ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
December
6,
1984
IN THE
MATTER
OF:
CLIFFORD-JACOBS FORGING
COMPANY PETiTION FOR A
)
R83-25
SITE-SPECIFIC OPERATIONAL
LEVEL PURSUANT TO 35
ILL.
ADM.
CODE
901.105(d)
—
PROPOSED RULE.
FIRST NOTICE.
PROPOSED OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
(by J.
Marlin):
On November 10,
1983 Clifford—Jacobs Forging Company
(Clifford-Jacobs) 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 on January 11,
1984.
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 con-
serve the time and funds of all the parties involved.
Ad-
ditional economic information requested by the Illinois
Department of Energy and Natural Resources
(DENR) was sub-
mitted 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.
Clifford—Jacobs is located at North Market Street, Champaign,
Illinois.
To the north is farmland, to the east is a railroad
switching yard, to the south is a commercial soybean processing
mill, to the southwest are residences, and to the west is farm-
land.
The main building, which houses the die and forge shops,
was built in 1923.
The forge shop
is marked as #1B on Exhibit
The Board acknowledges the work of Kevin F.
Duerinck, hearing
officer and administrative assistant for this rulemaking.
Al ~~47g
2
B to the petition.
It
is 300 feet long,
60 feet wide and 27
feet high to the roof line.
The forge shop contains fourteen
Erie steam drop forging hammers weighing 1,500 to 25,000 pounds
apiece with twenty-one slot furnaces and one induction heating
unit.
The heat from the furnaces, 2350°F,raises the temperature
of the shop to 120°to 130°F. Side grade—level openings and
a big double door draw fresh air into the building and over
fifty—six roof ventilators draw warm air out.
The forging hammers currently operate from 7:00 a.m.
to
3:00 p.m. five days per week.
Historically, during normal
economic conditions,
the hammers have been operated two shifts
between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.,
five days
er week,
with
occasional work on Saturday.
The current work force of 140
employees
is down from 250 employees during normal economic
conditions.
Clifford—Jacobs requests that it he allowed to
operate its fourteen hammers six days per we~ek, from 6:00 a.m.
until
11:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday (Petition at 9).
Production at Clifford-Jacobs has decreased from 1980
levels as is shown by the table below,
This decline resulted
in less hammer blows and less impulsive noise,
The production
decline
is expected to stabilize
in 1983
(Petition at 5).
Total forgings
No. of
Tonnage of all
—
on hammers
blows/yr.
~~9~4ns_
1980
670,000
9,447,000
12,838
1981
580,000
8,178,000
12,536
1982
286,000
4,032,600
6,556
Permissible impulsive sound levels for existing forge shops
are found at 35
Ill. Adm. Code 901.105.
The impulsive sound
level emitted to residences (Class A land)
cannot exceed 58.5
Leq during the day or 5~3.5Leq at night.
As to commercial
establishments
(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 65 Leq.
Ap-
proximately 66 houses potentially could be exposed to sound
levels
in excess of 53.5 Leq while thirty two houses could be
exposed to sound levels in excess of 58.5 Lew,
The noise
level
and the number of residences exposed to a certain noise
level will vary depending on wind velocity and direction.
Any
noise violations at night would end as Clifford-Jacobs suspended
operations at 11:00 p.m.
Clifford—Jacobs has not received any
noise complaints.
61-3R0
3
Various measures have been proposed to reduce the sound
levels at Clifford-Jacobs.
The installation of barriers
is
ineffective.
Enclosing the forge shop in a new warehouse would
cost over one million dollars and there is doubt whether this
would be effective,
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).
Clifford-Jacobs has tried to control excessive noise at
its forge shop,
A new building was built between the forge
shop and the Class A residences.
This did not effectively
reduce the noise level.
If forced to implement these costly
measurements, the facility would close.
The Board proposes granting Clifford-Jacobs’ site—specific
operational
level for fourteen hammers, two shifts Monday
through Saturday.
The consultant does not foresee any adverse
health effects from 65 Leq (R.
48).
The Agency states that
there would be
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 Clifford—Jacobs and its witnesses.
Clifford—Jacobs should make efforts to lessen noise levels in
the future as equipment is replaced and new technology for
noise suppression becomes available.
In the event that noise
levels from the forge shop become excessive, citizens have the
right to initiate proceedings to change the rule which accom-
panies this Opinion.
The following operational plan as set out below will he
incorporated into 35
Ill. Mm. Code 901.119.
Clifford—Jacobs
will he required to comply upon filing of the plan with the
Secretary
of
State.
ORDER
35
Ill.
Adm. Code 901.119 shall read as follows:
Section 901.119
Clifford—Jacobs Op~ationalLevel
Clifford-Jacobs Forginq~Cornpany and future owners
of
the
~j~j~cility
located
at
North
Market Street, Chain-
~ign,
Illinois,
shall
comply
with
the following site—
4c~~a~onall~ei:
a)
Qj~~ateno more than fourteen hammers at apy
one
time;
and
61-381
4
b)
Op~ate
its
forging
hamm?rs.
only
hetwee.n
the
hours
—
of
6:00
a.m.
and
11:0.0
p.m.
Mop.da~ythrough Saturday.
35
Ill.
Adm,
Code
901.119
is
directed
to
First
Notice.
IT
IS
SO
ORDERED.
I, Dorothy M. Gunn,
Clerk of the
Illinois
Pollution
Control
Board,
hereby
certify
lhat
the
above Proposed Opinion and Order
was
adopted
on
the
~/~-
day
of
___________,
1984
by
a
vote
of
(j~
Dorothy M. G~n, Clerk
Illinois Pollution Control Board
61-382