ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
April
18,
1974
)
)
THE NESTLE
COMPANY,
INC.
)
)
)
v.
)
PCB 74-30
)
)
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
)
)
OPINION AND ORDER OF
THE
BOARD
(by Mr.
Dumelle):
A variance petition was filed on January
22,
1974.
The Nestle
Company
(“Nestle”)
has an instant tea factory
in Granite City
employing 192 persons.
About
5,500 lbs./hr.
of tea leaves
are processed.
This
results
in from 16,000 lbs./hr.
to 17,000 lbs./hr.
of wet and
spent tea leaves
at 70-80
moisture.
To this is added about
500 lbs./hr.
of wood Chips resulting from the pulverization of the
used tea leaf chests.
All
of these wastes
are then fluidized into
a Dorr-Oliver incinerator which has an air preheater and overfire
burner.
The waste gases from the incinerator go
to
a Babcock and
Wilcox boiler, rated
at 40,000
lbs./hr.
of
steam,
and then exit
to the atmosphere
55
feet above
grade.
The petition as originally filed requests relief from
Rule 203(e) of the Air Pollution Regulations until
a high
energy
venturi scrubber is installed on
the stack discharge about June
17,
1974 with a stack
test to be furnished by July
1,
1974.
On February
20,
1973
an amendment
to
the petition was filed
shortening the time required for the scrubber installation
to
March
25,
1974 with a stack test to be furnished by April
15,
1974
(the petition erroneously states “March
15,
1974”).
The hardship alleged if the variance is not granted
is the
need to supply some 15,000 to 20,000 lbs./hr.
of steam
for process
needs
5 days
a week,
24 hours
a day, and
50 weeks
a year.
The
boiler has
no provision for auxiliary fire and can only get its
heat
requirements
from
the
incinerator.
12—99
-2-
The reasons for the delay seem to lie
in difficulties
in scheduling stack tests.
Research Cotrell was
to do them in
June 1973 but because of
a
5-week plant shutdown not done until
October 2-3,
1973.
The forced draft fan was then removed to
reduce
air flow and another stack test tas performed December 11-
13, 1973.
After that,
the high energy venturi scrubber was
ordered
at
a cost of $36,220.
The December 12-13,
1973 stack tests show a dust loading
of 0.30 and 0.29 grains/SCF or
28.61
and 24.19 lbs./hr. of
particulate.
Rule
203(e) (2) has
a standard of 0.08 grains/SCF
or about 27
of what
is being discharged.
The Agency recommendation filed March
12, 1974
is for denial
on the grounds
that the delays were self imposed.
The plant has
industrial areas
on three sides but
a dense residential area
is about
300 feet away to the South,
according to
the Agency.
Granite City’s air quality, measured at
the City Hall 1800
ft.
distant
is
97 ug/m3 compared to the U.S.
and Illinois standard
of
75 ug/m3.
These
data are
for the first nine months of 1973.
The Agency interviewed four nearby residents and states
that
while
they have noticed some odor and/or “tea colored”
powder they favor granting the variance.
An alternative that was not discussed by Nestle
is
that
of landfilling
its waste until the scrubber is operational.
We grant the variance.
The March
25,
1974 date for scrubber
installation
is past and the facility is pi4obably now in compliance.
While
we
could wish fOr
a better explanation of the delays ;they
appear
to be partly due to the removal of the forced draft fan
and the air preheater installation.
The
two
sets of stack tests,
which Nesti~eperformed, were expensive.
We feel
there has been a good faith showing
of ef:Fort toward control.
This Opinion constitutes
the Board’s findings of fact and
conclusions of law.
ORDER
1.
Variance
is granted from Rule 203(e) (2)
of the Air Regulations
until April
15,1974.
2.
Nestle
shall have performed and shall
submit to the Agency a stack
test after
the
new scrubber is operational by May
31,
1974.
IT
IS SO ORDERED.
12—100
-3-
I, Christan
L. Moffett, Clerk
of
the Illinois Pollution Control
Board, hereby certify the above Opinion and Order were adopted on the
J
~~4day
of April,
1974 by
a vote of
_________________________
~
Chri~stanL. Moffett; Clerk
Illinois Pollution Control Board
12—101