(a) Initial performance tests. The owner or operator shall conduct performance tests to demonstrate initial compliance with the PM emission and opacity standards specified in § 60.122.

(b) Periodic performance tests. After November 20, 2023, the owner or operator shall conduct periodic performance tests to demonstrate compliance with the PM emissions standards specified in § 60.122(a). The owner or operator shall conduct the first periodic test by no later than July 31, 2024. The owner or operator shall conduct subsequent periodic tests according to the schedule specified in paragraph (b)(1) or (2) of this section.

(1) Conduct performance tests no later than 12 months following the previous compliance test.

(2) Conduct performance tests no later than 24 months following the previous compliance test if the previous compliance test measured PM emissions of 25 mg/dscm or less and the owner or operator has obtained approval from the Administrator for a written request to extend the period of the periodic performance test. The extension request will be deemed automatically approved if the owner or operator submits the results of a PM performance test of 25 mg/dscm or less, the owner or operator submits the request for the extension within 4 months after the subject compliance test, and the Administrator does not provide a response to such request within 6 months of submission.

(c) Test methods. In conducting the performance tests required in § 60.8, the owner or operator shall use the following EPA reference test methods and procedures in appendix A of this part or other methods and procedures as specified in this section, except as provided in § 60.8(b).

(1) EPA Method 1 at appendix A-1 to this part to select sampling port locations and the number of traverse points.

(2) EPA Method 2 at appendix A-1 to this part or EPA Method 5D at appendix A-3 to this part, section 8.3 for positive fabric filters, to measure the volumetric flow rate of the gas stream.

(3) EPA Method 3, 3A, or 3B at 40 CFR part 60, appendix A-2 to determine the dry molecular weight of the stack gas and concentrations of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the sample gas.

(4) EPA Method 4 at appendix A-3 to this part to determine the moisture content of the gas stream.

(5) EPA Method 5 or 5D at appendix A-3 to this part to measure PM concentrations. The EPA Method 5 tests shall be conducted during representative periods of furnace operation, including charging and tapping, and the sampling time and sample volume for each test run shall be at least 60 minutes and 0.90 dscm (31.8 dscf), respectively. As an alternative to using EPA Method 5, owners or operators may measure PM emissions by the following methods:

(i) EPA Method 12 at appendix A-5 to this part (see section 16.1 of Method 12) to measure PM and inorganic lead concentrations.

(ii) EPA Method 29 at appendix A-8 to this part to measure metal (lead) concentrations and PM (see section 1.2 of Method 29).

(6) EPA Method 9 at appendix A-4 to this part and the procedures specified in § 60.11 for determining opacity. ASTM D7520-16 (incorporated by reference at § 60.17) is an acceptable alternative to EPA Method 9 with the specified conditions in paragraphs (c)(6)(i) through (v) of this section.

(i) During the digital camera opacity technique (DCOT) certification procedure outlined in section 9.2 of ASTM D7520-16 (incorporated by reference at § 60.17), the owner or operator or the DCOT vendor shall present the plumes in front of various backgrounds of color and contrast representing conditions anticipated during field use such as blue sky, trees, and mixed backgrounds (clouds and/or a sparse tree stand).

(ii) The owner or operator shall also have standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place including daily or other frequency quality checks to ensure the equipment is within manufacturing specifications as outlined in section 8.1 of ASTM D7520-16 (incorporated by reference at § 60.17). Records shall be maintained in a form suitable and readily available for expeditious review.

(iii) The owner or operator shall follow the recordkeeping procedures outlined in § 63.10(b)(1) for the DCOT certification, compliance report, data sheets, and all raw unaltered JPEGs used for opacity and certification determination.

(iv) The owner or operator or the DCOT vendor shall have a minimum of four (4) independent technology users apply the software to determine the visible opacity of the 300 certification plumes. For each set of 25 plumes, the user may not exceed 15 percent opacity of any one reading and the average error shall not exceed 7.5 percent opacity.

(v) This approval does not provide or imply a certification or validation of any vendor's hardware or software. The onus to maintain and verify the certification and/or training of the DCOT camera, software, and operator in accordance with ASTM D7520-16 (incorporated by reference at § 60.17) and this section is on the owner or operator, DCOT operator, and DCOT vendor.

[88 FR 80610, Nov. 20, 2023]