SJVUAPCD 4311 - 1 06/20/2002

RULE 4311 FLARES (Adopted June 20, 2002)

1.0 Purpose

The purpose of this rule is to limit the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and

oxides of nitrogen (NOx) from the operation of flares.

2.0 Applicability

This rule is applicable to flares that are owned and operated by major sources.

3.0 Definitions

3.1 Air-Assisted Flare: a combustion device where forced air is injected to promote

turbulence for mixing and to provide combustion air.

3.2 Emergency: any situation or a condition arising from a sudden and reasonably

unforeseeable event beyond the control of the operator. An emergency situation

requires immediate corrective action to restore safe operation. A planned flaring event

shall not be considered as an emergency.

3.3 Enclosed Flare: a flare composed of multiple gas burners that are grouped in an

enclosure, and are staged to operate at a wide range of flow rates.

3.4 Flare: a direct combustion device in which air and all combustible gases react at the

burner with the objective of complete and instantaneous oxidation of the combustible

gases. Flares are used either continuously or intermittently and are not equipped with

devices for fuel-air mix control or for temperature control.

3.5 Flare Gas: gas burned in a flare.

3.6 Gaseous Fuel: any gases used as combustion fuel which include, but are not limited to,

any natural, process, synthetic, landfill, sewage digester, or waste gases. Gaseous fuel

includes produced gas, pilot gas and, when burned, purge gas.

3.7 Major Source: as defined in Rule 2201 (New and Modified Stationary Source Review

Rule).

3.8 Non-Assisted Flare: a combustion device without any auxiliary provision for

enhancing the mixing of air into its flame. This definition does not include those flares,

that by design, provide excess air at the flare tip.

3.9 NOx: any nitrogen oxide compounds

3.10 Open Flare: a vertically or horizontally oriented open pipe flare from which gases are

released into the air before combustion is commenced.
SJVUAPCD 4311 - 2 06/20/2002

3.11 Planned Flaring: a flaring operation that constitutes a designed and planned process at

a source, and which would have been reasonably foreseen ahead of its actual

occurrence, or is scheduled to occur. The operation of a flare for the purpose of

performing equipment maintenance provided it does not exceed 200 hours per calendar

year, or during compliance source testing or visible emission inspections is not

considered planned flaring. Planned flaring includes, but is not limited to, the

following flaring activities:

3.11.1 Oil or gas well tests, well related work, tests ordered by a regulatory agency.

3.11.2 Equipment depressurization for maintenance purposes.

3.11.3 Equipment start-up or shutdown.

3.11.4 Flaring of gas at production sources where no gas handling, gas injection or gas

transmission facilities exists.

3.11.5 Flaring of off-specification gas (i.e. non PUC quality gas), unless the operator

can demonstrate that the gas must be flared for engineering or safety reasons,

e.g., under emergency.

3.12 Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Quality Gas: any gaseous fuel, gas containing fuel

where the sulfur content is no more than one-fourth (0.25) grain of hydrogen sulfide per

one hundred (100) standard cubic feet and no more than five grains of total sulfur per

one hundred (100) standard cubic feet. PUC quality gas shall also mean high methane

(at least 80 % by volume) gas as specified in PUC's General Order 58-A.

3.13 Purge Gas: Nitrogen, carbon dioxide, liquefied petroleum gas, or natural gas, any of

which can be used to maintain a non-explosive mixture of gases in the flare header or

provide sufficient exit velocity to prevent any regressive flame travel back into the flare

header.

3.14 Steam-Assisted Flare: a combustion device where steam is injected into the

combustion zone to promote turbulence for the mixing of the combustion air before it is

introduced to the flame.

3.15 Total Organic Gases: all hydrocarbon compounds containing hydrogen and carbon

with or without other chemical elements.

3.16 Volatile Organic Compound (VOC): defined in Rule 1020 (Definitions).

4.0 Exemptions

4.1 Flares operated in municipal solid waste landfills subject to the requirements of

Rule 4642 (Solid Waste Disposal Sites) are exempt from this rule.
SJVUAPCD 4311 - 3 06/20/2002

4.2 Flares that are subject to the requirements of 40 CFR 60 Subpart WWW

(Standards of Performance for Municipal Waste Landfills), or Subpart Cc

(Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Municipal Solid Waste

Landfills) are exempt from this rule.

5.0 Requirements

The owner or operator of any source subject to this rule shall comply with the following

requirements:

5.1 Flares that are permitted to operate only during an emergency are not subject to the

requirements of Sections 5.6 and 5.7.

5.2 The flame shall be present at all times when combustible gases are vented through the

flare.

5.3 The outlet shall be equipped with an automatic ignition system, or, shall operate with a

pilot flame present at all times when combustible gases are vented through the flare,

except during purge periods for automatic-ignition equipped flares.

5.4 Except for flares equipped with a flow-sensing ignition system, a heat sensing device

such as a thermocouple, ultraviolet beam sensor, infrared sensor, or an equivalent

device, capable of continuously detecting at least one pilot flame or the flare flame is

present shall be installed and operated.

5.5 Flares that use flow-sensing automatic ignition systems and which do not use a

continuous flame pilot shall use purge gas for purging.

5.6 Open flares (air-assisted, steam-assisted, or non-assisted) in which the flare gas

pressure is less than 5 psig shall be operated in such a manner that meets the provisions

of 40 CFR 60.18.

5.7 Ground-level enclosed flares shall meet the following emission standards:

Type of Flare and Heat Release

Rate in MMBtu/hr

VOC (lb/MMBtu) NOx (lb/MMBtu)

Without Steam-assist

<10 MMBtu 0.0051 0.0952

10-100 MMBtu 0.0027 0.1330

>100 MMBtu 0.0013 0.5240

With Steam-assist

All 0.14 as TOG 0.068
SJVUAPCD 4311 - 4 06/20/2002

6.0 Administrative Requirements

6.1 Compliance Determination

6.1.1 Upon request the operator of flares that are subject to Section 5.6 shall make

available to the APCO the compliance determination records that demonstrate

compliance with the provisions of 40 CFR 60.18, (c)(3) through (c)(5).

6.1.2 The operator of ground-level enclosed flares shall conduct source testing at

least once every 12 months to demonstrate compliance with Section 5.7. The

operator shall submit a copy of the testing protocol to the APCO at least 30

days in advance of the scheduled testing. The operator shall submit the source

test results not later than 45 days after completion of the source testing.

6.2 Recordkeeping

The operator shall keep the following records in the facility for a period of at least five

years.

6.2.1 Copy of the compliance determination conducted pursuant to Section 6.1.1.

6.2.2 Copy of the source testing result conducted pursuant to Section 6.1.2.

6.2.3 For flares used during an emergency, record of the duration of flare operation,

amount of gas burned, and the nature of the emergency situation.

6.3 Test Methods

The test methods listed below shall be used to demonstrate compliance with this rule.

Alternate equivalent test methods may be used provided the test methods have been

approved by the APCO and EPA.

6.3.1 VOC, measured and calculated as carbon, shall be determined by EPA Method

25, except when the outlet concentration must be below 50 ppm in order to

meet the standard, in which case Method 25a may be used, and analysis of

halogenated exempt compounds shall be analyzed by EPA Method 18 or ARB

Method 422 “Determination of Volatile organic Compounds in Emission from

Stationary Sources”. The VOC concentration in ppmv shall be converted to

pounds per million Btu (lb/MMBtu) by using the following equation:

VOC in lb/MMBtu = 

(1.135 10 ) (20.9 % )

( ) ( , / )

2

6

x x O

ppmv dry x F dscf MMBtu

−

Where: F = As determined by EPA Method 19
SJVUAPCD 4311 - 5 06/20/2002

6.3.2 NOx emissions in pounds per million BTU shall be determined by using EPA

Method 19.

6.3.3 NOx and O2 concentrations shall be determined by using EPA Method 3A,

EPA Method 7E, or ARB 100.

7.0 Compliance Schedule

7.1 Flares that are installed and in operation before June 20, 2002 shall be in compliance

with this rule by December 20, 2003.

7.2 Flares that are installed or constructed on or after June 20, 2002, shall be in compliance

with this rule upon initial operation, and thereafter.