ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
December 6,
1984
IN THE MATTER OF:
C.S. NORCROSS
& SONS CO.
)
R83-31
PETITION FOR A SITE-SPECIFIC
OPERATIONAL LEVEL PURSUANT
TO 35
ILL. ADM. CODE 901.105(d)
PROPOSED RULE.
FIRST NQTICE.
PROPOSED OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
(by J.
Marlin):
On November 18, 1983 C.S. Norcross
& Sons Co.
(CSN)
petitioned for a site—specific operational level for its
forging shop as an alternative to compliance with the noise
limits contained in
35
Ill.
Adm. Code 901.105
(Old Rule 206
of Chapter 8).
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
(Agency) filed its response.
A public hearing was held in
Peoria,
Illinois on March 12, 1984.
No members of the public
or press attended.
This hearing was scheduled with three
other similar forging noise cases involving central Illinois
shops
in order to conserve the time and funds of all the
parties involved.
Additional economic information requested
by the Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources
(DENR) was submitted on July 29,
1984.
A negative declaration
was filed by the DENR on September
28, 1984.
The Economic and
Technical Advisory Committee concurred on November
1,
1984.
Section 901.105(d)
allows an existing forging shop to
petition the Board for a site-specific operational plan which
will limit noise emissions from the shop.
Petitioner must
demonstrate that it is technically and economically infeasible
for its shop to meet the numerical limits.
Petitioner must also
propose measures to reduce impulsive noise where possible and
assess the consequential health and welfare impacts
on the sur-
rounding community.
CSN is located at the intersection of Davis and Dean Streets,
Bushnell,
Illinois.
Its complex covers two square blocks.
To
the north are residences and to the east another forging facility,
a railroad line, commercial buildings and some residences.
To
the south is manufacturing and a few residences.
The remainder
of CSN’s facilities are to the west.
All the property surrounding the forge when it was built
in 1906 was largely vacant with only a few residences.
The
forge shop itself
is marked as department C on Exhibit B to
The Board acknowledges the work of Kevin F. Duerinck, hearing
officer and administrative assistant for this rulemaking.
61-383
2
the petition,.
The building is 116 feet long,
88
feet wide,
and 22 feet high~ CSN produces forgings
for the agricultural
and trucking industry.
The forge shop contains twelve forging
hammers weighin4 800 to 5,000 pounds apiece and thirteen fur-
naces.
The 2200°?heat from the furnaces raises the temperature
of the shop appreciably.
Grade level openings on the west and
south walls draw fresh air into the building and the six fans
on the roof draw warm air out.
The forging hammers currently operate from 7:00 a.m.
to
1:00 a.m.,
six days per week.
Historically,
at peak capacity
the hammers have been operated during three shifts
(24 hours).
At peak capacity 170 people were employed compared with the
current 120 people.
CSN requests that it be allowed to operate
its twelve hammers up to six days per week, from 7:00 a.m.
to
1:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday (Petition at
9).
Production at CSN has declined recently as is shown by the
table below.
This decline resulted in less hammer blows and
less impulsive noise.
The production
decline is
expected to
continue during 1983.
Total forgings
No. of
Tonnage of
on hammers
~
ins
1980
2,848,000
28,480,000
5,000
1981
3,778,000
37,780,000
6,600
1982
970,000
9,700,000
1,700
Permissible impulsive sound levels for existing forge shops
are found in
35
Iii.
Adm. Code 901.105,
The impulsive sound
level emitted to residences (Class A land) cannot exceed 58.5
Leq during the day or 53.5 Leq at night.
As to commercial es-
tablishments
(Class B),
the level cannot exceed 64.5 Leq.
Based upon actual noise level measurements, Exhibit A to the
petition shows that the maximum noise level is
70 Leq.
Ap-
proximately 45 residences potentially could be exposed to sound
levels in excess of 53.5 Leq~ The noise level and the number
of residences exposed to a certain noise level will vary depending
on wind velocity and direction.
CSN received a few noise com-
plaints when
it
operated three shifts.
One was from 1974, an-
other from 1976,
Various measures have been proposed to reduce the sound
levels
at CSN.
The addition of more fans and silencers to the
present roof is infeasible because the roof will not accept the
added weight
(Exh.
D to Petition).
All other measures are
similarly technically or economically infeasible.
The forge
shop is surrounded by either easements or public rights-of-way,
making it impossible to install noise control structures.
To
implement the recommended measures, $261,600 would have to be
spent.
A CSN representative stated that this would force CSN
to shutdown
(R.. 10).
61-384
3
CSN has tried to control excessive noise at its forge
shop.
A building on the north side of Davis Street ~as built as
a bar-
rier between CSN and residences.
In addition,
a noise absorbent-
material has been sprayed on the forge shop walls.
While this
has been somewhat effective,
the incidence of fire has increased.
This material absorbs an oil mist from the forging operation,
which may then ignite from sparks from the hammers.
The noise
levels were measured with these abatement measures already in
place.
The Board proposes granting CSN’s site—specific operational
~vol
for twelve hammers, 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., Monday through
~~urday.
CSN’s noise consultant does not foresee any adverse
he~tlbh
effects
from 70
Leg
(R.
14).
The
Agency
states
that
thiro
would
no
no
danger
of
hearing
loss
to
area
residents
(Agency
Response
at
4).
Although no specific numerical noise
level limitations are
being
imposed,
it is assumed that noise levels will approximate
those testified to by CSN and its witnesses.
CSN should make
efforts
to lessen noise levels
in the future as equipment is
replaced and new technology for noise suppression becox~esavail-
able.
In the event that noise levels
from
the forge shop become
excessive, citizens have the right to initiate proceedings to
change
the rule which accompanies this Opinion.
The following operational plan as set out below will
be
incorporated into 35 Ill. Adm. Code 901.120.
CSN will be re-
quired to comply upon filing of the plan with the Secretary
of State.
ORDER
35
Ill.
Adm.
Code
901.120
shall
read
as
follows:
Section
901.120
C.S.
Norcross
Operational
Level
C.S.Norcross
& Sons Company and future owners of the
forging facility located at the intersection of Davis
and Dean Streets, Bushnell, Illinois, shall comply with
the following site—specific operational
level:
a)
Operate no more than twelve forging hammers
at any one time;
and
b)
Operate its forging hammers only between the
hours of 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. Monday through
Saturday.
35
Ill. Adm. Code 901.120 is directed to First Notice.
61-385
4
IT IS
SO ORDERED.
I,
Dorothy M.
Gunn,
Clerk fo the Illinois Pollution Control
Board, hereby certify. that the abo,ye Proposed Opinion and Order
wc-~s adopted on the
~
day
of /(/ec~
~
,
1984 by a vote of
p2/.
/
-~
Dorothy
M.
~unn,
Clerk
Illinois
Pollution
Control
Board
61-386