One concern from stakeholders that was raised as early as the Beta release was the functionality in the Client Tool which prevented users from reusing component IDs for a given monitoring system in a monitoring plan.

Several stakeholders wanted to know how they should report fuel flowmeters which were rotated in and out of service. Under the initial functionality, each time a flowmeter was put in to service, a unique component ID needed to be assigned in order to have a unique monitoring system-component data record when the flowmeter was associated with the system. When the flowmeter was taken out of service, an end date was added to the monitoring system-component record. However, the next time the flowmeter was put back in service, a brand new component ID was assigned and a new monitoring system-component record was added.

The problem with this method of reporting is that it requires new component IDs to be assigned to equipment which already had a component ID.

The reporting instructions were modified to correct this problem. These changes are found in the Addendum to the monitoring plan instructions which were released on July 2, 2008.

With the Q2 production version and the CTP 2 version, the functionality in the Client Tool has changed to match the reporting instructions. Now, new component IDs do not need to be added for an existing component. Instead, the monitoring system-component records are used to record the data. Once a component has been added, it can be associated with the monitoring system as often as necessary in order to reflect the time periods in which the component was in service.

Practically speaking, users should follow these steps:

1. Add a fuel flowmeter component to the monitoring plan.
2. Associate that fuel flowmeter component with the monitoring system including the begin date and begin hour when the fuel flowmeter began to be part of the monitoring system.
3. When the fuel flowmeter is taken out of service, add an end date and end hour to the monitoring system-component record to reflect when the fuel flowmeter was no longer an active part of the monitoring system.
4. When the fuel flowmeter is rotated back into service, add a new monitoring system-component record using the existing component ID. The record should include the begin date and begin hour of when the fuel flowmeter began to once again be an active part of the monitoring system.

Here is an example of how this would look in the monitoring system component data in the Client Tool. (Click on the image to see a larger version.) Notice, how component IDs 180 and 200 which are oil fuel flowmeters are associated with the monitoring system more than once as the flowmeters were rotated in and out of service.

Labels: Reporting Instructions

During the ECMPS Stakeholder meeting on Tuesday in Nashville, a number of resources were mentioned. These included resources for general information about ECMPS, training materials, registration Web pages, and much more. Included in the meeting packet was a handout which listed a number of these resources. In this post, the resources are listed again with links for everything which is available via the Internet. I would like to especially highlight the tutorials which were mentioned, but not demonstrated. The tutorials are excellent resources for learning how to use the ECMPS Client Tool to report your data to the EPA. These are in the same vein as the MDC tutorials, but, by using the latest in presentation technology, they are most certainly the next generation in tutorials. Each tutorial is a brief (10 minutes or less), informative audiovisual presentation which focuses on a specific topic related to the ECMPS Client Tool. The tutorials do not take long to access online, and they each include closed captioning. Currently, there are five of tutorials available to be both viewed online or downloaded to your computer. Many more tutorials covering a wide range of topics related to the Client Tool will be released over the coming months. A new post will be made on this blog when a new tutorial is released.

EPA ECMPS Website

• Reporting Instructions
• Schema Documents
• Check Specifications
• Monitoring Plan Test files
• QA Test files
• Emissions Test files

PQA ECMPS Website

• Tutorials
• FAQs
• Blog
• Stakeholder Meeting Presentations
• Client Tool Help Files (In Client Tool)

Registration

• Register to test with the Client Tool Preview (CTP)
• Register to submit official data in 2008 via ECMPS
• Register to submit initial monitoring plans and certification applications for CAIR SO2

Technical Support (EPA receives copies of all technical support emails)

• Client Tool Preview (Testing)
• Production

Labels: Industry Testing, Reporting Instructions, Stakeholder Meeting, Tutorial

The Clean Air Markets Division (CAMD) has release the latest versions of the ECMPS reporting instructions and the XML schemas and documentation.

The reporting instructions can be obtained from EPA's Web site or on the documents page on this Web site. Note, the red-line strikeout versions which show the differences between this version and the ones released in November are only on the EPA Web site. These reporting instructions apply to all sources who have opted to begin submitting using ECMPS beginning with the reporting of first quarter 2008 data.

In addition, the production version of the XML schemas along with the accompanying documentation have been released. The XML information can be obtained from EPA's Web site and also on the documents page on this Web site. The XML information also includes documents which detail what changes were made between the previous draft version 6.0 and the production version 1.0 of the XML schemas. There are also test files which validate against the XML schemas.

Labels: Reporting Instructions

Mailbag This is the first entry of a new feature on the Blog in which questions and answers from our technical support tracking system are posted. These are real questions from real users which have been answered by our technical support team.

Reporting Scale Transition Points that are Different

Question
How do you report the scale transition point if they are not the same, e.g., upscale is 95% and downscale is 90%?

Answer
The scale transition point is a new data reporting requirement for dual range analyzers. The data are reported in the non-flow span records for analyzers which have been identified as dual range analyzers in the AnalyzerData.

The scale transition point needs to be included in both the low and high span records. The data which should be reported in both records is the scale transition point for when the analyzer goes from the normal to the secondary range. Assuming low is your normal range, you should report the scale transition point for switching from the low to the high scale.

For more information, see the information about ScaleTransitionPoint under MonitoringSpanData in the Monitoring Plan Reporting instructions.

Also, more information can be found in the Blog entry on the scale transition point.

Labels: Mailbag, Reporting Instructions

Thanks to the careful review of the Reporting Instructions by a stakeholder, we have identified a discrepancy in the QA Reporting Instructions. On page 179 (or page 181 in the red-line strikeout version), the elements of the Gas Flow Meter Calibration Data are listed. The element name CalibrationFactorForLevel is incorrectly listed as CalibrationFactor. The diagram in Figure 46 correctly identifies the element name as CalibrationFactorForLevel.

This will be corrected in the next release of the QA Reporting Instructions.


Figure 46 from the QA Reporting Instructions with the correct element name circled. (Click on the picture to view an enlarged copy.)

Labels: Reporting Instructions

Today CAMD has released an updated version of the emissions reporting instructions which includes instructions for reporting mercury.

The document can be found here on this site, or you can also obtain the document from the CAMD Web site by clicking here.

Questions and comments about the reporting instructions can be sent via email to Matthew Boze at boze.matthew@epa.gov with a carbon copy to Laurel DeSantis at desantis.laurel@epa.gov.

Labels: Reporting Instructions

Today CAMD has released updated versions of the monitoring plan and QA data reporting instructions. Both of these documents include the instructions for reporting mercury.

The emissions reporting instructions document which will include mercury reporting information is scheduled to be released in December.

The files can be found here on this site, or you can also obtain the documents from the CAMD Web site by clicking here.

Questions and comments about the reporting instructions can be sent via email to Matthew Boze at boze.matthew@epa.gov with a carbon copy to Laurel DeSantis at desantis.laurel@epa.gov.

Labels: Reporting Instructions

As many Beta testers have discovered, one of the more common monitoring plan evaluation errors is SYSTEM-23-A. The error message will be similar to the following: "You have not reported PRB component(s) that was/were active during the evaluation period for System ID 101. This component type is required in a SO2 monitoring system."

This evaluation error is based on a new requirement under the reporting instructions for ECMPS. The following text from the Characteristics of a Monitoring System section in the monitoring plan reporting instructions (page 55-56 in the latest version) is relevant:

CEMS systems must include the probe component in addition to the analyzer(s) and DAHS software.

This statement is actually too broad, and needs to be narrowed in the next version of the reporting instructions. The SYSTEM-19 check provides the exact criteria which are applied to determine if a system requires a probe. A probe is a required component for the system if the system monitors SO2, NOX, CO2, or O2, and if the system has a component that has a sample acquisition method code of DIL, DOU, DIN, EXT, or WXT.

To comply with the new requirement, for each CEMS system that was active on or after January 1, 2003, simply add a probe component and associate it with the system. The January 1, 2003 date applies because the Client Tool only performs evaluations of monitoring plan data from that date forward. If your monitoring plan includes systems that were ended before January 1, 2003, the monitoring plan evaluation will not find an error, although the CEMS system does not include a probe component.

Labels: Check Specifications, Reporting Instructions

As Beta testers have probably noticed, the QA test numbers for previously submitted data have all been renumbered. When the data was loaded on the EPA Host System for Beta testing, the QA test numbers had to be renumbered in order to meet the new reporting requirements that state that each test number be unique for a given monitoring location and test type.

For more information on the renumbering view the new FAQ in the Reporting section:

The test numbers for my QA tests have been renumbered. Why are the tests renumbered and what does that mean for reporting?

Under the new QA reporting instructions, tests must use a unique test number for each test type for each monitoring location. Many of the previously submitted QA tests do not conform to this standard. In order to be able to load the data into the EPA Host System, the tests had to be renumbered.

In preparing for the production release of ECMPS, the previously submitted QA data will be loaded with renumbered test numbers. As sources begin to report data using ECMPS, they must apply the new test number requirement. The test number field has been enlarged to allow up to 18 characters. This change should assist sources in reporting unique numbers for a given location and test type, and also give sources the flexibility to develop their own numbering system for their data management needs.

Labels: FAQ, Reporting Instructions

The XML reporting file format was introduced as part of the project to re-engineer the EPA data systems associated with monitoring plan, QA/cert, and emissions data. To work with the new XML file format, new reporting instructions have been drafted. These instructions provide information on the changes in data reporting and details about how to report in the new XML file format. The new ECMPS reporting instructions will replace the current Electronic Data Reporting (EDR) instructions as ECMPS becomes the required system for data reporting.

Today, the latest versions of the Draft ECMPS Reporting Instructions were released by the EPA. The documents page on the ECMPS Beta Testing Web site has been updated to included the latest version of the reporting instructions for monitoring plan, QA/cert, and emissions. Click here to access the documents page.

If you would like to view a red line strikeout version of the Reporting Instructions which highlight the differences between the current versions and the versions released in February and March of this year, go to the EPA Web site by clicking here. Note, the clean versions (ones without red line strikeout versions) on the EPA Web site are identical to the reporting instructions on the ECMPS Beta Testing Web site.

Labels: Reporting Instructions, XML

In preparation for the beginning of the second session of Beta testing, the main page of the ECMPS Beta Testing Web site has been changed. The links to the downloads which applied to the first session of testing have been removed. These links included the installation for the software and several documents related to testing in the first session.

Links for downloading the Reporting Instructions, Check Specifications, and XML Schema document are still available. However, as mentioned previously, new versions of the Reporting Instructions and the XML Schema document will be released in conjunction with the Beta B release of the software. The Check Specifications will also be updated for Beta B. More information on that will be included in a future "Coming Features" post.

Labels: Beta B, Check Specifications, Reporting Instructions, XML

As the second session of Beta testing nears, we continue to put ECMPS through its paces in order to prepare the Client Tool for the full round of testing which will occur in August and September.

In conjunction with the new release, updated versions of both the reporting instructions and the XML schema documentation will be released. Once these have been put on the EPA Web site, they will be added to the ECMPS Beta Testing Web site. In addition, the release of these documents will also be announced on this blog.

The changes between the previous version released in February and the new version of the XML schemas are relatively minor. All three schemas have a few revisions to the validation types. For the monitoring plan schema and the QA schema, these are the only changes.

The emissions schema contains the most significant changes. In this schema, two elements were dropped. First, DiluentCapIndicator has been removed from DerivedHourlyValueData complex element. This indicator is unnecessary because the use of a diluent cap for NOXR should be indicated by reporting a value of 14 for the MODCCode element. Also, diluent cap can no longer be reported for CO2 and heat input. The second element removed was the MultipleFuelFlag in the HourlyOperatingData complex element. This was removed because it is redundant. The use of multiple fuels can be determined from the data in HourlyFuelFlowData.

Because of these two changes, emissions XML files which imported into the Beta A version of the Client Tool will not import into the Beta B version. Changes to the programs that generate emissions XML files must be made in order to produce XML files that will import into the Beta B version of the Client Tool.

The reporting instructions for monitoring plan, QA, and emissions will be released in both a complete format and a redline strikeout format which will show the differences from the previous version.

Labels: Beta B, Reporting Instructions, XML