SECTION 117.2035. Monitoring and Testing Requirements

(a) Totalizing fuel flow meters.

(1) The owner or operator of each unit subject to §117.2010 of this title (relating to Emission Specifications) and subject to Chapter 101, Subchapter H, Division 3 of this title (relating to Mass Emissions Cap and Trade Program), or of each unit claimed exempt under §117.2003(b) of this title (relating to Exemptions) shall install, calibrate, maintain, and operate totalizing fuel flow meters with an accuracy of ± 5%, to individually and continuously measure the gas and liquid fuel usage. A computer that collects, sums, and stores electronic data from continuous fuel flow meters is an acceptable totalizer. The owner or operator of units with totalizing fuel flow meters installed prior to March 31, 2005, that do not meet the accuracy requirements of this subsection shall either recertify or replace existing meters to meet the ± 5% accuracy required as soon as practicable, but no later than March 31, 2007. For the purpose of compliance with this subsection for units having pilot fuel supplied by a separate fuel system or from an unmonitored portion of the same fuel system, the fuel flow to pilots may be calculated using the manufacturer's design flow rates rather than measured with a fuel flow meter. The calculated pilot fuel flow rate must be added to the monitored fuel flow when fuel flow is totaled.

(2) The following are alternatives to the fuel flow monitoring requirements of this subsection.

(A) Units operating with a nitrogen oxides (NO_X ) and diluent continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS) under subsection (c) of this section may monitor stack exhaust flow using the flow monitoring specifications of 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 60, Appendix B, Performance Specification 6 or 40 CFR Part 75, Appendix A.

(B) Units that vent to a common stack with a NO_X and diluent CEMS under subsection (c) of this section may use a single totalizing fuel flow meter.

(C) Diesel engines operating with run time meters may meet the fuel flow monitoring requirements of this subsection through monthly fuel use records.

(D) Units of the same category of equipment subject to Chapter 101, Subchapter H, Division 3 of this title may share a single totalizing fuel flow meter provided:

(i) the owner or operator performs a stack test in accordance with subsection (e) of this section for each unit sharing the totalizing fuel flow meter; and

(ii) the testing results from the unit with the highest emission rate (in pounds per million British thermal units or grams per horsepower-hour) are used for reporting purposes in §101.359 of this title (relating to Reporting) for all units sharing the totalizing fuel flow meter.

(E) The owner or operator of a unit or units claimed exempt under §117.2003(b) of this title, located at an independent school district may demonstrate compliance with the exemption by the following:

(i) in addition to the records required by §117.2045(a)(1) of this title (relating to Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements), maintain the following monthly records in either electronic or written format. These records must be kept for a period of at least five years and must be made available upon request by authorized representatives of the executive director, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, or local air pollution control agencies having jurisdiction;

(I) total fuel usage for the entire site;

(II) the estimated hours of operation for each unit;

(III) the estimated average operating rate (e.g., a percentage of maximum rated capacity) for each unit; and

(IV) the estimated fuel usage for each unit; and

(ii) within 60 days of written request by the executive director, submit for review and approval all methods, engineering calculations, and process information used to estimate the hours of operation, operating rates, and fuel usage for each unit.

(F) The owner or operator of units claimed exempt under §117.2003(b) of this title may share a single totalizing fuel flow meter to demonstrate compliance with the exemption, provided that:

(i) all affected units at the site qualify for the exemption under §117.2003(b) of this title; and

(ii) the total fuel usage for all units at the site is less than:

(I) the annual fuel usage limitation in §117.2003(b)(1) of this title; or

(II) the annual fuel usage limitation in §117.2003(b)(2) of this title when all affected units at the site are equal to or greater than 5.0 million British thermal units per hour.

(G) Stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines and stationary gas turbines equipped with a continuous monitoring system that continuously monitors horsepower and hours of operation are not required to install totalizing fuel flow meters. The continuous monitoring system must be installed, calibrated, maintained, and operated according to manufacturer's procedures.

(b) Oxygen (O₂) monitors. If the owner or operator installs an O₂ monitor, the criteria in §117.8100(a) of this title (relating to Emission Monitoring System Requirements for Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional Sources) should be considered the appropriate guidance for the location and calibration of the monitor.

(c) NO_X monitors. If the owner or operator installs a CEMS or predictive emissions monitoring system (PEMS), it must meet the requirements of §117.8100(a) or (b) of this title. If a PEMS is used, the PEMS must predict the pollutant emissions in the units of the applicable emission specifications of this division (relating to Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Ozone Nonattainment Area Minor Sources).

(d) Monitor installation schedule. Installation of monitors must be performed in accordance with the schedule specified in §117.9200 of this title (relating to Compliance Schedule for Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Ozone Nonattainment Area Minor Sources).

(e) Testing requirements. The owner or operator of any unit subject to §117.2010 of this title shall comply with the following testing requirements.

(1) Each unit must be tested for NO_X , carbon monoxide (CO), and O₂ emissions.

(2) One of the ammonia monitoring procedures specified in §117.8130 of this title (relating to Ammonia Monitoring) must be used to demonstrate compliance with the ammonia emission specification of §117.2010(i)(2) of this title for units that inject urea or ammonia into the exhaust stream for NO_X control.

(3) For units not equipped with CEMS or PEMS, all testing must be conducted according to §117.8000 of this title (relating to Stack Testing Requirements). In lieu of the test methods specified in §117.8000 of this title, the owner or operator may use American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D6522-00 to perform the NO_X , CO, and O₂ testing required by this subsection on natural gas-fired reciprocating engines, combustion turbines, boilers, and process heaters. If the owner or operator elects to use ASTM D6522-00 for the testing requirements, the report must contain the information specified in §117.8010 of this title (relating to Compliance Stack Test Reports).

(4) Test results must be reported in the units of the applicable emission specifications and averaging periods. If compliance testing is based on 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A reference methods, the report must contain the information specified in §117.8010 of this title.

(5) For units equipped with CEMS or PEMS, the CEMS or PEMS must be installed and operational before testing under this subsection. Verification of operational status must, at a minimum, include completion of the initial monitor certification and the manufacturer's written requirements or recommendations for installation, operation, and calibration of the device.

(6) Initial compliance with §117.2010 of this title for units operating with CEMS or PEMS must be demonstrated after monitor certification testing using the NO_X CEMS or PEMS.

(7) For units not operating with CEMS or PEMS, the following apply.

(A) Retesting as specified in paragraphs (1) - (4) of this subsection is required within 60 days after any modification that could reasonably be expected to increase the NO _X emission rate.

(B) Retesting as specified in paragraphs (1) - (4) of this subsection may be conducted at the discretion of the owner or operator after any modification that could reasonably be expected to decrease the NO_X emission rate, including, but not limited to, installation of post-combustion controls, low-NO_X burners, low excess air operation, staged combustion (for example, overfire air), flue gas recirculation, and fuel-lean and conventional (fuel-rich) reburn.

(C) The NO_X emission rate determined by the retesting must establish a new emission factor to be used to calculate actual emissions from the date of the retesting forward. Until the date of the retesting, the previously determined emission factor must be used to calculate actual emissions for compliance with Chapter 101, Subchapter H, Division 3 of this title.

(8) Testing must be performed in accordance with the schedule specified in §117.9200 of this title.

(9) All test reports must be submitted to the executive director for review and approval within 60 days after completion of the testing.

(f) Emission allowances.

(1) For sources that are subject to Chapter 101, Subchapter H, Division 3 of this title, the NO_X testing and monitoring data of subsections (a) - (e) of this section, together with the level of activity, as defined in §101.350 of this title (relating to Definitions), must be used to establish the emission factor calculating actual emissions for compliance with Chapter 101, Subchapter H, Division 3 of this title.

(2) The emission factor in subsection (e)(7) of this section or paragraph (1) of this subsection is multiplied by the unit's level of activity to determine the unit's actual emissions for compliance with Chapter 101, Subchapter H, Division 3 of this title.

(g) Run time meters. The owner or operator of any stationary diesel engine claimed exempt using the exemption of §117.2003(a)(2)(E), (H), or (I) of this title shall record the operating time with an elapsed run time meter. Any run time meter installed on or after October 1, 2001, must be non-resettable.

Source Note: The provisions of this §117.2035 adopted to be effective June 14, 2007, 32 TexReg 3206; amended to be effective March 4, 2009, 34 TexReg 1445