Section 60.123a - Test methods and procedures(a)Initial performance tests. The owner or operator shall conduct performance tests to demonstrate initial compliance with the PM and opacity emission standards specified in § 60.122a .(b)Periodic performance tests. Following the initial compliance demonstration required by paragraph (a) of this section, the owner or operator shall conduct periodic performance tests to demonstrate compliance with the PM and opacity emissions standards specified in § 60.122a according to the schedule specified in paragraph (b)(1) or (2) of this section. (1) Conduct performance tests no later than 12 months following the previous compliance test.(2) Conduct performance tests up to 24 calendar months following the previous compliance test if the previous compliance test measured PM emissions equal to or less than the concentrations specified in paragraphs (b)(2)(i) and (ii) of this section and the owner or operator has obtained approval from the Administrator for a written request to extend the period of the periodic performance test. The extension request will be deemed automatically approved if the owner or operator submits the results of a PM performance test equal to or less than the applicable concentrations specified in paragraphs (b)(2)(i) and (ii) of this section, the owner or operator submits the request for the extension within 4 months after the subject compliance test, and the Administrator does not provide a response to such request within 6 months of submission. (i) 5 mg/dscm for blast and reverberatory furnaces.(ii) 2.4 mg/dscm for process fugitive emissions sources.(c)Test methods. In conducting the performance tests required in § 60.8 , the owner or operator shall use the following EPA reference test methods and procedures in appendix A of this part or other methods and procedures as specified in this section, except as provided in § 60.8(b) . (1) EPA Method 1 at appendix A-1 to this part for selecting sampling port locations and the number of traverse points.(2) EPA Method 2 at appendix A-1 to this part at appendix A-1 to this part or EPA Method 5D at appendix A-3 to this part, section 8.3 for positive fabric filters, to measure the volumetric flow rate of the gas stream.(3) EPA Method 3, 3A, 3B, or 3C at appendix A-1 to this part to determine the dry molecular weight of the stack gas and the concentrations of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the sample gas.(4) EPA Method 4 at appendix A-3 to this part to determine the moisture content of the gas stream.(5) EPA Method 5 or 5D at appendix A-3 to this part for measuring PM concentrations. The EPA Method 5 or 5D tests shall be conducted during representative periods of furnace operation, including charging and tapping, and the sampling time and sample volume for each test run shall be at least 60 minutes and 0.90 dscm (31.8 dscf), respectively. As an alternative to using EPA Method 5, owners or operators may measure PM emissions by the following methods:(i) EPA Method 12 at appendix A-5 to this part (see section 16.1 of Method 12) to measure inorganic lead concentrations and PM.(ii) EPA Method 29 at appendix A-8 to this part to measure metal (lead) concentrations and PM (see section 1.2 of Method 29).(6) EPA Method 9 at appendix A-4 to this part and the procedures specified in § 60.11 for determining opacity. Owners or operators may use the following methods as alternatives to EPA Method 9 as applicable and appropriate:(i) EPA Method 22 (Visual Determination of Fugitive Emissions) at appendix A-7 to this part for determining no visible emissions.(ii) ASTM D7520-16 (incorporated by reference at § 60.17 ) is an acceptable alternative with the specified conditions in paragraphs (c)(6)(ii)(A) through (E) of this section. (A) During the digital camera opacity technique (DCOT) certification procedure outlined in section 9.2 of ASTM D7520-16 (incorporated by reference at § 60.17 ), the owner or operator or the DCOT vendor shall present the plumes in front of various backgrounds of color and contrast representing conditions anticipated during field use such as blue sky, trees, and mixed backgrounds (clouds and/or a sparse tree stand).(B) The owner or operator shall also have standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place including daily or other frequency quality checks to ensure the equipment is within manufacturing specifications as outlined in section 8.1 of ASTM D7520-16 (incorporated by reference at § 60.17 ).(C) The owner or operator shall follow the recordkeeping procedures outlined in § 63.10(b)(1) for the DCOT certification, compliance report, data sheets, and all raw unaltered JPEGs used for opacity and certification determination.(D) The owner or operator or the DCOT vendor shall have a minimum of four (4) independent technology users apply the software to determine the visible opacity of the 300 certification plumes. For each set of 25 plumes, the user may not exceed 15 percent opacity of any one reading and the average error shall not exceed 7.5 percent opacity.(E) This approval does not provide or imply a certification or validation of any vendor's hardware or software. The onus to maintain and verify the certification and/or training of the DCOT camera, software, and operator in accordance with ASTM D7520-16 (incorporated by reference at § 60.17 ) and this section is on the owner or operator, DCOT operator, and DCOT vendor.