(a) Alternative means of emission limitation. An owner or operator may request a determination of equivalence for an alternative means of emission limitation to the requirements of design, equipment, work practice, or operational standards of this part. If, in the judgment of the Administrator, an alternative means of emission limitation will achieve a reduction in regulated material emissions at least equivalent to the reduction in emissions from that source achieved under any design, equipment, work practice, or operational standards (but not performance standards) in this part, the Administrator will publish in the Federal Register a notice permitting the use of the alternative means for purposes of compliance with that requirement.
(1) The notice may condition the permission on requirements related to the operation and maintenance of the alternative means.
(2) Any such notice shall be published only after public notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
(b) Content of submittal.
(1) In order to obtain approval, any person seeking permission to use an alternative means of compliance under this section shall collect, verify, and submit to the Administrator information showing that the alternative means achieves equivalent emission reductions. An owner or operator seeking permission to use an alternative means of compliance who has not previously performed testing shall also submit a proposed test plan. If the owner or operator seeks permission to use an alternative means of compliance based on previously performed testing, they shall submit the results of that testing, a description of the procedures followed in testing or monitoring, and a description of pertinent conditions during testing or monitoring.
(2) The owner or operator who requests an alternative means of emission limitation shall submit a description of the proposed testing, monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting that will be used and the proposed basis for demonstrating compliance.
(3) For storage vessels, the owner or operator shall include the results of actual emissions tests using full-size or scale-model storage vessels that accurately collect and measure all regulated material emissions using a given control technique, and that accurately simulate wind and account for other emission variables such as temperature and barometric pressure, or an engineering analysis that the Administrator determines is an accurate method of determining equivalence.
(4) For proposed alternatives to equipment leak requirements, the owner or operator shall also submit the information and meet the requirements for alternative means of emission limitation specified in § 65.102(b) (alternative means of emission limitation).
(c) Manufacturers of equipment used to control equipment leaks of a regulated material may request a determination of equivalence for an alternative means of emission limitation for equipment leaks, as specified in § 65.102(c).
(d) Compliance. If the Administrator makes a determination that a means of emission limitation is a permissible alternative to the requirements of design, equipment, work practice, or operational standards of this part, the owner or operator shall either comply with the alternative or comply with the requirements of this part.