Scot Smith and Christopher Filoon, Zeeco, USA, explain how the employment of direct flame monitoring technology can help operators comply with increasingly stringent flaring regulations.
Over the years, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been actively involved in various flare enforcement initiatives, as flares can be a significant source of emissions. EPA actions include enforcing a number of consent decrees, establishing standards for proper destruction removal efficiencies (DRE), and supporting environmental group civil suits against end users. On 30 June 2014, the EPA proposed revisions to the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for petroleum refineries to include flare monitoring and operational requirements, and to mandate that flares serving as control devices at petroleum refineries achieve a minimum destruction efficiency of no less than 98%.
Download Article
