ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

March

7,

1974

ABEX CORPORATION, AMSCO DIV.,

Petitioner,

vs.

)

PCB 74—1

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,

Respondent.

ORDER

OF

THE

BOARD

(by

Mr. Seaman):

The

Recommendation of the Environmental Protection

Agency

regarding

the

above-captioned

variance

proceeding

states,

in pertinent part,

as follows:

The Agency recommends that the Variance be

denied, or in the alternative,

that it be granted

subject to the following conditions:

2.

Petitioner should exert maximum effort

to obtain an outside supply of tungsten carbide

to eliminate usage of the tungsten carbide

electric furnace during the term of the requested

variance.

3.

Petitioner should be required to dis-

continue use of the electric furnace in the cast

rod production area until control equipment is

installed.

Paragraph 15

(p.5)

of the Agency Recommendation is

as follows:

15.

Petitioner could purchase tungsten

carbide for use in the manufacture of tube—

type welding electrodes

instead of producing

it on-site.

This would eliminate emissions

from the tungsten carbide electric furnace.

The availability of tungsten carbide, and the

cost penalty to the company is unknown.

As

both the induction furnace and electric arc

furnace are used in the manufacture of cast—

type rod, it is possible the Petitioner could

refrain from using the electric arc furnace

until control equipment is installed.

There

is no known short term alternative to eliminate

emissions from the pouring aid shake—out opera-

tions.

(Emphasis added).

11

—503

---

—2—

In order to reach a reasoned decision, the Board will

require additional information regarding the availability

of tungsten carbide and the cost penalty and/or feasibility

of its use in Petitioner’s operation.

Further, the Board

will require an analysis

of the effect of discontinuing the

use of the subject electric furnace, since, from what little

information we have before us, Petitioner’s operation appears

to be highly integrated.

Petitioner is granted seven

(7)

days from the date of

this Order to file with the Agency and the Board such informa-

tion as

is relevant to the points detailed above.

Any

Agency reply to information submitted by Petitioner shall be

filed with the Board on or before March

27,

1974.

IT

IS SO ORDERED.

I,

Christan L. Moffett,

Clerk of the Illinoi.s Pollution

Control Board, certify that the

bove Order was adopted on

this

i~”

day of

Pr)

,

1974 by a vote

of

~—c~

11

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