Section 336.1629. Emission of volatile organic compounds from components of existing process equipment used in processing natural gas; monitoring program.

Rule 629. (1) A person shall not cause or allow the emission of a volatile organic compound from a component of existing process equipment at a natural gas processing plant located in any of the following counties, unless all of the provisions of subrules (2) to (16) of this rule are met or unless an equivalent control method, as approved by the department, is implemented:

(a)   Kent.

(b)   Livingston.

(c)   Macomb.

(d)  Monroe.

(e)   Muskegon.

(f)  Oakland.

(g)   Ottawa.

(h)   St.  Clair.

(i)   Washtenaw.

(j)   Wayne.

(2)   A person shall not operate existing process equipment at a natural gas processing plant unless a monitoring program is implemented. The monitoring program shall provide for all of the following:

(a)   A quarterly inspection of all components in gaseous or liquid volatile organic compound service that are not designated as difficult-to-monitor components.

(b)   An annual inspection of all difficult-to-monitor components in gaseous or liquid volatile organic compound service. Annual inspections shall take place during the period of April 1 through June 30.

(c)    A weekly visual inspection of al pump seals from which volatile organic compounds could leak.

(d)    An immediate inspection of all components from which a liquid, which includes a volatile organic compound, is observed dripping or from which a gaseous volatile organic compound is observed venting to the atmosphere.

(e)    Within 2 normal business days of its venting to the atmosphere, an inspection of each relief valve from which a volatile organic compound could discharge.

(f)  An inspection, as soon as is practical but not later than 5 calendar days after the repair, of a component that was found leaking.

(3)   Except for the visual inspections required by the provisions of subrule (2)(c) of this rule, all inspections shall be performed using equipment and procedures as specified in federal reference test method 21 as described and adopted by reference in R 336.2004. A component is leaking when a concentration of more than 10,000 ppm, by volume, as methane or hexane, is measured by method 21.

(4)   If implementation of the quarterly leak detection program as specified in subrule (2)(a) of this rule shows that 2% or less of the process valves in a given process unit are leaking for 2 consecutive quarters, then the inspections on process valves in that process unit are not required for 1 quarter. If 2% or less of the process valves in a given process unit are leaking for 5 consecutive quarters, then the inspection may be performed annually. If a subsequent inspection shows that more than 2% of the process valves are leaking, then quarterly inspections of valves shall again be required.

(5)   The percentage of valves leaking on a process unit, as referenced in subrule (4) of this rule, shall be determined by dividing the total number of valves that are found to be leaking on the process unit during the specified monitoring period by the total number of valves on the process unit that are required to be monitored by this rule.

(6)     A relief valve that is located in a nonfractionating plant that is inspected only by nonplant personnel may be inspected after a pressure release the next time that the inspecting personnel are at the plant, instead of within 5 days as specified in subrule (2)(e) of this rule.  A

relief valve shall not be allowed to operate for more than 30 days after a pressure release without an inspection.

(7)   The provisions of subrule (2) of this rule do not apply to any of the following:

(a)   A component that is equipped with a closed vent system which is capable of capturing and transporting a leakage from the component to a control device that is designed and operated to reduce the volatile organic compound emissions vented to it by 95% or more.

(b)   A pump which is equipped with a dual seal system that includes a barrier fluid and which is equipped with a sensor that will detect a failure of the seal system.

(c)   An unsafe-to-monitor component, until conditions do not expose monitoring personnel to immediate danger.

(8)   The provisions of this rule do not apply to any of the following:

(a)   A component, except any in field gas service, that contains or contacts a process stream that has a volatile organic compound concentration of less than 1.0% by weight. A component in field gas service is excluded from the provisions of this subrule. Procedures that conform to the general methods in ASTM standards E260, E168, and E169 shall be used to determine the percentage of volatile organic compound contents in the process fluid that is contained in or contacts a piece of equipment. ASTM standards E260, E168, and E169 are adopted by reference in R 336.1628.

(b)   A component that operates under a vacuum.

(c)   A component in heavy liquid service.

(d)  A reciprocating compressor in field gas service.

(e)   A natural gas processing plant which has a capacity of less than 10,000,000 cubic feet per day and which does not fractionate natural gas liquids.

(f)  A relief valve that has an upstream rupture disc.

(9)   A person shall seal open-ended lines with a second valve, a blind flange, a cap, or a plug, except when the open end is in use, as with relief valves and double block and bleed valves. In the case of a second valve, the upstream valve shall be closed first after each use.

(10)   A component that is found to be leaking pursuant to the monitoring program provisions of subrule (2) of this rule or for another reason shall be repaired.  Except as provided in subrule

(12)   of this rule, the leak shall be repaired as soon as possible, but not more than 15 days after the leak is detected. Until such time as the leak is repaired and retested verifying a successful repair, the component that is causing the leak shall bear a weather-resistant, numbered identifying tag that indicates the date the leak was discovered.

(11)    A log of all leaks that are detected pursuant to the provisions of this rule shall be maintained by the person who operates the natural gas processing plant. The log shall list all of the following information:

(a)  The leaking component and natural gas process unit.

(b)   The number of the identifying tag.

(c)   The date the leak was discovered.

(d)  The date the leak was repaired.

(e)   The date the component was retested after the repair, with an indication of the testing results.

(f)  The person or persons who performed the inspections.

(12)   All of the following provisions apply to delays in the repair of leaking components:

(a)    If a leak cannot be repaired within 15 calendar days because the leaking component cannot be repaired unless the natural gas process unit is shut down, then the person who operates

the natural gas processing plant shall maintain a log of the nonrepair and the leak shall be repaired at the next unit turnaround.

(b)    If a leak cannot be repaired within 15 calendar days due to circumstances beyond the control of the person who operates the natural gas processing plant, then the person shall notify the department of the circumstances causing the delay in repair before the end of the fifteenth day and shall maintain a log of the nonrepair. The leak shall be repaired in an expeditious manner, which shall not be more than 6 months from the date the leak was detected.

(c)   The log specified in subdivisions (a) and (b) of this subrule shall list all of the following information:

(i)   The leaking component and natural gas process unit.

(ii)   The date on which the leak was discovered.

(iii)   The reason why the leak cannot be repaired within 15 days.

(iv)   The estimated date of repair.

(v)   The number of the identifying tag.

(13)   A log of all unsafe-to-monitor components that are not part of the written program as required by the provisions of subrule (15) of this rule shall be maintained by the person who operates the natural gas processing plant. The log shall list all of the following information:

(a)   The unsafe-to-monitor component and natural gas process unit.

(b)   The number of the identifying tag.

(c)   The reason why the component was unsafe to monitor.

(d)  The date, or dates, on which the component was unsafe to monitor.

(14)   Not later than 25 calendar days after the end of the previous quarter, the person who operates the natural gas processing plant shall submit, to the department, a report that contains all of the following information for that quarter:

(a)   The total number of components tested, by type.

(b)    The total number of components which are found leaking and which are repaired, by type.

(c)   The total number of components, by natural gas process unit and type, which are found to be leaking and which are not repaired within the required time period and the reason for nonrepair.

(d)  The type or types of monitoring equipment utilized during the quarter.

(e)    The total number of unsafe-to-monitor components that are logged as required by the provisions of subrule (13) of this rule. The report required by this subrule shall be made on a form that is provided by the department.

(15)    A person who is subject to the provisions of this rule shall comply with both of the following provisions:

(a)   Develop a written program detailing how the provisions of this rule will be implemented. The program shall include listings, by type and natural gas process unit, of all of the following:

(i)   All components that are regularly inspected as required in subrule (2) of this rule.

(ii)   All components that are subject to the provisions of subrule (7)(a) and (b) of this rule.

(iii)     All components that are exempted from the provisions of this rule pursuant to the provisions of subrule (8) of this rule.

(iv)    All difficult-to-monitor components in gaseous or liquid volatile organic compound service.

(v)   All components which are located outside a building, which can only be monitored by elevating the monitoring personnel more than 6 feet above ground level, and which are unsafe to monitor during the period of November 1 through March 31.

(b)   Begin inspections, as required in subrule (2) of this rule, not later than 6 months after the effective date of this rule.

(16)   The written program required by the provisions of subrule (15) of this rule and the logs required by the provisions of subrules (11), (12), and (13) of this rule shall be made available, to any representative of the department, on Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., at the natural gas processing plant.  The logs shall be kept for a minimum of 2 years.

History: 1989 AACS; 1993 AACS; 2002 AACS.