Section 725

Section 725.987 Standards: Containers

a) The provisions of this Section apply to the control of air pollutant emissions from containers for which Section 725.983(b) references the use of this Section for air emission control.

b) General Requirements.

1) The owner or operator must control air pollutant emissions from each container subject to this Section in accordance with the following requirements, as applicable to the container, except when the following special provisions for waste stabilization processes specified in subsection (b)(2) apply to the container:

A) For a container having a design capacity greater than 0.1 m³ (26 gal) and less than or equal to 0.46 m³ (120 gal), the owner or operator must control air pollutant emissions from the container in accordance with the Container Level 1 standards specified in subsection (c);

B) For a container having a design capacity greater than 0.46 m³ (120 gal) that is not in light material service, the owner or operator must control air pollutant emissions from the container in accordance with the Container Level 1 standards specified in subsection (c); and

C) For a container having a design capacity greater than 0.46 m³ (120 gal) that is in light material service, the owner or operator must control air pollutant emissions from the container in accordance with the Container Level 2 standards specified in subsection (d).

2) When a container having a design capacity greater than 0.1 m³ (26 gal) is used for treatment of a hazardous waste by a waste stabilization process, the owner or operator must control air pollutant emissions from the container in accordance with the Container Level 3 standards specified in subsection (e) at those times during the waste stabilization process when the hazardous waste in the container is exposed to the atmosphere.

c) Container Level 1 Standards.

1) A container using Container Level 1 controls is one of the following:

A) A container that meets the applicable USDOT regulations on packaging hazardous materials for transportation, as specified in subsection (f);

B) A container equipped with a cover and closure devices that form a continuous barrier over the container openings so that when the cover and closure devices are secured in the closed position there are no visible holes, gaps, or other open spaces into the interior of the container. The cover may be a separate cover installed on the container (e.g., a lid on a drum or a suitably secured tarp on a roll-off box) or may be an integral part of the container structural design (e.g., a "portable tank" or bulk cargo container equipped with a screw-type cap); and

C) An open-top container in which an organic-vapor suppressing barrier is placed on or over the hazardous waste in the container so that no hazardous waste is exposed to the atmosphere. One example of such a barrier is application of a suitable organic-vapor suppressing foam.

2) A container used to meet the requirements of subsection (c)(1)(B) or (c)(1)(C) must be equipped with covers and closure devices, as applicable to the container, that are composed of suitable materials to minimize exposure of the hazardous waste to the atmosphere and to maintain the equipment integrity for as long as it is in service. Factors to be considered in selecting the materials of construction and designing the cover and closure devices must include the following: the organic vapor permeability; the effects of contact with the hazardous waste or its vapor managed in the container; the effects of outdoor exposure of the closure device or cover material to wind, moisture, and sunlight; and the operating practices for which the container is intended to be used.

3) Whenever a hazardous waste is in a container using Container Level 1 controls, the owner or operator must install all covers and closure devices for the container, as applicable to the container, and secure and maintain each closure device in the closed position except as follows:

A) Opening of a closure device or cover is allowed for the purpose of adding hazardous waste or other material to the container, as follows:

i) If the container is filled to the intended final level in one continuous operation, the owner or operator must promptly secure the closure devices in the closed position and install the covers, as applicable to the container, upon conclusion of the filling operation; and

ii) If discrete quantities or batches of material intermittently are added to the container over a period of time, the owner or operator must promptly secure the closure devices in the closed position and install covers, as applicable to the container, upon either the container being filled to the intended final level; the completion of a batch loading after which no additional material will be added to the container within 15 minutes; the person performing the loading operation leaving the immediate vicinity of the container; or the shutdown of the process generating the material being added to the container, whichever condition occurs first;

B) Opening of a closure device or cover is allowed for the purpose of removing hazardous waste from the container as follows:

i) For the purpose of meeting the requirements of this Section, an empty container, as defined in 35 Ill. Adm. Code 721.107(b), may be open to the atmosphere at any time (i.e., covers and closure devices are not required to be secured in the closed position on an empty container); and

ii) If discrete quantities or batches of material are removed from the container but the container does not meet the conditions to be an empty container, as defined in 35 Ill. Adm. Code 721.107(b), the owner or operator must promptly secure the closure devices in the closed position and install covers, as applicable to the container, upon the completion of a batch removal after which no additional material will be removed from the container within 15 minutes or the person performing the unloading operation leaves the immediate vicinity of the container, whichever condition occurs first;

C) Opening of a closure device or cover is allowed when access inside the container is needed to perform routine activities other than transfer of hazardous waste. Examples of such activities include those times when a worker needs to open a port to measure the depth of or sample the material in the container, or when a worker needs to open a manhole hatch to access equipment inside the container. Following completion of the activity, the owner or operator must promptly secure the closure device in the closed position or reinstall the cover, as applicable to the container;

D) Opening of a spring-loaded, pressure-vacuum relief valve, conservation vent, or similar type of pressure relief device that vents to the atmosphere is allowed during normal operations for the purpose of maintaining the container internal pressure in accordance with the design specifications of the container. The device must be designed to operate with no detectable organic emissions when the device is secured in the closed position. The settings at which the device opens must be established so that the device remains in the closed position whenever the internal pressure of the container is within the internal pressure operating range determined by the owner or operator based on container manufacturer recommendations, applicable regulations, fire protection and prevention codes, standard engineering codes and practices, or other requirements for the safe handling of flammable, ignitable, explosive, reactive, or hazardous materials. Examples of normal operating conditions that may require these devices to open are during those times when the internal pressure of the container exceeds the internal pressure operating range for the container as a result of loading operations or diurnal ambient temperature fluctuations; and

E) Opening of a safety device, as defined in Section 725.981, is allowed at any time conditions require doing so to avoid an unsafe condition.

4) The owner or operator of containers using Container Level 1 controls must inspect the containers and their covers and closure devices as follows:

A) If a hazardous waste already is in the container at the time the owner or operator first accepts possession of the container at the facility and the container is not emptied within 24 hours after the container is accepted at the facility (i.e., it does not meet the conditions for an empty container as specified in 35 Ill. Adm. Code 721.107(b)), the owner or operator must visually inspect the container and its cover and closure devices to check for visible cracks, holes, gaps, or other open spaces into the interior of the container when the cover and closure devices are secured in the closed position. The container visual inspection must be conducted on or before the date on which the container is accepted at the facility (i.e., the date when the container becomes subject to the Subpart CC container standards). For the purposes of this requirement, the date of acceptance is the date of signature that the facility owner or operator enters on Item 20 of the Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest (USEPA Form 8700-22), incorporated by reference in 35 Ill. Adm. Code 720.111(b), as required under Section 725.171. If a defect is detected, the owner or operator must repair the defect in accordance with the requirements of subsection (c)(4)(C);

B) If a container used for managing hazardous waste remains at the facility for a period of one year or more, the owner or operator must visually inspect the container and its cover and closure devices initially and thereafter, at least once every 12 months, to check for visible cracks, holes, gaps, or other open spaces into the interior of the container when the cover and closure devices are secured in the closed position. If a defect is detected, the owner or operator must repair the defect in accordance with the requirements of subsection (c)(4)(C); and

C) When a defect is detected in the container, cover, or closure devices, the owner or operator must make first efforts at repair of the defect no later than 24 hours after detection, and repair must be completed as soon as possible but no later than five calendar days after detection. If repair of a defect cannot be completed within five calendar days, then the hazardous waste must be removed from the container and the container must not be used to manage hazardous waste until the defect is repaired.

5) The owner or operator must maintain at the facility a copy of the procedure used to determine that containers with capacity of 0.46 m³ (120 gal) or greater which do not meet applicable USDOT regulations, as specified in subsection (f), are not managing hazardous waste in light material service.

d) Container Level 2 Standards.

1) A container using Container Level 2 controls is one of the following:

A) A container that meets the applicable USDOT regulations on packaging hazardous materials for transportation as specified in subsection (f);

B) A container that operates with no detectable organic emissions, as defined in Section 725.981, and determined in accordance with the procedure specified in subsection (g); and

C) A container that has been demonstrated within the preceding 12 months to be vapor-tight by using Reference Method 27 (Determination of Vapor Tightness of Gasoline Delivery Tank Using Pressure-Vacuum Test) in appendix A to 40 CFR 60 (Test Methods), incorporated by reference in 35 Ill. Adm. Code 720.111(b), in accordance with the procedure specified in subsection (h).

2) Transfer of hazardous waste into or out of a container using Container Level 2 controls must be conducted in such a manner as to minimize exposure of the hazardous waste to the atmosphere, to the extent practical, considering the physical properties of the hazardous waste and good engineering and safety practices for handling flammable, ignitable, explosive, reactive or other hazardous materials. Examples of container loading procedures that the USEPA considers to meet the requirements of this subsection (d)(2) include using any one of the following: a submerged-fill pipe or other submerged-fill method to load liquids into the container; a vapor-balancing system or a vapor-recovery system to collect and control the vapors displaced from the container during filling operations; or a fitted opening in the top of a container through which the hazardous waste is filled and subsequently purging the transfer line before removing it from the container opening.

3) Whenever a hazardous waste is in a container using Container Level 2 controls, the owner or operator must install all covers and closure devices for the container, and secure and maintain each closure device in the closed position, except as follows:

A) Opening of a closure device or cover is allowed for the purpose of adding hazardous waste or other material to the container, as follows:

B) Opening of a closure device or cover is allowed for the purpose of removing hazardous waste from the container as follows:

i) For the purpose of meeting the requirements of this Section, an empty container as defined in 35 Ill. Adm. Code 721.107(b) may be open to the atmosphere at any time (i.e., covers and closure devices are not required to be secured in the closed position on an empty container); and

ii) If discrete quantities or batches of material are removed from the container but the container does not meet the conditions to be an empty container as defined in 35 Ill. Adm. Code 721.107(b), the owner or operator must promptly secure the closure devices in the closed position and install covers, as applicable to the container, upon the completion of a batch removal after which no additional material will be removed from the container within 15 minutes or the person performing the unloading operation leaves the immediate vicinity of the container, whichever condition occurs first;

D) Opening of a spring-loaded, pressure-vacuum relief valve, conservation vent, or similar type of pressure relief device that vents to the atmosphere is allowed during normal operations for the purpose of maintaining the internal pressure of the container in accordance with the container design specifications. The device must be designed to operate with no detectable organic emission when the device is secured in the closed position. The settings at which the device opens must be established so that the device remains in the closed position whenever the internal pressure of the container is within the internal pressure operating range determined by the owner or operator based on container manufacturer recommendations, applicable regulations, fire protection and prevention codes, standard engineering codes and practices, or other requirements for the safe handling of flammable, ignitable, explosive, reactive, or hazardous materials. Examples of normal operating conditions that may require these devices to open are during those times when the internal pressure of the container exceeds the internal pressure operating range for the container as a result of loading operations or diurnal ambient temperature fluctuations; and

E) Opening of a safety device, as defined in Section 725.981, is allowed at any time conditions require doing so to avoid an unsafe condition.

4) The owner or operator of containers using Container Level 2 controls must inspect the containers and their covers and closure devices as follows:

A) If a hazardous waste already is in the container at the time the owner or operator first accepts possession of the container at the facility and the container is not emptied within 24 hours after the container is accepted at the facility (i.e., it does not meet the conditions for an empty container as specified in 35 Ill. Adm. Code 721.107(b)), the owner or operator must visually inspect the container and its cover and closure devices to check for visible cracks, holes, gaps, or other open spaces into the interior of the container when the cover and closure devices are secured in the closed position. The container visual inspection must be conducted on or before the date on which the container is accepted at the facility (i.e., the date when the container becomes subject to the Subpart CC container standards). For the purposes of this requirement, the date of acceptance is the date of signature that the facility owner or operator enters on Item 20 of the Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest, in the appendix to 40 CFR 262 (Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest and Instructions (USEPA Forms 8700-22 and 8700-22A and Their Instructions)), as required under Section 725.171. If a defect is detected, the owner or operator must repair the defect in accordance with the requirements of subsection (d)(4)(C);

e) Container Level 3 Standards.

1) A container using Container Level 3 controls is one of the following:

A) A container that is vented directly through a closed-vent system to a control device in accordance with the requirements of subsection (e)(2)(B); or

B) A container that is vented inside an enclosure that is exhausted through a closed-vent system to a control device in accordance with the requirements of subsections (e)(2)(A) and (e)(2)(B).

2) The owner or operator must meet the following requirements, as applicable to the type of air emission control equipment selected by the owner or operator:

A) The container enclosure must be designed and operated in accordance with the criteria for a permanent total enclosure, as specified in "Procedure T – Criteria for and Verification of a Permanent or Temporary Total Enclosure" under appendix B to 40 CFR 52.741 (VOM Measurement Techniques for Capture Efficiency), incorporated by reference in 35 Ill. Adm. Code 720.111(b). The enclosure may have permanent or temporary openings to allow worker access; passage of containers through the enclosure by conveyor or other mechanical means; entry of permanent mechanical or electrical equipment; or direct airflow into the enclosure. The owner or operator must perform the verification procedure for the enclosure, as specified in Section 5.0 of "Procedure T – Criteria for and Verification of a Permanent or Temporary Total Enclosure", initially when the enclosure is first installed and, thereafter, annually; and

B) The closed-vent system and control device must be designed and operated in accordance with the requirements of Section 725.988.

3) Safety devices, as defined in Section 725.981, may be installed and operated as necessary on any container, enclosure, closed-vent system, or control device used to comply with the requirements of subsection (e)(1).

4) Owners and operators using Container Level 3 controls in accordance with the provisions of this Subpart CC must inspect and monitor the closed-vent systems and control devices, as specified in Section 725.988.

5) Owners and operators that use Container Level 3 controls in accordance with the provisions of this Subpart CC must prepare and maintain the records specified in Section 725.990(d).

6) The transfer of hazardous waste into or out of a container using Container Level 3 controls must be conducted in such a manner as to minimize exposure of the hazardous waste to the atmosphere, to the extent practical considering the physical properties of the hazardous waste and good engineering and safety practices for handling flammable, ignitable, explosive, reactive, or other hazardous materials. Examples of container loading procedures that USEPA considers to meet the requirements of this subsection (e)(6) include using any one of the following: the use of a submerged-fill pipe or other submerged-fill method to load liquids into the container; the use of a vapor-balancing system or a vapor-recovery system to collect and control the vapors displaced from the container during filling operations; or the use of a fitted opening in the top of a container through which the hazardous waste is filled and subsequently purging the transfer line before removing it from the container opening.

f) For the purpose of compliance with subsection (c)(1)(A) or (d)(1)(A), containers must be used that meet the applicable USDOT regulations on packaging hazardous materials for transportation as follows:

1) The container meets the applicable requirements specified by USDOT in 49 CFR 178 (Specifications for Packaging), or 49 CFR 179 (Specifications for Tank Cars), each incorporated by reference in 35 Ill. Adm. Code 720.111(b);

2) Hazardous waste is managed in the container in accordance with the applicable requirements specified by USDOT in subpart B of 49 CFR 107 (Exemptions), 49 CFR 172 (Hazardous Materials Table, Special Provisions, Hazardous Materials Communications, Emergency Response Information, and Training Requirements), 49 CFR 173(Shippers – General Requirements for Shipments and Packages), and 49 CFR 180 (Continuing Qualification and Maintenance of Packagings), each incorporated by reference in 35 Ill. Adm. Code 720.111(b);

3) For the purpose of complying with this Subpart CC, no exceptions to the federal 49 CFR 178 or 179 regulations are allowed, except as provided for in subsection (f)(4); and

4) For a lab pack that is managed in accordance with the USDOT requirements of 49 CFR 178 (Specifications for Packagings) for the purpose of complying with this Subpart CC, an owner or operator may comply with the exceptions for combination packagings specified by USDOT in 49 CFR 173.12(b) (Exceptions for Shipments of Waste Materials), incorporated by reference in 35 Ill. Adm. Code 720.111(b).

g) To determine compliance with the no detectable organic emissions requirements of subsection (d)(1)(B), the procedure specified in Section 725.984(d) must be used.

1) Each potential leak interface (i.e., a location where organic vapor leakage could occur) on the container, its cover, and associated closure devices, as applicable to the container, must be checked. Potential leak interfaces that are associated with containers include, but are not limited to: the interface of the cover rim and the container wall; the periphery of any opening on the container or container cover and its associated closure device; and the sealing seat interface on a spring-loaded pressure-relief valve.

2) The test must be performed when the container is filled with a material having a volatile organic concentration representative of the range of volatile organic concentrations for the hazardous wastes expected to be managed in this type of container. During the test, the container cover and closure devices must be secured in the closed position.

h) The procedure for determining a container to be vapor-tight using Reference Method 27 for the purpose of complying with subsection (d)(1)(C) is as follows:

1) The test must be performed in accordance with Reference Method 27;

2) A pressure measurement device must be used that has a precision of ±2.5 mm (0.10 inch) water and that is capable of measuring above the pressure at which the container is to be tested for vapor tightness; and

3) If the test results determined by Reference Method 27 indicate that the container sustains a pressure change less than or equal to 0.75 kPa (0.11 psig) within five minutes after it is pressurized to a minimum of 4.5 kPa (0.65 psig), then the container is determined to be vapor-tight.

(Source: Amended at 43 Ill. Reg. 634, effective December 6, 2018)