Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 33 - ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Part III - Air
Chapter 21 - Control of Emission of Organic Compounds
Subchapter C - Solvent Degreasers
Section III-2125 - Solvent Degreasers

Universal Citation: LA Admin Code III-2125

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

A. Open Top Vapor Degreasers

1. No person shall operate or maintain a system utilizing a volatile organic compound for the open top vapor cleaning of objects without a cover that can be opened and closed easily without disturbing the vapor zone.

2. No person shall operate or maintain a system using a volatile organic compound for the open top vapor cleaning of objects without complying with the following operating procedures.
a. The cover shall be closed at all times except when processing work loads through the degreaser.

b. Parts shall be positioned so that maximum drainage is obtained.

c. Parts shall be moved in and out of the degreaser at less than 11 feet per minute (3.3 meters per minute).

d. The work load shall be degreased in the vapor zone at least 30 seconds or until condensation ceases.

e. Any pools of solvent on the cleaned parts shall be removed by tipping the part before withdrawing the part.

f. Parts shall be allowed to dry within the degreaser for at least 15 seconds or until visually dry.

g. Porous or absorbent materials such as cloth, leather, wood or rope shall not be degreased.

h. Work loads shall not occupy more than half of the degreaser open top area.

i. Solvent shall not be sprayed above the vapor level.

j. Solvent leaks shall be repaired immediately or the degreaser shall be shut down.

k. Waste solvent shall not be disposed of or transferred to another party such that greater than 20 percent of the waste (by weight) will evaporate into the atmosphere.

l. Exhaust ventilation shall not exceed 65 cubic feet per minute (CFM) per square foot (ft2) (20 cubic meters per minute per square meter) of degreaser open area, unless necessary to meet OSHA requirements or unless a carbon adsorption system is installed as a major control device. Ventilation fans shall not be used near the degreaser opening.

m. Water shall not be visibly detectable in solvent exiting the water separator.

3. No person shall operate or maintain a system utilizing a volatile organic compound for the open top vapor cleaning of objects without the following safety switches:
a. the following control devices which will automatically shut off sump heat:
i. a condenser flow sensor and thermostat which will detect if the condenser coolant is not circulating or if the condenser coolant temperature exceeds the solvent manufacturer's recommendations;

ii. a solvent level sensor which will detect if the solvent level drops below acceptable design limits;

iii. a vapor level sensor which will detect if the vapor level rises above acceptable design limits;

b. a spray safety switch which will shut off the spray pump if the vapor level drops more than 4 inches (10 cm) to prevent spraying above the vapor level;

c. one of the following controls:
i. the degreaser shall have a freeboard that provides a ratio (the distance from the top of the vapor level to the top edge of the degreasing tank divided by the degreaser width) equal to or greater than 0.75, and, if the degreaser opening is greater than 10 ft2 (1 m2), a powered cover;

ii. the degreaser shall have a properly sized refrigerated chiller capable of achieving an 85 percent reduction in solvent emissions;

iii. the degreaser shall be of an enclosed design where the cover or door opens only when the dry part is actually entering or exiting the degreaser;

iv. the degreaser shall be equipped with a carbon adsorption system with ventilation equal to or greater than 50 cfm/ft2 (15 m3/min per m2) of air/vapor area (when the cover is open) and exhausting less than 25 ppm of solvent by volume averaged over one complete adsorption cycle;

d. a permanent conspicuous label summarizing the operating procedures.

B. Conveyorized Degreasers. No person shall operate or maintain a system utilizing a volatile organic compound for the conveyorized cleaning of objects without complying with the following operation procedures.

1. Exhaust ventilation shall not exceed 65 CFM per ft2 (20 m3/min per m2) of degreaser opening, unless necessary to meet OSHA requirements or unless a carbon adsorption system is installed as a major control device. Ventilation fans shall not be used near the degreaser opening.

2. Parts shall be positioned so that maximum drainage is obtained.

3. Vertical conveyor speed shall be maintained at less than 11 ft/min (3.3 m/min).

4. Waste solvent shall not be disposed of or transferred to another party such that greater than 20 percent of the waste (by weight) can evaporate into the atmosphere. Waste solvent shall be stored only in covered containers.

5. Leaks shall be repaired immediately or the degreaser shall be shutdown.

6. Water shall not be visibly detectable in the solvent exiting the water separator.

7. Downtime covers shall be placed over entrances and exits of conveyorized degreasers immediately after the conveyor and exhaust are shut down and removed just before they are started up.

8. No person shall operate or maintain a system utilizing a volatile organic compound for the conveyorized cleaning of objects without the following controls:
a. one of the following major control devices is required:
i. the conveyorized degreaser shall have a properly sized refrigerated chiller capable of achieving an 85 percent reduction in solvent emissions;

ii. the conveyorized degreaser shall be equipped with a carbon adsorption system with ventilation equal to or greater than 50 cfm/ft2 (15 m3/min per m2) of air/vapor area (when down-time covers are open) and exhausting less than 25 ppm of solvent by volume averaged over one complete adsorption cycle;

b. a condenser flow switch and thermostat which will shut off sump heat if the condenser coolant is not circulating or if the condenser coolant discharge temperature exceeds the solvent manufacturer's recommendations;

c. a spray safety switch which will shut off the spray pump if the vapor level drops more than 4 inches (10 cm);

d. a drying tunnel or other means such as a rotating (tumbling) basket if space is available to prevent solvent liquid or vapor carry-out;

e. a vapor level control thermostat which will shut off the sump heat when the vapor level rises above the designed operating level;

f. entrances and exits which silhouette work loads so that the average clearance (between parts and edge of the degreaser opening) is either less than 4 inches (10 cm) or less than 10 percent of the width of the opening;

g. down-time covers which close off the entrance and exit during nonoperating hours;

h. a permanent conspicuous label summarizing the operating procedures.

C. Cold Cleaning Facilities

1. No person shall operate or maintain a system utilizing a volatile organic compound for the cold cleaning of objects without a cover that can be opened or closed easily. If the solvent volatility is greater than 2.3 kPa (0.6 psi) measured at 38°C (100°F) or if the solvent is heated to above 50°C (120°F) one of the following control devices must be installed:
a. freeboard that gives a freeboard ratio greater than or equal to 0.7; or

b. water cover (solvent must be insoluble in and heavier than water); or

c. other systems of equivalent control, such as a refrigerated chiller or carbon adsorption, approved by the administrative authority.

2. No person shall operate or maintain a system using a volatile organic compound for cold cleaning of objects without complying with the following operating procedures.
a. The cover shall be closed at all times except when processing work loads through the degreaser.

b. Parts shall be positioned so that maximum drainage is obtained.

c. Any pools of solvent on the cleaned parts shall be removed by tipping the part before withdrawing the part.

d. Parts shall be allowed to dry within the degreaser for at least 15 seconds or until visually dry.

e. Solvent shall not be sprayed above the vapor level.

f. Porous or absorbent materials such as cloth, leather, wood, or rope shall not be degreased.

g. Solvent leaks shall be repaired immediately or the degreaser shall be shut down.

h. Waste solvent shall not be disposed of or transferred to another party such that greater than 20 percent of the waste (by weight) will evaporate into the atmosphere.

i. Exhaust ventilation shall not exceed 65 CFM per ft2 (20 m/min per m2) of degreaser open area, unless necessary to meet OSHA requirements or unless a carbon adsorption system is installed as a major control device. Ventilation fans shall not be used near the degreaser opening.

j. Water shall not be visibly detectable in a solvent exiting the water separator.

D. Exemptions. Except as required in this Subsection, a vapor degreaser emitting 100 pounds (45 kilograms) or less of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in any consecutive 24-hour period (uncontrolled) is exempt from the provisions of this Section provided the total emissions from all the vapor degreasers at the facility combined are less than 100 tons per year of VOC, uncontrolled. If these two conditions are not met, the provisions of this Section must apply. For the parishes of Ascension, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, and West Baton Rouge, the requirements of this Section apply to all solvent metal cleaners, except as follows.

1. Open top degreasers with an open area smaller than 10.8 ft2 (1 m2) shall be exempt from the requirements of LAC 33:III.2125.A.3.c.ii and iv.

2. Conveyorized degreasers with an air/vapor interface smaller than 21.6 ft2 (2.0 m2) shall be exempt from the requirements of LAC 33:III.2125.B.8.a.

E. Test Methods. Compliance with this Section shall be determined by applying the following test methods, as applicable:

1. test method D323-82 for determining Reid vapor pressure;

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

3. test method 18 ( 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A, as incorporated by reference at LAC 33:III.3003) for determining gaseous organic compound emissions by gas chromatography;

4. 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.

F. Recordkeeping Requirements. The owner or operator of any solvent metal cleaning operation shall maintain the following records at the facility for at least two years:

1. the amount and type of solvent purchased each month;

2. the amount and type of waste solvent disposed of each month;

3. a record of control equipment maintenance, such as replacement of the carbon in a carbon adsorption unit, when applicable; and

4. the results of all tests conducted at the facility in accordance with the requirements described in LAC 33:III.2125.E.

G. Sources affected by this Section shall achieve compliance as expeditiously as possible but in no event later than one year after becoming an affected facility.

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

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Louisiana may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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