Md. Code Regs. 26.11.41.01 - Definitions
A. In this chapter,
the following terms have the meanings indicated.
B. Terms Defined.
(1) Affected facilities means any one of the
following facilities:
(a) Cove Point Liquefied
Natural Gas Facility;
(b)
Myersville Natural Gas Compressor Station;
(c) Accident Natural Gas Compressor Station
and Storage;
(d) Rutledge Natural
Gas Compressor Station;
(e)
Ellicott City Natural Gas Compressor Station; and
(f) Any new, modified, or reconstructed
natural gas compressor station, natural gas underground storage facility, or
liquefied natural gas facility.
(2) Audio, visual, and olfactory inspection
means sensory monitoring to detect natural gas leaks utilizing a human ear,
eyes, and nose.
(3) Blowdown.
(a) Blowdown means the release of pressurized
natural gas from a station, equipment, or pipelines into the atmosphere
conducted with the intent to lower the pressure in a vessel or
pipeline.
(b) Blowdown" does not
include natural gas pneumatics emissions, fugitive components emissions, or
compressor seal leakage.
(4) Bubble test means the alternative
screening procedure as described at EPA Method 21 ( 40 CFR 60, Appendix A-7, ยง
8.3.3).
(5) Component means a
valve, fitting, flange, threaded-connection, process drain, stuffing box,
pressure-vacuum valve, pressure-relief device, pipes, seal fluid system,
diaphragm, hatch, sight-glass, meter, open-ended line, well casing, natural gas
powered pneumatic device, natural gas powered pneumatic pump, reciprocating
compressor rod packing/seal, metal to metal joint or seal of nonwelded
connection separated by a compression gasket, screwed thread (with or without
thread sealing compound), metal to metal compression, or fluid barrier through
which natural gas or liquid can escape to the atmosphere.
(6) Continuous bleed means the continuous
venting of natural gas from a gas-powered pneumatic device to the
atmosphere.
(7)
Difficult-to-monitor means fugitive emissions components that cannot be
monitored for natural gas leakage without the monitoring personnel needing
specialized equipment to reach components above the grade.
(8) Direct measurement means use of high
volume sampling, calibrated bagging, a calibrated flow measuring instrument, or
a temporary meter.
(9) Fuel gas
system means components and equipment that collect and transfer natural gas to
be used as a fuel source to on-site natural gas-powered equipment other than a
vapor control device.
(10) Fugitive
Emissions Component.
(a) Fugitive emission
component means any component that has the potential to emit fugitive emissions
of natural gas, including but not limited to valves, connectors, pressure
relief devices, open-ended lines, flanges, covers, and vapor collection
systems.
(b) Fugitive emission
component does not include devices that vent as a part of normal operations,
such as natural gas-driven pneumatic devices or annulus vents, insofar as the
natural gas discharged from the device's vent is not considered a fugitive
emission.
(c) Fugitive emission
component includes thief hatches or other openings on a storage vessel,
compressor, instrument, natural gas-powered pneumatic device, or meter that are
not venting.
(11)
Intermittent bleed means a pneumatic controller that is designed to vent
noncontinuously.
(12) Leak
detection and repair or LDAR means the inspection of fugitive emissions
components to detect leaks of total methane and the repair of components with
leaks above the standards specified in this chapter and within the time frames
specified in this chapter.
(13)
Leak or fugitive leak means any visible emission from a fugitive emissions
component observed by optical gas imaging or an instrument reading of 500 ppm
or greater of methane using U.S. EPA Method 21 ( 40 CFR 60, Appendix A-7) or
any emissions discovered from a fugitive emissions component observed using an
auditory, visual, and olfactory inspection.
(14) Liquefied natural gas or LNG means
natural gas or synthetic gas having methane as its major constituent which has
been changed to a liquid.
(15) LNG
facility means a pipeline facility that is used for liquefying natural gas or
synthetic gas or transferring, storing, or vaporizing liquefied natural gas,
and includes all components and stationary equipment within the fence
line.
(16) Natural gas means a
naturally occurring mixture or process derivative of hydrocarbon and
nonhydrocarbon gases, which has methane as its major constituent.
(17) Natural gas compressor station means all
equipment and components located within a facility fence line associated with
moving natural gas from production fields or natural gas processing plants
through natural gas transmission pipelines, or within natural gas storage
fields.
(18) Natural gas storage
well means a well located and used in a natural gas storage reservoir for
injection or withdrawal purposes, or an observation well.
(19) Natural gas underground storage means
all equipment and components associated with the temporary subsurface storage
of natural gas in depleted crude oil or natural gas reservoirs or salt dome
caverns, not including gas disposal wells.
(20) Observation well means a well used to
monitor the operational integrity and conditions in a natural gas storage
reservoir, the reservoir protective area, or the strata above or below the gas
storage horizon.
(21) Optical gas
imaging or OGI means an instrument that makes emissions visible to the naked
eye that may otherwise be invisible.
(22) Pneumatic device means an automation
device that uses natural gas or compressed air to control a process.
(23) Process gas system means components and
equipment that collect and transfer the natural gas to be used through the
intended process of the facility, including storage, transmission, or
liquefaction.
(24) Reciprocating
natural gas compressor means equipment that increases the pressure of natural
gas by positive displacement of a piston in a compression cylinder and is
powered by an internal combustion engine or electric motor with a horsepower
rating designated by the manufacturer.
(25) Reciprocating natural gas compressor rod
packing means a seal composed of a series of flexible rings in machined metal
cups that fit around the reciprocating compressor piston rod to create a seal
limiting the amount of compressed natural gas that leaks into the
atmosphere.
(26) Reciprocating
natural gas compressor seal means any device or mechanism used to limit the
amount of natural gas that leaks from a compression cylinder into the
atmosphere.
(27) Successful repair
means tightening, adjusting, or replacing equipment or a component for the
purpose of stopping or reducing fugitive leaks below the minimum leak threshold
or emission flow rate standard specified in this chapter.
(28) Unsafe-to-monitor means fugitive
emissions components that cannot be monitored for natural gas leakage because
monitoring personnel would be exposed to immediate danger while conducting a
monitoring survey.
(29) Vapor
collection system means equipment and components installed on pressure vessels,
separators, tanks, sumps, piping, connections, reciprocating compressors,
natural gas-powered pneumatic devices, and flow-inducing devices used to
collect and route emission vapors to a processing gas system, fuel gas system,
or vapor control device.
(30) Vapor
control device means destructive or nondestructive equipment used to control
otherwise vented emissions.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.