2016-27544: Revisions to Method 301: Field Validation of Pollutant Measurement Methods From Various Waste Media

Summary

In this action, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes editorial and technical revisions to the EPA's Method 301 "Field Validation of Pollutant Measurement Methods from Various Waste Media" in order to correct and update the method. In addition, the EPA is clarifying the applicability of Method 301 as well as its utility to other regulatory provisions. The proposed revisions include ruggedness testing for validation of test methods for application at multiple sources, determination of limit of detection for all method validations, incorporating procedures for determining the limit of detection, revising the sampling requirements for the comparison procedure, adding storage and sampling procedures for sorbent sampling systems, and clarifying acceptable statistical results for candidate test methods. We also propose to clarify the applicability of Method 301 to our regulations and to add equations to clarify calculation of the correction factor, standard deviation, estimated variance of a validated test method, standard deviation of differences, and t- statistic for all validation approaches. Changes made to the Method 301 field validation protocol under this proposed action would apply only to methods submitted to the EPA for approval after the effective date of this action.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

What this changes

Amends 1 part of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

• 40 CFR 63 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Source Categories