Md. Code Regs. 26.11.42.05

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 24, December 2, 2024

Section 26.11.42.05 - Requirements for Gas Collection and Control Systems

A. Design Plan and Installation.

(1) If a gas collection and control system which meets the requirements in §B of this regulation has not been installed, the owner or operator of a MSW landfill shall submit a design plan to the Department within 1 year of meeting the criteria requirement to install and operate a gas collection and control system in accordance with the provisions in Regulation .04B(3) and (6) and C of this chapter.

(2) A design plan shall meet the following requirements:

(a) Be prepared and certified by a professional engineer;

(b) Address the following issues:

(i) Depths of solid waste;

(ii) Solid waste gas generation rates and flow characteristics;

(iii) Cover properties;

(iv) Gas system expandability;

(v) Leachate and condensate management;

(vi) Accessibility;

(vii) Compatibility with filling operations;

(viii) Integration with closure end use;

(ix) Air intrusion control;

(x) Corrosion resistance;

(xi) Fill settlement;

(xii) Resistance to the solid waste decomposition heat; and

(xiii) The ability to isolate individual components or sections for repair or troubleshooting without shutting down the entire collection system.

(c) Provide for the control of the collected gas using a gas collection and control system meeting the applicable requirements of §B(1), (2), (3), or (4) of this regulation or an alternative method approved in accordance with the provisions in Regulation .08 of this chapter;

(d) Demonstrate that the gas collection and control system is designed to handle the maximum expected gas generation flow rate from the entire area of the MSW landfill that warrants control over the intended use period of the gas control system equipment;

(e) Include any proposed alternatives to the requirements, justification for the need for any proposed alternatives, test methods, procedures, compliance measures, monitoring, and recordkeeping or reporting requirements in accordance with the provisions in Regulation .08 of this chapter;

(f) Include a description of potential mitigation measures to be used to prevent the release of methane or other pollutants into the atmosphere during the installation or preparation of wells, piping, or other equipment, during repairs or the temporary shutdown of gas collection system components, or when solid waste is to be excavated and moved;

(g) For active MSW landfills, identify areas of the landfill that are closed or inactive;

(h) Design the gas collection and control system to handle the expected gas generation flow rate from the entire area of the landfill and to collect gas at an extraction rate to comply with the surface methane concentration standards in Regulation .07A of this chapter, component leak standards in Regulation .09B(7) of this chapter, and which is sufficient to meet all operational and performance standards in this chapter;

(i) Identify any areas of the MSW landfill that contains only asbestos-containing or non-decomposable solid waste that may be excluded from gas collection provided that the owner or operator submits documentation to the Department containing the nature of the waste, date of deposition, and location and amount of asbestos-containing or non-decomposable solid waste deposited in the area;

(j) Design the gas collection and control system to maintain a negative pressure at all wellheads in the collection system without causing air infiltration, including any wellheads connected to the system as a result of expansion or excess surface emissions;

(k) Ascertain the density of wells, horizontal collectors, surface collectors, or other gas extraction devices necessary to achieve compliance with §B of this regulation; and

(l) Include any procedures for detecting and suppressing any internal landfill fires or thermal waste oxidation events that might occur within the waste, and for mitigating any damage that may have occurred to pollution control devices such as the liner, leachate collection system, cap, or gas collection system elements as a result of the event.

(3) The maximum expected gas generation flow rate in §A(2)(d) of this regulation shall be calculated using the test method in Regulation .11B of this chapter or an alternative test method approved in accordance with Regulation .08 of this chapter.

(4) The owner or operator of a MSW landfill that is required or chooses to install and operate a gas collection and control system, shall do so within 30 months after approval of the design plan.

(5) If an owner or operator is modifying an existing gas collection and control system to meet the requirements of this regulation, the owner or operator shall submit an amended design plan to the Department that includes the information in §A(2) of this regulation and any necessary updates or addenda in accordance with Regulation .10C(9) of this chapter.

(6) The gas collection and control system shall be operated, maintained, and expanded in accordance with the procedures and schedules in the approved design plan.

(7) The owner or operator of a controlled MSW landfill shall place each well or design component as specified in the approved design plan.

(8) Following initial construction, the owner or operator of a controlled MSW landfill shall install each new component no later than 60 days after the date on which the area controlled by the well is required to be controlled in accordance with the provisions in this regulation.

B. Standards and Requirements for Gas Collection and Control Systems.

(1) General Requirements.

(a) Route the collected gas to a gas control device(s) and operate the gas collection and control system continuously, except as provided in §D and §F of this regulation.

(b) Operate the gas collection and control system to comply with the requirements in §A(2)(h) of this regulation.

(c) Design and operate the gas collection and control system to draw all the gas toward the gas control device or devices.

(d) Design and operate the gas collection system to minimize off-site and on-site migration of subsurface gas in compliance with COMAR 26.04.07.03B(9), COMAR 26.04.07.08B(15), and COMAR 26.04.07.10I.

(e) In the event the gas collection or control system is inoperable, the gas mover system shall be shut down and all valves in the gas collection and control system contributing to venting of the gas to the atmosphere shall be closed within 1 hour of the gas collection or control system not operating.

(f) Efforts to repair the gas collection or control system shall be initiated and completed in a manner such that downtime is kept to a minimum, and the gas collection and control system is returned to operation as expeditiously as practicable.

(g) For a MSW landfill with a design capacity equal to or greater than 2,750,000 tons and 3,260,000 cubic yards of MSW:

(i) Install all passive gas collection systems with liners on the bottom and all sides in all areas in which gas is to be collected; and

(ii) Install all liners in accordance with 40 CFR § 258.40, as amended.

(h) Any nonproductive area of the MSW landfill as identified in §A(2)(i) of this regulation may be excluded from control, provided that the total of all excluded areas can be shown to contribute less than 1 percent of the total amount of methane emissions from the landfill and:

(i) The amount, location, and age of the material or waste shall be documented and provided to Department;

(ii) If data on actual amounts and age of the material or waste is not available, the owner or operator shall estimate based on known information and provide all documentation used to make the estimates;

(iii) A separate methane emissions estimate shall be made for each section proposed for exclusion, and the sum of all such sections shall be compared to the methane emissions estimate for the entire landfill, and all calculations, data and documentation used to perform the calculations shall be submitted to the Department; and

(iv) The methane emissions from each section proposed for exclusion shall be calculated using the test methods provided in Regulation .11D of this chapter.

(i) reserved

(j) The landfill gas extraction components shall be constructed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, fiberglass, stainless steel, or other nonporous corrosion resistant material of suitable dimensions to:

(i) Convey projected amounts of gases;

(ii) Withstand installation, static, and settlement forces; and

(iii) Withstand planned overburden or traffic loads.

(k) The gas collection system shall extend as necessary to comply with emission and migration standards.

(l) Gas collection devices such as wells and horizontal collectors shall be perforated to allow gas entry without head loss which may impair performance across the intended extent of control.

(m) Perforations shall be situated with regard to the need to prevent excessive air infiltration.

(n) Vertical wells shall be placed so as not to endanger underlying liners and shall address the occurrence of water within the landfill.

(i) Holes and trenches constructed for piped wells and horizontal collectors shall be of sufficient cross-section so as to allow for their proper construction and completion including, for example, centering of pipes and placement of gravel backfill.

(ii) Collection devices shall be designed so as not to allow indirect short circuiting of air into the soil cover, into the MSW, or into the collection system, or gas into the air.

(iii) Any gravel used around pipe perforations should be of a dimension so as not to penetrate or block the perforations.

(o) Gas collection devices may be connected to the collection header pipes below or above the landfill surface.

(i) The connector assembly shall include a positive closing throttle valve, any necessary seals and couplings, access couplings, and at least one sampling port.

(ii) The collection devices shall be constructed of PVC, HDPE, fiberglass, stainless steel, or other nonporous material of suitable thickness.

(p) Landfill gas shall be conveyed through the gas collection system header pipe(s) to a gas control device.

(q) The gas mover equipment shall be sized to handle the maximum gas generation flow rate expected over the intended use period of the gas moving equipment using the following procedures:

(i) For existing gas collection systems, the flow data shall be used to project the maximum flow rate;

(ii) If no flow data exists, the procedures in §B(l)(q)(iii) of this regulation shall be used; and

(iii) For new gas collection systems, the maximum flow rate shall be determined in accordance with Regulation .11B of this chapter.

(2) Requirements for Enclosed Flares.

(a) An owner or operator of a MSW landfill that routes landfill gas to an enclosed flare shall achieve a methane destruction efficiency of at least 99 percent by weight and meet the following specifications:

(i) The device shall be equipped with automatic dampers, an automatic shutdown device, a flame arrester, and continuous recording temperature sensors; and

(ii) The device shall have a sufficient flow of propane, natural gas, or another fuel source approved by the Department to the pilot light to prevent unburned collected methane from being emitted to the atmosphere during restart and startup.

(b) The owner or operator of a MSW landfill shall install, calibrate, operate and maintain the flare system in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications and if applicable, within the parameter ranges established in the landfill's permit to construct issued by the Department.

(c) An owner or operator that used an enclosed flare shall install, calibrate, and maintain a gas flow rate measuring device that either records the flow to the control device at least every 15 minutes or secures the bypass line valve in the closed position with a car-seal or a lock-and-key type configuration.

(3) Requirements for Open Flares.

(a) The owner or operator of a MSW landfill that routes landfill gas to an open flare shall operate the equipment according to the requirements included in 40 CFR § 60.18, as amended.

(b) The owner or operator of a MSW landfill using an open flare shall install, calibrate, maintain, and operate the following equipment according to the manufacturer's specifications:

(i) A heat sensing device, such as an ultraviolet beam sensor or thermocouple, at the pilot light or the flame itself to indicate the continuous presence of a flame; and

(ii) A device that records flow to the flare and bypass of the flare (if applicable).

(c) An owner or operator that uses an open flare shall install, calibrate, and maintain a gas flow rate measuring device that either records the flow to the control device at least every 15 minutes or secures the bypass line valve in the closed position with a car-seal or a lock-and-key type configuration.

(d) An owner or operator that is subject to §B(3)(b) of this regulation shall perform a visual inspection of the seal or closure mechanism at least once every month to ensure that the valve is maintained in the closed position and that the gas flow is not diverted through the bypass line.

(e) The operation of an open flare on or after January 1, 2025 is prohibited unless the owner or operator demonstrates that one of the following conditions apply and receives the Department's prior written approval:

(i) The methane generation rate is less than 732 tons per year in accordance with the test methods in Regulation .11D of this chapter and is insufficient to support the continuous operation of an enclosed flare or other gas control device;

(ii) The owner or operator is seeking to temporarily operate an open flare during the repair or maintenance of the gas control system, or while awaiting the installation of an enclosed flare, or to address offsite gas migration issues;

(iii) The owner or operator has landfill gas emissions that are unable to be controlled using enclosed flare gas control devices in the gas control system; or

(iv) The owner or operator otherwise has received written approval from the Department to operate an open flare in accordance with Regulation .08 of this chapter.

(f) An owner or operator seeking to operate an open flare in accordance with one of the provisions of §B(3)(e) of this regulation shall submit a written request to the Department which includes the following information:

(i) Proof that the landfill gas emissions being controlled using an open flare does not exceed 732 tons per year of methane; or

(ii) An analysis verifying there is no feasible alternative control device configuration that would use the landfill gas emissions without use of an open flare.

(4) Requirements for Gas Control Devices other than Flares. An owner or operator of a MSW landfill may operate a gas control device other than a flare if it complies with one of the following requirements:

(a) The device is a boiler or process heater with a design heat input capacity equal to or greater than 44 megawatts per hour (150 MMBtu/hr), provided that the landfill gas stream is introduced into the flame zone;

(b) The collected gas is routed to an energy recovery device, or series of devices, that shall meet all the following requirements:

(i) Achieves a methane destruction efficiency of at least 99 percent by weight;

(ii) For lean burn internal combustion engines, reduces the outlet methane concentration to less than 3,000 ppmv, dry basis, corrected to 15 percent oxygen; and

(iii) The gas control device operates within the parameter ranges established during the initial or most recent performance test that demonstrates compliance with the methane destruction efficiency standard in §B(4)(b)(i) of this regulation or within engineering or manufacturer's established parameter ranges until a performance test is performed as specified in §B(7) of this regulation; or

(c) The collected gas is routed to a treatment system that processes the collected gas for subsequent sale or beneficial use provided that:

(i) The venting of treated landfill gas to the ambient air is not allowed; and

(ii) If, for any reason, the treated landfill gas cannot be routed for subsequent sale or beneficial use, then the treated landfill gas shall be controlled in accordance with the applicable requirements of §B(2), (3), or (4)(a) or (b) of this regulation.

(5) The owner or operator subject to the requirements of §B(4)(c) in this regulation shall prepare a site-specific treatment monitoring plan, submitted with the gas collection and control design plan, to include all of the following:

(a) Monitoring records of parameters that are identified in the treatment system monitoring plan and that ensure the treatment system is operating properly for each intended end use of the treated landfill gas;

(b) At a minimum, records shall include records of filtration, de-watering, and compression parameters that ensure the treatment system is operating properly for each intended end use of the treated landfill gas;

(c) Monitoring methods, frequencies, and operating ranges for each monitored operating parameter based on manufacturer's recommendations or engineering analysis for each intended end use of the treated landfill gas;

(d) Documentation of the monitoring methods and ranges, along with justification for their use;

(e) Processes and methods used to collect the necessary data; and

(f) A description of the procedures and methods that are used for quality assurance, maintenance, and repair of all continuous monitoring systems.

(6) The owner or operator subject to the provisions in §B(4)(c) of this regulation shall demonstrate compliance by using a device that records flow to the treatment system and bypass of the treatment system, if applicable, that shall be calibrated, maintained, and operated according to the manufacturer's specifications.

(a) The owner or operator shall maintain and operate all monitoring systems associated with the treatment system in accordance with the site-specific treatment system monitoring plan prepared in accordance with the provisions of §B(5) of this regulation.

(b) The owner or operator shall comply with the following requirements:

(i) Install, calibrate, and maintain a gas flow rate measuring device that records the flow to the treatment system at least every 15 minutes;

(ii) If using a passive collection system, install liners or equivalent non-permeable materials as required under 40 CFR § 258.40, as amended, on the bottom and all sides in all areas in which gas is to be collected; and

(iii) Secure the bypass line valve in the closed position with a car-seal or a lock-and-key type configuration and perform a visual inspection of the seal or closure mechanism at least once every month to ensure that the valve is maintained in the closed position and that the gas flow is not diverted through the bypass line.

(7) Performance Test Requirements.

(a) The owner or operator shall conduct annual performance tests for any gas control device(s) subject to the requirements of §B(2), (3) & (4) of this regulation using the test methods identified in Regulation .11C of this chapter.

(b) An initial performance test shall be conducted within 180 days of start-up of the gas collection and control system.

(c) Following an initial performance test, the owner or operator shall conduct a complete annual performance test no later than 45 days following the 1-year anniversary date of the initial performance test.

(d) The owner or operator of an existing gas control device shall demonstrate compliance with this regulation no later than 180 days following the effective date of this regulation in accordance with the test methods and procedures specified in Regulation .11C of this regulation.

(e) The owner or operator shall conduct performance tests under conditions specified by the Department based on representative performance of the affected source for the period being tested.

(f) Representative conditions shall exclude periods of startup and shutdown unless specified by the Department.

(g) The owner or operator may not conduct performance tests during periods of malfunction.

(h) The owner or operator shall record the process information that is necessary to document operating conditions during the test and include in such record an explanation to support that such conditions represent normal operation.

(i) The owner or operator shall make available records necessary to determine the conditions of performance tests available upon request by the Department.

(j) If a gas control device remains in compliance after three consecutive performance tests, the owner or operator may conduct the performance test every 3 years.

(k) Once a gas control device is placed on the 3-year performance test schedule, if a subsequent performance test shows the gas collection and control system is out of compliance with the requirements of this regulation, the performance testing frequency shall return to annual.

(l) The performance test is not required for boilers and process heaters with design heat input capacities equal to or greater than 44 megawatts per hour (150 MMBtu/hr) that burn landfill gas for compliance with the requirements in §B(4) of this regulation.

C. Wellhead Gauge Pressure Requirement. Each landfill gas collection and control system wellhead shall be operated under negative pressure without causing air filtration, except as provided in §§D and F of this regulation, or under any of the following conditions:

(1) Use of a Geomembrane or Synthetic Cover. The owner or operator shall develop acceptable pressure limits for the wellheads and include them in the design plan;

(2) A Decommissioned Well. A well may experience a static positive pressure after shutdown to accommodate for declining flows; or

(3) A Fire or Increased Well Temperature.

(a) The owner or operator shall record all instances when positive pressure occurs, in efforts to avoid a fire.

(b) These records shall be submitted as part of the semi-annual report to the Department in accordance with the requirements of Regulation .10C(3) of this chapter.

D. Well Raising. The requirements of §B(1)(a)-(b) and §E of this regulation do not apply to individual wells involved in well raising provided the following conditions are met:

(1) New fill is being added or compacted in the immediate vicinity around the well; and

(2) Once installed, a gas collection well extension is sealed or capped until the raised well is reconnected to a vacuum source.

E. Wellhead Sampling. The owner or operator that is required to comply with §B of this regulation for an active gas collection system shall install a sampling port and measuring devices, or an access port for measuring devices, at each wellhead and comply with the following, using measuring devices that meet the requirements of Regulation .11H of this chapter:

(1) Monitor nitrogen or oxygen concentration in the landfill gas on a monthly basis as provided in Regulation .09C of this chapter;

(2) Monitor temperature of the landfill gas on a monthly basis as provided in Regulation .09C in this chapter; and

(3) Measure the gauge pressure in the gas collection header on a monthly basis as provided in Regulation .09B(8) of this chapter.

F. Repairs and Temporary Shutdown of Gas Collection System Components. The requirements of §B(1)(a) and (b) of this regulation do not apply to individual landfill gas collection system components that are temporarily shut down in order to repair the components, due to an emergency, caused by catastrophic events such as earthquakes, to connect new landfill gas collection system components to the existing system, to extinguish landfill fires, or to perform construction activities in accordance with Regulation .07C of this chapter, provided the following requirements are met:

(1) Any new gas collection system components required to maintain compliance with this regulation shall be included in the most recent design plan in accordance with §A of this regulation;

(2) Methane emissions are minimized during shutdown in accordance with §A(2)(f) of this regulation; and

(3) The owner or operator submits a notification to the Department after any temporary shutdown due to an emergency, catastrophic event, or landfill fire(s) in accordance with Regulation .10C(13) of this chapter.

Md. Code Regs. 26.11.42.05

Regulation .05 adopted effective 50:11 Md. R. 446, eff. 6/12/2023; amended effective 51:15 Md. R. 711, eff. 8/5/2024.