40 CFR § 60.503 - Test methods and procedures.

(a) In conducting the performance tests required in § 60.8, the owner or operator shall use as reference methods and procedures the test methods in appendix A of this part or other methods and procedures as specified in this section, except as provided in § 60.8(b). The three-run requirement of § 60.8(f) does not apply to this subpart.

(b) Immediately before the performance test required to determine compliance with § 60.502 (b), (c), and (h), the owner or operator shall use Method 21 to monitor for leakage of vapor all potential sources in the terminal's vapor collection system equipment while a gasoline tank truck is being loaded. The owner or operator shall repair all leaks with readings of 10,000 ppm (as methane) or greater before conducting the performance test.

(c) The owner or operator shall determine compliance with the standards in § 60.502 (b) and (c) as follows:

(1) The performance test shall be 6 hours long during which at least 300,000 liters of gasoline is loaded. If this is not possible, the test may be continued the same day until 300,000 liters of gasoline is loaded or the test may be resumed the next day with another complete 6-hour period. In the latter case, the 300,000-liter criterion need not be met. However, as much as possible, testing should be conducted during the 6-hour period in which the highest throughput normally occurs.

(2) If the vapor processing system is intermittent in operation, the performance test shall begin at a reference vapor holder level and shall end at the same reference point. The test shall include at least two startups and shutdowns of the vapor processor. If this does not occur under automatically controlled operations, the system shall be manually controlled.

(3) The emission rate (E) of total organic compounds shall be computed using the following equation:

$E=K\sum _{i=1}^n\left(V_{\mathrm{esi}}{C}_{\mathrm{ei}}\right)/\left({L10}^6\right)$

where:

E = emission rate of total organic compounds, mg/liter of gasoline loaded.

Vesi = volume of air-vapor mixture exhausted at each interval “i”, scm.

Cei = concentration of total organic compounds at each interval “i”, ppm.

L = total volume of gasoline loaded, liters.

n = number of testing intervals.

i = emission testing interval of 5 minutes.

K = density of calibration gas, 1.83 × 10 6 for propane and 2.41 × 10 6 for butane, mg/scm.

(4) The performance test shall be conducted in intervals of 5 minutes. For each interval “i”, readings from each measurement shall be recorded, and the volume exhausted (Vesi) and the corresponding average total organic compounds concentration (Cei) shall be determined. The sampling system response time shall be considered in determining the average total organic compounds concentration corresponding to the volume exhausted.

(5) The following methods shall be used to determine the volume (Vesi) air-vapor mixture exhausted at each interval:

(i) Method 2B shall be used for combustion vapor processing systems.

(ii) Method 2A shall be used for all other vapor processing systems.

(6) Method 25A or 25B shall be used for determining the total organic compounds concentration (Cei) at each interval. The calibration gas shall be either propane or butane. The owner or operator may exclude the methane and ethane content in the exhaust vent by any method (e.g., Method 18) approved by the Administrator.

(7) To determine the volume (L) of gasoline dispensed during the performance test period at all loading racks whose vapor emissions are controlled by the processing system being tested, terminal records or readings from gasoline dispensing meters at each loading rack shall be used.

(d) The owner or operator shall determine compliance with the standard in § 60.502(h) as follows:

(1) A pressure measurement device (liquid manometer, magnehelic gauge, or equivalent instrument), capable of measuring up to 500 mm of water gauge pressure with ±2.5 mm of water precision, shall be calibrated and installed on the terminal's vapor collection system at a pressure tap located as close as possible to the connection with the gasoline tank truck.

(2) During the performance test, the pressure shall be recorded every 5 minutes while a gasoline truck is being loaded; the highest instantaneous pressure that occurs during each loading shall also be recorded. Every loading position must be tested at least once during the performance test.

(e) The performance test requirements of paragraph (c) of this section do not apply to flares defined in § 60.501 and meeting the requirements in § 60.18(b) through (f). The owner or operator shall demonstrate that the flare and associated vapor collection system is in compliance with the requirements in §§ 60.18(b) through (f) and 60.503(a), (b), and (d).

(f) The owner or operator shall use alternative test methods and procedures in accordance with the alternative test method provisions in § 60.8(b) for flares that do not meet the requirements in § 60.18(b).

[54 FR 6678, Feb. 14, 1989; 54 FR 21344, May 17, 1989, as amended at 68 FR 70965, Dec. 19, 2003]