Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 310 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › Title 310 CMR 7.00 - Air Pollution Control › Section 7.06 - U Visible Emissions

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1)
U Stationary Sources Other than Incinerators
.
(a)
SMOKE
. No person
			 shall cause, suffer, allow, or permit the emission of smoke which has a shade,
			 density, or appearance equal to or greater than No. 1 of the Chart for a
			 period, or aggregate period of time in excess of six minutes during any one
			 hour, provided that at no time during the said six minutes shall the shade,
			 density, or appearance be equal to or greater than No. 2 of the
			 Chart.
(b)
OPACITY
. No person shall cause, suffer, allow or
			 permit the operation of a facility so as to emit contaminant(s), exclusive of
			 uncombined water or smoke subject to 310 CMR 7.06(1)(a) of such opacity which,
			 in the opinion of the Department, could be reasonably controlled through the
			 application of modern technology of control and a good Standard Operating
			 Procedure, and in no case, shall exceed 20% opacity for a period or aggregate
			 period of time in excess of two minutes during any one hour provided that, at
			 no time during the said two minutes shall the opacity exceed 40%.
(c)
Exception
.
1.
Visible Emission
			 Limits
. In
lieu
of the requirements of 310 CMR
			 7.06(1)(a) and 310 CMR 7.06(1)(b), a facility subject to
			 310 CMR
			 7.00:
Appendix C - Operating Permits
with boilers rated less than 500 million Btu per hour energy input capacity,
			 may elect to comply with the following:
a.
			 Except as provided in 310 CMR 7.06(1)(c)1.b.; 310 CMR 7.06(1)(c)1.c. and 310
			 CMR 7.06(1)(c)1.g., visible emissions shall not exceed 15 percent opacity
			 during any six-minute block average.
b. During periods of start-up, shutdown, soot
			 blowing, and other specified operating conditions, visible emissions from any
			 boiler shall not exceed 27% opacity during any six-minute block average except
			 that visible emissions may exceed 27% opacity for up to two six-minute block
			 averages during the calendar quarter.
c. For a boiler equipped with a visible
			 emission monitor with a numeric data reduction system that can printout
			 individual block averages or output individual block averages to an electronic
			 file, the Department will make a determination to approve or deny visible
			 emissions during periods of startup, shutdown, soot blowing and other specified
			 operating conditions to exceed 27% opacity for one-tenth of one percent of the
			 total six-minute block averages during any calendar quarter, or six block
			 averages per boiler per quarter, whichever is greater, provided visible
			 emissions do not exceed 60% opacity during any six-minute block average.
i. At no time can visible emissions exceed
			 27% opacity for more than two six-minute block averages during a one-hour
			 period and the one-hour block average opacity shall not exceed 27% opacity
			 during the one-hour block period when a six-minute block averages exceeds 27%
			 opacity.
ii. The one-hour average
			 shall be based on a clock hour.
iii. Boilers may be approved to operate in
			 accordance with the visible emission limitations provided by 310 CMR
			 7.06(1)(c)1.b. and 310 CMR 7.06(1)(c)1.c. during the same calendar
			 quarter.
d. Compliance
			 with visible emission limits shall be based upon a six-minute block average
			 determined either i. by the procedures set forth in Method 9, (as described in
			 40 CFR Part 60 , Appendix A-4), or ii. by a visible emission monitor required
			 under a Plan Approval issued by the Department under
			 310 CMR
			 7.02, or iii. at the request of a facility,
			 by a visible emission monitor required under the Operating Permit and specified
			 as such in the Approval of the Plan of Good Operating Practices under 310 CMR
			 7.06(1)(c).
e. Before a facility
			 may operate in accordance with 310 CMR 7.06(1)(c) the facility must notify the
			 Department in writing of such intention, develop and submit to the Department a
			 plan of good operating practices, and receive notification from the Department
			 that the plan has been approved;
f.
			 Any facility operating pursuant to 310 CMR 7.06(1)(c) shall comply with a good
			 operating practices plan as approved; and g. When notified in writing at least
			 five business days prior to scheduled shakedown activities, testing, and
			 calibrations for the purpose of improving boiler performance, the Department
			 may allow exemptions to 310 CMR 7.06(1)(c)1.a., 310 CMR 7.06(1)(c)1.b. and 310
			 CMR 7.06(1)(c)1.c. Such notification shall include a brief description of the
			 activity, and its start time and anticipated end time. The Department may allow
			 a shorter notification period upon request. The Department may deny or limit
			 the frequency of such activities.
2.
Plan of Good Operating
			 Practices
. The plan of good operating practices shall, at a
			 minimum:
a. Be developed with recommendations
			 from third party combustion systems experts:
b. Describe how the application of modern
			 technology of control, and practices for operating and maintaining the
			 equipment, will minimize visible emissions;
c. Describe any operating conditions other
			 than startup, shutdown and soot blowing during which the facility proposes to
			 take advantage of the exception in 310 CMR 7.06(1)(c);
d. Propose the duration and frequency of
			 startup, shutdown, soot blowing and any other specified conditions;
e. Document the need for visible emission
			 limitations greater than 15% opacity during startup, shutdown, soot blowing and
			 any other specified operating conditions;
f. Propose visible emission limitations that
			 the facility will comply with during startup, shutdown, soot blowing and other
			 specified operating conditions;
g.
			 Describe all necessary corrective action procedures and include schedules for
			 implementing such procedures; and h. Propose record keeping and monitoring
			 procedures sufficient to enable the Department to determine that visible
			 emissions comply with the plan.
3.
Department Action
.
a. Upon completion of review, the Department
			 shall either approve or disapprove the plan of good operating
			 practices.
b. The terms and
			 conditions of an approved plan shall be incorporated into the facility's
			 Operating Permit.
c. A Department
			 approval shall specify the visible emission limitations for each operating
			 condition, (
i.e
. startup, shutdown, soot blowing and other
			 specified operating conditions approved by the Department); and specify
			 corresponding monitoring, record keeping and reporting requirements, and other
			 conditions necessary to ensure compliance with the visible emission limitations
			 contained in the approval.
d.
			 Modifications to those portions of an approved plan that are not incorporated
			 into the facility's Operating Permit shall be maintained on-site and made
			 available to Department representatives upon request. Modifications to an
			 approved plan shall be submitted to the Department for review with the
			 facility's Operating Permit renewal application. The Department may require
			 modification of an approved plan.
4.
Notice of
			 Exceedances
. Any facility operating pursuant to a Department
			 approval issued under this exception shall notify the Department of any
			 exceedance of a visible emission limitation in the time and manner required by
			 the relevant permit deviation provisions in the facility's Operating Permit.
			 Opacity excursions greater than 27% that qualify as allowed under 310 CMR
			 7.06(1)(c)1.b. and 310 CMR 7.06(1)(c)1.c. shall not be considered deviations
			 under the operating permit.