ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

April

26,

1979

STEPAN CHEMICAL COMPANY,

Petitioner,

v.

)

PCI3

79—32

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,

Respondent.

OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD

(by

Mr.

Goodman):

On February 15,

1979,

Stepan Chemical Company (Stepan)

filed a Petition for Extension of

a previously granted var-

iance from Rules

203(a)

and 205(g)(1)(C)

of Chapter

2:

Air

Pollution Control Regulations

for its facility known as the

Millsdale Plant located on the Des Plaines River

in Will

County near Eliwood, Illinois.

There has been no hearing in

this matter,

and the Board has received no public comment.

Stepan’s phthalic anhydride plant, which

is the subject

of this variance petition, has been the subject of several

variance proceedings in the past,

the latest of which was

PCB 78—220.

In addition, a recent amendment of Rule 205(g)

pursuant to R77—3 applies to Stepan,

In PCB 78-220,

Stepan

applied for an extension of its original variance until

November 15,

1978,

to allow ins,~llationof additional

equipment on its

Du Pont Torve~’catalytic reactor on the

waste gas stream of the phthalic anhydride plant. Subse-

quently, a problem involving the combustor

exhaust fan

arose.

The fan was not able to operate at design conditions,

and Stepan therefore postponed the stack tests,

which were

required by the Board Order

in PCB 78-220, until the problem

is corrected,

Stepan now requests that the variance he

continued until

November 15,

1979,

to allow time to solve

the fan problem.

Since the operation of the phthalic anhydride process

at this plant has been fully documented

in prior Board deci-

sions,

the Board will dispense with the technical aspect of

the plant operation.

The only problem remaining now is the

inability of the combustion exhaust fan to operate at design

conditions.

Stepan and Du Pont, the supplier of the control

equipment,

studied the problem and concluded a larger fan

will be needed.

It has been determined that a 2,000 horse-

power fan is necessary and must be fabricated,

since

a fan

33-411

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—2—

of that size

is not commercially available.

It is for this

purpose that Stepan requests the variance extension until

November,

1979.

On April

12,

1979, the Board adopted a new

Rule 205(g)(1)

of Chapter

2:

Air Pollution Control Regula-

tions

in R77—3.

Stepan’s phthalic anhydride plant is

in

compliance with the new Rule 205(g)(1).

According

to the

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

(Agency) figures,

the plant

is presently

in compliance with Rule 203(a).

In

addition,

the plant is in compliance with Rule 205(f) because

its emissions are not photochemically reactive.

Stepan

therefore requires only a variance from Rule 203(a) for

possible violations during shake-down and debugging of the

new control equipment.

The Agency investigation in this matter indicates that

particulate concentrations

in the area are below the primary

ambient air quality standard.

Considering the satisfactory

progress made by Stepan toward corr1~iancewith Board Regula-

tions and the fact that the Torvex

reactor is

a new applica-

tion of this technology,

the Board finds

that Stepan should

be granted a variance from Rule 203(a) to allow Stepan and

Du Pont the time to make the necessary modifications to the

system.

The Board will,

therefore,

grant Stepan a variance

from Rule 203(a)

of Chapter

2 until June

30,

1979,

subject

to certain conditions.

Since Stepan has not submitted

information to show whether its emissions will interfere

with the attainment or maintenance of ambient air quality

standards,

the Board,

under Section 36 of the Illinois

Environmental Protection Act,

cannot grant a variance beyond

the June

30,

1979 date.

This Opinion constitutes the findings of fact and con-

clusions of

law of the Board

in this matter.

ORDER

Finding that Stepan Chemical

is currently unable to

comply with the Board’s Regulations,

it is the Order of the

Pollution Control Board that Stepan Chemical Company be

granted variance from Rule 203(a) of Chapter

2 of the Board’s

Regulations until June 30,

1979 subject

to the following

conditions:

a)

Stepan Chemical Company shall comply with all

applicable provisions

of the Board Order

in PCB

78—220;

b)

Stepan Chemical Company shall instal7~

larger fan

and modify the dampers for the Torve~’ catalytic

reactor;

33—412

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—3—

c)

Until such time

as the Torvex~catalytic reactor

is

in

full operation,

Stepan shall

minimize emis-

sions as much as possible;

d)

Stepan shall conduct stack tests

for the particulates

and organics within

35 days after the installation

of the dampers and completion of the reactor;

e)

Within

60 days of the date of this Order, Stepan

shall apply and obtain all necessary Agency con-

struction and operating permits;

f)

Stepan shall submit to the Agency on

a monthly

basis

a written report detailing

all progress

toward compliance,

said report to be submitted to

the Environmental Protection Agency, Control

Program Coordinator,

2200 Churchill

Road,

Springfield,

Illinois

62706;

g)

Stepan Chemical Company shall continue in effect

its performance bond in the amount of $25,000.00

in a form satisfactory to the Agency;

h)

Within 45 days of the date of this Order,

Stepan

Chemical Company

shall execute and forward to the

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency,

2200

Churchill

Road, Springfield,

Illinois

62706,

a

Certification of Acceptance and Agreement to be

bound to all terms and conditions of this Order.

The 45 day period shall

he held

in abeyance during

any period this matter

is being appealed.

The

form of said certification shall be as follows:

CERTIFICATION

I

(We),

_________________,

having read and fully

understanding the Order of the Illinois Pollution Control

Board in PCB 79-32, hereby accept said Order and agree

to be

bound by all of the terms and conditions thereof.

SIGNED________________________

TITLE________________________

DATE___________________________

i)

If final compliance

is not achieved by July

1,

1979,

Stepan may be subject

to noncompliance

penalties under Section

120 of the Clean Air Act

as amended

in August,

1977.

33—413

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—4—

I,

Christan L.

Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution

Control Board,

hereby certify the above 0 inion and Order

were adopted on the

~‘t

day of

_______________—,

1979

by a vote of

~.

Christan L.

Moffet1t

erk

Illinois Pollution

o

rol Board

33—414