of ethylene per 1,000 pounds (1.1 kg/1000 kg) of product are emitted from all the waste gas streams associated with the formation, handling, and storage of solidified product;

c. it is a waste gas stream having a combined weight of VOCs equal to or less than 100 pounds (45.4 kg) in any continuous 24-hour period; or

d. it is a waste gas stream with a concentration of VOCs less than 0.44 psia true partial pressure (30,000 ppm) except for the parishes of Ascension, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. James, and West Baton Rouge in which the concentration of VOCs in the waste gas stream must be less than 0.044 psia true partial pressure (3,000 ppm).

2. Except for waste gas streams subject to Subsections D, E, and F of this Section, the administrative authority may waive the requirements of this Section if one of the following conditions is met:
a. it will not support combustion without economically impractical amounts of auxiliary fuel; or

b. its disposal cannot be practically or safely accomplished by the means described herein or other equivalent means without causing undue economic hardship.

3. Waste gas streams subject to Subsections D, E, and F of this Section are exempt from the requirements of this Section if it can be demonstrated that the waste gas stream has a concentration of VOCs no greater than 408 ppm by volume.

J. Test Methods. Compliance with Subsections B-H of this Section shall be determined by applying the following test methods, as appropriate:

1. Test Methods 1-4 ( 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A, as incorporated by reference at LAC 33:III.3003) for determining flow rates, as necessary;

2. Test Method 18 ( 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A, as incorporated by reference at LAC 33:III.3003) for determining gaseous organic compounds emissions by gas chromatography;

3. Test Method 25 ( 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A, as incorporated by reference at LAC 33:III.3003) for determining total gaseous nonmethane organic emissions as carbon;

4. Test Method 25A or 25B ( 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A, as incorporated by reference at LAC 33:III.3003) for determining total gaseous organic concentration using flame ionization or nondispersive infrared analysis; and

5. modified test methods approved or specified by the administrative authority.

K. Compliance. All facilities affected by this Section shall be in compliance as soon as practicable but in no event later than August 20, 2003. A facility that has become subject to this regulation as a result of a revision of the regulation shall comply with the requirements of this Section as soon as practicable, but in no event later than one year from the promulgation of the regulation revision.

1. Compliance with LAC 33:III.2115 shall be demonstrated at the owner/operator's expense as requested by the administrative authority. Such demonstration shall consist of control device destruction efficiency or recovery efficiency testing. Such compliance testing is in addition to the continuous monitoring required under Paragraph K.2 of this Section.

2. The owner/operator of any facility subject to this Section 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 specifications, including but not limited to:
a. the exhaust gas temperature of direct flame incinerators and/or the gas temperature immediately upstream and downstream of any catalyst bed;

b. the breakthrough of volatile organic compounds in a carbon adsorption unit;

c. the total amount of volatile organic compounds recovered by carbon adsorption or other waste gas stream recovery systems during a calendar month;

d. the dates for any maintenance of the required control devices and the estimated quantity and duration of volatile organic compound emissions during such activities; and

e. any other parameters affecting or related to waste gas streams as considered necessary by the administrative authority.

L. Recordkeeping. The owner or operator of any facility subject to this Section shall maintain the following information on the premises for at least two years and shall make such information available to representatives of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency upon request:

1. a record for each vent of the results of any testing conducted at the facility in accordance with the provisions specified in Subsections J and K of this Section;

2. the date for any maintenance and repair of required control devices and the estimated quantity and duration of volatile organic compound emissions during such activities;

3. records for each vent required to satisfy the provisions of Paragraph K.2 of this Section to demonstrate the proper functioning of applicable control equipment to design specifications; and

4. records to demonstrate that the criteria are being met for any exemption claimed.

M. This Section does not apply to safety relief and vapor blowdown systems where control cannot be accomplished because of safety or economic considerations. However, the emissions from these systems shall be reported to the department as required under LAC 33:III.919. Emergency conditions shall be reported in accordance with LAC 33:I.Chapter 39.

N. Definitions. Unless specifically defined in LAC 33:III.111, the terms in this Section shall have the meanings commonly used in the field of air pollution control. Additionally, the following meanings apply.

Safety Relief and Vapor Blowdown Systems-the emergency escape of gas from a process unit through a valve or other mechanical device, in order to eliminate system overpressure or in the case of an operational emergency.

Waste Gas Stream-any gas stream, excluding fugitive emissions as defined in LAC 33:III.Chapter 5, containing VOC and discharged from a processing facility directly to the atmosphere or indirectly to the atmosphere after diversion through other process equipment. Process gaseous streams that are used as primary fuels are excluded. The streams that transfer such fuels to a plant fuel gas system are not considered to be waste gas.

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:2054.

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