# Vapor recovery and vapor destruction units.

**Citation:** 33 CFR 154.2109  
**Type / status:** regulation / current  
**Agency:** United States Coast Guard  
**Effective:** 2026-08-18  
**Published:** Not stated

Paragraphs (a), (b), and (e) of this section apply only to facilities collecting vapors of flammable, combustible, or non-high flash point liquid cargoes.

(a) The inlet to a vapor recovery unit that receives vapor that has not been inerted, enriched, or diluted in accordance with 33 CFR 154.2107 mu

## Document text

Paragraphs (a), (b), and (e) of this section apply only to facilities collecting vapors of flammable, combustible, or non-high flash point liquid cargoes.

(a) The inlet to a vapor recovery unit that receives vapor that has not been inerted, enriched, or diluted in accordance with 33 CFR 154.2107 must be fitted with a detonation arrester.

(b) The inlet to a vapor destruction unit must—

(1) Have a liquid seal that meets the requirements of paragraph (e) of this section, except as specified by paragraph (b)(3) of this section; and

(2) Have two quick-closing stop valves installed in the vapor line. One of them must be installed upstream of the detonation arrester required by paragraph (c)(2) of this section. The quick-closing stop valves must—

(i) Close within 30 seconds after detection of a condition that requires the closing of these two quick-closing stop valves by a control component required by this subpart for a vapor control system (VCS) with a vapor destruction unit;

(ii) Close automatically if the control signal is lost;

(iii) Have a local valve position indicator or be designed so that the valve position is readily determined from the valve handle or valve stem position; and

(iv) If the valve seat is fitted with resilient material, be a Category A valve as defined by 46 CFR 56.20-15 and not allow appreciable leakage when the resilient material is damaged or destroyed; and

(3) Instead of a liquid seal as required by paragraph (b)(1) of this section, have the following:

(i) An anti-flashback burner accepted by the Commandant and installed at each burner within the vapor destruction unit; and

(ii) A differential pressure sensor that activates the quick-closing stop valves as required by paragraph (b)(2) of this section upon sensing a reverse flow condition.

(c) A vapor destruction unit must—

(1) Not be within 30 meters (98.8 feet) of any tank vessel berth or mooring at the facility;

(2) Have a detonation arrester fitted in the inlet vapor line; and

(3) Activate an alarm that satisfies the requirements of 33 CFR 154.2100(e) and shut down when a flame is detected on the detonation arrester.

(d) When a vapor destruction unit shuts down or has a flame-out condition, the vapor destruction unit control system must—

(1) Activate and close the quick-closing stop valves required by paragraph (b)(2) of this section;

(2) Close the remotely operated cargo vapor shutoff valve required by 33 CFR 154.2101(a); and

(3) Automatically shut down any vapor-moving devices installed in the VCS.

(e) If a liquid seal is installed at the inlet to a vapor destruction unit, then—

(1) The liquid used in the liquid seal must be compatible with the vapors being controlled;

(2) For partially or totally soluble cargoes that can polymerize in solution, there must be an adequate amount of inhibitor in the liquid seal;

(3) The liquid seal must be compatible with the design of the VCS and must not contribute to the flammability of the vapor stream; and

(4) The liquid seal must have a low-level alarm and a low-low level shutdown.

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.ecfr.gov/on/2026-08-18/title-33/section-154.2109>
- Source ID: `ecfr`
- SHA-256: `7e36656613dc73365d8dc898d1693690a12c83bda59c01831fa0a69dba061c77`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T06:28:21.529Z
- Exported: 2026-08-23T13:06:30.832Z
- Document slug: `33-cfr-154-2109`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "cfrTitle": 33,
  "part": "154",
  "section": "154.2109",
  "subpart": "Subpart P—Marine Vapor Control Systems",
  "corpusVersion": "2026-08-18",
  "jurisdiction": "US"
}
```