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Performance Specifications and Other Monitoring Information
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This page includes information related to Performance
Specifications and other monitoring information.
This other monitoring information includes:
Continuous Emission Monitoring,
Compliance Assurance Monitoring,
Voluntary Superior Monitoring,
Metals Emission Monitoring,
and FTIR Technologies
Performance SpecificationsPerformance Specifications are divided into Promulgated Performance Specifications and Proposed Performance Specifications. Other Monitoring InformationContinuous Emission MonitoringA continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS) is the total equipment necessary for the determination of a gas or particulate matter concentration or emission rate using pollutant analyzer measurements and a conversion equation, graph, or computer program to produce results in units of the applicable emission limitation or standard. CEMS are required under some of the EPA regulations for either continual compliance determination or determination of exceedances of the standards. The individual subparts of the EPA rules specify the reference methods that are used to substantiate the accuracy and precision of the CEMS. A predictive emission monitoring system (PEMS) is the total equipment necessary for the determination of a gas concentration or emission rate using processor control device operating parameter measurements and a conversion equation, a graph, or computer program to produce results in units of the applicable emission limitation or standard. The EPA is studying the applicability of PEMS for NOx compliance determinations for various sources. A draft protocol for assessing the accuracy and precision of PEMS has been developed and is expected to be proposed sometime in the near future.CEMS Documents. Compliance Assurance MonitoringThe Compliance Assurance Monitoring, or CAM, rule is designed to satisfy the requirements for monitoring and compliance certification in the Part 70 operating permits program and Title VII of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. The CAM rule includes a new Part 64 and associated revisions to the Part 70 (permits program) monitoring and compliance certification requirements. The rule would establish criteria that define the monitoring, reporting, and record keeping that should be conducted by a source to provide a reasonable assurance of compliance with emission limitations and standards. These criteria address defining the applicable monitoring approach, obligation to complete corrective actions as indicated by the monitoring results, and how such data are used in the annual compliance certification. The applicable monitoring approach for any operation or facility depends on the control technology used to meet the applicable emission limit and includes monitoring of operational and control device parameters indicative of pollution control performance and record keeping of work practice and inspection procedures necessary to assure compliance operation. The final CAM Rule was published in the Federal Register on October 22, 1997.CAM Documents. Voluntary Superior MonitoringThe Emissions Measurement Center of EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards in Research Triangle Park, NC is exploring a regulatory option called "Voluntary Superior Monitoring (VSM)." Under this option, owners/operators of industrial air pollution sources could volunteer to conduct "superior" monitoring which could range from more frequent monitoring of emissions to replace existing monitoring. In return for conducting superior monitoring, EPA plans to offer incentives to these sources, such as less record keeping and reporting, more flexibility in control device or process operation, or flexibility in averaging times for determining compliance with the standard. We are also considering pursuing tax credits as an incentive; however, obtaining tax credits as an incentives will present some higher than normal hurdles and will result in EPA negotiating with agencies and groups beyond their normal purview. In conjunction with the rulemaking, we plan to provide guidance on how to implement Voluntary Superior Monitoring which will contain the detailed criteria that industrial sources would need to meet to be eligible for this program. We are still in the data gathering stage and are seeking ideas concerning this project, especially ideas concerning incentives and eligibility criteria.In order to implement this program, we will need to conduct rulemaking. Revising all of the individual New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) to allow VSM would be daunting. Instead, we envision implementing this regulatory option by revising the general provisions to parts 60, 61, and 63. The general provisions contain the general monitoring, testing, recordkeeping, reporting, and other requirements common to all NSPS and/or NESHAP. In addition, we believe that this progrmam will also need to be implemented through the operating permit program in parts 70 and 71 which may need to be modified to allow this approach. Voluntary Superior Monitoring Documents. Metals Emission MonitoringMetals monitoring: Several years ago, Performance Specification 10 was proposed, but because the measurement technology had not been fully developed and demonstrated the specification was not promulgated. Recently, a system which was developed by the Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division was tested under the Department of Defense Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP). Development of the system was funded by the U.S. Army Defense Ammunition Center and the development and test efforts were managed by the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center. It uses an inductively coupled argon plasma spectrometer, patented sampling interface, and a specially-designed sampling system to simultaneously measure concentrations of all 14 hazardous metals once every 60 seconds. The system is designed to be automated which includes calibration and QA/QC procedures. The test program was conducted at the Tooele Army Depot in Utah. The testing to date has demonstrated that PS-10 can be met on emissions from the Ammunition Peculiar Equipment (APE) 1236 ordinance deactivation furnaces. Currently, a commercial version of the ICP-based metal emissions monitor system is also being evaluated at an industrial hazardous waste incinerator facility.FTIR TechnologiesThe Emission Measurement Center (EMC) has been investigating the application of an innovative new technology, Fourier Transform Infared Spectroscopy (FTIR), to emissions monitoring. The FTIR technology shows promise since it has the capability to measure more than 100 of the 189 Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) listed in Title III of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA). Upon passage of the CAAA, measurement methods existed for only 40 of the HAPs. The FTIR has the capability of measuring multiple compounds simultaneously, thus providing an advantage over current measurement methods which measure only one or several HAPs; FTIR can provide a distinct cost advantage since it can be used to replace several traditional methods (cost savings can vary depending on the number of compounds present).FTIR reports & methods.
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