(a) Unless one or more of the conditions specified in paragraphs (a)(1) through (6) of this section are met, owners and operators of sources subject to this subpart shall monitor each heat exchange system used to cool process equipment in an affected source, according to the provisions in either paragraph (b) or (c) of this section. Whenever a leak is detected, the owner or operator shall comply with the requirements in paragraph (d) of this section.
(1) The heat exchange system is operated with the minimum pressure on the cooling water side at least 35 kilopascals greater than the maximum pressure on the process side.
(2) There is an intervening cooling fluid, containing less than 5 percent by weight of total HAP listed in column A of Table 2 of this subpart, between the process and the cooling water. This intervening fluid serves to isolate the cooling water from the process fluid, and the intervening fluid is not sent through a cooling tower or discharged. For purposes of this section, discharge does not include emptying for maintenance purposes.
(3) The once-through heat exchange system is subject to a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit with an allowable discharge limit of 1 part per million or less above influent concentration or 10 percent or less above influent concentration, whichever is greater.
(4) The once-through heat exchange system is subject to an NPDES permit that:
(i) Requires monitoring of a parameter(s) or condition(s) to detect a leak of process fluids into cooling water;
(ii) Specifies or includes the normal range of the parameter or condition;
(iii) Requires monitoring for the parameters selected as leak indicators no less frequently than monthly for the first 6 months and quarterly thereafter; and
(iv) Requires the owner or operator to report and correct leaks to the cooling water when the parameter or condition exceeds the normal range.
(5) The recirculating heat exchange system is used to cool process fluids that contain less than 5 percent by weight of total HAP listed in column A of Table 2 of this subpart.
(6) The once-through heat exchange system is used to cool process fluids that contain less than 5 percent by weight of total HAP listed in column B of Table 2 of this subpart.
(b) The owner or operator who elects to comply with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section by monitoring the cooling water for the presence of one or more organic HAP or other representative substances whose presence in cooling water indicate a leak shall comply with the requirements specified in paragraphs (b)(1) through (6) of this section. The cooling water shall be monitored for total HAP, total volatile organic compounds, total organic carbon, one or more speciated HAP compounds, or other representative substances that would indicate the presence of a leak in the heat exchange system.
(1) The cooling water shall be monitored monthly for the first 6 months and quarterly thereafter to detect leaks.
(2)(i) For recirculating heat exchange systems (cooling tower systems), the monitoring of speciated HAP or total HAP refers to the HAP listed in column A of Table 2 of this subpart.
(ii) For once-through heat exchange systems, the monitoring of speciated HAP or total HAP refers to the HAP listed in column B of Table 2 of this subpart.
(3) The concentration of the monitored substance(s) in the cooling water shall be determined using any EPA-approved method listed in part 136 of this chapter, as long as the method is sensitive to concentrations as low as 10 parts per million and the same method is used for both entrance and exit samples. Alternative methods may be used upon approval by the Administrator.
(4) The samples shall be collected either at the entrance and exit of each heat exchange system or at locations where the cooling water enters and exits each heat exchanger or any combination of heat exchangers.
(i) For samples taken at the entrance and exit of recirculating heat exchange systems, the entrance is the point at which the cooling water leaves the cooling tower prior to being returned to the process equipment, and the exit is the point at which the cooling water is introduced to the cooling tower after being used to cool the process fluid.
(ii) For samples taken at the entrance and exit of once-through heat exchange systems, the entrance is the point at which the cooling water enters, and the exit is the point at which the cooling water exits the plant site or chemical manufacturing process units.
(iii) For samples taken at the entrance and exit of each heat exchanger or any combination of heat exchangers, the entrance is the point at which the cooling water enters the individual heat exchanger or group of heat exchangers, and the exit is the point at which the cooling water exits the heat exchanger or group of heat exchangers.
(5) A minimum of three sets of samples shall be taken at each entrance and exit as defined in paragraph (b)(4) of this section. The average entrance and exit concentrations shall then be calculated. The concentration shall be corrected for the addition of any makeup water or for any evaporative losses, as applicable.
(6) A leak is detected if the exit mean concentration is found to be greater than the entrance mean concentration using a one-sided statistical procedure at the 0.05 level of significance, and the amount by which it is greater is at least 1 part per million or 10 percent of the entrance mean, whichever is greater.
(c) The owner or operator who elects to comply with the requirement of paragraph (a) of this section by monitoring using a surrogate indicator of heat exchange system leaks shall comply with the requirements specified in paragraphs (c)(1) through (3) of this section. Surrogate indicators that could be used to develop an acceptable monitoring program are ion specific electrode monitoring, pH, conductivity or other representative indicators.
(1) The owner or operator shall prepare and implement a monitoring plan that documents the procedures that will be used to detect leaks of process fluids into cooling water. The plan shall require monitoring of one or more surrogate indicators or monitoring of one or more process parameters or other conditions that indicate a leak. Monitoring that is already being conducted for other purposes may be used to satisfy the requirements of this section. The plan shall include the information specified in paragraphs (c)(1)(i) and (ii) of this section.
(i) A description of the parameter or condition to be monitored and an explanation of how the selected parameter or condition will reliably indicate the presence of a leak.
(ii) The parameter level(s) or conditions(s) that constitute a leak. This shall be documented by data or calculations showing that the selected levels or conditions will reliably identify leaks. The monitoring must be sufficiently sensitive to determine the range of parameter levels or conditions when the system is not leaking. When the selected parameter level or condition is outside that range, a leak is indicated.
(iii) The monitoring frequency which shall be no less frequent than monthly for the first 6 months and quarterly thereafter to detect leaks.
(iv) The records that will be maintained to document compliance with the requirements of this section.
(2) If a substantial leak is identified by methods other than those described in the monitoring plan and the method(s) specified in the plan could not detect the leak, the owner or operator shall revise the plan and document the basis for the changes. The owner or operator shall complete the revisions to the plan no later than 180 days after discovery of the leak.
(3) The owner or operator shall maintain, at all times, the monitoring plan that is currently in use. The current plan shall be maintained on-site, or shall be accessible from a central location by computer or other means that provides access within 2 hours after a request. If the monitoring plan is superseded, the owner or operator shall retain the most recent superseded plan at least until 5 years from the date of its creation. The superseded plan shall be retained on-site (or accessible from a central location by computer or other means that provides access within 2 hours after a request) for at least 6 months after its creation.
(d) If a leak is detected according to the criteria of paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, the owner or operator shall comply with the requirements in paragraphs (d)(1) and (2) of this section, except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section.
(1) The leak shall be repaired as soon as practical but not later than 45 calendar days after the owner or operator receives results of monitoring tests indicating a leak. The leak shall be repaired unless the owner or operator demonstrates that the results are due to a condition other than a leak.
(2) Once the leak has been repaired, the owner or operator shall confirm that the heat exchange system has been repaired within 7 calendar days of the repair or startup, whichever is later.
(e) Delay of repair of heat exchange systems for which leaks have been detected is allowed if the equipment is isolated from the process. Delay of repair is also allowed if repair is technically infeasible without a shutdown and any one of the conditions in paragraph (e)(1) or (2) of this section are met. All time periods in paragraphs (e)(1) and (2) of this section shall be determined from the date when the owner or operator determines that delay of repair is necessary.
(1) If a shutdown is expected within the next 2 months, a special shutdown before that planned shutdown is not required.
(2) If a shutdown is not expected within the next 2 months, the owner or operator may delay repair as provided in paragraph (e)(2)(i) or (ii) of this section. Documentation of a decision to delay repair shall state the reasons repair was delayed and shall specify a schedule for completing the repair as soon as practical.
(i) If a shutdown for repair would cause greater emissions than the potential emissions from delaying repair, the owner or operator may delay repair until the next shutdown of the process equipment associated with the leaking heat exchanger. The owner or operator shall document the basis for the determination that a shutdown for repair would cause greater emissions than the emissions likely to result from delaying repair as specified in paragraphs (e)(2)(i)(A) and (B) of this section.
(A) The owner or operator shall calculate the potential emissions from the leaking heat exchanger by multiplying the concentration of total HAP listed in column A of Table 2 of this subpart in the cooling water from the leaking heat exchanger by the flowrate of the cooling water from the leaking heat exchanger by the expected duration of the delay. The owner or operator may calculate potential emissions using total organic carbon concentration instead of total HAP listed in column A of Table 2 of this subpart.
(B) The owner or operator shall determine emissions from purging and depressurizing the equipment that will result from the unscheduled shutdown for the repair.
(ii) If repair is delayed for reasons other than those specified in paragraph (e)(2)(i) of this section, the owner or operator may delay repair up to a maximum of 120 calendar days. The owner shall demonstrate that the necessary parts or personnel were not available.