Section 710. Initial certification and recertification procedures

A. The owner or operator of a NO_x Budget unit that is subject to an acid rain emissions limitation shall comply with the initial certification and recertification procedures of 40 CFR Part 75, except that:

1. If, prior to January 1, 1998, the administrator approved a petition under 40 CFR 75.17(a) or (b) for apportioning the NO_x emission rate measured in a common stack or a petition under 40 CFR 75.66 for an alternative to a requirement in 40 CFR 75.17, the NO_x authorized account representative shall resubmit the petition to the administrator under 9VAC5-140-750 A to determine if the approval applies under the NO_x Budget Trading Program.

2. For any additional CEMS required under the common stack provisions in 40 CFR 75.72, or for any NO_x concentration CEMS used under the provisions of 40 CFR 75.71(a)(2), the owner or operator shall meet the requirements of subsection B of this section.

B. The owner or operator of a NO_x Budget unit that is not subject to an acid rain emissions limitation shall comply with the following initial certification and recertification procedures, except that the owner or operator of a unit that qualifies to use the low mass emissions excepted monitoring methodology under 40 CFR 75.19 shall also meet the requirements of subsection C of this section and the owner or operator of a unit that qualifies to use an alternative monitoring system under Subpart E of 40 CFR Part 75 shall also meet the requirements of subsection D of this section. The owner or operator of a NO_x Budget unit that is subject to an acid rain emissions limitation, but requires additional CEMS under the common stack provisions in 40 CFR 75.72, or that uses a NO_x concentration CEMS under 40 CFR 75.71(a)(2) also shall comply with the following initial certification and recertification procedures.

1. The owner or operator shall ensure that each emission monitoring system required by Subpart H of 40 CFR Part 75 (that includes the automated data acquisition and handling system) successfully completes all of the initial certification testing required under 40 CFR 75.20. The owner or operator shall ensure that all applicable certification tests are successfully completed by the deadlines specified in 9VAC5-140-700 C. In addition, whenever the owner or operator installs a monitoring system in order to meet the requirements of this part in a location where no such emission monitoring system was previously installed, initial certification according to 40 CFR 75.20 is required.

2. Whenever the owner or operator makes a replacement, modification, or change in a certified emission monitoring system that may significantly affect the ability of the system to accurately measure or record NO_x mass emissions or heat input rate or to meet the requirements of 40 CFR 75.21 or Appendix B to 40 CFR Part 75, the owner or operator shall recertify the emission monitoring system according to 40 CFR 75.20(b). Furthermore, whenever the owner or operator makes a replacement, modification, or change to the flue gas handling system or the unit's operation that may significantly change the stack flow or concentration profile, the owner or operator shall recertify the continuous emissions monitoring system according to 40 CFR 75.20(b). Examples of changes that require recertification include: replacement of the analyzer, complete replacement of an existing continuous emission monitoring system, or change in location or orientation of the sampling probe or site.

3. a. The NO_x authorized account representative shall submit to the permitting authority, the EPA Region III Office and the administrator a written notice of the dates of certification in accordance with 9VAC5-140-730.

b. The NO_x authorized account representative shall submit to the permitting authority a certification application for each emission monitoring system required under Subpart H of 40 CFR Part 75. A complete certification application shall include the information specified in Subpart H of 40 CFR Part 75.

c. Except for units using the low mass emission excepted methodology under 40 CFR 75.19, the provisional certification date for a monitor shall be determined using the procedures set forth in 40 CFR 75.20(a)(3). A provisionally certified monitor may be used under the NO_x Budget Trading Program for a period not to exceed 120 days after receipt by the permitting authority of the complete certification application for the monitoring system under subdivision 3 b of this subsection. Data measured and recorded by the provisionally certified monitoring system, in accordance with the requirements of 40 CFR Part 75, shall be considered valid quality-assured data (retroactive to the date and time of provisional certification), provided that the permitting authority does not invalidate the provisional certification by issuing a notice of disapproval within 120 days of receipt of the complete certification application by the permitting authority.

d. The permitting authority shall issue a written notice of approval or disapproval of the certification application to the owner or operator within 120 days of receipt of the complete certification application under subdivision 3 b of this subsection. In the event the permitting authority does not issue such a notice within such 120-day period, each monitoring system that meets the applicable performance requirements of 40 CFR Part 75 and is included in the certification application will be deemed certified for use under the NO_x Budget Trading Program.

(1) If the certification application is complete and shows that each monitoring system meets the applicable performance requirements of 40 CFR Part 75, then the permitting authority will issue a written notice of approval of the certification application within 120 days of receipt.

(2) A certification application will be considered complete when all of the applicable information required to be submitted under subdivision 3 b of this subsection has been received by the permitting authority. If the certification application is not complete, then the permitting authority will issue a written notice of incompleteness that sets a reasonable date by which the NO_x authorized account representative shall submit the additional information required to complete the certification application. If the NO_x authorized account representative does not comply with the notice of incompleteness by the specified date, then the permitting authority may issue a notice of disapproval under subdivision 3 d (3) of this subsection.

(3) If the certification application shows that any monitoring system does not meet the performance requirements of this part, or if the certification application is incomplete and the requirement for disapproval under subdivision 3 d (2) of this subsection has been met, the permitting authority will issue a written notice of disapproval of the certification application. Upon issuance of such notice of disapproval, the provisional certification is invalidated by the permitting authority and the data measured and recorded by each uncertified monitoring system shall not be considered valid quality-assured data beginning with the date and hour of provisional certification. The owner or operator shall follow the procedures for loss of certification in subdivision 3 e of this subsection for each monitoring system that is disapproved for initial certification.

(4) The permitting authority may issue a notice of disapproval of the certification status of a monitor in accordance with 9VAC5-140-720 B.

e. If the permitting authority issues a notice of disapproval of a certification application under subdivision 3 d (3) of this subsection or a notice of disapproval of certification status under subdivision 3 d (4) of this subsection, then:

(1) The owner or operator shall substitute the following values, for each hour of unit operation during the period of invalid data specified under 40 CFR 75.20(a)(4)(iii), 40 CFR 75.20(b)(5), 40 CFR 75.20(h)(4), or 40 CFR 75.21(e) and continuing until the date and hour specified under 40 CFR 75.20(a)(5)(i):

(a) For units using or intending to monitor for NO_x emission rate and heat input or for units using the low mass emission excepted methodology under 40 CFR 75.19, the maximum potential NO_x emission rate and the maximum potential hourly heat input of the unit.

(b) For units intending to monitor for NO_x mass emissions using a NO_x pollutant concentration monitor and a flow monitor, the maximum potential concentration of NO_x and the maximum potential flow rate of the unit under section 2.1 of Appendix A of 40 CFR Part 75;

(2) The NO_x authorized account representative shall submit a notification of certification retest dates and a new certification application in accordance with subdivisions 3 a and b of this subsection; and

(3) The owner or operator shall repeat all certification tests or other requirements that were failed by the monitoring system, as indicated in the permitting authority's notice of disapproval, no later than 30 unit operating days after the date of issuance of the notice of disapproval.

C. The owner or operator of a gas-fired or oil-fired unit using the low mass emissions excepted methodology under 40 CFR 75.19 shall meet the applicable general operating requirements of 40 CFR 75.10 and the applicable requirements of 40 CFR 75.19. The owner or operator of such a unit shall also meet the applicable certification and recertification procedures of subsection B of this section, except that the excepted methodology shall be deemed provisionally certified for use under the NO_x Budget Trading Program as of the date on which the certification application is received by the administrator. The methodology shall be considered to be certified either upon receipt of a written notice of approval from the administrator or, if such notice is not provided, at the end of the administrator's 120-day review period. However, a provisionally certified or certified low mass emissions excepted methodology shall not be used to report data under the NO_x Budget Trading Program prior to the applicable commencement date specified in 40 CFR 75.19(a)(1)(ii).

D. The NO_x authorized account representative representing the owner or operator of each unit applying to monitor using an alternative monitoring system approved by the administrator and, if applicable, the permitting authority under Subpart E of 40 CFR Part 75 shall apply for certification to the permitting authority prior to use of the system under the NO_x Trading Program. The NO_x authorized account representative shall apply for recertification following a replacement, modification or change according to the procedures in subsection B of this section. The owner or operator of an alternative monitoring system shall comply with the notification and application requirements for certification according to the procedures specified in subdivision B 3 of this section and 40 CFR 75.20(f).

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 18, Issue 20, eff. July 17, 2002.

Statutory Authority

§§ 10.1-1308 and 10.1-1322.3 of the Code of Virginia.