Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 3, March 1, 2024
When required pursuant to OAR 340-239-0100 or 340-239-0400, the
owner or operator of a landfill must comply with the gas collection and control
system requirements, system operational standards, and well head sampling
requirements in this rule.
(1) Design
Plan and Installation
(a) If a gas collection
and control system which meets the requirements of section (2) of this rule has
not been installed, the owner or operator of a landfill must submit a Design
Plan to DEQ within one year of becoming subject to this rule. The Design Plan
must satisfy the requirements described in subsection (c).
(b) If an owner or operator of a landfill is
modifying an existing gas collection and control system to meet the
requirements of this division, the owner or operator must submit an amended
Design Plan to DEQ that includes any necessary updates or addenda, in
accordance with OAR 340-239-0700(3)(j). The amended Design Plan must satisfy
the requirements described in subsection (c).
(c) At a minimum, the Design Plan must meet
all of the following requirements:
(A) The
Design Plan must be prepared and certified by a professional engineer. The
following issues must be addressed in the design: Depths of solid waste, solid
waste gas generation rates and flow characteristics, cover properties, gas
system expandability, leachate and condensate management, accessibility,
compatibility with filling operations, integration with closure end use, air
intrusion control, corrosion resistance, fill settlement, resistance to the
solid waste decomposition heat, and ability to isolate individual components or
sections for repair or troubleshooting without shutting down entire collection
system.
(B) The Design Plan must
provide for the control of the collected gas through the use of a gas
collection and control system meeting the requirements of OAR 340-239-0110(2)
or an alternative method approved pursuant to OAR 340-239-0500.
(C) The Design Plan must demonstrate that the
gas collection and control system is designed to handle the maximum expected
gas generation flow rate from the entire area of the landfill that warrants
control over the intended use period of the gas control system equipment. The
maximum expected gas generation flow rate must be calculated using the method
in OAR 340-239-0800(5) or an alternative method approved pursuant to OAR
340-239-0500.
(D) The Design Plan
must include any proposed alternatives to the requirements, justification for
the need for any proposed alternatives, test methods, procedures, compliance
measures, monitoring, and recordkeeping or reporting requirements pursuant to
OAR 340-239-0500.
(E) The Design
Plan must include a description of potential mitigation measures to be used to
prevent the release of methane or other pollutants into the atmosphere during
the installation or preparation of wells, piping, or other equipment; during
repairs or the temporary shutdown of gas collection system components; or, when
solid waste is to be excavated and moved.
(F) For active landfills, the Design Plan
must identify areas of the landfill that are closed or inactive.
(G) The gas collection and control system
must be designed to collect gas at an extraction rate to comply with the
surface methane emission limits in OAR 340-239-0200, component leak standard in
OAR 340-239-0600(2)(c), and be sufficient to meet all operational and
performance standards in this division. The expected gas generation flow rate
from the landfill must be calculated pursuant to OAR 340-239-0800(5).
(H) The gas collection and control system
must be designed to maintain a negative pressure at all wellheads in the
collection system without causing air infiltration, including any wellheads
connected to the system as a result of expansion or excess surface
emissions.
(I) Any areas of the
landfill that contain only asbestos-containing waste, or nondecomposable solid
waste may be excluded from collection provided that the owner or operator
submits documentation to DEQ containing the nature of the waste, date of
deposition, location and amount of asbestos or non-decomposable solid waste
deposited in the area. This documentation may be included as part of the Design
Plan.
(J) The density of wells,
horizontal collectors, surface collectors, or other gas extraction devices
necessary to achieve compliance with section (2) of this rule.
(d) The owner or operator must
install and operate a gas collection and control system not later than 30
months after the date that the landfill is required to comply with this
rule.
(e) The owner or operator of
a controlled landfill must place each well or design component as specified in
the approved Design Plan. Following initial construction, the owner or operator
of a controlled landfill must install each new component no later than 60 days
after the date on which the area controlled by the well is required to be
controlled pursuant to this division.
(f) The owner or operator of a landfill
subject to this rule must operate, maintain and expand the gas collection
system in accordance with the procedures and schedules in the approved Design
Plan.
(2) Gas Collection
and Control System Operational Standards
(a)
The owner or operator of a landfill subject to this rule must satisfy all of
the following requirements when operating a gas collection and control system:
(A) Route all collected gas to a gas control
device or devices, and operate the gas collection and control system
continuously except as provided in sections (4) and (5) of this rule.
(B) Operate the gas collection and control
system to comply with paragraph (1)(a)(G) of this rule.
(C) Design and operate the gas collection
system to draw all the gas toward the gas control device or devices.
(D) Design and operate the gas collection
system to minimize off-site and on-site migration of subsurface gas in
compliance with OAR chapter 340, divisions 093, 094, and 095.
(E) In the event the collection or control
system is inoperable, the gas mover system shall be shut down and all valves in
the collection and control system contributing to venting of the gas to the
atmosphere shall be closed within one hour of the collection or control system
not operating.
(F) Efforts to
repair the collection or control system must be initiated and completed in a
manner such that downtime is kept to a minimum, and the collection and control
system must be returned to operation.
(G) Landfills with a design capacity equal to
or greater than 2.5 million megagrams (Mg) and 2.5 million cubic meters (m3)
must install all passive collection systems with liners on the bottom and all
sides in all areas in which gas is to be collected. The liners must be
installed as required under
40 C.F.R. §
258.40.
(H) Any area of the landfill may be excluded
from control, provided that the total of all excluded areas can be shown to
contribute less than one percent (1%) of the total amount of methane emissions
from the landfill. The amount, location, and age of the material must be
documented and provided to DEQ. If data on actual amounts and age is not
available, the landfill owner or operator must estimate based on known
information and provide all documentation used to make the estimates. A
separate methane emissions estimate must be made for each section proposed for
exclusion, and the sum of all such sections must be compared to the methane
emissions estimate for the entire landfill, and all calculations, data and
documentation used to perform the calculations must be submitted to DEQ. The
methane emissions from each section proposed for exclusion must be computed
using the methods provided in OAR 340-239-0800(5).
(I) The landfill gas extraction components
must be constructed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), high density polyethylene
(HDPE) pipe, fiberglass, stainless steel, or other nonporous corrosion
resistant material of suitable dimensions to: Convey projected amounts of
gases; withstand installation, static, and settlement forces; and withstand
planned overburden or traffic loads. The collection system must extend as
necessary to comply with emission and migration standards. Collection devices
such as wells and horizontal collectors must be perforated to allow gas entry
without head loss sufficient to impair performance across the intended extent
of control. Perforations must be situated with regard to the need to prevent
excessive air infiltration.
(J)
Vertical wells must be placed so as not to endanger underlying liners and must
address the occurrence of water within the landfill. Holes and trenches
constructed for piped wells and horizontal collectors must be of sufficient
cross-section so as to allow for their proper construction and completion
including, for example, centering of pipes and placement of gravel backfill.
Collection devices must be designed so as not to allow indirect short
circuiting of air into the cover, into the solid waste, into the collection
system, or gas into the air. Any gravel used around pipe perforations should be
of a dimension so as not to penetrate or block perforations.
(K) Collection devices may be connected to
the collection header pipes below or above the landfill surface. The connector
assembly must include a positive closing throttle valve, any necessary seals
and couplings, access couplings and at least one sampling port. The collection
devices must be constructed of PVC, HDPE, fiberglass, stainless steel, or other
nonporous material of suitable thickness.
(L) Landfill gas must be conveyed to a
control system in compliance with section (2) of this rule through the
collection header pipe(s). The gas mover equipment must be sized to handle the
maximum gas generation flow rate expected over the intended use period of the
gas moving equipment using the following procedures:
(i) For existing collection systems, the flow
data must be used to project the maximum flow rate. If no flow data exists, the
procedures in subparagraph (2)(a)(L)(ii) of this rule must be used;
or
(ii) For new collection systems,
the maximum flow rate must be determined in accordance with OAR
340-239-0800(5).
(b) Requirements for Enclosed Flares. A
landfill owner or operator subject to this rule who operates an enclosed flare
must route the collected gas to an enclosed flare that meets all of the
following requirements:
(A) Achieves a methane
destruction efficiency of at least 99 percent by weight.
(B) Is equipped with automatic dampers, an
automatic shutdown device, a flame arrester, and continuous recording
temperature sensors.
(C) During
restart or startup there must be a sufficient flow of propane, commercial
natural gas, or other approved fuel source, to the pilot light to prevent
unburned collected methane from being emitted to the atmosphere.
(D) The gas control device must be operated
within the parameter ranges established in the landfill's Air Contaminant
Discharge Permit or Oregon Title V Operating Permit.
(c) Requirements for open flares: A landfill
owner or operator subject to this rule who operates an open flare must route
the collected gas to an open flare that meets the requirements of
40 C.F.R.
§
60.18. The owner or operator of an
open flare must comply with all of the following requirements:
(A) Install, calibrate, maintain, and operate
the following equipment according to the manufacturer's specifications:
(i) A heat sensing device, such as an
ultraviolet beam sensor or thermocouple, at the pilot light or the flame itself
to indicate the continuous presence of a flame; and
(ii) A device that records flow to the flare
and bypass of the flare (if applicable). The owner or operator must:
(I) Install, calibrate, and maintain a gas
flow rate measuring device that records the flow to the control device at least
every 15 minutes; and
(II) Secure
the bypass line valve in the closed position with a car-seal or a lock-and-key
type configuration. A visual inspection of the seal or closure mechanism must
be performed at least once every month to ensure that the valve is maintained
in the closed position and that the gas flow is not diverted through the bypass
line.
(B) An
open flare installed and operating prior to August 1, 2021, may operate until
January 1, 2024, but is thereafter prohibited except as provided in paragraph
(2)(c)(C) of this rule.
(C)
Operation of an open flare on or after January 1, 2024, is only allowed with
DEQ's written approval, which DEQ will determine based on whether the owner or
operator demonstrates to the satisfaction of DEQ that one of the following
conditions apply:
(i) The methane generation
rate is less than 664 metric tons per year pursuant to OAR 340-239-800(2) and
is insufficient to support the continuous operation of an enclosed flare or
other gas control device;
(ii) The
owner or operator is seeking to temporarily operate an open flare during the
repair or maintenance of the gas control system, or while awaiting the
installation of an enclosed flare, or to address offsite gas migration issues.
An owner seeking to temporarily operate an open flare under this subparagraph
must submit a written request to DEQ pursuant to OAR 340-239-0500;
(iii) The owner or operator has landfill gas
emissions that are unable to be controlled using enclosed flare gas control
devices in the gas control system. These emissions being controlled using an
open flare may not exceed 664 metric tons (732 tons) per year of methane. An
owner or operator seeking to operate an open flare under this subparagraph must
submit a written request to DEQ pursuant to OAR 340-239-0500. The request must
include an analysis verifying that there is no feasible alternative control
device configuration that would use the landfill gas emissions without use of
an open flare; or
(iv) The owner or
operator otherwise has received written approval from DEQ to operate an open
flare pursuant to OAR 340-239-0500.
(d) Requirements for Gas Control Devices
other than Flares. A landfill owner or operator subject to this rule may
operate a gas control device other than a flare only if the owner or operator
complies with one of the following requirements:
(A) The device is a boiler or process heater
with a design heat input capacity equal to or greater than 44 megawatts per
hour (150 million British thermal units per hour), provided that the landfill
gas stream is introduced into the flame zone. The performance test is not
required for boilers and process heaters with design heat input capacities
equal to or greater than 44 megawatts per hour (150 million British thermal
units per hour) that burn landfill gas for compliance with this
division;
(B) Route the collected
gas to an energy recovery device, or series of devices that meets all of the
following requirements:
(i) Achieves a methane
destruction efficiency of at least 99 percent by weight pursuant to OAR
340-239-0800(6). Lean burn internal combustion engines must reduce the outlet
methane concentration to less than 3,000 ppmv, dry basis, corrected to 15
percent oxygen.
(ii) For new gas
control devices, the destruction efficiency or parts per million by volume
required according to OAR 340-239-0110(2)(d)(A)(i) must be established by an
initial performance test to be completed no later than 180 days after the
initial startup of the approved control system using the test methods specified
in OAR 340-239-0800(6) and the DEQ Source Test Manual.
(iii) Existing gas control devices must
demonstrate compliance with this rule not later than 180 days from the
effective date of this rule using the performance test methods specified in OAR
340-239-0800(6) and the DEQ Source Test Manual.
(iv) Operate the gas control device within
the parameter ranges established during the initial or most recent performance
test that demonstrates compliance with the standard in OAR
340-239-0110(2)(d)(A)(i). Until a performance test is performed, operate the
gas control device within engineering or manufacturer's established parameter
ranges.
(C) Route the
collected gas to a treatment system that processes the collected gas for
subsequent sale or use. Venting of treated landfill gas to the ambient air is
not allowed. If the treated landfill gas cannot be routed for subsequent sale
or beneficial use, then the treated landfill gas must be controlled according
to either subsection (2)(b), (2)(c) or (2)(d) of this rule. All emissions
vented to the atmosphere from the gas treatment system are subject to the
requirements of subsection (2)(b) or (2)(c) of this rule. The owner or operator
must prepare a site-specific treatment monitoring plan to include all of the
following:
(i) Monitoring records of
parameters that are identified in the treatment system monitoring plan and that
ensure the treatment system is operating properly for each intended end use of
the treated landfill gas. At a minimum, records must include records of
filtration, de-watering, and compression parameters.
(ii) Monitoring methods, frequencies, and
operating ranges for each monitored operating parameter based on manufacturer's
recommendations or engineering analysis for each intended end use of the
treated landfill gas.
(iii)
Documentation of the monitoring methods and ranges, along with justification
for their use.
(iv) List of
responsible staff (by name and job title) for data collection.
(v) Processes and methods used to collect the
necessary data.
(vi) Description of
the procedures and methods that are used for quality assurance, maintenance,
and repair of all continuous monitoring systems (CMS).
(e) An owner or operator complying
with section (2)(d) of this rule by using a landfill gas treatment system must
calibrate, maintain, and operate according to the manufacturer's specifications
a device that records flow to the treatment system and bypass of the treatment
system (if applicable). The owner or operator must maintain and operate all
monitoring systems associated with the treatment system in accordance with the
site-specific treatment system monitoring plan required by paragraph (2)(d)(C)
of this rule. The owner or operator must:
(A)
Install, calibrate, and maintain a gas flow rate measuring device that records
the flow to the treatment system at least every 15 minutes;
(B) Install liners or equivalent
non-permeable materials on the bottom and all sides in all areas in which gas
is to be collected. The liners must be installed as required under
40 C.F.R. 258.40;
and
(C) Secure the bypass line
valve in the closed position with a car-seal or a lock-and-key type
configuration. A visual inspection of the seal or closure mechanism must be
performed at least once every month to ensure that the valve is maintained in
the closed position and that the gas flow is not diverted through the bypass
line.
(f) Performance
Test Requirements. The owner or operator must conduct annual performance tests
for any gas control device(s) subject to the requirements of section (2) of
this rule using the test methods identified in OAR 340-239-0800(6). Following
an initial performance test, the owner or operator must conduct a complete
annual performance test each calendar year, no later than 45 days after the
anniversary date of the initial performance test. Performance tests must be
conducted in compliance with all of the following requirements:
(A) An initial performance test must be
conducted within 180 days of start up of the gas collection and control
system.
(B) Existing gas control
devices must demonstrate compliance with this rule not later than 180 days from
the effective date of this rule using the test methods specified in OAR
340-239-0800(6) and the DEQ Source Test Manual.
(C) If a gas control device remains in
compliance with standards in section (2) of this rule after three consecutive
performance tests, the owner or operator may conduct performance tests once
every three years, but no later than 45 days after each third anniversary date
of the initial performance test. If a subsequent performance test shows the gas
collection and control system does not demonstrate compliance with the
standard(s) in section (2) of this rule, the performance testing frequency must
return to annual.
(D) The
performance tests must be conducted under such conditions as DEQ specifies to
the owner or operator based on representative performance of the affected
source for the period being tested. Representative conditions exclude periods
of startup and shutdown unless specified by DEQ. The owner or operator may not
conduct performance tests during periods of malfunction. The owner or operator
must record the process information that is necessary to document operating
conditions during the test and include in such record an explanation to support
that such conditions represent normal operation. Upon request, the owner or
operator shall make available to DEQ such records as may be necessary to
determine the conditions of performance tests.
(3) Wellhead sampling. A landfill owner or
operator required to comply with section (2) of this rule for an active gas
collection system must install a sampling port and measuring devices, or an
access port for measuring devices, at each wellhead and comply with the
following, using measuring devices that meet the requirements of OAR
340-239-0800(7):
(a) Monitor nitrogen or
oxygen concentration in the landfill gas on a monthly basis as provided in OAR
340-239-0600(3);
(b) Monitor
temperature of the landfill gas on a monthly basis as provided in OAR
340-239-0600(3); and
(c) Measure
the gauge pressure in the gas collection header on a monthly basis as provided
in OAR 340-239-0600(2)(d).
(4) Well Raising. The requirements of
paragraph (2)(a)(A), paragraph (2)(a)(B), and section (3) of this rule do not
apply to individual wells involved in well raising provided the following
conditions are met:
(a) New fill is being
added or compacted in the immediate vicinity around the well; and
(b) Once installed, a gas collection well
extension is sealed or capped until the raised well is reconnected to a vacuum
source.
(5) Repairs and
Temporary Shutdown of Gas Collection System Components: The requirements of
paragraphs (2)(a)(A) and (2)(a)(B) do not apply to individual landfill gas
collection system components that must be temporarily shut down in order to
repair the components due to emergencies, catastrophic events such as
earthquakes, to extinguish landfill fires, to prevent landfill fires, to
connect new landfill gas collection system components to the existing system,
to perform construction activities pursuant to OAR 340-239-0300, or to conduct
performance testing, provided the following requirements are met:
(a) Any new gas collection system components
required to maintain compliance with this division must be included in the most
recent Design Plan pursuant to section (1) of this rule. The owner or operator
must comply with applicable provisions of the Notice of Construction
requirements in OAR chapter 340, division 210 and permit modification
requirements of OAR chapter 340, division 216 or 218 prior to the construction,
installation and operation of new landfill gas collection system
components;
(b) Methane emissions
are minimized during shutdown pursuant to paragraph (2)(a)(E) of this rule;
and
(c) The owner or operator must
submit a notification to DEQ after any temporary shutdown due to an emergency,
catastrophic event or landfill fires in accordance with OAR
340-239-0700(3)(n).
Statutory/Other Authority: ORS
468.020, ORS
468A.025,
ORS
468A.040 & ORS
468A.050
Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS
468A.025,
ORS
468A.040 & ORS
468A.050