ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    October 18, 1973
    BENJAMIN HARRIS
    4
    COMPANY
    )
    3
    )
    v.
    )
    PCB 73-215
    )
    3
    ENVIRONMENTAL
    PROTECTION AGENCY
    )
    )
    OPINION OP THE BOARD (by Mr. Dumelle):
    This opinion is in support of an order entered August 30, 1973,
    granting the variance requested with certain conditions.
    Petition was filed flay 23, 1973 to operate certain equipment
    at the Harris brass and bronze smelting plant in Chicago Heights.
    The cupola was not used since December 1971; is controlled by an
    irrigated cyclone scrubber followed by an afterburner followed
    by a second irrigated scrubber; and 15 five-day runs aro roquested
    in order to reclaim some of the 7,000,000 lbs. of reverberatory
    slag (worth $350,000) on the premises.
    In addition, variance is requested to operate the rotary
    furnace, which was shut down in February 1972, to produce certain
    alloys now manufactured at a loss in the reverberatory furnace.
    The petitioner claims extreme financial hardship if the
    variance is not granted and
    alleges that financial losses would
    force it out of business.
    The Agency’s recommendation was filed July 10, 1973. Public
    hearings were held in Chicago on July 12 and 13, 1973. The Agency
    interprets the variance request as being from Rule 2-2.54 and 3-3.111.
    This
    firm
    had been before the Board in PCB 73-49 (Thtrcb 29, 197!)
    and a penalty of $2,500 had been levied for violation of those same
    Rules.
    The Benjamin Harris firm processes some 10,000 tons of scrap
    each year with its 110-120 employees (R. 14-15). Its slag is worth
    five cents per lb. because of the 12-15 metalli.c content CR. 33).
    The five-day cupola run (15 are requested) would net Harris $25,000
    (R. 39) by converting slag to shot which in turn is made into
    salable ingots in the reverberatory furnaces.
    .—s.
    The desired
    program
    by Harris is: (1) to install a brick--
    lined stack in place of the unlined stack
    thus making
    it possible
    to divert all the cupola emissions to the control equipment; (2)
    measure the gas flow resulting; and (3) size a baghouse to the
    gas flow
    and install
    it. Upon review of
    the
    record we agree o:ri
    the necessity for having an accurate gas flow
    figure before ordering
    a
    haghouse (IL
    82, 87, 183,
    192). The difference
    in dollars
    between 25,000 cfm and 45,000 cfm is $80,000.
    The
    consulting engineer for Harris, Mr. Charles Licht,
    est:i.rated
    emissions
    from the
    cupola
    at 53 to 112 lbs. /hr, (A.
    138)
    .
    The
    Agency’s
    witness,
    Mr.
    Robert Hedden, put
    the
    figure at 232
    Lbs. JAr.
    (A.
    233). The 232
    lbs./hr. figure results in a total emission :tVOt
    the total
    variance period
    of
    420 ~000 lbs. or 210 tons of
    particulate
    IA. 233),
    The Harris
    treasurer testified as
    to
    the company’s losses
    as
    being
    ~ I9s-~0)
    $71 ,000and ina
    oossil:1e.1970,
    ~306,000Threak-even”in 1971,situationand $177,000in
    1973in
    1972(A.
    :L97~
    Eurther testimony showed
    the precarious
    state
    of the comT~any~
    S
    loan status (IL 203).
    At think that financial
    hardshIp
    is proven
    Harris has lost
    core than a half-million
    dollars
    in tIe cast four ears and faces
    a
    curo:Ef
    of credit..
    Pc
    grant the
    variance
    but
    not for
    the full period requested,
    d:uuola
    operation, we feel,
    os
    necessary to determine gas
    floe
    and
    to size the baghouse correctly
    and to
    earn
    funds. At
    the
    same
    time,
    we
    note the
    many statements ohout
    zi:n.c oxide
    p
    articulates
    )e~nL md r
    microrL
    and coRt I e
    ‘in’ or low one mi cron zn o
    iIe~. ~r tfl~n respirane ard ~ngLst~le
    pairicles
    zE_rhey arebe
    at
    o cased um’ ef ~cien..
    oi c
    ~crzga~ed ~yc o~es
    i
    q
    i~t~
    k~~~Tl~inot
    know
    on this record the particle sizes exhausted
    outside
    the daft nor
    their quantity.
    In the
    six months
    of the
    variance granted we trust that Harris
    will,
    adequately sample its emissions
    as
    to both weight and particic
    size prior to
    requesting any
    extension.
    This opinion constitutes the Board’s findings of fact and con-
    clusions of law.
    Mr.
    Marder abstains,
    I, Chris-tan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
    Board, hereby certify the above Opinion and Order were adopted on the
    j~day of October, 1973 by a vote of
    s/~
    ~stanL1o~
    Illinois POllution trol Board
    9 —
    550

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