Code of Maryland Regulations › Title 26 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT › Part 2 - SUBTITLES 08-12 › Subtitle 11 - AIR QUALITY › Chapter 26.11.41 - Control of Methane Emissions from the Natural Gas Industry › Section 26.11.41.03 - Leak Detection and Repair Requirements

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 14, July 12, 2024
A. Affected facilities that are natural gas
				  compressor stations or natural gas underground storage facilities and that use
				  natural gas-powered equipment to compress natural gas shall comply with the
				  following leak detection and repair requirements.
(1) Owners and operators of affected
				  facilities subject to this section shall develop and submit to the Department
				  an initial methane emissions monitoring plan that includes a technique for
				  determining fugitive emissions (for example, EPA Method 21 at 40 CFR part 60,
				  appendix A-7, or optical gas imaging).
(2) If an affected facility uses optical gas
				  imaging for leak detection, the following information shall be included in the
				  initial methane emissions monitoring plan:
(a)
				  A list of the unsafe-to-monitor components;
(b) Procedures and time frames for
				  identifying and repairing fugitive emissions components;
(c) A defined observation path throughout the
				  site to confirm all components can be viewed and recorded;
(d) Manufacturer and model number of fugitive
				  emissions detection equipment to be used; and
(e) Equipment specifications and procedures
				  as specified in 40 CFR §
													60.5397a(c)(7), as published
				  in July 2017.
(3) If an
				  affected facility uses EPA Method 21 ( 40 CFR 60, Appendix A-7) for leak
				  detection, the following information shall be included in the initial methane
				  emissions monitoring plan:
(a) A list of all
				  fugitive emission components, difficult-to-monitor components, and
				  unsafe-to-monitor components at an affected facility;
(b) Procedures and time frames for
				  identifying and repairing fugitive emission components; and
(c) Equipment specifications and procedures
				  as specified in 40 CFR §
													60.5397a(c)(8), as published
				  in July 2017.
(4) Each
				  difficult-to-monitor and unsafe-to-monitor component shall be identified in the
				  written initial methane monitoring plan explaining the location and why the
				  fugitive emissions components are difficult-to-monitor and
				  unsafe-to-monitor.
(5) Initial
				  Methane Emissions Monitoring Plan Submission.
(a) Except for a new natural gas compressor
				  station or natural gas underground storage facility, owners and operators of
				  the affected facilities subject to this section shall submit the initial
				  methane emissions monitoring plan required in §A(1)-(4) of this regulation to
				  the Department within 90 days of the adoption of this regulation.
(b) Owners and operators of a new natural gas
				  compressor station or natural gas underground storage facility subject to this
				  section shall submit the initial methane emissions monitoring plan required in
				  §A(1)-(4) of this regulation to the Department within 60 days of
				  startup.
(6) Owners and
				  operators of affected facilities that modify or reconstruct a natural gas
				  compressor station or underground storage facility shall submit an initial
				  monitoring plan with the elements in §A(1)-(4) of this regulation within 90
				  days of the facility startup operation for each new collection of fugitive
				  emissions components at the modified or reconstructed compressor station or
				  underground storage facility.
(7)
				  Owners or operators of affected facilities subject to this section shall
				  conduct an audio, visual, and olfactory inspection of all fugitive emission
				  components for leaks or indications of leaks at least once per calendar week
				  except for:
(a) Unsafe-to-monitor components;
				  and
(b) Natural gas storage wells
				  and observations, which shall conduct audio, visual, and olfactory inspections
				  according to §A(10) of this regulation.
(8) Leak Monitoring Survey.
(a) Owners and operators of affected
				  facilities shall follow the initial monitoring methane plan and shall inspect
				  all fugitive emission components, except for unsafe-to-monitor components, for
				  leaks using OGI or EPA Method 21 within 180 days of the adoption of this
				  chapter and quarterly thereafter.
(b) Owners and operators of affected
				  facilities that install any new, modified, or reconstructed natural gas
				  compressor station or underground storage facility that uses natural
				  gas-powered equipment to compress natural gas shall meet the requirements of
				  §A(8)(a) of this regulation within 180 days of the startup of the facility's
				  operations.
(c) At least annually,
				  all difficult-to-monitor fugitive emissions components shall be inspected for
				  leaks using an OGI camera.
(9) Repair Requirements.
(a) Any leaking fugitive emissions component
				  identified during a leak monitoring survey or audio, visual, and olfactory
				  inspection shall be successfully repaired, replaced, or removed from service as
				  soon as practicable, but no later than 30 calendar days after leak
				  detection.
(b) Fugitive Emissions
				  Component Resurvey.
(i) Each repaired or
				  replaced fugitive emissions component shall be resurveyed within 30 days after
				  being repaired or replaced using either OGI or EPA Method 21 ( 40 CFR 60,
				  Appendix A-7).
(ii) Owners and
				  operators of facilities subject to this section that use EPA Method 21 ( 40 CFR
				  60, Appendix A-7) to resurvey the repaired or replaced fugitive emissions
				  component shall consider the fugitive emissions component repaired when the EPA
				  Method 21 ( 40 CFR 60, Appendix A-7) instrument indicates a concentration of
				  less than 500 ppm of methane or when no soap bubbles are observed during a
				  bubble test.
(iii) Owners and
				  operators of affected facilities subject to this section that use OGI to
				  resurvey the repaired or replaced fugitive emissions component shall consider
				  the fugitive emissions component repaired when the OGI instrument shows no
				  indication of visible emissions or when no soap bubbles are observed during a
				  bubble test.
(c) A delay
				  of repair may occur when, upon request, the owner or operator provides
				  documentation to the Department that supports the following:
(i) The parts or equipment required to make
				  necessary repairs will take longer than 30 days to be ordered and delivered,
				  but the repair may not exceed 1 year;
(ii) The repair is unsafe to perform during
				  the operation of the unit; or
(iii)
				  The repair requires a blowdown or facility shutdown in order to
				  complete.
(d) Leaking
				  fugitive emission components awaiting repair or replacement under a delay of
				  repair shall be clearly marked or identified in the facility's
				  records.
(e) Leaking fugitive
				  emission components under a delay of repair according to §A(9)(c)(i) of this
				  regulation shall:
(i) Be repaired or replaced
				  within 7 days after the owner or operator receives parts or equipment;
				  or
(ii) Be repaired or replaced at
				  the next vent or compressor station blowdown if the owner or operator has
				  identified this fugitive emission component as needing a vent or compressor
				  station blowdown.
(f)
				  Fugitive emission components under a delay of repair according to §A(9)(c)(ii)
				  and (iii) of this regulation shall be repaired or replaced within 1 year, at
				  the next vent blowdown or facility shutdown, whichever occurs first.
(g) If a repair of a leak cannot be
				  successfully completed according to this subsection, the owner or operator of
				  the affected facility shall prepare a plan, for Department approval, that
				  includes:
(i) An explanation of the technical
				  difficulty;
(ii) A timeline to
				  successfully repair the fugitive emission components;
(iii) A calculation of the additional methane
				  that is expected to be released while on delay of repair; and
(iv) Upon written request from the
				  Department, any other information that the Department determines is necessary
				  to evaluate the plan.
(h) The owner or operator of the affected
				  facility shall submit any plan required under §A(9)(g) of this regulation to
				  the Department within 30 days from identifying the leak.
(10) Natural Gas Storage Field Inspections.
(a) Owners and operators of natural gas
				  underground storage facilities shall conduct an audio, visual, and olfactory
				  inspection of every natural gas storage well and observation well in the
				  natural gas storage field at least once each month.
(b) For each inspection according to
				  §A(10)(a) of this regulation, owners and operators shall record:
(i) The well-head pressure or water level
				  measurement, as appropriate;
(ii)
				  The open flow on the annulus of the production casing or the annulus pressure
				  if the annulus is shut in;
(iii) A
				  measurement of gas escaping the well if there is evidence of a gas leak;
				  and
(iv) Evidence of progressive
				  corrosion, rusting, or other signs of equipment deterioration.
(c) For each natural gas storage
				  well with emissions that exceed 1,440 cubic feet per day, owners and operators
				  shall:
(i) Notify the Department within 1
				  business day of discovering the emission rate exceedance; and
(ii) File a written report within 10 days
				  which shall include an explanation of the problem and corrective action taken
				  or planned.
(d) For each
				  audio, visual, and olfactory inspection that detects a leaking fugitive
				  emission component, the owner and operator shall comply with the repair
				  requirements specified in §A(9) of this regulation, as applicable.