[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 31, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-21490]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: August 31, 1994]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 63
[AD-FRL-5063-2]
Federal Standards for Marine Tank Vessel Loading and Unloading
Operations and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
for Marine Tank Vessel Loading and Unloading Operations
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Reopening of public comment period.
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SUMMARY: On May 13, 1994 (57 FR 25004), the EPA proposed standards to
regulate the emissions of volatile organic compounds VOC) and hazardous
air pollutants (HAP) from new and existing marine tank vessel loading
and unloading operations which are part of major sources under section
112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The initial public comment period
closed on July 18, 1994. On July 15, 1994, (59 FR 36130), the EPA
proposed standards to regulate the emissions of HAP from petroleum
refineries that are major sources under section 112 of the CAA. In the
proposed rule for petroleum refineries, the EPA requested comments on
the concept of expanding the petroleum refinery source category to
include marine vessel loading and unloading operations subject to the
requirements of section 112 of the CAA that occur at refineries. With
this notice, the EPA reopens the comment period on the marine tank
vessel loading and unloading operations to request comment on amending
both the Marine Tank Vessel Loading and Unloading and Petroleum
Refinery source categories to move marine terminals collocated at
refineries from the Marine Tank Vessel Loading and Unloading source
category to the Petroleum Refinery source category.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 30, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Comments. Comments should be submitted (in duplicate if
possible) to the EPA's Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center
(6102), ATTN: Docket Number A-90-44, Room M1500, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460.
Dockets. The following dockets contain supporting information used
in developing the proposed provisions. Docket Number A-90-44 contains
general information used to characterize emissions and control costs
for marine tank vessel loading and unloading operations and Docket A-
93-48 contains information on petroleum refineries. These dockets are
available for public inspection and copying between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00
p.m., Monday through Friday, at the EPA's Air and Radiation Docket and
Information Center, Waterside Mall, Room M1500, 410 M Street, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20460. A reasonable fee may be charged for copying.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
On technical issues, David Markwordt, Chemicals and Petroleum Branch,
Emission Standards Division (MD-13), U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle
Park, North Carolina 27711, telephone number (919) 541-0837. For
further information on the legal issue addressed in this notice,
contact Michael S. Winer, Assistant General Counsel, Air and Radiation
Division (2344), Office of General Counsel, Environmental Protection
Agency, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460, telephone number
(202) 260-7606.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 13, 1994 (59 FR 25004), the EPA
proposed standards to regulate the emissions of VOC and HAP from new
and existing marine tank vessel loading and unloading operations which
are part of major sources under section 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA).
The comment period on the proposed rule ended on July 18, 1994. This
notice reopens the public comment period for the proposed rule.
However, only comments limited to the subject described below will be
considered at this time.
The category of major sources for marine vessel loading and
unloading operations includes marine terminals which emit chemicals
listed under section 112 from the direct loading and unloading of bulk
liquids from marine vessels at marine terminals. With the exception of
offshore vessel-to-vessel bulk liquid transfer operations (i.e.,
lightering operations), all marine vessel terminals are included in the
category of major sources for marine vessel loading and unloading
operations. Marine vessel terminals collocated at refineries are not
part of the petroleum refinery source category.
In the petroleum refinery rule, the EPA is proposing that emissions
averaging be allowed for miscellaneous process vents, storage tanks,
and wastewater streams within petroleum refineries. The EPA requested
comments on whether emissions averaging should be included in the final
rule, and on specific features of the proposed emissions averaging
provisions.
The petroleum refinery proposed rule addresses only the 4 emission
points in refinery operations. The EPA requested comments on the
concept of expanding the petroleum refinery source category to include
marine vessel loading and unloading operations subject to the
requirements of section 112 that occur at refineries. The marine vessel
requirements proposed for purposes of compliance with section 183(f),
however, would remain unchanged. If the above change is made to the
petroleum refinery source category, the source category currently
listed in accordance with section 112(c) as Marine Tank Vessel Loading
and Unloading Operations would be split into two parts--those which are
collocated at refineries and those which are not. The ones collocated
at refineries would be combined with and become part of the refinery
source category. The source category list would be amended accordingly.
The purpose would be to allow emissions averaging between the HAP
emissions from marine vessel loading and unloading and the HAP
emissions from the refinery emission points identified in the petroleum
refinery rule as suitable for emissions averaging. It appears that in
some cases, there may be opportunities to control some of these
emission points (e.g. storage tanks) more cost-effectively than marine
vessel loading and unloading operations. In other cases, it may be more
cost effective to control marine vessel operation emissions than the
refinery emission points. Integrating marine loading and unloading
operations into the refinery category and utilizing emissions averaging
may provide an opportunity for more emissions reductions at a lower
cost than would occur if the categories remain separate. In addition,
because of the 10 percent discount factor, additional emissions
reduction will be achieved if emissions averaging is used.
If the suggested approach were adopted, the limitations of the
proposed emissions averaging provisions included in the petroleum
refinery proposal would also apply to the loading and unloading
operations. With regard to calculating the emissions for purposes of
averaging, the May 13 marine vessel operations proposal included
procedures for determining HAP emissions from marine vessel loading
operations for purposes of determining applicability of the rule; the
EPA solicited comment on these procedures. These emission estimating
procedures will also be considered for the purpose of emission
averaging. The promulgation date, and thus the compliance date, for the
marine vessel loading and unloading standard is currently expected to
be earlier than the petroleum refinery standard. The EPA requests
comments on whether and how these compliance dates should be made
consistent, and what legal factors should be considered.
The EPA's database which serves as the basis for the May 13
proposed rule for marine vessels does not identify which loading and
unloading operations occur at refineries as opposed to other types of
plants. However, the EPA has no data to indicate that marine vessel
loading operations at refineries are dissimilar to marine vessel
loading operations located at other facilities or that their control
levels differ. Therefore, the EPA anticipates that the floors for
neither the petroleum refinery nor the marine vessel rules would be
affected by redefining the source categories as described.
If the EPA expands the refinery source category to include marine
vessel loading and unloading operations, loading operations at
refineries would have an opportunity to average emissions and reduce
costs. In addition, they would be required to achieve additional
emission reductions in accordance with the 10 percent discount
requirement contained in the emissions averaging provisions. Loading
operations that stand alone would not have this same opportunity to
reduce costs. Public comment is solicited on the magnitude of these
impacts and the appropriateness of this distinction.
Some marine terminals handle products with low concentrations of
HAP's but high concentrations of non-HAP VOC. In such circumstances, it
may be cost-effective to forego control of HAP's from marine terminals
by over controlling HAP's from another emission point. If, however, the
emission point being controlled does not offset the non-HAP VOC
foregone by not controlling the marine terminals, a net increase in
non-HAP VOC could result. The EPA solicits comments on what
considerations should be given to this type of situation in deciding to
combine marine terminals and refineries for the purpose of emission
averaging.
The EPA requests comment on the extent to which emissions averaging
between marine vessel loading and unloading operations and other
refinery operations could result in exposure spikes. This could occur
if batch emission streams were left uncontrolled in exchange for
control of continuous emission streams, or vice versa.
The EPA also requests that commenters submit data on possible
emission factors and/or alternative emission calculation procedures for
marine vessel operations for consideration in the final rule.
Dated: August 24, 1994.
Mary Nichols,
Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 94-21490 Filed 8-30-94; 8:45 am]
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