Code of Maine Rules › 06 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › 096 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION - GENERAL › Chapter 171 - CONTROL OF PETROLEUM STORAGE FACILITIES › Section 096-171-5 - Inspection Requirements

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A.
Inspections Using Optical Gas Imaging Equipment.
The owner or
				operator of a petroleum storage facility shall perform inspections in
				accordance with the following:
(1) At least
				once per calendar quarter the owner or operator shall conduct an inspection
				survey of each non-exempt tank and facility fugitive emissions component using
				optical gas imaging equipment. The first inspection survey shall be performed
				in the first full calendar quarter after the Department's approval of the
				optical gas imaging leak detection and repair plan, but in no case shall the
				first inspection survey be performed later than the third full calendar quarter
				after the effective date of this rule.
(2) The optical gas imaging equipment used
				must meet the following specifications as verified by the manufacturer:
(a) Capable of imaging gases in the spectral
				range for benzene; and
(b) Capable
				of imaging a gas that is half methane and half propane at a concentration of
				10,000 ppm at a flow rate of <= 60 grams per hour from a quarter inch
				diameter orifice.
(3) No
				later than 60 days after the effective date of this Chapter, the owner or
				operator shall prepare and submit for Department approval an optical gas
				imaging leak detection and repair plan. This plan must include the following
				elements:
(a) Procedures for a verification
				check to confirm that the optical gas imaging equipment meets the
				specifications in subsection
				5(A)(2) of this
				Chapter;
(b) Procedures to ensure
				that all fugitive emissions components are monitored during each inspection
				survey. Example procedures include, but are not limited to, a sitemap with an
				observation path, a written narrative of where the fugitive emissions
				components are located and how they will be monitored, or an inventory of
				fugitive emissions components;
(c)
				A written plan for all fugitive emissions components designated as
				unsafe-to-monitor in accordance with Subsection
				5(A)(4) of this
				Chapter;
(d) Procedures for
				determining the maximum distance from the equipment being surveyed for
				effective use of the optical gas imaging equipment and how the operator will
				ensure that this distance is not exceeded;
(e) Procedures for determining maximum wind
				speed during which monitoring can be performed and how the operator will ensure
				monitoring occurs only at wind speeds below this threshold;
(f) Procedures for conducting inspections,
				including the following:
(i) How the operator
				will ensure an appropriate thermal background is present in order to allow
				detection of potential fugitive emissions;
(ii) How the operator will deal with adverse
				monitoring conditions, such as wind;
(iii) How the operator will deal with
				interference (e.g., steam, precipitation); and
(iv) How the operator will confirm
				leaks.
(g) Training and
				experience required for operators of monitoring equipment and other inspectors
				prior to performing inspections;
(h) Procedures for calibration and
				maintenance of the optical imaging equipment. At a minimum, procedures must
				comply with those recommended by the manufacturer; and
(i) Procedures and timeframes for conducting
				and verifying fugitive emission component repairs.
(4) Some fugitive emissions components may be
				designated as unsafe-to-monitor if monitoring personnel would be exposed to
				immediate danger while conducting an inspection. Additionally, some fugitive
				emissions components may not be capable of being surveyed using optical gas
				imaging equipment due to interference (e.g., steam or nearby heat sources). The
				owner or operator must provide a written plan for inspection of all of the
				fugitive emissions components designated as unsafe-to-monitor or incapable of
				being surveyed with OGI equipment. This plan must be incorporated into the leak
				detection and repair plan required by Section
				5(A)(3) of this
				Chapter. The plan must include:
(a) The
				identification and location of each fugitive emissions component designated as
				unsafe-to-monitor or incapable of being surveyed;
(b) An explanation of why each fugitive
				emissions component designated as unsafe-to-monitor or incapable of being
				surveyed is so designated;
(c) A
				schedule and alternative method(s) for inspection of fugitive emissions
				components designated as unsafe-to-monitor no less frequently than once per
				calendar year; and
(d) A schedule
				and alternative method(s) for inspection of fugitive emissions components
				designated as incapable of being surveyed with optical gas imaging no less
				frequently than once per calendar quarter.
(5) If visible emissions are observed in a
				fugitive emissions component using optical gas imaging equipment, within two
				calendar days the owner or operator shall determine whether a leak, as defined
				by this chapter, is present by using photo ionization detection (PID)
				technology or flame ionization detection (FID) technology. Alternatively, the
				owner or operator may elect to presume that a leak is present without further
				confirmation. If a leak is determined or presumed to be present, the owner or
				operator shall initiate corrective action and repair the leak within 15
				calendar days.
If the presence of a leak cannot be confirmed due to safety
				  concerns or physical constraints, the owner or operator shall presume the leak
				  to be confirmed and initiate corrective action and repair the leak within 15
				  calendar days.
If a leak cannot be repaired within 15 days, the owner or
				  operator shall notify the Department of the leak, the reason for the delay, and
				  the expected date of the repair. The owner or operator shall promptly notify
				  the Department of the date that the leak is successfully repaired. A fugitive
				  emissions component is considered repaired when the optical gas imaging
				  equipment shows no indication of visible emissions or there is no longer
				  indication of a leak as that term is defined in this regulation under normal
				  use conditions.