SECTION 115.422. Control Requirements

In the Beaumont-Port Arthur, Dallas-Fort Worth, El Paso, and Houston-Galveston-Brazoria areas, as defined in §115.10 of this title (relating to Applicability and Definitions), the following control requirements apply. In Gregg, Nueces, and Victoria Counties, the control requirements in paragraph (5) of this section apply.

(1) The owner or operator of each vehicle refinishing (body shop) operation shall minimize volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions during equipment cleanup by using the following procedures:

(A) install and operate a system that totally encloses spray guns, cups, nozzles, bowls, and other parts during washing, rinsing, and draining procedures. Non-enclosed cleaners may be used if the vapor pressure of the cleaning solvent is less than 100 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) at 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) and the solvent is directed towards a drain that leads directly to an enclosed remote reservoir;

(B) keep all wash solvents in an enclosed reservoir that is covered at all times, except when being refilled with fresh solvents; and

(C) keep all waste solvents and other cleaning materials in closed containers.

(2) Each vehicle refinishing (body shop) operation must use coating application equipment with a transfer efficiency of at least 65%, unless otherwise specified in an alternate means of control approved by the executive director in accordance with §115.910 of this title (relating to Availability of Alternate Means of Control). High-volume, low-pressure (HVLP) spray guns are assumed to comply with the 65% transfer efficiency requirement.

(3) The following requirements apply to each wood furniture manufacturing facility subject to §115.421(15) of this title (relating to Emission Specifications).

(A) No compounds containing more than 8.0% by weight of VOC may be used for cleaning spray booth components other than conveyors, continuous coaters and their enclosures, and/or metal filters, unless the spray booth is being refurbished. If the spray booth is being refurbished, that is, the spray booth coating or other material used to cover the booth is being replaced, no more than 1.0 gallon of organic solvent may be used to prepare the booth prior to applying the booth coating.

(B) Normally closed containers must be used for storage of finishing, cleaning, and washoff materials.

(C) Conventional air spray guns may not be used for applying finishing materials except under one or more of the following circumstances:

(i) to apply finishing materials that have a VOC content no greater than 1.0 kilogram of VOC per kilogram of solids (1.0 pound of VOC per pound of solids), as delivered to the application system;

(ii) for touch-up and repair under the following circumstances:

(I) the finishing materials are applied after completion of the finishing operation; or

(II) the finishing materials are applied after the stain and before any other type of finishing material is applied, and the finishing materials are applied from a container that has a volume of no more than 2.0 gallons.

(iii) if spray is automated, that is, the spray gun is aimed and triggered automatically, not manually;

(iv) if emissions from the finishing application station are directed to a vapor control system;

(v) the conventional air gun is used to apply finishing materials and the cumulative total usage of that finishing material is no more than 5.0% of the total gallons of finishing material used during that semiannual period; or

(vi) the conventional air gun is used to apply stain on a part that:

(I) the production speed is too high or the part shape is too complex for one operator to coat the part and the application station is not large enough to accommodate an additional operator; or

(II) the excessively large vertical spray area of the part makes it difficult to avoid sagging or runs in the stain.

(D) All organic solvent used for line cleaning or to clean spray guns must be pumped or drained into a normally closed container.

(E) Emissions from washoff operations must be minimized by:

(i) using normally closed tanks for washoff; and

(ii) minimizing dripping by tilting or rotating the part to drain as much organic solvent as possible.

(4) The following requirements apply to each shipbuilding and ship repair surface coating facility subject to §115.421(16) of this title.

(A) All handling and transfer of VOC-containing materials to and from containers, tanks, vats, drums, and piping systems must be conducted in a manner that minimizes spills.

(B) All containers, tanks, vats, drums, and piping systems must be free of cracks, holes, and other defects and remain closed unless materials are being added to or removed from them.

(C) All organic solvent used for line cleaning or to clean spray guns must be pumped or drained into a normally closed container.

(5) The following requirements apply to each aerospace vehicle or component coating process subject to §115.421(10) of this title.

(A) One or more of the following application techniques must be used to apply any primer or topcoat to aerospace vehicles or components: flow/curtain coating; dip coating; roll coating; brush coating; cotton-tipped swab application; electrodeposition coating; HVLP spraying; electrostatic spraying; or other coating application methods that achieve emission reductions equivalent to HVLP or electrostatic spray application methods, unless one of the following situations apply:

(i) any situation that normally requires the use of an airbrush or an extension on the spray gun to properly reach limited access spaces;

(ii) the application of specialty coatings;

(iii) the application of coatings that contain fillers that adversely affect atomization with HVLP spray guns and that the executive director has determined cannot be applied by any of the specified application methods;

(iv) the application of coatings that normally have a dried film thickness of less than 0.0013 centimeter (0.0005 in.) and that the executive director has determined cannot be applied by any of the specified application methods in this subparagraph;

(v) the use of airbrush application methods for stenciling, lettering, and other identification markings;

(vi) the use of aerosol coating (spray paint) application methods; and

(vii) touch-up and repair operations.

(B) Cleaning solvents used in hand-wipe cleaning operations must meet the definition of aqueous cleaning solvent in §115.420(c)(1)(I) of this title (relating to Surface Coating Definitions) or have a VOC composite vapor pressure less than or equal to 45 mm Hg at 20 degrees Celsius, unless one of the following situations apply:

(i) cleaning during the manufacture, assembly, installation, maintenance, or testing of components of breathing oxygen systems that are exposed to the breathing oxygen;

(ii) cleaning during the manufacture, assembly, installation, maintenance, or testing of parts, subassemblies, or assemblies that are exposed to strong oxidizers or reducers (e.g., nitrogen tetroxide, liquid oxygen, hydrazine);

(iii) cleaning and surface activation prior to adhesive bonding;

(iv) cleaning of electronics parts and assemblies containing electronics parts;

(v) cleaning of aircraft and ground support equipment fluid systems that are exposed to the fluid, including air-to-air heat exchangers and hydraulic fluid systems;

(vi) cleaning of fuel cells, fuel tanks, and confined spaces;

(vii) surface cleaning of solar cells, coated optics, and thermal control surfaces;

(viii) cleaning during fabrication, assembly, installation, and maintenance of upholstery, curtains, carpet, and other textile materials used on the interior of the aircraft;

(ix) cleaning of metallic and nonmetallic materials used in honeycomb cores during the manufacture or maintenance of these cores, and cleaning of the completed cores used in the manufacture of aerospace vehicles or components;

(x) cleaning of aircraft transparencies, polycarbonate, or glass substrates;

(xi) cleaning and solvent usage associated with research and development, quality control, or laboratory testing;

(xii) cleaning operations, using nonflammable liquids, conducted within five feet of energized electrical systems. Energized electrical systems means any alternating current or direct current electrical circuit on an assembled aircraft once electrical power is connected, including interior passenger and cargo areas, wheel wells and tail sections; and

(xiii) cleaning operations identified as essential uses under the Montreal Protocol that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has allocated essential use allowances or exemptions in 40 Code of Federal Regulations §82.4 (as amended through May 10, 1995 (60 FR 24986)), including any future amendments promulgated by the EPA.

(C) For cleaning solvents used in the flush cleaning of parts, assemblies, and coating unit components, the used cleaning solvent must be emptied into an enclosed container or collection system that is kept closed when not in use or captured with wipers provided they comply with the housekeeping requirements of subparagraph (E) of this paragraph. Aqueous and semiaqueous cleaning solvents are exempt from this subparagraph.

(D) All spray guns must be cleaned by one or more of the following methods:

(i) enclosed spray gun cleaning system provided that it is kept closed when not in use and leaks are repaired within 14 days from when the leak is first discovered. If the leak is not repaired by the 15th day after detection, the solvent must be removed and the enclosed cleaner must be shut down until the leak is repaired or its use is permanently discontinued;

(ii) unatomized discharge of solvent into a waste container that is kept closed when not in use;

(iii) disassembly of the spray gun and cleaning in a vat that is kept closed when not in use; or

(iv) atomized spray into a waste container that is fitted with a device designed to capture atomized solvent emissions.

(E) All fresh and used cleaning solvents used in solvent cleaning operations must be stored in containers that are kept closed at all times except when filling or emptying. Cloth and paper, or other absorbent applicators, moistened with cleaning solvents must be stored in closed containers. Cotton-tipped swabs used for very small cleaning operations are exempt from this subparagraph. In addition, the owner or operator shall implement handling and transfer procedures to minimize spills during filling and transferring the cleaning solvent to or from enclosed systems, vats, waste containers, and other cleaning operation equipment that hold or store fresh or used cleaning solvents. The requirements of this subparagraph are known collectively as housekeeping measures. Aqueous, semiaqueous, and hydrocarbon-based cleaning solvents, as defined in §115.420(c)(1) of this title, are exempt from this subparagraph.

(6) Any surface coating operation in the Beaumont-Port Arthur, Dallas-Fort Worth, El Paso, and Houston-Galveston-Brazoria areas that becomes subject to §115.421 of this title by exceeding the exemption limits in §115.427 of this title (relating to Exemptions) is subject to the provisions in §115.421 of this title, even if throughput or emissions later fall below exemption limits unless emissions are maintained at or below the controlled emissions level achieved while complying with §115.421 of this title and one of the following conditions is met.

(A) The project that caused the throughput or emission rate to fall below the exemption limits in §115.427 of this title must be authorized by a permit, permit amendment, standard permit, or permit by rule required by Chapter 116 or Chapter 106 of this title (relating to Control of Air Pollution by Permits for New Construction or Modification; and Permits by Rule). If a permit by rule is available for the project, the owner or operator shall continue to comply with §115.421 of this title for 30 days after the filing of documentation of compliance with that permit by rule.

(B) If authorization by permit, permit amendment, standard permit, or permit by rule is not required for the project, the owner or operator shall provide the executive director 30 days notice of the project in writing.

(7) In the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston-Galveston-Brazoria areas, the owner or operator of a paper surface coating line subject to this division shall implement the following work practices to limit VOC emissions from storage, mixing, and handling of cleaning and cleaning-related waste materials.

(A) All VOC-containing cleaning materials must be stored in closed containers.

(B) Mixing and storage containers used for VOC-containing materials must be kept closed at all times except when depositing or removing these materials.

(C) Spills of VOC-containing cleaning materials must be minimized.

(D) VOC-containing cleaning materials must be conveyed from one location to another in closed containers or pipes.

(E) VOC emissions from the cleaning of storage, mixing, and conveying equipment must be minimized.

Source Note: The provisions of this §115.422 adopted to be effective February 19, 1990, 15 TexReg 549; amended to be effective July 17, 1991, 16 TexReg 3726; amended to be effective November 1, 1991, 16 TexReg 5839; amended to be effective August 1, 1992, 17 TexReg 4683; amended to be effective December 3, 1993, 18 TexReg 8538; amended to be effective May 27, 1994, 19 TexReg 3703; amended to be effective March 7, 1996, 21 TexReg 1548; amended to be effective May 22, 1997, 22 TexReg 4213; amended to be effective April 7, 1998, 23 TexReg 3503; amended to be effective July 20, 2000, 25 TexReg6752; amended to be effective May 16, 2002, 27 TexReg 4113; amended to be effective December 29, 2011, 36 TexReg 8897; amended to be effective June 25, 2015, 40 TexReg 3907