Maintenance vents.
Maintenance vents. Unless an extension is requested in accordance with the provisions in 63.6(i) of subpart A, beginning no later than the compliance dates specified in 63.1102(c), an owner or operator may designate an ethylene process vent as a maintenance vent if the vent is only used as a result of startup, shutdown, maintenance, or inspection of equipment where equipment is emptied, depressurized, degassed, or placed into service. The owner or operator must comply with the applicable requirements in paragraphs (e)(5)(i) through (iii) of this section for each maintenance vent.
(i) Prior to venting to the atmosphere, remove process liquids from the equipment as much as practical and depressurize the equipment to either: A flare meeting the requirements specified in paragraph (e)(4) of this section, or a non-flare control device meeting the requirements specified in ยง 63.982(c)(2) of subpart SS, until one of the following conditions, as applicable, is met.
(A) The concentration of the vapor in the equipment served by the maintenance vent is less than 10 percent of its lower explosive limit (LEL).
(B) If there is no ability to measure the concentration of the vapor in the equipment based on the design of the equipment, the pressure in the equipment served by the maintenance vent is reduced to 5 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) or less. Upon opening the maintenance vent, active purging of the equipment cannot be used until the concentration of the vapors in the maintenance vent (or inside the equipment if the maintenance is a hatch or similar type of opening) is less than 10 percent of its LEL.
(C) The equipment served by the maintenance vent contains less than 50 pounds of total volatile organic compounds (VOC).
(D) If, after applying best practices to isolate and purge equipment served by a maintenance vent, none of the applicable criterion in paragraphs (e)(5)(i)(A) through (C) of this section can be met prior to installing or removing a blind flange or similar equipment blind, then the pressure in the equipment served by the maintenance vent must be reduced to 2 psig or less before installing or removing the equipment blind. During installation or removal of the equipment blind, active purging of the equipment may be used provided the equipment pressure at the location where purge gas is introduced remains at 2 psig or less.
(ii) Except for maintenance vents complying with the alternative in paragraph (e)(5)(i)(C) of this section, the owner or operator must determine the concentration of the vapor or, if applicable, equipment pressure using process instrumentation or portable measurement devices and follow procedures for calibration and maintenance according to manufacturer's specifications.
(iii) For maintenance vents complying with the alternative in paragraph (e)(5)(i)(C) of this section, the owner or operator must determine mass of VOC in the equipment served by the maintenance vent based on the equipment size and contents after considering any contents drained or purged from the equipment. Equipment size may be determined from equipment design specifications. Equipment contents may be determined using process knowledge.