[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 96 (Thursday, May 16, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24790-24791]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12343]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5506-1]


National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, Benzene 
Emissions From Benzene Storage Vessels, and Coke Byproduct Recovery 
Plants; Subparts Y and L, OMB No. 2060-0185; Agency Information 
Collection Activities Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request 
(ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature 
of the information collection and its expected cost and burden.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 17, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY CALL: Sandy Farmer, United States 
Environmental Protection Agency, 202-260-2740, and refer to EPA ICR No. 
1080.09.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, 
Benzene Emissions from Benzene Storage Vessels, and Coke Byproduct 
Recovery Plants--40 CFR Part 61, Subparts Y and L, OMB No. 2060-0185. 
This is request for a revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract:
Subpart L: Coke By-Product Recovery Plants
    The standards require initial notification reports with respect to 
construction, emissions tests, and startup; one-time reports on initial 
performance tests; and periodic reports of emissions tests results.
    Notifications inform the Agency or delegated authority when a 
source becomes subject to the standard. The reviewing authority may 
then inspect the source to check that pollution control devices are 
properly installed and operated and the standards are being met. 
Performance test reports are the Agency's record of a source's initial 
capability to comply with the emission standard, and note the operating 
conditions under which compliance was achieved. The regular reports are 
used for problem identification, as a check on source operation and 
maintenance, and for compliance determinations.
    The Agency uses the information generated by the monitoring, 
recordkeeping and reporting requirements to ensure that facilities 
continue to operate the control equipment used to achieve compliance. 
The information collected from recordkeeping and reporting requirements 
is also used for targeting inspections, and is of sufficient quality to 
be used as evidence in court. Based on reported information, EPA 
decides how many plant inspections are needed, which plants to inspect, 
and what records or processes to inspect at the plant. In the absence 
of such information enforcement personnel would be unable to determine 
whether the standards are being met on a continuous basis, as required 
by the Clean Air Act.
    Reporting requirements specific to benzene coke by-product recovery 
plants, Subpart L, include a semiannual report by affected facilities. 
The semiannual reports include results of leak monitoring and 
performance tests. Respondents also are required to submit semiannual 
reports of measurements for sources subject to a no detectable 
emissions limit and semiannual reports summarizing the results of the 
leak detection and repair program implemented at the plant. One report 
would incorporate information for both process equipment and fugitive 
sources. Exhausters are subject to quarterly monitoring requirements 
unless the exhauster is equipped with a seal system that has a barrier 
fluid, the exhauster seal is loaded and vented to a control device, or 
a leakless exhauster is used.
    The owner or operator choosing to use one of the alternative 
control technologies (i.e., a carbon absorber or a vapor incinerator) 
must record for the life of the control device, the design of the 
control device, the sources which it is intended to control, and a plan 
for the operation, maintenance and action needed to correct problems. 
Such a record would assist the owner or operator to operate the device 
properly throughout its life and would also assist the enforcement 
personnel in determining whether the device had been properly 
maintained and appropriate corrective action had been taken. The owner 
or operator is required to record the results of each test for 
determining compliance with the standard and any data that provide 
reference values for parameters that are important to monitoring, such 
as temperature of the firebox in a vapor incinerator and the benzene 
concentration at the inlet to a carbon adsorber. Some of these data are 
gathered during the compliance test, others separately (e.g., the 
demonstrated bed life of a carbon adsorber).
    The alternative control options also require reporting in 
accordance with the General Provisions. These are submitted each time a 
compliance test is performed. In addition, the rule requires reporting 
of exceedances of the monitored parameters, with a brief description of 
the corrective action taken.
    Any owner or operator subject to the provisions of this part shall 
maintain an up-to-date file of monitoring and recordings, and retain 
them for at least two years following. Records of equipment and process 
design are kept permanently.
Subpart Y: Benzene Storage Vessels
    Respondents are all owners or operators of benzene storage vessels. 
It is estimated that 126 existing plants are subject to the standard. 
All owners and operators of new or reconstructed plants would also have 
to respond.
    In the General Provisions of 40 CFR Part 61 applicable to storage 
vessels, require up to four separate one time-only reports for each 
owner or operator: notification of construction or reconstruction, 
initial source report, notification of physical/operational changes, 
notification of anticipated and actual startup. The initial source 
report is the only one of these reports that would be required from 
existing sources under the standard.
    Certain records and reports are necessary to assist EPA and State 
agencies to which enforcement has been delegated in determining 
compliance with the standard.
    The standard is an equipment standard and owners or operators of 
vessels equipped with the specified controls are required to submit, 
along with the notifications required by the General Provisions, a 
report that describes the control equipment used to comply with the 
regulation. Thereafter, an annual visual inspection is required of the 
primary seal of internal floating roof vessels (IFR's) (in cases where 
no secondary seal is present, (An annual seal gap measurement of the 
secondary seal system on external floating roof vessels (EFR's).) The 
following

[[Page 24791]]

inspections are required every five years: (1) internal inspection to 
seal system on IFR's equipped with primary and secondary seals in 
situations where the owner to operator has decided to forego the annual 
visual inspection; and (2) measurement of gaps between the tank wall 
and primary seal on EFR's. An internal inspection in which the tank is 
emptied and degassed is required at least every 10 years for IFR's.
    Another control option allowed is for owners or operators to equip 
vessels with closed-vent systems and 95-percent efficient control 
devices. It is expected that very few, if any, vessels will be equipped 
with these systems; however, owners or operators of vessels with such 
systems are required to submit, for the Administrator's approval, an 
operating plan describing system design specifications and an 
operation, maintenance, and inspection plan for the system. In the 
event the owner or operator has installed a flare, a report showing 
compliance with visible emission provisions shall be furnished to the 
Administrator. For closed-vent systems with control devices, quarterly 
reports are required informing the Administrator of each occurrence 
that results in excess emissions. Annual reports of the results of 
these inspections and seal gap measurements are required. These reports 
shall identify each storage vessel that is determined to be out of 
compliance with the standard, the nature of the defects, and the date 
the vessel was emptied or the repair was made. The owner or operator 
must keep copies of all reports and records for two years.
    The owner or operator of each benzine storage vessel shall, for the 
life of the source, keep readily accessible records showing the 
dimension of the vessel and an analysis showing the capacity of the 
storage vessel. For each vessel with a closed vent system and 95-
percent efficient control device, records of the operating plan shall 
be kept for the life of the control device. Records of monitored 
parameters and maintenance shall be kept for two years.
    An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's 
regulations are listed in 40 CFR Part 9 and 48 CFR Charter 15. The 
Federal Register Notice required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting 
comments on this collection of information was published on September 
28, 1995.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 11.85 
hours per response. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial 
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or 
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This 
estimate includes the time needed to review instructions; develop, 
acquire, install, and utilize technology and systems for the purposes 
of collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and 
maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; 
adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable 
instructions and requirements; train personnel to be able to respond to 
a collection of information; search data sources; complete and review 
the collection of information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the 
information.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: 162.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 162.
    Frequency of Collection: Quarterly and Semi-annual.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 8,628 Hours.
    Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the 
accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods 
for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques to the following addresses. Please 
refer to EPA ICR No. 1080.09 and OMB Control No. 2060-0185 in any 
correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE Regulatory 
Information Division (2137), 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460

      and

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: May 9, 1996.
Joseph Retzer,
Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 96-12343 Filed 5-15-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-M