EL DORADO COUNTY AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
RULE 245 - VALVES AND FLANGES
(Adopted March 27, 2001)
INDEX
245.1 GENERAL
A. APPLICABILITY, LIQUID LEAKS
B. APPLICABILITY, GASEOUS LEAKS
C. EXEMPTIONS, GENERAL
D. EXEMPTIONS, GASEOUS LEAKS
245.2 DEFINITIONS
A. BACKGROUND
B. CHEMICAL PLANT
C. COMMERCIAL NATURAL GAS
D. FLANGE
E. GASEOUS LEAK
F. LIQUID LEAK
G. OIL PRODUCTION FIELD
H. REACTIVE ORGANIC COMPOUND
I. REACTIVE ORGANIC COMPOUND SERVICE
J. REFINERY
K. VALVE
L. WORKING DAY
245.3 STANDARDS
A. LIQUID LEAK CONTROL
B. GASEOUS LEAK CONTROL
C. REPAIRS 3
245.4 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS
A. EFFECTIVE DATE
245.5 MONITORING AND RECORDS
A. INSPECTION
B. MEASUREMENT REQUIREMENTS
C. RECORDKEEPING
245.1 GENERAL
A. APPLICABILITY, LIQUID LEAKS: The provisions of this rule prohibiting liquid leaks are applicable to all valves and flanges in reactive organic compound service.
B. APPLICABILITY, GASEOUS LEAKS: The provisions of this rule requiring periodic inspection with a portable leak detection device and subsequent repair of valves and flanges in reactive organic compound service are applicable to petroleum refineries, chemical plants, and oil production fields.
C. EXEMPTIONS, GENERAL: The provisions of this rule shall not apply to:1. Valves or flanges handling only commercial natural gas.
2. All valves or flanges which are located in areas which make inspection infeasible or unsafe for personnel provided that prior concurrence of the APCO has been obtained in writing.
3. Valves or flanges exclusively handling fluids with a reactive organic compound concentration of ten percent or less by weight, or if the liquids' reactive organic compound weight percent evaporated is ten percent or less at 150°C.
4. Oil production field fluid media having an API gravity of 20 or less.
5. Valves or flanges handling liquids or gases with a water content of 80 percent or greater.
D. EXEMPTION, GASEOUS LEAKS: The provision of Section 245.3 B. of this rule shall not apply to:Valves or flanges incorporated in lines operating under negative pressure.
245.2 DEFINITIONS
A. BACKGROUND is defined as the ambient concentration of reactive organic compounds determined at least three (3) meters upwind from the valve or flange to be inspected.
B. CHEMICAL PLANT is any plant producing inorganic/organic chemicals and/or manufacturing products by inorganic/organic chemical processes.
C. COMMERCIAL NATURAL GAS is a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons, chiefly methane, of pipeline quality such as that obtained from a company licensed to dispense such gases.
D. FLANGE is defined as a projecting rim on a pipe or piping component used to attach it to another piping detail.
E. GASEOUS LEAK is defined as the detection of organic compounds at a concentration over 10,000 ppm as methane on a carbon equivalency basis.
F. LIQUID LEAK is either the dripping of liquid reactive organic compounds at a rate of more than three drops per minute; or, a visible liquid mist.
G. OIL PRODUCTION FIELD means those properties on which crude petroleum and natural gas production is conducted and as defined in the "Standard Industrial Classification Manual", prepared by the Statistical Policy Division of the Executive Office of the President's Office of Budget and Management, 1972.
H. REACTIVE ORGANIC COMPOUND is a defined in Rule 101.
I. REACTIVE ORGANIC COMPOUND SERVICE is the use of systems or components to process, transport, react, modify, store, or dispense reactive organic compounds.
J. REFINERY is an establishment that processes petroleum into various products and as defined in the "Standard Industrial Classification Manual", prepared by the Statistical Policy Division of the Executive Office of the President's Office of Budget and Management, 1972.
K. VALVE is defined as any device that regulates the flow of fluid in a piping system by means of an external actuator acting to permit or block passage of fluid including the attached flange and the flange seal.
L. WORKING DAY is any day except Saturdays, Sundays, and employee holidays.
245.3 STANDARDS
A. LIQUID LEAK CONTROL: A person shall not use valves or flanges in reactive organic compound service unless such valves and flanges are maintained so that there shall not be a liquid leak.
B. GASEOUS LEAK CONTROL1. Each owner/operator shall, no later than 90 days after the date of adoption of this rule, submit a management plan detailing the valve inspection schedule for the inspection program to be conducted at the refinery, chemical plant, or oil production field.
2. Each valve or flange in a petroleum refinery, chemical plant, or oil production field handling reactive organic compounds shall be repaired in accordance with Section 245.5 A. Any such valve or flange found to leak shall be repaired in accordance with Section 245.3 C.
3. Each valve located at the end of a pipe or line containing reactive organic compounds, shall be sealed with a blind flange, plug, or cap when not in use, except:a. A valve on a product sampling line;
b. A safety pressure relief valve; or,
c. A bleeder valve in a double block and bleeder valve system.
4. Each valve found to have a gaseous leak shall be affixed with a record of inspections for the succeeding twelve-month period. Alternative methods of recordkeeping may be used, including the maintenance of records in a centralized location, provided that prior approval of the APCO has been obtained in writing.
5. A leak in more than one valve or flange per day per facility, discovered by District personnel within five days after the scheduled inspection required by Section 245.3 B.1. shall constitute a violation of this rule.
C. REPAIRS1. Leaks, other than in oil production fields, shall be repaired within two working days of detection.
2. Leaks in oil production fields shall be repaired within five working days of detection.
3. If, after repairs are completed, the detectable gaseous reactive organic compounds are 10,000 ppm or greater when measured at a distance of 1 centimeter from the source, one of the following actions shall be taken:a. Emergency repairs shall be made to reduce the emission rate to comply; or
b. The emissions from the leak shall be vented into an approved air pollution control device.
4. The persons complying with the provisions of the rule shall be exempt from the provisions of Rule 516 insofar as the provisions of Rule 516 would apply to leaking valves or flanges.
245.4 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS
A. EFFECTIVE DATE: The owner or operator of any valve or flange in reactive organic compound service shall comply with this rule no later than July 1, 2001.
245.5 MONITORING AND RECORDS
A. INSPECTION
1. Valves and flanges handling reactive organic compounds shall be inspected on a quarterly basis with an option to change to annual inspections if operators can document that the facility has been successfully operated and maintained with no liquid or gas leak for five consecutive quarters.
2. Inspections for gaseous leaks shall be conducted with a portable leak detection device or an alternate method having the prior approval of the APCO, in writing.
3. In addition to the quarterly inspection, each valve and/or flange found to leak shall be reinspected after 30 days but before 90 days after repair of such leak. Valves and flanges found to be leaking after the reinspection shall be repaired and reinspected at intervals of one-half the prior interval, except no valve or flange need be inspected more frequently than once per day.
4. Continuous monitoring flammable gas detection devices which send a visual or audible signal when a leak occurs, may, with the written approval of the APCO, be substituted for periodic inspections using leak detection equipment in applicable facilities or parts of facilities.
B. MEASUREMENT REQUIREMENTS1. Gaseous leaks shall be determined by EPA Method 21 or CARB Method 21. Detection instruments shall be calibrated using a hexane calibration mixture (6ppm methane = 1 ppm hexane on a carbon equivalency basis) or another gas mixture approved in writing by the District for the specific situation.
2. Actual measurement of gaseous leakage rates shall be made at a distance of one centimeter from the source.
C. RECORDKEEPING: Persons subject to this rule shall comply with all of the following1. Maintain records of inspections of valves performed pursuant to Section 245.5 A. for five years.
A. With the approval of the APCO, inspection records by operational system or plant area will be adequate to demonstrate compliance with annual inspection requirements.
B. Annual inspection records for the continuous monitoring equipment described in Section 245.5 A.4. shall not be required, provided that records are maintained for out-of-tolerance conditions as indicated by the monitoring equipment.
2. Make inspection records available for the review by District staff upon request.
3. Recordkeeping requirements shall not apply to the routine periodic inspection of flanges.