40 CFR 761.71 – High efficiency boilers
(a) To burn mineral oil dielectric fluid containing a PCB concentration of ?50 ppm, but <500 ppm:
(1) The boiler shall comply with the following criteria:
(i) The boiler is rated at a minimum of 50 million BTU hours.
(ii) If the boiler uses natural gas or oil as the primary fuel, the carbon monoxide concentration in the stack is ?50 ppm and the excess oxygen is at least 3 percent when PCBs are being burned.
(iii) If the boiler uses coal as the primary fuel, the carbon monoxide concentration in the stack is ?100 ppm and the excess oxygen is at least 3 percent when PCBs are being burned.
(iv) The mineral oil dielectric fluid does not comprise more than 10 percent (on a volume basis) of the total fuel feed rate.
(v) The mineral oil dielectric fluid is not fed into the boiler unless the boiler is operating at its normal operating temperature (this prohibits feeding these fluids during either start up or shut down operations).
(vi) The owner or operator of the boiler:
(A) Continuously monitors and records the carbon monoxide concentration and excess oxygen percentage in the stack gas while burning mineral oil dielectric fluid; or
(B) If the boiler will burn <30,000 gallons of mineral oil dielectric fluid per year, measures and records the carbon monoxide concentration and excess oxygen percentage in the stack gas at regular intervals of no longer than 60 minutes while burning mineral oil dielectric fluid.
(vii) The primary fuel feed rates, mineral oil dielectric fluid feed rates, and total quantities of both primary fuel and mineral oil dielectric fluid fed to the boiler are measured and recorded at regular intervals of no longer than 15 minutes while burning mineral oil dielectric fluid.
(viii) The carbon monoxide concentration and the excess oxygen percentage are checked at least once every hour that mineral oil dielectric fluid is burned. If either measurement falls below the levels specified in this section, the flow of mineral oil dielectric fluid to the boiler shall be stopped immediately.
(2) Thirty days before any person burns mineral oil dielectric fluid in the boiler, the person gives written notice to the EPA Regional Administrator for the EPA Region in which the boiler is located and that the notice contains the following information:
(i) The name and address of the owner or operator of the boiler and the address of the boiler.
(ii) The boiler rating in units of BTU/hour.
(iii) The carbon monoxide concentration and the excess oxygen percentage in the stack of the boiler when it is operated in a manner similar to the manner in which it will be operated when mineral oil dielectric fluid is burned.
(iv) The type of equipment, apparatus, and procedures to be used to control the feed of mineral oil dielectric fluid to the boiler and to monitor and record the carbon monoxide concentration and excess oxygen percentage in the stack.
(3) When burning mineral oil dielectric fluid, the boiler must operate at a level of output no less than the output at which the measurements required under paragraph (a)(2)(iii) of this section were taken.
(4) Any person burning mineral oil dielectric fluid in a boiler obtains the following information and retains the information for 5 years at the boiler location:
(i) The data required to be collected under paragraphs (a)(1)(vi) and (vii) of this section.
(ii) The quantity of mineral oil dielectric fluid burned in the boiler each month.
(b) To burn liquids, other than mineral oil dielectric fluid, containing a PCB concentration of ?50 ppm, but <500 ppm:
(1) The boiler shall comply with the following criteria:
(i) The boiler is rated at a minimum of 50 million BTU/hour.
(ii) If the boiler uses natural gas or oil as the primary fuel, the carbon monoxide concentration in the stack is ?50 ppm and the excess oxygen is at least 3 percent when PCBs are being burned.
(iii) If the boiler uses coal as the primary fuel, the carbon monoxide concentration in the stack is ?100 ppm and the excess oxygen is at least 3 percent when PCBs are being burned.
(iv) The waste does not comprise more than 10 percent (on a volume basis) of the total fuel feed rate.
(v) The waste is not fed into the boiler unless the boiler is operating at its normal operating temperature (this prohibits feeding these fluids during either start up or shut down operations).
(vi) The owner or operator of the boiler must:
(A) Continuously monitor and record the carbon monoxide concentration and excess oxygen percentage in the stack gas while burning waste fluid; or
(B) If the boiler will burn <30,000 gallons of waste fluid per year, measure and record the carbon monoxide concentration and excess oxygen percentage in the stack gas at regular intervals of no longer than 60 minutes while burning waste fluid.
(vii) The primary fuel feed rate, waste fluid feed rate, and total quantities of both primary fuel and waste fluid fed to the boiler must be measured and recorded at regular intervals of no longer than 15 minutes while burning waste fluid.
(viii) The carbon monoxide concentration and the excess oxygen percentage must be checked at least once every hour that the waste is burned. If either measurement falls below the levels specified in either (a)(1)(ii) or (a)(1)(iii) of this section, the flow of waste to the boiler shall be stopped immediately.
(2) Prior to any person burning these liquids in the boiler, approval must be obtained from the EPA Regional Administrator for the EPA Region in which the boiler is located and any persons seeking such approval must submit to the EPA Regional Administrator a request containing at least the following information:
(i) The name and address of the owner or operator of the boiler and the address of the boiler.
(ii) The boiler rating in units of BTU/hour.
(iii) The carbon monoxide concentration and the excess oxygen percentage in the stack of the boiler when it is operated in a manner similar to the manner in which it will be operated when low concentration PCB liquid is burned.
(iv) The type of equipment, apparatus, and procedures to be used to control the feed of mineral oil dielectric fluid to the boiler and to monitor and record the carbon monoxide concentration and excess oxygen percentage in the stack.
(v) The type of waste to be burned (e.g., hydraulic fluid, contaminated fuel oil, heat transfer fluid, etc.).
(vi) The concentration of PCBs and of any other chlorinated hydrocarbon in the waste and the results of analyses using the ASTM International methods as follows: Carbon and hydrogen content using ASTM D3178-84, nitrogen content using ASTM E258-67 (Reapproved 1987), sulfur content using ASTM D2784-89, ASTM D1266-87, or ASTM D129-64 (Reapproved 1978), chlorine content using ASTM D808-87, water and sediment content using either ASTM D2709-88 or ASTM D1796-83 (Reapproved 1990), ash content using ASTM D482-87, calorific value using ASTM D240-87, carbon residue using either ASTM D2158-89 or ASTM D524-88, and flash point using ASTM D93-09 (all standards incorporated by reference in § 761.19).
(vii) The quantity of wastes estimated to be burned in a 30-day period.
(viii) An explanation of the procedures to be followed to ensure that burning the waste will not adversely affect the operation of the boiler such that combustion efficiency will decrease.
(3) On the basis of the information in paragraph (b)(2) of this section and any other available information, the Regional Administrator may, at his/her discretion, find that the alternate disposal method will not present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment and approve the use of the boiler.
(4) When burning PCB wastes, the boiler must operate at a level of output no less than the output at which the measurements required under paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section were taken.
(5) Any person burning liquids in boilers approved as provided in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, must obtain the following information and retain the information for 5 years at the boiler location:
(i) The data required to be collected in paragraphs (b)(1)(vi) and (b)(1)(vii) of this section.
(ii) The quantity of low concentration PCB liquid burned in the boiler each month.
(iii) The analysis of the waste required by paragraph (b)(2)(vi) of this section taken once a month for each month during which low concentration PCB liquid is burned in the boiler.