96.71—Initial certification and recertification procedures
(a)
The owner or operator of a NOX Budget unit that is subject to an Acid Rain emissions limitation shall comply with the initial certification and recertification procedures of part 75 of this chapter, except that:
(1)
If, prior to January 1, 1998, the Administrator approved a petition under § 75.17(a) or (b) of this chapter for apportioning the NOX emission rate measured in a common stack or a petition under § 75.66 of this chapter for an alternative to a requirement in § 75.17 of this chapter, the NOX authorized account representative shall resubmit the petition to the Administrator under § 96.75(a) to determine if the approval applies under the NOX Budget Trading Program.
(2)
For any additional CEMS required under the common stack provisions in § 75.72 of this chapter, or for any NOX concentration CEMS used under the provisions of § 75.71(a)(2) of this chapter, the owner or operator shall meet the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section.
(b)
The owner or operator of a NOX 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 § 75.19 shall also meet the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section and the owner or operator of a unit that qualifies to use an alternative monitoring system under subpart E of part 75 of this chapter shall also meet the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section. The owner or operator of a NOX Budget unit that is subject to an Acid Rain emissions limitation, but requires additional CEMS under the common stack provisions in § 75.72 of this chapter, or that uses a NOX concentration CEMS under § 75.71(a)(2) of this chapter also shall comply with the following initial certification and recertification procedures.
(1) Requirements for initial certification.
The owner or operator shall ensure that each monitoring system required by subpart H of part 75 of this chapter (which includes the automated data acquisition and handling system) successfully completes all of the initial certification testing required under § 75.20 of this chapter. The owner or operator shall ensure that all applicable certification tests are successfully completed by the deadlines specified in § 96.70(b). 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 monitoring system was previously installed, initial certification according to § 75.20 is required.
(2) Requirements for recertification.
Whenever the owner or operator makes a replacement, modification, or change in a certified monitoring system that the Administrator or the permitting authority determines significantly affects the ability of the system to accurately measure or record NOX mass emissions or heat input or to meet the requirements of § 75.21 of this chapter or appendix B to part 75 of this chapter, the owner or operator shall recertify the monitoring system according to § 75.20(b) of this chapter. Furthermore, whenever the owner or operator makes a replacement, modification, or change to the flue gas handling system or the unit's operation that the Administrator or the permitting authority determines to significantly change the flow or concentration profile, the owner or operator shall recertify the continuous emissions monitoring system according to § 75.20(b) of this chapter. Examples of changes which require recertification include: replacement of the analyzer, change in location or orientation of the sampling probe or site, or changing of flow rate monitor polynomial coefficients.
(3) Certification approval process for initial certifications and recertification.
(i) Notification of certification.
The NOX authorized account representative shall submit to the permitting authority, the appropriate EPA Regional Office and the permitting authority a written notice of the dates of certification in accordance with § 96.73.
(ii) Certification application.
The NOX authorized account representative shall submit to the permitting authority a certification application for each monitoring system required under subpart H of part 75 of this chapter. A complete certification application shall include the information specified in subpart H of part 75 of this chapter.
(iii)
Except for units using the low mass emission excepted methodology under § 75.19 of this chapter, the provisional certification date for a monitor shall be determined using the procedures set forth in § 75.20(a)(3) of this chapter. A provisionally certified monitor may be used under the NOX 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 or component thereof under paragraph (b)(3)(ii) of this section. Data measured and recorded by the provisionally certified monitoring system or component thereof, in accordance with the requirements of part 75 of this chapter, will 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.
(iv) Certification application formal approval process.
The permitting authority will 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 paragraph (b)(3)(ii) of this section. In the event the permitting authority does not issue such a notice within such 120-day period, each monitoring system which meets the applicable performance requirements of part 75 of this chapter and is included in the certification application will be deemed certified for use under the NOX Budget Trading Program.
(A) Approval notice.
If the certification application is complete and shows that each monitoring system meets the applicable performance requirements of part 75 of this chapter, then the permitting authority will issue a written notice of approval of the certification application within 120 days of receipt.
(B) Incomplete application notice.
A certification application will be considered complete when all of the applicable information required to be submitted under paragraph (b)(3)(ii) of this section 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 NOX authorized account representative must submit the additional information required to complete the certification application. If the NOX 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 paragraph (b)(3)(iv)(C) of this section.
(C) Disapproval notice.
If the certification application shows that any monitoring system or component thereof does not meet the performance requirements of this part, or if the certification application is incomplete and the requirement for disapproval under paragraph (b)(3)(iv)(B) of this section 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 or component thereof 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 paragraph (b)(3)(v) of this section for each monitoring system or component thereof which is disapproved for initial certification.
(D) Audit decertification.
The permitting authority may issue a notice of disapproval of the certification status of a monitor in accordance with § 96.72(b).
(v) Procedures for loss of certification.
If the permitting authority issues a notice of disapproval of a certification application under paragraph (b)(3)(iv)(C) of this section or a notice of disapproval of certification status under paragraph (b)(3)(iv)(D) of this section, then:
(A)
The owner or operator shall substitute the following values, for each hour of unit operation during the period of invalid data beginning with the date and hour of provisional certification and continuing until the time, date, and hour specified under § 75.20(a)(5)(i) of this chapter :
(1) For units using or intending to monitor for NOX emission rate and heat input or for units using the low mass emission excepted methodology under § 75.19 of this chapter, the maximum potential NOX emission rate and the maximum potential hourly heat input of the unit.
(2) For units intending to monitor for NOX mass emissions using a NOX pollutant concentration monitor and a flow monitor, the maximum potential concentration of NOX and the maximum potential flow rate of the unit under section 2.1 of appendix A of part 75 of this chapter ;
(B)
The NOX authorized account representative shall submit a notification of certification retest dates and a new certification application in accordance with paragraphs (b)(3)(i) and (ii) of this section; and
(C)
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) Initial certification and recertification procedures for low mass emission units using the excepted methodologies under
The owner or operator of a gas-fired or oil-fired unit using the low mass emissions excepted methodology under § 75.19 of this chapter shall meet the applicable general operating requirements of § 75.10 of this chapter, the applicable requirements of § 75.19 of this chapter, and the applicable certification requirements of § 96.71 of this chapter, except that the excepted methodology shall be deemed provisionally certified for use under the NOX Budget Trading Program, as of the following dates:
(i)
For a unit that has commences operation before its compliance deadline under § 96.71(b), from January 1 of the year following submission of the certification application for approval to use the low mass emissions excepted methodology under § 75.19 of this chapter until the completion of the period for the permitting authority review; or
(ii)
For a unit that commences operation after its compliance deadline under § 96.71(b), the date of submission of the certification application for approval to use the low mass emissions excepted methodology under § 75.19 of this chapter until the completion of the period for permitting authority review, or
(i)
For a unit that commenced operation before its compliance deadline under § 96.71(b), where the certification application is submitted before May 1, from May 1 of the year of the submission of the certification application for approval to use the low mass emissions excepted methodology under § 75.19 of this chapter until the completion of the period for the permitting authority review; or
(ii)
For a unit that commenced operation before its compliance deadline under § 96.71(b), where the certification application is submitted after May 1, from May 1 of the year following submission of the certification application for approval to use the low mass emissions excepted methodology under § 75.19 of this chapter until the completion of the period for the permitting authority review; or
(iii)
For a unit that commences operation after its compliance deadline under § 96.71(b), where the unit commences operation before May 1, from May 1 of the year that the unit commenced operation, until the completion of the period for the permitting authority's review.
(iv)
For a unit that has not operated after its compliance deadline under § 96.71(b), where the certification application is submitted after May 1, but before October 1st, from the date of submission of a certification application for approval to use the low mass emissions excepted methodology under § 75.19 of this chapter until the completion of the period for the permitting authority's review.
(d) Certification/recertification procedures for alternative monitoring systems.
The NOX 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 part 75 of this chapter shall apply for certification to the permitting authority prior to use of the system under the NOX Trading Program. The NOX authorized account representative shall apply for recertification following a replacement, modification or change according to the procedures in paragraph (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 paragraph (b)(3) of this section and § 75.20(f) of this chapter .