ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

July

8,

1971

AMERICAN

OIL CO.

)

V.

)

~

7l~-74

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

)

CATERPILLAR TRACTOR CO.

)

V.

)

*

1l~-76

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

)

CATERPILLAR

TRACTOR

CO.

)

v.

)

#

71~-9l

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

)

Opinion of the Board

(by Mr. Currie):

These are three more requests for variances to conduct

open burning for instruction in firefighting techniques,

As in

past cases

(e.g. Deere

& Co.

v,

EPA, ~ 7O~2O,Dec.

22,

1971),

we find that the advantages of this instruction in preventing

fire damage greatly outweigh the harm from the rather small

emissions that it will entail,

and we grant the variances subject

to conditions suggested by the Agency and indicated in the order

that follows.

In the two Caterpillar cases the Agency asks us to require

that burning be done only during daylight hours, when atmospheric

conditions are generally better for the dispersion of contaminants.

In general we agree that night burning should be avOided.

But

here night burning is proposed for the benefit of night—shift

workers,

EPA’s suggestion that this he done at 7:30 a,m, does

not fit the company’s needs, since 7:30

is the end of the shift,

To make this change would require paying overtime, and,

as EPA

says, early morning is not a very good time for dispersion

anyway.

2—99

---

Variances are hereby granted to permit open burning

for

purposes of firefighting instruction as follows:

(1)

to American Oil Co.

at its Wood River Refinery,

for six

fire—crew training sessions of eight hours each

in summer

1971,

six of the same

in

autumn 1971,

and twelve

four—hour process operator training sessions

in the

summer

of 1971;

burning to take place between

10

a.m.

and

4

p.m.;

(2)

to Caterpillar Tractor Co.

at its Mossville plant, for

six two—hour sessions in September,

1971; burning to take

place only when the prevailinq wind is not from the east;

(3)

to Caterpillar Tractor Co.

at its East Peoria plant, for

eighteen 1 1/2-hour sessions during 1971.

In each of these cases the variance shall be subject to

the following conditions:

(a)

Burning shall take place only when

the

wind speed

is from five to 20 m,p,h, and only when

the

sky is not overcast;

(b)

The company shall file a report with the Agency by

December 31, 1971,

briefly describing each training session.

Each description

shall

state the number of trainees attendinq,

the types and amounts of combustibles burned, the date

and

time

of burning, the duration of burning and of smoke emission and

a description of weather conditions.

I. Regina E.

Ryan, Clerk of the Pollution Control Poard, certify

that the Board adppted the above Qpilrtock this

8

day of

l~L_______~__’

1971.

2

—

100