Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Natural Resources
NR 400-499 - Environmental Protection - Air Pollution Control
Chapter NR 440 - Standards of performance for new stationary sources
Subchapter II - Standards of Performance
Section NR 440.23 - Nitric acid plants

(a) The provisions of this section are applicable to each nitric acid production unit, which is the affected facility.

(b) Any facility under par. (a) that commences construction or modification after August 17, 1971, is subject to the requirements of this section.

(a) "Nitric acid production unit" means any facility producing weak nitric acid by either the pressure or atmospheric pressure process.

(b) "Weak nitric acid" means acid which is 30 to 70% in strength.

(a) On and after the date on which the performance test required to be conducted by s. NR 440.08 is completed, no owner or operator subject to the provisions of this section may cause to be discharged into the atmosphere from any affected facility any gases which:

(a) The source owner or operator shall install, calibrate, maintain and operate a continuous monitoring system for measuring nitrogen oxides (NOx). The pollutant gas mixtures under Performance Specification 2 of Appendix B of 40 CFR part 60, incorporated by reference in s. NR 440.17, and for calibration checks under s. NR 440.13(4) shall be nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The span value shall be 500 ppm of NO2. Method 7 shall be used for the performance evaluation under s. NR 440.13(3). Acceptable alternative methods to Method 7 are given in sub. (5) (c).

(b) The owner or operator shall establish a conversion factor for the purpose of converting monitoring data into units of the applicable standard (kg/metric ton, lb/ton). The conversion factor shall be established by measuring emissions with the continuous monitoring system concurrent with measuring emissions with the applicable reference method tests. Using only that portion of the continuous monitoring emission data that represents emission measurements concurrent with the reference method test periods, the conversion factor shall be determined by dividing the reference method test data averages by the monitoring data averages to obtain a ratio expressed in units of the applicable standard to units of the monitoring data, i.e., kg/metric ton per ppm (lb/ton per ppm). The conversion factor shall be reestablished during any performance test under s. NR 440.08 or any continuous monitoring system performance evaluation under s. NR 440.13(3).

(c) The owner or operator shall record the daily production rate and hours of operation.

(e) For the purpose of reports required under s. NR 440.07(3), periods of excess emissions that shall be reported are defined as any 3-hour period during which the average nitrogen oxides emissions (arithmetic average of 3 contiguous one-hour periods) as measured by a continuous monitoring system exceed the standard under sub. (3) (a).

(a) In conducting the performance tests required in s. NR 440.08, the owner or operator shall use as reference methods and procedures the test methods in Appendix A of 40 CFR part 60, incorporated by reference in s. NR 440.17, or other methods and procedures as specified in this subsection, except as provided in s. NR 440.08(2). Acceptable alternative methods and procedures are given in par. (c).

(b) The owner or operator shall determine compliance with the NOx standard in sub. (3) as follows:

(c) The owner or operator may use the following as alternatives to the methods and procedures specified in this subsection:

(d) The owner or operator shall use the procedure in sub. (4) (b) to determine the conversion factor for converting the monitoring data to the units of the standard.