Md. Code Regs. 26.11.42.11

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

Section 26.11.42.11 - Test Methods and Procedures

The owner or operator of a MSW landfill shall use the following test methods and procedures to demonstrate compliance with the provisions of this chapter.

A. Hydrocarbon Detector Specification. Any instrument used for the measurement of methane shall be a gas detector or other equivalent instrument approved by the Department that meets the calibration, specifications, and performance criteria of EPA Reference Method 21, Determination of Volatile Organic Compound Leaks, 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A, as amended except for the following modifications and adjustments:

(1) "Methane" shall replace all references to volatile organic compounds (VOC);

(2) The calibration gas shall be methane, diluted to a nominal concentration of 500 parts per million in air;

(3) To meet the performance evaluation requirements in section 8.1 of Method 21 of 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A the instrument evaluation procedures of section 8.1 of Method 21 of 40 CFR. Part 60, Appendix A shall be used; and

(4) The calibration procedures provided in sections 8 and 10 of Method 21 of 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A shall be followed immediately before commencing a surface monitoring survey.

B. Determination of Expected Gas Generation Flow Rate. The expected gas generation flow rate shall be determined in accordance with 40 CFR § 63.1960(a)(1), as amended.

C. Determination of Control Device Destruction Efficiency. The following methods of analysis shall be used to determine the efficiency of the control device in reducing methane:

(1) Enclosed Combustors. One of the following test methods shall be used to determine the efficiency of the control device in reducing methane by at least 99 percent, or in reducing the outlet methane concentration for lean burn engines to less than 3,000 ppmv, dry basis, corrected to 15 percent oxygen:

(a) U.S. EPA Reference Method 18, Measurement of Gaseous Organic Compound Emissions by Gas Chromatography;

(b) U.S. EPA Reference Method 25, Determination of Total Gaseous Nonmethane Organic Emissions as Carbon;

(c) U.S. EPA Reference Method 25A, Determination of Total Gaseous Organic Concentration Using a Flame Ionization Analyzer; or

(d) U.S. EPA Reference Method 25C, Determination of Nonmethane Organic Compounds in Landfill Gases.

(2) The following equation shall be used to calculate destruction efficiency:

Click here to view Image

D. Determination of Methane Generation Rate. The following methods and procedures shall be used to determine the methane generation rate, as applicable:

(1) MSW Landfills without Carbon Adsorption or Passive Venting Systems.

(a) The methane generation rate shall be calculated using the procedures specified in 40 CFR § 98.343(a)(1), as amended.

(b) The Department may request additional information as may be necessary to verify the methane generation rate from the landfill and site-specific data may be substituted when available.

(2) MSW Landfills with Carbon Adsorption Systems.

(a) The methane generation rate shall be determined by measuring the actual total landfill gas flow rate, in standard cubic feet per minute (scfm), using a flow meter or other flow measuring device such as a standard pitot tube and the methane concentration (percent by volume) using a hydrocarbon detector meeting the requirements of Regulation .11A of this chapter.

(b) The total landfill gas flow rate shall be multiplied by the methane concentration to determine the methane generation rate.

(3) MSW Landfills with Passive Venting Systems. The methane generation rate shall be determined using the following methods and shall be the higher of those determined values:

(a) The test methods in Regulation .11D(1)(a); and

(b) The measured actual landfill gas flow rates (in units of scfm) using a flow measuring device such as a standard pitot tube and methane concentration (percent by volume) using a hydrocarbon detector meeting the requirements of Regulation .11A from each venting pipe that is within the waste mass.

(i) Each gas flow rate shall be multiplied by its corresponding methane concentration to obtain the individual methane flow rate.

(ii) The individual methane flow rates shall be added together to determine the methane generation rate.

(4) The methane generation rate shall include waste received during the previous calendar year, from January 1 through December 31.

E. Open Flares. Open flares shall meet the requirements of 40 CFR § 60.18, as amended.

F. Surface Emissions Monitoring. The owner or operator shall measure the landfill surface concentration of methane using a hydrocarbon detector meeting the requirements of Regulation .11A of this chapter. The landfill surface shall be inspected using the following procedures:

(1) General Procedures for Instantaneous and Integrated Monitoring.

(a) The entire MSW landfill surface or monitoring area shall be divided into individually identified 50,000 square foot grids and include the entire perimeter of the collection area.

(b) The grids shall be used for both instantaneous and integrated surface emissions monitoring.

(c) Surface emissions monitoring shall be performed in accordance with section 8.3.1 of EPA Method 21 of Appendix A of 40 CFR. Part 60 by holding the inlet probe of the hydrocarbon detector within 2 inches of the landfill surface while traversing the grid.

(d) The walking pattern shall be no more than a 25-foot spacing interval and shall traverse each monitoring grid.

(i) If the owner or operator has no exceedances of the limits specified in Regulation .07A of this chapter after any four consecutive quarterly monitoring periods, the walking pattern spacing may be increased to 100-foot intervals.

(ii) The owner or operator shall return to a 25-foot spacing interval upon any exceedances of the limits specified in Regulation .07A of this chapter that cannot be remediated within 10 calendar days or upon any exceedances detected during a compliance inspection.

(iii) If an owner or operator of a MSW landfill can demonstrate that in the past 3 years before the effective date of this regulation that there were no measured exceedances of the limit specified in Regulation .07A(1) of this chapter by annual or quarterly monitoring, the owner or operator may increase the walking pattern spacing to 100-foot intervals.

(e) Average wind speed shall be determined on a 5-minute interval using an on-site anemometer with a continuous recorder and data logger for the entire duration of the monitoring event.

(f) The owner or operator shall use a wind barrier, similar to a funnel, when onsite average wind speed exceeds 4 miles per hour or 2 meters per second or gust exceeding 10 miles per hour.

(g) The wind barrier shall surround the surface emission monitoring monitor, and shall be placed on the ground, to ensure wind turbulence is blocked.

(h) Surface emissions monitoring shall not be conducted if average wind speed exceeds 25 miles per hour.

(i) Surface emissions monitoring shall be performed during typical meteorological conditions.

(2) Instantaneous Surface Emissions Monitoring Procedures.

(a) The owner or operator of a MSW landfill shall record any instantaneous surface readings of methane 100 ppmv or greater and shall document if the reading is a confirmed reading or whether it is a non-repeatable, momentary reading.

(b) Surface areas of the MSW landfill that equal or exceed a methane concentration limit of 500 ppmv, or 200 ppmv if this is to determine compliance with the requirements in Regulation .04B(3)(b), shall be marked and remediated in accordance with Regulation .09A(1) of this chapter.

(c) Surface areas of the MSW landfill that equal or exceed a methane concentration limit of 250 ppmv (for compliance with Regulation .09B(7) of this chapter), or 100 ppmv (for compliance with Regulation .04B(3)(b) of this chapter), shall be monitored in a 5-foot grid around the location to determine the extents of the methane leak.

(d) The wind speed shall be recorded during the sampling period.

(e) The landfill surface areas with cover penetrations, distressed vegetation, cracks, or seeps shall also be inspected visually and with a hydrocarbon detector meeting the requirements in §A of this regulation.

(f) If a MSW landfill is not subject to quarterly monitoring but is otherwise required to monitor in accordance with the provisions in 40 CFR Part 63 Subpart AAAA, 40 CFR60 Subpart WWW or XXX, the MSW landfill owner or operator may reduce monitoring to annually at a specific penetration location if no methane is detected with the hydrocarbon detector at that specific penetration location for four consecutive quarters, but the penetration location shall return to quarterly monitoring if any subsequent methane concentration is detected during annual monitoring.

(g) The location of each monitored exceedance shall be marked and the location and concentration recorded.

(i) The location shall be recorded using an instrument with an accuracy of at least 4 meters.

(ii) The coordinates shall be in decimal degrees with at least five decimal places.

(3) Integrated Surface Emissions Monitoring Procedures.

(a) Integrated surface readings shall be recorded and then averaged for each grid.

(b) Individual monitoring grids that exceed an average methane concentration of 25 ppmv shall be identified and remediated in accordance with Regulation .09A(2) of this chapter.

(c) The wind speed shall be recorded during the sampling period.

G. Gas Collection and Control System Leak Inspection Procedures. Leaks shall be measured using a hydrocarbon detector meeting the requirements of Regulation .11A of this chapter.

H. Wellhead Monitoring.

(1) An owner or operator of a MSW landfill shall determine wellhead nitrogen levels using EPA Reference Method 3C, Determination of Volatile Organic Compound Leaks, 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A, as amended, unless an alternative test method is approved by the Department.

(2) Unless an alternative test method is established and approved by the Department, an owner or operator of an MSW landfill shall determine wellhead oxygen levels by an oxygen meter using EPA Reference Method 3A or 3C, 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A, or ASTM D6522-20, (if sample location is prior to combustion) except that:

(a) The span shall be set between 10 and 12 percent oxygen;

(b) A data recorder is not required;

(c) Only two calibration gases are required, a zero and span;

(d) A calibration error check is not required; and

(e) The allowable sample bias, zero drift, and calibration drift are ±10 percent.

(3) The owner and operator of a MSW landfill may use a portable gas composition analyzer to monitor wellhead oxygen levels provided that the analyzer is calibrated and the analyzer meets all quality assurance and quality control requirements for 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A-1, Method 3A or ASTM D6522-11.

(4) Determination of Gauge Pressure.

(a) Wellhead gauge pressure shall be determined using a hand-held manometer, magnehelic gauge, or other pressure measuring device approved by the Department.

(b) The device shall be calibrated and operated in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications.

(5) An owner or operator of a MSW landfill shall calibrate the wellhead temperature measuring devices annually using the procedure in 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A-1, Method 2, Section 10.3, except that a minimum of two temperature points, bracket within 10 percent of all landfill absolute temperature measurements or two fixed points of ice bath and boiling water, corrected for barometric pressure, are used.

I. Enhanced Monitoring. The owner or operator of a MSW landfill shall initiate enhanced monitoring at each well with a measurement of landfill gas temperature greater than 62.8 °C (145 °F) as follows:

(1) Visual observations for subsurface oxidation events (smoke, smoldering ash, damage to well) within the radius of influence of the well;

(2) Monitor oxygen or nitrogen concentration as provided in Regulation .09C of this chapter;

(3) Monitor temperature of the landfill gas at the wellhead as provided in Regulation .09C of this chapter;

(4) Monitor temperature of the landfill gas every 10 vertical feet of the well as provided in Regulation .09C of this chapter and §I (10) of this regulation;

(5) Monitor the methane concentration with a methane meter using EPA Method 3C of Appendix A-6 to 40 CFR Part 60, EPA Method 18 of Appendix A-6 to 40 CFR. part 60, or a portable gas composition analyzer to monitor the methane levels provided that the analyzer is calibrated and the analyzer meets all quality assurance and quality control requirements for EPA Method 3C or EPA Method 18;

(6) Monitor carbon monoxide concentrations, as follows:

(a) Collect the sample from the wellhead sampling port in a passivated canister or multi-layer foil gas sampling bag (such as the Cali-5-Bond Bag) and analyze that sample using EPA Method 10, 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A-4, or an equivalent method with a detection limit of at least 100 ppmv of carbon monoxide in high concentrations of methane; and

(b) Collect and analyze the sample from the wellhead using EPA Method 10, 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A-4 to measure carbon monoxide concentrations.

(7) The enhanced monitoring shall begin 7 days after the first measurement of landfill gas temperature greater than 62.8°C (145°F);

(8) The enhanced monitoring shall be conducted on a weekly basis.

(a) If four consecutive weekly carbon monoxide readings are under 100 ppmv, then enhanced monitoring may be decreased to a monthly basis.

(b) If monthly carbon monoxide readings exceed 100 ppmv, the MSW landfill shall return to weekly monitoring.

(9) The enhanced monitoring can be stopped once a higher operating value is approved, at which time the monitoring provisions issued with the higher operating value shall be followed, or once the measurement of landfill gas temperature at the wellhead is less than or equal to 62.8°C (145°F);

(10) For each wellhead with a measurement of landfill gas temperature greater than or equal to 73.9°C (165°F), annually monitor temperature of the landfill gas every 10 vertical feet of the well; and

(11) The owner or operator may use a removable thermometer or use temporary or permanent thermocouples installed in the well to monitor the temperature of the landfill gas.

J. Bioreactor Moisture Content.

(1) The bioreactor moisture content calculation shall consider the following:

(a) Waste mass;

(b) Moisture content of the incoming waste;

(c) Mass of water added to the waste including leachate recirculation and other liquids addition and precipitation;

(d) Mass of water removed through leachate or other water losses; and

(e) Moisture level sampling or mass balances.

(2) The owner or operator of a MSW landfill subject to the requirements in Regulation .04C of this chapter shall document the calculations and the basis of any assumptions and keep the record of the calculations until liquids addition ceases.

K. Alternative Test Methods. Alternative test methods may be used upon written approval by the Department and EPA.

Md. Code Regs. 26.11.42.11

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