U.S. Code of Federal Regulations

Regulations most recently checked for updates: Dec 07, 2024

§ 60.675 - 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 appendices A-1 through A-7 of this part or other methods and procedures as specified in this section, except as provided in § 60.8(b). Acceptable alternative methods and procedures are given in paragraph (e) of this section.

(b) The owner or operator shall determine compliance with the PM standards in § 60.672(a) as follows:

(1) Except as specified in paragraphs (e)(3) and (4) of this section, Method 5 of appendix A-3 of this part or Method 17 of appendix A-6 of this part shall be used to determine the particulate matter concentration. The sample volume shall be at least 1.70 dscm (60 dscf). For Method 5 (40 CFR part 60, appendix A-3), if the gas stream being sampled is at ambient temperature, the sampling probe and filter may be operated without heaters. If the gas stream is above ambient temperature, the sampling probe and filter may be operated at a temperature high enough, but no higher than 121 °C (250 °F), to prevent water condensation on the filter.

(2) Method 9 of appendix A-4 of this part and the procedures in § 60.11 shall be used to determine opacity.

(c)(1) In determining compliance with the particulate matter standards in § 60.672(b) or § 60.672(e)(1), the owner or operator shall use Method 9 of appendix A-4 of this part and the procedures in § 60.11, with the following additions:

(i) The minimum distance between the observer and the emission source shall be 4.57 meters (15 feet).

(ii) The observer shall, when possible, select a position that minimizes interference from other fugitive emission sources (e.g., road dust). The required observer position relative to the sun (Method 9 of appendix A-4 of this part, Section 2.1) must be followed.

(iii) For affected facilities using wet dust suppression for particulate matter control, a visible mist is sometimes generated by the spray. The water mist must not be confused with particulate matter emissions and is not to be considered a visible emission. When a water mist of this nature is present, the observation of emissions is to be made at a point in the plume where the mist is no longer visible.

(2)(i) In determining compliance with the opacity of stack emissions from any baghouse that controls emissions only from an individual enclosed storage bin under § 60.672(f) of this subpart, using Method 9 (40 CFR part 60, appendix A-4), the duration of the Method 9 (40 CFR part 60, appendix A-4) observations shall be 1 hour (ten 6-minute averages).

(ii) The duration of the Method 9 (40 CFR part 60, appendix A-4) observations may be reduced to the duration the affected facility operates (but not less than 30 minutes) for baghouses that control storage bins or enclosed truck or railcar loading stations that operate for less than 1 hour at a time.

(3) When determining compliance with the fugitive emissions standard for any affected facility described under § 60.672(b) or § 60.672(e)(1) of this subpart, the duration of the Method 9 (40 CFR part 60, appendix A-4) observations must be 30 minutes (five 6-minute averages). Compliance with the applicable fugitive emission limits in Table 3 of this subpart must be based on the average of the five 6-minute averages.

(d) To demonstrate compliance with the fugitive emission limits for buildings specified in § 60.672(e)(1), the owner or operator must complete the testing specified in paragraph (d)(1) and (2) of this section. Performance tests must be conducted while all affected facilities inside the building are operating.

(1) If the building encloses any affected facility that commences construction, modification, or reconstruction on or after April 22, 2008, the owner or operator of the affected facility must conduct an initial Method 9 (40 CFR part 60, appendix A-4) performance test according to this section and § 60.11.

(2) If the building encloses only affected facilities that commenced construction, modification, or reconstruction before April 22, 2008, and the owner or operator has previously conducted an initial Method 22 (40 CFR part 60, appendix A-7) performance test showing zero visible emissions, then the owner or operator has demonstrated compliance with the opacity limit in § 60.672(e)(1). If the owner or operator has not conducted an initial performance test for the building before April 22, 2008, then the owner or operator must conduct an initial Method 9 (40 CFR part 60, appendix A-4) performance test according to this section and § 60.11 to show compliance with the opacity limit in § 60.672(e)(1).

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

(1) For the method and procedure of paragraph (c) of this section, if emissions from two or more facilities continuously interfere so that the opacity of fugitive emissions from an individual affected facility cannot be read, either of the following procedures may be used:

(i) Use for the combined emission stream the highest fugitive opacity standard applicable to any of the individual affected facilities contributing to the emissions stream.

(ii) Separate the emissions so that the opacity of emissions from each affected facility can be read.

(2) A single visible emission observer may conduct visible emission observations for up to three fugitive, stack, or vent emission points within a 15-second interval if the following conditions are met:

(i) No more than three emission points may be read concurrently.

(ii) All three emission points must be within a 70 degree viewing sector or angle in front of the observer such that the proper sun position can be maintained for all three points.

(iii) If an opacity reading for any one of the three emission points equals or exceeds the applicable standard, then the observer must stop taking readings for the other two points and continue reading just that single point.

(3) Method 5I of appendix A-3 of this part may be used to determine the PM concentration as an alternative to the methods specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section. Method 5I (40 CFR part 60, appendix A-3) may be useful for affected facilities that operate for less than 1 hour at a time such as (but not limited to) storage bins or enclosed truck or railcar loading stations.

(4) In some cases, velocities of exhaust gases from building vents may be too low to measure accurately with the type S pitot tube specified in EPA Method 2 of appendix A-1 of this part [i.e., velocity head <1.3 mm H2O (0.05 in. H2O)] and referred to in EPA Method 5 of appendix A-3 of this part. For these conditions, the owner or operator may determine the average gas flow rate produced by the power fans (e.g., from vendor-supplied fan curves) to the building vent. The owner or operator may calculate the average gas velocity at the building vent measurement site using Equation 1 of this section and use this average velocity in determining and maintaining isokinetic sampling rates.

Where: Ve = average building vent velocity (feet per minute); Qf = average fan flow rate (cubic feet per minute); and Ae = area of building vent and measurement location (square feet).

(f) To comply with § 60.676(d), the owner or operator shall record the measurements as required in § 60.676(c) using the monitoring devices in § 60.674 (a)(1) and (2) during each particulate matter run and shall determine the averages.

(g) For performance tests involving only Method 9 (40 CFR part 60 appendix A-4) testing, the owner or operator may reduce the 30-day advance notification of performance test in § 60.7(a)(6) and 60.8(d) to a 7-day advance notification.

(h) [Reserved]

(i) If the initial performance test date for an affected facility falls during a seasonal shut down (as defined in § 60.671 of this subpart) of the affected facility, then with approval from the permitting authority, the owner or operator may postpone the initial performance test until no later than 60 calendar days after resuming operation of the affected facility.