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TITLE 30ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
PART 1TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
CHAPTER 115CONTROL OF AIR POLLUTION FROM VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
SUBCHAPTER CVOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND TRANSFER OPERATIONS
DIVISION 4CONTROL OF VEHICLE REFUELING EMISSIONS (STAGE II) AT MOTOR VEHICLE FUEL DISPENSING FACILITIES
RULE §115.242Control Requirements

(a) After May 16, 2012, the owner or operator of a newly constructed gasoline dispensing facility is no longer required to install Stage II vapor controls on its gasoline dispensing equipment in any county in the state of Texas. Gasoline dispensing facilities that did not have Stage II vapor controls as of May 16, 2012, due to a confirmed exemption because of low monthly throughput or low average monthly throughput are not subject to the requirements of this division.

(b) The owner or operator of every gasoline dispensing facility that has installed Stage II vapor controls shall complete decommissioning of Stage II vapor controls no later than August 31, 2018.

(c) All owners or operators of gasoline dispensing facilities decommissioning installed Stage II vapor controls shall comply with the requirements of §115.241 of this title (relating to Decommissioning of Stage II Vapor Recovery Equipment).

(d) Until the owner or operator of a gasoline dispensing facility decommissions Stage II vapor recovery controls that are installed at the gasoline dispensing facility, the owner or operator shall be subject to the following requirements of this section as well as the requirements of this division.

  (1) All installed Stage II vapor recovery systems must be certified by a California Air Resources Board (CARB) Executive Order in effect as of January 1, 2002, (as specified in §115.240(b) of this title (relating to Stage II Vapor Recovery Definitions and List of California Air Resources Board Certified Stage II Equipment)); or certified by a CARB Executive Order in effect after January 1, 2002, except that the executive director reserves the right to continue to recognize any CARB Executive Orders decertified after January 1, 2002; or certified by an alternative procedure that meets the requirements specified in §115.243 of this title (relating to Alternate Control Requirements). In addition:

    (A) Stage II vapor recovery balance systems that include vapor check valves in a location other than the nozzle may not be installed;

    (B) Stage II vapor recovery systems that include dual-hang (non-coaxial) hoses may not be installed; and

    (C) all Stage II vapor recovery systems must be onboard refueling vapor recovery (ORVR) compatible, as defined in §115.240 of this title.

  (2) All underground piping must be installed by a person holding a valid License A as defined in §§334.401, 334.407, and 334.424 of this title (relating to License and Registration Required; Other Requirements for an Underground Storage Tank Contractor; and Other Requirements for an On-Site Supervisor). Piping specifications must be in compliance with the applicable CARB Executive Order(s) or third-party certification for the Stage II vapor recovery system. For any facility newly constructed after November 15, 1993, or at any facility undergoing a major modification to the Stage II vapor recovery system after November 15, 1993, the following requirements apply where piping specifications are not provided in the applicable CARB Executive Order(s) or third-party certification.

    (A) All underground piping must be constructed of rigid material and conform to the applicable portions of the technical standards for new piping defined by §334.45(c) and (e) of this title (relating to Technical Standards for New Underground Storage Tank Systems).

    (B) Noncorrodible piping or cathodically protected metallic piping must be used. In the event metallic piping is used, the applicable portions of the general requirements for corrosion protection defined by §334.49(a)(1) - (5) and (c)(1) - (4) of this title (relating to Corrosion Protection) apply.

    (C) Minimum slope on vapor piping must be 1/8 inch per foot from the dispenser to the storage tank. Piping installed after January 1, 2002, must not include liquid collection points (condensate traps) unless the associated underground storage tanks:

      (i) were installed prior to November 15, 1992; and

      (ii) are not at sufficient depth to allow for minimum slope requirements.

    (D) Vapor piping on balance systems must be two inches or greater in diameter, and when there are more than four fueling points connected to one vapor line, the minimum vapor piping size must be three inches in diameter. For the purposes of this paragraph, a single nozzle dispenser constitutes one fueling point and a multi-nozzle dispenser constitutes two fueling points.

    (E) Riser piping must have a minimum inside diameter of one inch and must slope towards the storage tank at all points. Riser piping is defined as the predominantly vertically oriented vapor recovery piping that enters the gasoline dispenser base, which connects the dispenser mounted piping with the buried vapor recovery piping that leads to one or more storage tanks.

    (F) If a fire protection agency with jurisdiction requires a vapor shear valve on the vapor return line at the base of a dispenser, the shear valve must be CARB-certified and/or Underwriters Laboratories listed for use in vapor recovery systems.

  (3) The owner or operator shall maintain the Stage II vapor recovery system in proper operating condition, as specified by the manufacturer and/or any applicable CARB Executive Order(s) or third-party certification, and free of defects that would impair the effectiveness of the system, including, but not limited to:

    (A) absence or disconnection of any component that is a part of the approved system;

    (B) a vapor hose that is crimped or flattened such that the vapor passage is blocked, or the backpressure through the vapor system exceeds the value as certified in the approved system's CARB Executive Order(s) or third-party certification;

    (C) a nozzle boot that is torn in one or more of the following ways:

      (i) a triangular-shaped or similar tear more than 1/2 inch on a side;

      (ii) a hole more than 1/2 inch in diameter; or

      (iii) a slit more than one inch in length;

    (D) for balance nozzles, a faceplate that is damaged such that the capability to achieve a seal with a fill pipe interface is affected for a total of at least one-fourth of the circumference of the faceplate;

    (E) for booted nozzles in vacuum assist type systems, a flexible cone for which a total of at least one-fourth of the cone is damaged or missing;

    (F) a nozzle shut-off mechanism that malfunctions in any manner;

    (G) vapor return lines, including such components as swivels, anti-recirculation valves, and underground piping, that malfunction, are blocked, or are restricted such that the pressure decay and/or dynamic backpressure through the line exceeds the value as certified in the approved system's CARB Executive Order(s) or third-party certification;

    (H) a vapor processing or control unit that is inoperative or defective;

    (I) a vacuum producing device that is inoperative or defective;

    (J) pressure/vacuum relief valves, vapor check valves, or Stage I dry breaks that are inoperative or defective;

    (K) a system monitor or printer that is malfunctioning or out of paper;

    (L) a nozzle, hose, break-away, or any other component that is not approved for use with the certified vapor recovery system in use; and

    (M) any equipment defect that is identified in the certification of an approved system as substantially impairing the effectiveness of the system in reducing refueling vapor emissions.

  (4) No gasoline leaks, as detected by sampling, sight, sound, or smell, exist anywhere in the dispensing equipment or Stage II vapor recovery system.

  (5) Upon identification of any of the defects described in paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection, the owner or operator or his or her representative shall remove from service all dispensing equipment for which vapor recovery has been impaired. The impaired equipment must remain out of service until such time as the equipment has been properly repaired, replaced, or adjusted, as necessary. Once repaired, the equipment may be returned to service by the owner or operator or his or her representative.

  (6) Upon identification of any of the defects described in paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection, any inspector with jurisdiction shall tag the impaired equipment out-of-order. The "Out-of-Order" tag must state "use of this device is prohibited under state law, and unauthorized removal of this tag or use of this equipment will constitute a violation of the law punishable by a maximum civil penalty of up to $25,000 per day or a maximum criminal penalty of $50,000 and/or up to 180 days in jail." The impaired equipment must remain out of service until such time as the equipment has been properly repaired, replaced, or adjusted, as necessary. After repairs are completed and verbal notification is given to the agency that originally tagged the equipment out of service, the "Out-of-Order" tag may be removed by the owner or operator or the facility representative and the Cont'd...

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