Chapter NR 449

Chapter NR 449

CONTROL OF VINYL CHLORIDE EMISSIONS

NR 449.01   Applicability; purpose.

NR 449.02   Definitions.

NR 449.03   Exemptions.

NR 449.04   Emission standards for ethylene dichloride plants.

NR 449.05   Emission standard for vinyl chloride plants.

NR 449.06   Emission standards for polyvinyl chloride plants.

NR 449.07   Emission standards for ethylene dichloride, vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride plants.

NR 449.08   Equivalent equipment and procedures.

NR 449.09   Emission tests.

NR 449.10   Emission monitoring.

NR 449.11   Initial report.

NR 449.12   Semiannual report.

NR 449.13   Recordkeeping.

Ch. NR 449 Note Note: Corrections made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, January, 1997, No. 493.

NR 449.01 NR 449.01 Applicability; purpose.

NR 449.01(1) (1) Applicability. This chapter applies to plants which produce ethylene dichloride by reaction of oxygen and hydrogen chloride with ethylene, vinyl chloride by any process, one or more polymers containing any fraction of polymerized vinyl chloride and any combination of these products and to all owners and operators of these plants.

NR 449.01(2) (2) Purpose. This chapter is adopted under ss. 285.11, 285.13, 285.17 and 285.27, Stats., to establish emission limitations and sampling and testing procedures for vinyl chloride air contaminant sources and to create additional monitoring, reporting and recordkeeping requirements for owners or operators of a vinyl chloride air contaminant source in order to protect air quality.

NR 449.01 Note Note: This chapter is based on the federal regulations contained in 40 CFR part 61, Subpart F, as last revised on October 17, 2000.

NR 449.01 History History: Renum. from NR 154.19 (6) (a) and am., cr. (2), Register, September 1986, No. 369, eff. 10-1-86; am. (1), Register, May, 1992, No. 437, eff. 6-1-92.

NR 449.02 NR 449.02 Definitions. The definitions contained in ch. NR 400 apply to the terms used in this chapter. In addition, the following definitions apply to the terms used in this chapter:

NR 449.02(1) (1) “Bulk resin” means a resin which is produced by a polymerization process in which no water is used.

NR 449.02(2) (2) “Dispersion resin” means a resin manufactured in such a way as to form fluid dispersions when dispersed in a plasticizer or a plasticizer and diluent mixture.

NR 449.02(3) (3) “Ethylene dichloride plant” includes any plant which produces ethylene dichloride by reaction of oxygen and hydrogen chloride with ethylene.

NR 449.02(4) (4) “Ethylene dichloride purification” includes any part of the process of ethylene dichloride production which follows ethylene dichloride formation and in which finished ethylene dichloride is produced.

NR 449.02(5) (5) “Grade of resin” means the subdivision of resin classification which describes it as a unique resin, i.e., the most exact description of a resin with no further subdivision.

NR 449.02(6) (6) “Inprocess wastewater” means any water which, during manufacturing or processing, comes into direct contact with vinyl chloride or polyvinyl chloride or results from the production or use of any raw material, intermediate product, finished product, by-product, or waste product containing vinyl chloride or polyvinyl chloride but which has not been discharged to a wastewater treatment process or discharged untreated as wastewater.

NR 449.02(7) (7) “In vinyl chloride service” means a piece of equipment that contains or contacts either a liquid that is at least 10% by weight vinyl chloride or a gas that is at least 10% by volume vinyl chloride.

NR 449.02(8) (8) “Latex resin” means a resin which is produced by a polymerization process which initiates from free radical catalyst sites and is sold undried.

NR 449.02(9) (9) “Polyvinyl chloride plant” includes any plant where vinyl chloride alone or in combination with other materials is polymerized.

NR 449.02(10) (10) “Reactor” means a vat or vessel, which may be jacketed to permit temperature control, designed to contain chemical reactions.

NR 449.02(10m) (10m) “Run” means the net period of time during which an emission sample is collected.

NR 449.02(11) (11) “Slip gauge” means a gauge which has a probe that moves through the gas to liquid interface in a storage or transfer vessel and indicates the level of vinyl chloride in the vessel by the physical state of the material the gauge discharges.

NR 449.02(11m) (11m) “Standard operating procedure” means a formal written procedure officially adopted by the plant owner or operator and available on a routine basis to those persons responsible for carrying out the procedure.

NR 449.02(12) (12) “Stripper” includes any vessel in which residual vinyl chloride is removed from polyvinyl chloride resin, except bulk resin, in the slurry form by the use of heat or vacuum, or both. In the case of bulk resin, stripper includes any vessel which is used to remove residual vinyl chloride from polyvinyl chloride resin immediately following the polymerization step in the plant process flow.

NR 449.02(13) (13) “Type of resin” means the broad classification of resin referring to the basic manufacturing process for producing that resin, including, but not limited to, the suspension, dispersion, latex, bulk and solution processes.

NR 449.02(14) (14) “Vinyl chloride plant” includes any plant which produces vinyl chloride by any process.

NR 449.02(15) (15) “Vinyl chloride purification” includes any part of the process of vinyl chloride production which follows vinyl chloride formation and in which finished vinyl chloride is produced.

NR 449.02(16) (16) “Vinyl chloride reactor” includes any vessel in which vinyl chloride is partially or totally polymerized into polyvinyl chloride.

NR 449.02(17) (17) “Vinyl chloride reactor opening loss” means the emission of vinyl chloride occurring when a reactor is vented to the atmosphere for any purpose other than an emergency relief discharge as defined in ss. NR 449.06 (1) (c) and 449.07 (1).

NR 449.02(18) (18) “Wastewater treatment process” includes any process which modifies characteristics such as biological or chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, or pH, usually for the purpose of meeting effluent guidelines and standards, but does not include any process the purpose of which is to remove vinyl chloride from water to meet requirements of this chapter.

NR 449.02 History History: Renum. from NR 154.01, cr. (intro.) and (10), Register, September, 1986, No. 369, eff. 10-1-86; (10m), (11m), and (18), renum. from NR 400.02 (82), (92) and (101), Register, May, 1992, No. 437, eff. 6-1-92; am. (intro.), Register, December, 1995, No. 480, eff. 1-1-96; CR 02-097: am. (intro.), Register June 2004 No. 582, eff. 7-1-04.

NR 449.03 NR 449.03 Exemptions.

NR 449.03(1) (1) Exemption. This chapter does not apply to equipment used in research and development if the reactor used to polymerize the vinyl chloride processed in the equipment has a capacity of no more than 0.19 cubic meters (50 gallons).

NR 449.03(2) (2) Partial exemption. Sections of this chapter other than ss. NR 449.06 (1) (a), (2), (3), (4), 449.09 to 449.13 do not apply to equipment used in research and development if the reactor used to polymerize the vinyl chloride processed in the equipment has a capacity of greater than 0.19 cubic meters (50 gallons) and no more than 4.07 cubic meters (1100 gallons).

NR 449.03 History History: Renum. from NR 154.19 (6) (b) and (c) and am. Register, September, 1986, No. 369, eff. 10-1-86.

NR 449.04 NR 449.04 Emission standards for ethylene dichloride plants.

NR 449.04(1) (1) Ethylene dichloride purification. The concentration of vinyl chloride in all exhaust gases discharged to the atmosphere from any equipment used in ethylene dichloride purification may not exceed 10 parts per million, except as provided in s. NR 449.07 (1). This requirement does not apply to equipment that has been opened, is out of operation, and met the requirement in s. NR 449.07 (2) (f) 1. before being opened.

NR 449.04(2) (2) Oxychlorination reactor. Except as provided in s. NR 449.07 (1), emissions of vinyl chloride to the atmosphere from each oxychlorination reactor may not exceed 0.20 gram/kilogram (0.00020 pound/pound) of the 100% ethylene dichloride product from the oxychlorination process.

NR 449.04 History History: Renum. from NR 154.19 (6) (d) and am. Register, September, 1986, No. 369, eff. 10-1-86; am. (2), Register, May, 1992, No. 437, eff. 6-1-92.

NR 449.05 NR 449.05 Emission standard for vinyl chloride plants. An owner or operator of a vinyl chloride plant shall comply with the requirements of this section and s. NR 449.07.

NR 449.05(1) (1) Vinyl chloride formation and purification. The concentration of vinyl chloride in all exhaust gases discharged to the atmosphere from any equipment used in vinyl chloride formation or purification, or both, may not exceed 10 parts per million, except as provided in s. NR 449.07 (1). This requirement does not apply to equipment that has been opened, is out of operation, and met the requirement in s. NR 449.07 (2) (f) 1. before being opened.

NR 449.05 History History: Renum. from NR 154.19 (6) (e) and am. Register, September, 1986, No. 369, eff. 10-1-86.

NR 449.06 NR 449.06 Emission standards for polyvinyl chloride plants. An owner or operator of a polyvinyl chloride plant shall comply with the requirements of this section and s. NR 449.07.

NR 449.06(1) (1) Requirements for vinyl chloride reactors.

NR 449.06(1)(a) (a) The concentration of vinyl chloride in all exhaust gases discharged to the atmosphere from each vinyl chloride reactor may not exceed 10 parts per million, except as provided in par. (b) and s. NR 449.07 (1).