Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 6, September 16, 2024
(a) For the purpose
of this Rule, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) "Cartridge filter" means perforated
canisters containing filtration paper or filter paper and activated carbon that
are used in a pressurized system to remove solid particles and fugitive dyes
from soil-laden solvent, together with the piping and ductwork used in the
installation of this device.
(2)
"Containers and conveyors of solvent" means piping, ductwork, pumps, storage
tanks, and other ancillary equipment that are associated with the installation
and operation of washers, dryers, filters, stills, and settling
tanks.
(3) "Dry cleaning" means a
process for the cleaning of textiles and fabric products in which articles are
washed in a non-aqueous solution or solvent and then dried by exposure to a
heated air stream.
(4) "Dryer"
means a machine used to remove petroleum solvent from articles of clothing or
other textile or leather goods, after washing and removing of excess petroleum
solvent, together with the piping and ductwork used in the installation of this
device.
(5) "Perceptible leaks"
means any petroleum solvent vapor or liquid leaks that are visible, such as
pools or droplets of liquid, open containers of solvent, or solvent laden waste
standing open to the atmosphere, or bubble after application of a soap
solution.
(6) "Petroleum solvent"
means organic material produced by petroleum distillation comprising of a
hydrocarbon range of eight to 12 carbon atoms per organic molecule that exists
as a liquid under standard conditions.
(7) "Petroleum solvent dry cleaning" means a
dry cleaning facility that uses petroleum solvent in a combination of washers,
dryers, filters, stills, and settling tanks.
(8) "Settling tank" means a container that
gravimetrically separates oils, grease, and dirt from petroleum solvent,
together with the piping and ductwork used in the installation of the
device.
(9) "Solvent filter" means
a discrete solvent filter unit containing a porous medium which traps and
removes contaminants from petroleum solvent, together with the piping and
ductwork used in the installation of this device.
(10) "Solvent recovery dryer" means a class
of dry cleaning dryers that employs a condenser to condense and recover solvent
vapors evaporated in a closed-loop stream of heated air, together with the
piping and ductwork used in the installation of this device.
(11) "Still" means a device used to
volatilize, separate, and recover petroleum solvent from contaminated solvent,
together with the piping and ductwork used in the installation of this
device.
(12) "Washer" means a
machine that agitates fabric articles in a petroleum solvent bath and spins the
articles to remove the solvent, together with the piping and ductwork used in
the installation of this device.
(b) This Rule applies to petroleum solvent
washers, dryers, solvent filters, settling tanks, stills, and other containers
and conveyors of petroleum solvent that are used in petroleum solvent dry
cleaning facilities that consume 32,500 gallons or more of petroleum solvent
annually.
(c) The owner or operator
of a petroleum solvent dry cleaning dryer subject to this Rule shall:
(1) limit emissions of volatile organic
compounds to the atmosphere to an average of 3.5 pounds of volatile organic
compounds per 100 pounds dry weight of articles dry cleaned; or
(2) install and operate a solvent recovery
dryer in a manner such that the dryer remains closed and the recovery phase
continues until a final recovered solvent flow rate of 50 milliliters per
minute is attained.
(d)
The owner or operator of a petroleum solvent filter subject to this Rule shall:
(1) reduce the volatile organic compound
content in all filter wastes to 1.0 pound or less per 100 pounds dry weight of
articles dry cleaned, before disposal and exposure to the atmosphere;
or
(2) install and operate a
cartridge filter and drain the filter cartridges in their sealed housings for
eight hours or more before their removal.
(e) The owner or operator of a petroleum
solvent dry cleaning facility subject to this Rule shall inspect the facility
every 15 days and shall repair all perceptible leaks within 15 business days
after identifying the sources of the leaks. If the necessary repair parts are
not on hand, the owner or operator shall order these parts within 15 business
days and repair the leaks no later than 15 business days following the arrival
of the necessary parts. The owner or operator shall maintain records, in
accordance with
15A NCAC
02D .0903, of when the inspections were
performed, what equipment was inspected, leaks found, repairs made, and when
the repairs were completed.
(f) To
determine compliance with Subparagraph (c)(1) of this Rule, the owner or
operator shall use the appropriate test method in
15A NCAC
02D .2613(g) and shall:
(1) field calibrate the flame ionization
analyzer with propane standards;
(2) determine in a laboratory the ratio of
the flame ionization analyzer response to a given parts per million by volume
concentration of propane to the response to the same parts per million
concentration of the volatile organic compounds to be measured;
(3) determine the weight of volatile organic
compounds vented to the atmosphere by:
(A)
multiplying the ratio determined in Subparagraph (2) of this Paragraph by the
measured concentration of volatile organic compound gas, as propane, as
indicated by the flame ionization analyzer response output record;
(B) converting the parts per million by
volume value calculated in Part (A) of this Subparagraph into a mass
concentration value for the volatile organic compounds present; and
(C) multiplying the mass concentration value
calculated in Part (B) of this Subparagraph by the exhaust flow rate;
and
(4) calculate and
record the dry weight of articles dry cleaned. The test shall be repeated for
normal operating conditions that encompass at least 30 dryer loads that total
not less than 4,000 pounds dry weight and represent a normal range of variation
in fabrics, solvents, load weights, temperatures, flow rates, and process
deviations.
(g) To
determine compliance with Subparagraph (c)(2) of this Rule, the owner or
operator shall verify that the flow rate of recovered solvent from the solvent
recovery dryer at the termination of the recovery phase is no greater than 50
milliliters per minute. This one-time procedure shall be conducted for a
duration of not less than two weeks during which not less than 50 percent of
the dryer loads shall be monitored for their final recovered solvent flow rate.
Near the end of the recovery cycle, the flow of recovered solvent shall be
diverted to a graduated cylinder. The cycle shall continue until the minimum
flow of solvent is 50 milliliters per minute. The type of articles cleaned and
the total length of the cycle shall be recorded and retained in accordance with
15A NCAC
02D .0903.
Authority
G.S.
143-215.3(a)(1);
143-215.107(a)(5);
Eff. May 1, 1985;
Amended Eff. June 1, 2008;
Readopted
Eff. November 1, 2020;
Amended Eff. October 1,
2022.
