(1) Waiver application. The owner or operator may apply for a waiver from recordkeeping or reporting requirements if the regulated source is achieving the relevant standard(s), or the source is operating under an extension of compliance under 40 CFR 63.6(i), or a waiver of compliance under 40 CFR 61.10(b), or the owner or operator has requested an extension or waiver of compliance and the Administrator is still considering that request. The waiver application shall be submitted in writing to the Administrator.

(2) Extension of compliance request. If an application for a waiver of recordkeeping or reporting is made, the application shall accompany the request for an extension of compliance under 40 CFR 63.6(i) or the request for a waiver of compliance under 40 CFR 61.10(b), any required compliance progress report or compliance status report required in the source's title V permit application or a permit modification application, or a periodic report required under this part, whichever is applicable. The application shall include whatever information the owner or operator considers useful to convince the Administrator that a waiver of recordkeeping or reporting is warranted.

(3) Approval or denial of waiver. The Administrator will approve or deny a request for a waiver of recordkeeping or reporting requirements when performing one of the following actions:

(4) Waiver conditions. A waiver of any recordkeeping or reporting requirement granted under this paragraph (a) may be conditioned on other recordkeeping or reporting requirements deemed necessary by the Administrator.

(5) Waiver cancellation. Approval of any waiver granted under this section shall not abrogate the Administrator's authority under the Act or in any way prohibit the Administrator from later canceling the waiver. The cancellation will be made only after notice is given to the owner or operator of the regulated source.

(1) Notice of the information and findings on which the intended disapproval is based; and

(2) Notice of opportunity for the owner or operator to present additional information to the Administrator before final action on the request. At the time the Administrator notifies the applicant of the intention to disapprove the request, the Administrator will specify how much time the owner or operator will have after being notified of the intended disapproval to submit the additional information.

(1) The owner or operator of a regulated source is subject to the monitoring and recordkeeping requirements of the relevant standard unless permission to use an alternative monitoring or recordkeeping method requested under paragraph (b) of this section or § 65.162(d) has been granted by the Administrator. Once an alternative is approved, the owner or operator shall use the alternative for the emission points or regulated sources cited in the approval and shall meet the monitoring and recordkeeping requirements of the relevant standard for all other emission points or regulated sources.

(2) If the Administrator approves the use of an alternative monitoring or recordkeeping method for a regulated source under paragraph (c) of this section, the owner or operator of such source shall continue to use the alternative monitoring or recordkeeping method unless he or she receives approval from the Administrator to use another method.

(3) If the Administrator finds reasonable grounds to dispute the results obtained by an alternative monitoring or recordkeeping method, requirement, or procedure, the Administrator may require the use of a method, requirement, or procedure specified in the relevant standard. If the results of the specified and alternative methods, requirements, or procedures do not agree, the results obtained by the specified method, requirement, or procedure shall prevail.

(1) Applicable subpart means the subpart in 40 CFR parts 60, 61, 63, and 65 that requires monitoring of each piece of equipment with a 40 CFR part 60, appendix A-7, Method 21 monitor.

(2) Equipment means pumps, valves, pressure relief valves, compressors, open-ended lines, flanges, connectors, and other equipment covered by the applicable subpart that require monitoring with a 40 CFR part 60, appendix A-7, Method 21 monitor.

(3) Imaging means making visible emissions that may otherwise be invisible to the naked eye.

(4) Optical gas imaging instrument means an instrument that makes visible emissions that may otherwise be invisible to the naked eye.

(5) Repair means that equipment is adjusted, or otherwise altered, in order to eliminate a leak.

(6) Leak means:

(1) An owner or operator of an affected source subject to 40 CFR parts 60, 61, 63, or 65 can choose to comply with the alternative work practice requirements in paragraph (g) of this section instead of using the 40 CFR part 60, appendix A-7, Method 21 monitor to identify leaking equipment. The owner or operator must document the equipment, process units, and facilities for which the alternative work practice will be used to identify leaks.

(2) Any leak detected when following the leak survey procedure in paragraph (g)(3) of this section must be identified for repair as required in the applicable subpart.

(3) If the alternative work practice is used to identify leaks, re-screening after an attempted repair of leaking equipment must be conducted using either the alternative work practice or the 40 CFR part 60, appendix A-7, Method 21 monitor at the leak definition required in the applicable subparts to which the equipment is subject.

(4) The schedule for repair is as required in the applicable subpart.

(5) When this alternative work practice is used for detecting leaking equipment, choose one of the monitoring frequencies listed in Table 3 to subpart A of this part, in lieu of the monitoring frequency specified for regulated equipment in the applicable subpart. Reduced monitoring frequencies for good performance are not applicable when using the alternative work practice.

(6) When this alternative work practice is used for detecting leaking equipment, the following are not applicable for the equipment being monitored:

(7) When the alternative work practice is used to detect leaking equipment, the regulated equipment in paragraph (f)(1)(i) of this section must also be monitored annually using a 40 CFR part 60, appendix A-7, Method 21 monitor at the leak definition required in the applicable subpart. The owner or operator may choose the specific monitoring period (for example, first quarter) to conduct the annual monitoring. Subsequent monitoring must be conducted every 12 months from the initial period. Owners or operators must keep records of the annual Method 21 screening results, as specified in paragraph (i)(4)(vii) of this section.

(1) Instrument specifications. The optical gas imaging instrument must comply with the requirements specified in paragraphs (g)(1)(i) and (g)(1)(ii) of this section.

(2) Daily instrument check. On a daily basis, and prior to beginning any leak monitoring work, test the optical gas imaging instrument at the mass flow rate determined in paragraph (g)(2)(i) of this section in accordance with the procedure specified in paragraphs (g)(2)(ii) through (g)(2)(iv) of this section for each camera configuration used during monitoring (for example, different lenses used), unless an alternative method to demonstrate daily instrument checks has been approved in accordance with paragraph (g)(2)(v) of this section.

(i) Calculate the mass flow rate to be used in the daily instrument check by following the procedures in paragraphs (g)(2)(i)(A) and (g)(2)(i)(B) of this section.

(A) For a specified population of equipment to be imaged by the instrument, determine the piece of equipment in contact with the lowest mass fraction of chemicals that are detectable, within the distance to be used in paragraph (g)(2)(iv)(B) of this section, at or below the standard detection sensitivity level.

(B) Multiply the standard detection sensitivity level, corresponding to the selected monitoring frequency in Table 3 of subpart A of this part, by the mass fraction of detectable chemicals from the stream identified in paragraph (g)(2)(i)(A) of this section to determine the mass flow rate to be used in the daily instrument check, using the following equation.

Where:

E_dic = Mass flow rate for the daily instrument check, grams per hour

x_i= Mass fraction of detectable chemical(s) i seen by the optical gas imaging instrument, within the distance to be used in paragraph (g)(2)(iv)(B) of this section, at or below the standard detection sensitivity level, E_sds.

E_sds = Standard detection sensitivity level from Table 3 to subpart A, grams per hour

k = Total number of detectable chemicals emitted from the leaking equipment and seen by the optical gas imaging instrument.

(3) Leak survey procedure. Operate the optical gas imaging instrument to image every regulated piece of equipment selected for this work practice in accordance with the instrument manufacturer's operating parameters. All emissions imaged by the optical gas imaging instrument are considered to be leaks and are subject to repair. All emissions visible to the naked eye are also considered to be leaks and are subject to repair.

(4) Recordkeeping. Keep the records described in paragraphs (g)(4)(i) through (g)(4)(vii) of this section:

(5) Reporting. Submit the reports required in the applicable subpart. Submit the records of the annual Method 21 screening required in paragraph (f)(7) of this section to the Administrator via e-mail to [email protected].