NR 440.647(2)(a)46.46. “Process unit” means equipment assembled to perform any of the physical and chemical operations in the production of polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene (general purpose, crystal or expandable) or poly(ethylene terephthalate) or one of their copolymers. A process unit can operate independently if supplied with sufficient feed or raw materials and sufficient storage facilities for the product. Examples of process units are raw materials handling and monomer recovery.

NR 440.647(2)(a)47.47. “Product finishing section” means the equipment that treats, shapes or modifies the polymer or resin to produce the finished end product of the particular facility, including equipment that prepares the product for product finishing. For the purposes of these standards, the product finishing section begins with the equipment used to transfer the polymerized product from the polymerization reaction section and ends with the last piece of equipment that modifies the characteristics of the polymer. Product finishing equipment may accomplish product separation, extruding and pelletizing, cooling and drying, blending, additives introduction, curing or annealing. Equipment used to separate unreacted or by-product material from the product are to be included in this process section, provided the material separated from the polymer product is not recovered at the time the process section becomes an affected facility. If the material is being recovered, then the separation equipment are to be included in the material recovery section. Product finishing does not include polymerization, the physical mixing of the pellets to obtain a homogenous mixture of the polymer except as provided in this subdivision or the shaping, such as fiber spinning, molding or fabricating, or modification, such as fiber stretching and crimping, of the finished end product. If physical mixing occurs in equipment located between product finishing equipment, that is, before all the chemical and physical characteristics have been ‘set‘ by virtue of having passed through the last piece of equipment in the product finishing section, then the equipment is to be included in this process section. Equipment used to physically mix the finished product that is located after the last piece of equipment in the product finishing section is part of the product storage section.

NR 440.647(2)(a)48.48. “Product storage section” means the equipment that is designed to store the finished polymer or resin end product of the particular facility. For the purposes of these standards, the product storage section begins with the equipment used to transfer the finished product out of the product finishing section and ends with the containers used to store the final product. Any equipment used after the product finishing section to recover unreacted or by-product material are to be considered part of a material recovery section. Product storage does not include any intentional modification of the characteristics of any polymer or resin product, but does include equipment that provides a uniform mixture of product, provided the equipment is used after the last product finishing piece of equipment. This process section also does not include the shipment of a finished polymer or resin product to another facility for further finishing or fabrication.

NR 440.647(2)(a)49.49. “Raw materials preparation section” means the equipment located at a polymer manufacturing plant designed to prepare raw materials, such as monomers and solvents, for polymerization. For the purposes of these standards, this process section begins with the equipment used to transfer raw materials from storage and recovered material from material recovery process sections, and ends with the last piece of equipment that prepares the material for polymerization. The raw materials preparation section may include equipment that accomplishes purification, drying or other treatment of raw materials or of raw and recovered materials together, activation of catalysts, and esterification including the formation of some short polymer chains (oligomers), but does not include equipment that is designed primarily to accomplish the formation of oligomers, the treatment of recovered materials alone or the storage of raw materials.

NR 440.647(2)(a)50.50. “Recovery system” means an individual unit or series of material recovery units, such as absorbers, condensers and carbon adsorbers, used for recovering volatile organic compounds.

NR 440.647(2)(a)51.51. “Total organic compounds” or “TOC” means those compounds measured according to the procedures specified in sub. (6).

NR 440.647(2)(a)52.52. “Uncontrolled emission rate” means the emission rate of a vent stream that vents directly to the atmosphere and the emission rate of a vent stream to the atmosphere that would occur in the absence of any add-on control devices but after any material recovery devices that constitute part of the normal material recovery operations in a process line where potential emissions are recovered for recycle or resale.

NR 440.647(2)(a)53.53. “Vent stream” means any gas stream released to the atmosphere directly from an emission source or indirectly either through another piece of process equipment or a material recovery device that constitutes part of the normal recovery operations in a polymer process line where potential emissions are recovered for recycle or resale, and any gas stream directed to an air pollution control device. The emissions released from an air pollution control device are not considered a vent stream unless, as noted in this subdivision, the control device is part of the normal material recovery operations in a polymer process line where potential emissions are recovered for recycle or resale.

NR 440.647(2)(a)54.54. “Volatile organic compounds” or “VOC” means, for the purposes of these standards, any reactive organic compounds as defined in s. NR 440.02.

NR 440.647(3)(a)(a) Each owner or operator of a polypropylene, low density polyethylene or high density polyethylene process line containing a process section subject to the provisions of this section shall comply with the provisions in this subsection on and after the date on which the initial performance test required by s. NR 440.08 is completed, but not later than 60 days after achieving the maximum production rate at which the affected facility will be operated, or 180 days after initial startup, whichever comes first.

NR 440.647(3)(a)1.1. ’Continuous emissions.’ For each vent stream that emits continuous emissions from an affected facility as defined in sub. (1) (a) 1., the owner or operator shall use the procedures identified in subd. 1. b. and c. for determining which continuous emissions are to be controlled and which level of control listed in subd. 1. a. is to be met. The owner or operator shall use the procedures identified in subd. 1. b. and c. each time a process section is constructed, modified or reconstructed at the plant site.

NR 440.647(3)(a)1.a.a. Level of control. Continuous emission streams determined to be subject to control pursuant to the procedures identified in subd. 1. b. and c., as applicable, shall meet one of the control levels identified in subd. 1. a. 1) to 4). The procedures in subd. 1. b. and c. identify which level of control may be met. The level of control identified in subd. 1. a. 4) is limited to certain continuous emission streams, which are identified through the procedures in subd. 1. b. and c.

1) Reduce emissions of total organic compounds (minus methane and ethane) (TOC) by 98 weight percent, or to a concentration of 20 parts per million by volume (ppmv) on a dry basis, whichever is less stringent. The TOC is expressed as the sum of the actual compounds, not carbon equivalents. If an owner or operator elects to comply with the 20 ppmv standard, the concentration shall include a correction to 3% oxygen only when supplemental combustion air is used to combust the vent stream.

NR 440.647(3)(a)1.b.b. Uncontrolled continuous emissions. For each vent stream that emits continuous emissions from an affected facility as defined in sub. (1) (a) 1. and that is not controlled in an existing control device, the owner or operator shall use the procedures identified in Table 3 to identify those continuous emissions from each constructed, modified or reconstructed affected facility that are to be controlled. The owner shall include in the procedure all uncontrolled continuous vent streams from previously constructed, modified, or reconstructed affected facilities at the plant site each time a process section is constructed, modified or reconstructed at the plant site. In applying the procedures shown in Table 3, the stream characteristics may be either measured or calculated as specified in sub. (6) (d). For modified or reconstructed affected facilities, these stream characteristics are to be determined after a modification or reconstruction determination has been made by the department, but before any actual changes have been undertaken, and then again after the actual changes have been made. Figure 1 provides a summary overview of the control determination procedure described in Table 3.