part_subject: "NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS"
subpart_code: "V"
subpart_subject: "National Emission Standard for Equipment Leaks (Fugitive Emission Sources)"
section_number: "61.242-7"
section_subject: "Standards: Valves."
cfr_reference: "40 CFR 61.242-7"
title_name: "Title 40"
title_subject: "Protection of Environment"
parts_covered: "Parts 61 to 62"
revised_date: "Revised as of July 1, 2019"
publication_date: "As of July 1, 2019"
contains_description: "Containing a codification of documents of general applicability and future effect"
publication_info: "Published by the Office of the Federal Register National Archives and Records Administration as a Special Edition of the Federal Register"
---
(a)Each valve shall be monitored monthly to detect leaks by the method specified in § 61.245(b) and shall comply with paragraphs (b)-(e), except as provided in paragraphs (f), (g), and (h) of this section, § 61.243-1 or § 61.243-2, and § 61.242-1(c).
(b)If an instrument reading of 10,000 ppm or greater is measured, a leak is detected.
(1)Any valve for which a leak is not detected for 2 successive months may be monitored the first month of every quarter, beginning with the next quarter, until a leak is detected.
(2)If a leak is detected, the valve shall be monitored monthly until a leak is not detected for 2 successive months.
(1)When a leak is detected, it shall be repaired as soon as practicable, but no later than 15 calendar days after the leak is detected, except as provided in § 61.242-10.
(2)A first attempt at repair shall be made no later than 5 calendar days after each leak is detected.
(e)First attempts at repair include, but are not limited to, the following best practices where practicable:
(4)Injection of lubricant into lubricated packing.
(f)Any valve that is designated, as described in § 61.246(e)(2), for no detectable emissions, as indicated by an instrument reading of less than 500 ppm above background, is exempt from the requirements of paragraph (a) if the valve:
(1)Has no external actuating mechanism in contact with the process fluid;
(2)Is operated with emissions less than 500 ppm above background, as measured by the method specified in § 61.245(c); and
(3)Is tested for compliance with paragraph (f)(2) initially upon designation, annually, and at other times requested by the Administrator.
(g)Any valve that is designated, as described in § 61.246(f)(1), as an unsafe-to-monitor valve is exempt from the requirements of paragraph (a) if:
(1)The owner or operator of the valve demonstrates that the valve is unsafe to monitor because monitoring personnel would be exposed to an immediate danger as a consequence of complying with paragraph (a); and
(2)The owner or operator of the valve has a written plan that requires monitoring of the valve as frequent as practicable during safe-to-monitor times.
(h)Any valve that is designated, as described in § 61.246(f)(2), as a difficult-to-monitor valve is exempt from the requirements of paragraph (a) if:
(1)The owner or operator of the valve demonstrates that the valve cannot be monitored without elevating the monitoring personnel more than 2 meters above a support surface;
(2)The process unit within which the valve is located is an existing process unit; and
(3)The owner or operator of the valve follows a written plan that requires monitoring of the valve at least once per calendar year.