Every LDAR program eventually hits a leak it can’t fix inside 15 days. Delay of Repair (DOR) is the legal pressure valve — but it only protects you if the criteria and the paperwork hold up.
The clock: 5 days, then 15
Once a leak is detected, a first attempt at repair is generally required within 5 calendar days, and the repair completed within 15 calendar days (40 CFR 60.482-7 and 60.482-9; parallel provisions live in the HON at 40 CFR 63.171). Miss that window without a valid DOR justification and you have a deviation.
When you can legally delay
- Technically infeasible without a shutdown — if the repair can’t be done within 15 days without a process-unit shutdown, it may be delayed until the next one.
- Equipment isolated / out of VOC service — components taken out of service may qualify.
- Valve trade-off — a narrow provision where purged emissions from immediate repair would exceed the emissions from delaying, and the purge is captured and controlled.
What the documentation has to show
- The component ID and the date the leak was detected
- The specific reason repair couldn’t be completed in 15 days
- The expected repair date and the shutdown it’s tied to
- Sign-off, and the component carried on the active DOR list until closed
- The verification re-monitor after startup
How AIM keeps DOR audit-proof
We track every delayed component against its regulatory clock, tie it to the right shutdown, and keep the justification and re-monitor in the record before anyone asks. The point isn’t to avoid DOR — it’s to make sure a delayed repair never becomes a finding.
Frequently asked
How long can a repair actually be delayed?
Until the next process-unit shutdown, provided the leak genuinely can’t be repaired within 15 days without one. It isn’t an open-ended extension — the repair is due by the end of that shutdown, and you re-monitor within 15 days after startup.
Is putting a component on delay of repair a violation?
No. Delay of repair is expressly allowed when the regulatory criteria are met and documented. What creates a violation is delaying without a valid basis, blowing the next-shutdown deadline, or failing to keep the paperwork.
What do auditors look for in DOR records?
That each delayed component meets a listed criterion, has a documented reason and expected repair date, is tied to a specific shutdown, and was re-monitored after startup — and that the DOR list reconciles with the monitoring data.
This is general information, not a regulatory applicability determination. How these requirements apply depends on your equipment, permit, and the subpart you’re subject to. Confirm your obligations with a qualified professional or your permitting authority.
Two tools that keep your LDAR program ahead of the rule
The same regulatory engine we run for clients, put in your hands.
EHS Compliance Hub
Track every LDAR rule, Federal Register update, and compliance deadline that hits your facility — in one place, updated live. Free to use.
QuickScope™
Database-driven field inspections powered by the same rules engine as the Hub — built to make LDAR surveys faster and audit-ready.