Current through Reg. 50, No. 13; March 28, 2025
For Gregg, Nueces, and Victoria Counties, the owner or operator of a petroleum refinery shall conduct a monitoring program consistent with the following provisions.
(1) The owner or operator shall measure yearly (with a hydrocarbon gas analyzer) the emissions from all:
(B) pipeline valves in liquid service;
(D) all valves elevated more than two meters above any permanent structure.
(2) The owner or operator shall measure quarterly (with a hydrocarbon gas analyzer) the emissions from all:
(B) pipeline valves in gaseous service; and
(C) pressure relief valves in gaseous service.
(3) The owner or operator shall visually inspect, weekly, all pump seals.
(4) The owner or operator shall measure (with a hydrocarbon gas analyzer) the emissions from any component, except those exempted by §
115.327(2) and (3) of this title (relating to Exemptions), whenever a potential leak is detected by sight, sound, or smell.
(5) The owner or operator shall measure (with a hydrocarbon gas analyzer) emissions from any relief valve that has vented to the atmosphere within 24 hours.
(6) Upon the detection of a leaking component, the owner or operator shall affix to the leaking component a weatherproof and readily visible tag, bearing an identification number and the date the leak was located. This tag must remain in place until the leaking component is repaired.
(7) The monitoring schedule of paragraphs (1) - (3) of this section may be modified as follows.
(A) After completion of the required quarterly valve monitoring for a period of at least two years, the operator of a refinery may request in writing to the executive director that the valve monitoring schedule be revised based on the percent of valves leaking. The percent of valves leaking must be determined by dividing the sum of valves leaking during current monitoring and valves for which repair has been delayed by the total number of valves subject to the requirements. This request must include all data that have been developed to justify the following modifications in the monitoring schedule.
(i) After two consecutive quarterly leak detection periods with the percent of valves leaking equal to or less than 2.0%, an owner or operator may begin to skip one of the quarterly leak detection periods for the valves in gas/vapor and light liquid service.
(ii) After five consecutive quarterly leak detection periods with the percent of valves leaking equal to or less than 2.0%, an owner or operator may begin to skip three of the quarterly leak detection periods for the valves in gas/vapor and light liquid service.
(iii) Leak detection skip period requirements for any New Source Performance Standard or National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants may be substituted for clauses (i) and (ii) of this subparagraph.
(B) If the executive director determines that there is an excessive number of leaks in any given process area, the executive director may require an increase in the frequency of monitoring for that process area of the refinery.
(8) For any components that the owner or operator elects to use the alternative work practice in §
115.358 of this title (relating to Alternative Work Practice), the following provisions apply.
(A) The frequency for monitoring any components listed in paragraphs (1) or (2) of this section must be the frequency determined according to §
115.358(e) of this title, except as specified in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.
(B) The alternative monitoring schedules allowed under paragraph (7) of this section are not allowed.
(C) If the owner or operator elects to use the alternative work practice in §
115.358 of this title to satisfy the hydrocarbon gas analyzer monitoring requirement of paragraph (5) of this section, the time limitation specified in paragraph (5) of this section for performing the monitoring continues to apply.
(D) If the executive director determines that there is an excessive number of leaks in any given process area that the alternative work practice in §
115.358 of this title is used, the executive director may require an increase in the frequency of monitoring under the alternative work practice for that process area of the refinery.
