REGION 5 HAS BEEN ONE OF THE FRONT RUNNING REGIONS TO EMPLOY COMPARATIVE MONITORING LDAR INVESTIGATIONS AT…

Public award description

REGION 5 HAS BEEN ONE OF THE FRONT RUNNING REGIONS TO EMPLOY COMPARATIVE MONITORING LDAR INVESTIGATIONS AT CHEMICAL PLANTS, REFINERIES, AND NATURAL GAS EXTRACTION PLANTS. THE CORE VIOLATION FOUND IS THE IMPROPER USE OF EPA REFERENCE METHOD 21, AND THIS IS PRIMARILY DETERMINED USING FLAME IONIZATION DETECTORS FROM OUR TOXIC VAPOR ANALYZERS. THE NUMEROUS INVESTIGATIONS CONDUCTED BY REGION 5 HAVE YIELDED SIGNIFICANT HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANT EMISSION REDUCTIONS THROUGH ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS TAKEN OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. THE REGION IS CONTINUING TO PURSUE LDAR ENFORCEMENT IN THE ENERGY EXTRACTION SECTOR (I.E. NATURAL GAS EXTRACTION PLANTS), CONSENT DECREE FOLLOW-UP INSPECTIONS FOR REFINERIES AND CHEMICAL PLANTS, AND PART 63 MACT CHEMICAL PLANTS. EPA REGION 5 CURRENTLY HAS 2 INSTRUMENTS, OF WHICH 1 UNIT IS READY TO BE RETIRED DUE TO AGE, WEAR AND TEAR, AND LACK OF RELIABILITY. THE OTHER INSTRUMENT IS STARTING TO AGE; HOWEVER IS STILL RELIABLE. EPA REGION 5 USES 2 TEAM APPROACHES FOR ITS COMPARATIVE MONITORING INVESTIGATIONS, AND A NEW INSTRUMENT WOULD ASSIST THE REGION IN BRINGING FORTH STRONG LDAR ENFORCEMENT CASES IN THE FUTURE.