40 CFR § 61.347 - Standards: Oil-water separators.

§ 61.347 Standards: Oil-water separators.

(a) Except as provided in § 61.352 of this subpart, the owner or operator shall meet the following standards for each oil-water separator in which waste is placed in accordance with § 61.342(c)(1)(ii) of this subpart:

(1) The owner or operator shall install, operate, and maintain a fixed-roof and closed-vent system that routes all organic vapors vented from the oil-water separator to a control device.

(i) The fixed-roof shall meet the following requirements:

(A) The cover and all openings (e.g., access hatches, sampling ports, and gauge wells) shall be designed to operate with no detectable emissions as indicated by an instrument reading of less than 500 ppmv above background, as determined initially and thereafter at least once per year by the methods specified in § 61.355(h) of this subpart.

(B) Each opening shall be maintained in a closed, sealed position (e.g., covered by a lid that is gasketed and latched) at all times that waste is in the oil-water separator except when it is necessary to use the opening for waste sampling or removal, or for equipment inspection, maintenance, or repair.

(C) If the cover and closed-vent system operate such that the oil-water separator is maintained at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure, then paragraph (a)(1)(i)(B) of this section does not apply to any opening that meets all of the following conditions:

(1) The purpose of the opening is to provide dilution air to reduce the explosion hazard;

(2) The opening is designed to operate with no detectable emissions as indicated by an instrument reading of less than 500 ppmv above background, as determined initially and thereafter at least once per year by the methods specified in § 61.355(h); and

(3) The pressure is monitored continuously to ensure that the pressure in the oil-water separator remains below atmospheric pressure.

(ii) The closed-vent system and control device shall be designed and operated in accordance with the requirements of § 61.349 of this subpart.

(b) Each cover seal, access hatch, and all other openings shall be checked by visual inspection initially and quarterly thereafter to ensure that no cracks or gaps occur between the cover and oil-water separator wall and that access hatches and other openings are closed and gasketed properly.

(c) Except as provided in § 61.350 of this subpart, when a broken seal or gasket or other problem is identified, or when detectable emissions are measured, first efforts at repair shall be made as soon as practicable, but not later than 15 calendar days after identification.

[55 FR 8346, Mar. 7, 1990, as amended at 58 FR 3098, Jan. 7, 1993]