ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

September15 

1976

CITY OF FREEPORT,          

)

Petitioner,

v.

)

PCB 76—158

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,  

)

Respondent.

OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by Dr. Satchell):

The City of Freeport filed a variance petition on

May 20, 1976 requesting a variance from Rule 502(a) of the

Chapter 2: Air Pollution Control Regulations (Regulations).

An amended petition was filed on June 18, 1976. The Environ-

mental Protection Agency (Agency) Recommendation was filed

July 8, 1976 and an amendment was filed on July 26, 1976.

Freeport owns and operates a landfill site which is

located approximately one mile south of the city limits.

Freeport has operated a W. A. Kutrieb air curtain destructor

adjacent to the landfill site since May of 1972 for the in-

cineration of landscape wastes. The City seeks to burn clean

waste lumber in the air curtain destructor in addition to the

wastes that are presently being burned at the municipal land-

fill. Freeport seeks a variance from Rule 502(a) from April 26,

1976 until April 26, 1977.

The present operation was run with an earthen pit until

March 1, 1976. At this time the Agency determined that work

needed to be done on the pit for the operation to ~tziy in

com-

pliance. Freeport then purchased and installed a permanent

above ground pit and a new plenum chamber at a cost of more

than $15,000. The Agency has observed the operation of the

air curtain destructor since its upgrading and has noted

some minor problems such as minor amounts of smoke escaping

from lower portions of the above ground pit. The Agency

states that in all other respects the operation of the air

curtain destructor seemed quite satisfactory.

23—501

—2—

Freeport requests to burn clean untreated lumber. The

lumber 

placed in the landfill is not compactable thus

using additional space. The City if granted the variance

could save its landfill space, saving additional expendi-

tures on land. The City estimates it will burn approximately

five to seven tons of lumber within approximately four to

five hours. With a maximum of seven tons per day of clean

lumber, the emission factors for an eight hour period would be:

Contaminant      

Emission Factor in lbs. per day

Particulates            

32.2

Carbon Monoxide           

Not available

Hydrocarbons             

1.75

Nitrogen Oxides           

28.0

These figures were computed by the City from the

information listed below.

Emission Factor in lbs/ton

Contaminant

Open Burning

With Air Curtain

Particulates       

17

4.6

Carbon Monoxide      

50

Not available

Hydrocarbons

0.25

Nitrogen Oxides

4.0

The information regarding emissions from open burning is

taken from Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors,

AP-42,

USEPA, April, 1973. The information regarding emissions

from the use of an air curtain destructor is taken from leThe

Effects of Operating Variables and Refuse Types of the Emissions

from a Pilot-Scale Trench Incinerator,” Burkie, J. 0., Dorsey,

3. A., Riley, B. T., 1968 Proceeding ASME Incinerator

Division.

Freeport is located in Air Quality Control Region 73 with

the nearest monitoring station in Rockford, thirty miles to

the east of Freeport. According to the Agency’s 1975 Annual

Air Quality Control Report, the suspended particulates, sulphur

dioxide and nitrogen dioxide recorded at the monitoring site

for this area, were well below the air quality standards (Peti-

tion at 2). The Agency considers the distance too far to make

the information meaningful.

—

502

—3—

The Agency points out that although the quantity of

burning and thus the duration of burning will increase,

the severity of the emissions will not. The Agency states

that there is no practical reason to oppose the granting

of the variance as long as Freeport operates the air cur--

tam destructor and maintains it in a prudent fashion.

The Agency further recommended that the variance be granted

for five years.

The Board agrees with the Agency. A variance will be

granted for a period of five years to the City of Freeport

subject to the conditions of the Order.

This Opinion constitutes the Boardts findings of fact

and conclusions of law.

ORDER

The Pollution Control Board hereby grants the City of

Freeport a variance from rule 502(a) of the Chapter 2: Air

Pollution Control Regulations from April 26, 1976 to

April 

26,

1981. This allows Freeport to burn clean 

waste

lumber in its air curtain destructor in addition to the.

landscape waste that is presently burned at the municipal

landfill subject to the following conditions:

1. At any time the Air curtain destructor is being

used, the City of Freeport shall comply with 

all

standard operating conditions incorporated within

the operating permit granted by the Agency.

2. The City of Freeport shall within fourteen (14)

days of this Order seal the lower portions of the

above ground burning chamber with dirt fill or

other similar material in order to prevent the

escape of visible emissions.

3. Within thirty—five (35) days of this Order

Petitioner shall execute and forward to the

Control Program Coordinator, a Certificate of

Acceptance and Agreement to be bound to all

terms and conditions of this Order. The form

of said Certification shall be as follows:

23

—

503

—4—

CERTIFICATION

I (We)

and fully understanding

pollution Control Board

said Order and agree to

conditions thereof.

IT IS SO

ORDERED

having read

the Order of tllllinois

in PCB 76—158 hereby accept

be bound by all the terms and

Signed by

Title

Date

I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois

Pollution

Control Board, hereby ce~tify the above pinion and Order

were adopted on the 

day of

1976 by a

vote of 

Illinois P0      

trol Board

—

504