ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
March
16, 1978
PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
)
and the ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL
)
PROTECTION AGENCY,
Complainants,
)
PCB 75-19
v.
LISSNER CORPORATION,
an
Illinois Corporation,
Respondent.
OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
(By Mr. Dumelle):
An Amended Complaint filed on February
25,
1975 alleged
that Respondent had violated the Environmental Protection Act
in the following particulars:
The complainant charged that
Respondent had operated a secondary aluminum facility, an
air pollution source,
in Chicago without the necessary operating
permits.
Particulate emissions from this facility were claimed
to exceed the limits of Rule 3-3.111 of the old air pollution
control rules and Rule 203(a) of Chapter
2 of the current regulations.
An additional count alleged violations of the 30
opacity standard
of Rule 202(b)
of Chapter
2.
Hearings were held on February 9,
1976,
March 10,
1977, November 16,
1977 and December
7,
1977 to discuss
the status of settlement negotiations.
A stipulation and proposal
for settlement was filed on February 21,
1978.
The stipulation recites Respondent’s unsuccessful efforts
to obtain
operating permits and lists time periods and specific
dates between February 16,
1973 and March
15,
1975 when Respondent’s
emissions violated Board standards.
Respondent proposes to replace
its present system, which vents emissions
Lu Venturi scrubbers and
an
afterburner, with a baghouse at an approximate cost of $815,000.00.
Respondent is requesting permission to operate its facility from
January 15, 1978 until August
1,
1978 with no pollution control
equipment while the new system is being installed provided that
particulate emissions do not exceed 22,200 pounds per month.
Respondent agrees
to use the cleanest scrap available in its
reverbatory furnaces during this period.
The August
1,
1978
date could be extended by a Board Variance or automatically
until 35 days from the date Respondent receives information
that the baghouse might not or will not be installed in time.
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The stipulation provides for a stack test within 45 days
of completion of the baghouse, inspection of facilities and
receipt of documents by the Agency and the Attorney General,
and the payment of a $5,000 civil penalty.
The stipulation
is executed by Respondent and both Complainants and attaches
a construction schedule and a copy of a letter from the Agency
which grants a permit to construct the new system.
The Board finds that the stipulation and proposal for
settlement constitutes
a reasonable method of settlement which
is
in the public interest.
The period of operation without
pollution control equipment appears to be necessary to avoid
a
plant shutdown and the layoff of 200 employees.
The provision for a “once only” extension of the August
1,
1978 compliance date is acceptable since it cannot be extended
past July
1,
1979 because of the Clean Air Act.
The amount of
the penalty and the provisions for inspection are hereby acknowledged
as reasonable, but Respondent is hereby put on notice that if for any
reason
it
is not in compliance with Board standards after July 1,
1979
it will be required to pay a non-compliance penalty in accordance
with Section 120 of the Clean Air Act.
This Opinion constitutes the Board’s findings of fact and
conclusions of law in this matter.
ORDER
It
is
the Order of the Pollution Control Board that:
1)
Respondent
is hereby found to have violated Rule 103(b) (2)
of the Board’s Air Pollution Control Regulations since
March
1,
1973 for failure to possess operating permits
for the various processes at its aluminum smelting
operation in Chicago.
2)
Respondent
is hereby found to have violated Rul~
3.111
of the Board’s Rules concerning particulate emissions
from September
27,
1973 until December
31,
1973.
3)
Respondent
is hereby found
to have violated
Thiie
203
(a)
of
the
Board’s
Rules
concerning
particulate
er~i~Jons
from January
1,
1974
until
March
15,
1975.
4)
Respondent is hereby found to have vioThted
Rule
202(b)
of
the
Board’s
Rules
concerning
visual
emissions
on
February
16,
1973,
May
18,
1973,
October
15,
1973,
December
3,
1973,
March
31,
1974,
April
8,
1974,
and
June
26,
1974.
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332
—3—
5)
Respondent shall install a
baghouse
system
which
will
result
in
compliance
with
all
applicable
Board
standards by August.
1,
1978.
During the time this
system is being installed,
Respondent shall be permitted
to operate
its facility wJthout air pollution control
equipment
6)
Respondents total particulate emissions during the
period the new system is being installed shall not
exceed 22,200 pounds per month.
Within seven days of
the date of this Order, Respondent shall provide Com-
plainants with its production figures for the period
of January~—June,1977 which form the basis for this
emission limit.
Respondent shall provide Complainants
with production
figures by the 5th of each month for
the previous month.
7)
During the time period
it operates without control
equipment, Respondent shall use
in its reverberatory
furnances only its cleanest scrap, no oily or painted
sheet, and only clean borings, clips and sows unless
the use of other scrap is absolutely necessary to meet
a production schedule.
The use of such other scrap will
only he permitted if Respondent
is unable to purchase
scrap which is paint free or from which Respondent will
be able to remove the paint and oil.
8)
If the system is not installed and operating by August
1,
1978,
Respondent shall,
subject only to the following
exception, cease operations of its reverberatory furnaces
on that date.
Respondent will only resume operations upon
the date that its system is installed and operating,
or
upon the date
it has received
(not requested)
a variance
from the Board extending the time period
in which it may
operate without control equipment.
Exception:
if, between June 28,
1978 and August
1,
1978,
Respondent,
through its officers, agents or employees,
receives for the first time an~’information indicating in
any way that its system might ~joL,
ot:
will not, be completely
installed and operating by Auqu~i.: I,
1978,
the date on which
Respondent must cease operations
in
Lhe absence of a Variance
will be extended to
35 days from such date Respondent received
for the first time such information.
9)
Respondent shall conduct stack tests to
be performed
by a consulting engineering firm of its choice and
pursuant to procedures agreed upon by the Agency.
Said
test will he conducted within
45 days of the completion
of the system at Respondent’n
facility.
Upon proof of
compliance submitted to the iThency by the consulting
engineering firm and complidr1~ewith the provisions
of
Rule 103 of the Ruies~ all necessary permits will be
issued to Respondent.
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333
—4—
10)
Respondent agrees to provide copies of all documents
which it submits to the Agency to the Illinois
Attorney
General, c/o Howard Chinn,
188 W. Randolph Street,
Suite 2315,
2315,
Chicago,
Illinois.
Respondent also shall permit
a
representative of the Illinois Attorney General to conduct
the same inspection of its facilities permitted the Agency,
pursuant to the provisions of the Environmental Protection
Act, during the time period of its Compliance program.
Respondent shall allow a representative of the Attorney
General to inspect its facility after such program is
completed
if the Attorney General has received
a Complaint
concerning Respondent,
if the Attorney General has any
reasonable grounds to believe Respondent is violating any
provision of the Act or the Board’s Regulations,
if
Respondent requests a variance,
or
if Respondent conducts
stack
tests.
11)
Respondent
shall
submit
all
changes
or
modifications
in its project completion schedule
(Program Evaluation
Review Technique)
to the Agency and the Illinois Attorney
General,
c/o Howard Chinn within three business days of
any such change or modification.
Additionally, Respondent
shall notify the Agency and the Attorney General, within
three business days of any and all information it receives
indicating
in any way that its system will not,
or might
not,
be completed by August
1,
1978.
12)
Within 30 days of the date of this Order, Respondent
shall pay the sum
of $5,000 as a civil penalty in this
matter.
Payment shall be by certified check or money
order payable to the State of Illinois and shall be
transmitted to the following address:
Fiscal Services Division
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
2200 Churchill Road
Springfield, Illinois
62706
I,
Christan
L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
Control Board, hereby certify the above Opinion and Order were
adop~don the
/(~
day of
~
,
1978 by a vote
~
Illinois Pollution
ontrol Board
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334