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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 15, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8865-8867]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3581]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-1196; FRL-9631-7]

Recent Postings of Broadly Applicable Alternative Test Methods

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the broadly applicable alternative test 
method approval decisions the EPA has made under and in support of New 
Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and the National Emission Standards 
for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) under the Clean Air Act (CAA) in 
2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: An electronic copy of each alternative 
test method approval document is available on the EPA's Web site at 
www.epa.gov/ttn/emc/approalt.html. For questions about this notice, 
contact Ms. Lula H. Melton, Air Quality Assessment Division, Office of 
Air Quality Planning and Standards (E143-02), Environmental Protection 
Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: 919-541-
2910; fax number: 919-541-0516; email address: melton.lula@epa.gov. For 
technical questions about individual alternative test method decisions, 
refer to the contact person identified in the individual approval 
documents.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this notice apply to me?

    This notice will be of interest to entities regulated under 40 Code 
of Federal Regulations(CFR) parts 59, 60, 61, and 63, state, local, and 
tribal agencies, and the EPA Regional Offices responsible for 
implementation and enforcement of regulations under 40 CFR parts 60, 
61, and 63.

B. How can I get copies of this information?

    You may access copies of the broadly applicable alternative test 
method approval documents from the EPA's Web site at www.epa.gov/ttn/emc/approalt.html.

[[Page 8866]]

II. Background

    Broadly applicable alternative test method approval decisions made 
by the EPA in 2011 under the National Volatile Organic Compound 
Emission Standards for Consumer and Commercial Products, 40 CFR part 
59, NSPS, 40 CFR part 60, and NESHAP, 40 CFR parts 61 and 63 are 
identified in this notice (see Table 1). Source owners and operators 
may voluntarily use these broadly applicable alternative test methods 
subject to their specific applicability. Use of these broadly 
applicable alternative test methods does not change the applicable 
emission standards.
    As explained in a previous Federal Register notice published at 72 
FR 4257 (January 30, 2007) and found on the EPA's Web site at 
www.epa.gov/ttn/emc/approalt.html, the EPA Administrator has the 
authority to approve the use of alternative test methods to comply with 
requirements under 40 CFR parts 60, 61, and 63. This authority is found 
in sections 60.8(b)(3), 61.13(h)(1)(ii), and 63.7(e)(2)(ii). In the 
past, we have performed thorough technical reviews of numerous requests 
for alternatives and modifications to test methods and procedures. 
Based on these reviews, we have often found that these changes or 
alternatives would be equally valid and appropriate to apply to other 
sources within a particular class, category, or subcategory. 
Consequently, we have concluded that, where a method modification or an 
alternative method is clearly broadly applicable to a class, category, 
or subcategory of sources, it is both more equitable and efficient to 
approve its use for all appropriate sources and situations at the same 
time.
    It is important to clarify that alternative methods are not 
mandatory but permissive. Sources are not required to employ such a 
method but may choose to do so in appropriate cases. Source owners or 
operators should review the specific broadly applicable alternative 
method approval decision on the EPA's Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/emc/approalt.html before electing to employ it. As per 63.7(f)(5), 
by electing to use an alternative method for 40 CFR part 63 standards, 
the source owner or operator must continue to use the alternative 
method until approved otherwise.
    The criteria for approval and procedures for submission and review 
of broadly applicable alternative test methods are outlined at 72 FR 
4257 (January 30, 2007). We will continue to announce approvals for 
broadly applicable alternative test methods on the EPA's Web site at 
www.epa.gov/ttn/emc/approalt.html and annually publish a notice that 
summarizes approvals for broadly applicable alternative test methods.
    This notice comprises a summary of ten such approval documents 
added to our Technology Transfer Network from January 1, 2011, through 
December 31, 2011. The alternative method decision letter/memo number, 
the reference method affected, sources allowed to use this alternative, 
and the modification or alternative method allowed are summarized in 
Table 1 of this notice. Please refer to the complete copies of these 
approval documents available from the EPA's Web site at www.epa.gov/ttn/emc/approalt.html as the table serves only as a brief summary of 
the broadly applicable alternative test methods. If you are aware of 
reasons why a particular alternative test method approval that we 
issued should not be broadly applicable, we request that you make us 
aware of the reasons in writing, and we will revisit the broad 
approval. Any objection to a broadly applicable alternative test 
method, as well as the resolution of that objection, will be announced 
on the EPA's Web site at www.epa.gov/ttn/emc/approalt.html and in the 
subsequent Federal Register notice. If we decide to retract a broadly 
applicable test method, we would continue to grant case-by-case 
approvals, as appropriate, and would (as states, local and tribal 
agencies and the EPA Regional Offices should) consider the need for an 
appropriate transition period for users either to request case-by-case 
approval or to transition to an approved method.

    Dated: February 9, 2012.
 Mary E. Henigin,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.

  Table 1--Approved Alternative Test Methods and Modifications To Test Methods Referenced in or Published Under
            Appendices in 40 CFR Parts 59, 60, 61, and 63 Made Between January 2011 and December 2011
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 Alternative method  decision letter/    As an alternative or
              memo  No.                 modification  to . . .         For . . .              You may . . .
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ALT-068..............................  Method 24-Determination  Sources subject to 40    Use method in 40 CFR
                                        of Volatile Matter       CFR part 59, subpart D-  part 59, subpart D,
                                        Content, Water           National Volatile        Appendix A in lieu of
                                        Content, Density,        Organic Emissions for    Method 24.
                                        Volume Solids, and       Architectural Coatings.
                                        Weight Solids of
                                        Surface Coatings.
ALT-081..............................  Method 25C-              Sources subject to 40    Use a combination of
                                        Determination of         CFR part 60, subpart     Method 25C probes and
                                        Nonmethane Organic       WWW-Standards of         leachate vents and gas
                                        Compounds (NMOC) in      Performance for          wells to collect NMOC
                                        Landfill Gases.          Municipal Solid Waste    samples.
                                                                 Landfills.
ALT-082..............................  Method 9-Visual          Sources subject to 40    Use the American
                                        Determination of the     CFR parts 60, 61, and    Society for Testing
                                        Opacity of Emissions     63.                      and Materials (ASTM) D
                                        from Stationary                                   7520-09 with specified
                                        Sources.                                          limitations in lieu of
                                                                                          Method 9.
ALT-084..............................  ASTM D 6216-98.........  Continuous opacity       Certify your COMS with
                                                                 monitoring systems       either ASTM D 6216-98,
                                                                 (COMS) specified in      D 6216-03, or D 6216-
                                                                 Performance              07.
                                                                 Specification 1 (PS-1)
                                                                 of 40 CFR, part 60,
                                                                 Appendix B.
ALT-085..............................  ASTM D 4084-07.........  Sources subject to 40    Use ASTM D 5504-08 to
                                                                 CFR part 63, subpart     determine the hydrogen
                                                                 DDDDD, National          sulfide concentration
                                                                 Emission Standards for   in fuel gas at boilers
                                                                 Hazardous Air            in lieu of ASTM D 4084-
                                                                 Pollutants for           07.
                                                                 Industrial,
                                                                 Commercial, and
                                                                 Institutional Boilers
                                                                 and Process Heaters.

[[Page 8867]]

 
ALT-086..............................  ASTM D 3792 (GC          Sources subject to 40    Use ASTM D 7358-07 to
                                        Procedure) or ASTM D     CFR parts 60, 61, and    determine the water
                                        4017 (Karl Fisher        63.                      content of coatings in
                                        Titration).                                       lieu of ASTM D 3792 or
                                                                                          ASTM D 4017.
ALT-087..............................  Conducting a             Sources subject to 40    Use single-point
                                        stratification test as   CFR part 60, subpart     sampling at the
                                        required by Method 7E    IIII-Standards of        centroid of the
                                        when testing             Performance for          exhaust when using
                                        reciprocating internal   Stationary Compression   Method 7E to determine
                                        combustion engines.      Ignition Internal        NOX emissions from
                                                                 Combustion Engines and   Federally-regulated
                                                                 subpart JJJJ-Standards   engines.
                                                                 of Performance for
                                                                 Stationary Spark
                                                                 Ignition Internal
                                                                 Combustion Engines.
ALT-088..............................  Using a mass flowmeter   Sources subject to 40    Use the mass flowmeter
                                        calibrated against       CFR part 60, subpart     recently calibrated by
                                        Method 2-Determination   WWW-Standards of         the manufacturer for
                                        of Stack Gas Velocity    Performance for          measuring flow rate in
                                        and Volumetric Flow      Municipal Solid Waste    lieu of calibration by
                                        Rate (Type S Pitot       Landfills.               Method 2.
                                        Tube).
ALT-089..............................  ASTM D 4084-07.........  Sources subject to 40    Use Method 15 to
                                                                 CFR part 63, subpart     measure H2S in
                                                                 DDDDD-National           refinery fuel gas in
                                                                 Emission Standards for   lieu of ASTM D 4084-
                                                                 Hazardous Air            07.
                                                                 Pollutants for
                                                                 Industrial,
                                                                 Commercial, and
                                                                 Institutional Boilers
                                                                 and Process Heaters.
ALT-090..............................  Determining vapor        Source applicability     Use the ``Test Method
                                        pressure required by     determination in         for Vapor Pressure of
                                        40 CFR part 60,          accordance with          Reactive Organic
                                        subpart Kb.              Section 60.110b of 40    Compounds in Heavy
                                                                 CFR part 60, subpart     Crude Oil Using Gas
                                                                 Kb-Standards of          Chromatography'' dated
                                                                 Performance for          May 28, 2002 by David
                                                                 Volatile Organic         Littlejohn and Donald
                                                                 Liquid Storage Vessels   Lucas to measure vapor
                                                                 (Including Petroleum     pressure of any
                                                                 Liquid Storage           volatile organic
                                                                 Vessels) for Which       liquid containing
                                                                 Construction,            heavy crude oil.
                                                                 Reconstruction, or
                                                                 Modification Commenced
                                                                 After July 23, 1984.
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    Source owners or operators should review the specific broadly 
applicable alternative method approval letter on the EPA's Web site at 
www.epa.gov/ttn/emc/approalt.html before electing to employ it.

[FR Doc. 2012-3581 Filed 2-14-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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