Title 40

SECTION 98.304

98.304 Monitoring and QA/QC requirements.

§ 98.304 Monitoring and QA/QC requirements.

(a) For calendar year 2011 monitoring, you may follow the provisions of § 98.3(d)(1) through (d)(2) for best available monitoring methods rather than follow the monitoring requirements of this section. For purposes of this subpart, any reference in § 98.3(d)(1) through (d)(2) to 2010 means 2011, to March 31 means June 30, and to April 1 means July 1. Any reference to the effective date in § 98.3(d)(1) through (d)(2) means February 28, 2011.

(b) You must adhere to the following QA/QC methods for reviewing the completeness and accuracy of reporting:

(1) Review inputs to Equation DD-1 of this section to ensure inputs and outputs to the company's system are included.

(2) Do not enter negative inputs and confirm that negative emissions are not calculated. However, the Decrease in SF6 Inventory and the Net Increase in Total Nameplate Capacity may be calculated as negative numbers.

(3) Ensure that beginning-of-year inventory matches end-of-year inventory from the previous year.

(4) Ensure that in addition to SF6 purchased from bulk gas distributors, SF6 purchased from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and SF6 returned to the facility from off-site recycling are also accounted for among the total additions.

(c) Ensure the following QA/QC methods are employed throughout the year:

(1) Ensure that cylinders returned to the gas supplier are consistently weighed on a scale that is certified to be accurate and precise to within 2 pounds of true weight and is periodically recalibrated per the manufacturer's specifications. Either measure residual gas (the amount of gas remaining in returned cylinders) or have the gas supplier measure it. If the gas supplier weighs the residual gas, obtain from the gas supplier a detailed monthly accounting, within ±2 pounds, of residual gas amounts in the cylinders returned to the gas supplier.

(2) Ensure that cylinders weighed for the beginning and end of year inventory measurements are weighed on a scale that is certified to be accurate and precise to within 2 pounds of true weight and is periodically recalibrated per the manufacturer's specifications. All scales used to measure quantities that are to be reported under § 98.306 must be calibrated using calibration procedures specified by the scale manufacturer. Calibration must be performed prior to the first reporting year. After the initial calibration, recalibration must be performed at the minimum frequency specified by the manufacturer.

(3) Ensure all substations have provided information to the manager compiling the emissions report (if it is not already handled through an electronic inventory system).

(d) GHG Monitoring Plans, as described in § 98.3(g)(5), must be completed by April 1, 2011.

[74 FR 56374, Oct. 30, 2009, as amended at 78 FR 71966, Nov. 29, 2013]