ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARI)
January
17,
1974
)
NSTEEL, INC.
v.
)
PCB 73-423
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTiON AGENCY
)
)
MR. LAWRENCE M. MAGES,
GREENBERG,
KEELEY, LUNI) AND ARONBERG,
appeared
on behalf of Fansteel
MR. JOHN T. RN~OM, f’~TTORNEY, ENPORCEM~NT SE~WICES ST~iO~,
DIVISION OF
WATER
POLLUTION CONTROL, appeared on behalf of
the Environmental Protection Agency.
OPINION AND ORDER OF TIlL BOARD (by
Mr. Durnelle)
Fansteel, Inc. (“Pansteel)
filed a Petition for Extension
of Variance granted by the Board in its October 31, 1972 Order,
Environmental Protection i~gencyv. Fansteel, Inc., and the
City of North Chicago, PCB 72-76 (6-79) on October 3, 1973.
On October 26, 1973, Fansteel filed
another Motion to ~end the
Board’s previous Order in PCB 72-76.
On November 2, 1973, the
Agency filed a Response to the Motion to Aniend the Order.
The
Board denied the Motion to Amend its previous Order in PCB 72-76
and construed the Motion by Fansteel as a Petition for Variance
on November 29, 1973. The Board ordered that the variance be
con-
sidered
without a Flearing.
The Agency filed its Recommendation
to grant the variance on December 19, 1973.
Fansteel seeks a variance from an Order issued by the Board
in the prior enforcement case (PCB 72-76,
October 31, 1972)
which accepted a Stipu’ation which contained a program to br:ing
Fansteel’s facilities
into com:pliancc ~tith applLcahle water
pollution rules and regulations.
Fansteel operates two facilities
- -
the North Plant and the South Plant--with completely separate
liquid efFluent discharges into the No:rth Shore Sanitary District.
The prior Order sin the enforcement case required Fansteel to
install equipment in the South Plant within 22 weeks of the date
of the
Board’s Order which would allow discharge into the North
Shore Sanitary District
(Distr:ict).
The Agency states that
Fansteel has completed the program in its South Plant and is
currently d:i.s charging effluents in accordance with the Board’s
—
673
-2-
Order and applicable rules and regulations.
The Board has previously required that Fansteel for its
North Plant
install equipment and discharge to the
District
within 26 weeks after obtaining the necessary installation
permits From the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency but
in no event later than October 31, 1973. It is for the North
Plant that Pansteel is seeking a variance from the Board’s Order.
Fansteel, at the time of the Board’s Order of October 31, 1972,
was working closely with Monsanto Enviro-Chem Systems, Inc. (Mon-
santo) to determine proper treatment procedures. Early in 1973,
Monsanto informed Fansteel that it was withdrawing from the pollution
control field. This necessitated Fansteel hiring a new con-
sultant, Bataille Associates (Bataille). Ilataille rejected
1/lonsanto’s preliminary proposals and undertook an extensive review
of Pansteel’s individual processes and their waste flows. As a
result of Bataille’s recommendations stemming :From this review,
Fansteel proceeded to control waste from 4 definable areas and
has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency for the necessary
installation permits. However, a major piece of control equipment
which has been ordered is not readily available. This equipment
delay will result in Fansteel seeking a variance until May 1, 1974
before it can completely treat cyanide waste which occur from its
cleaning room activities. The equipment, a cyclone, will be delivered
and installed by April 4, 1974. iVaste from reduction furnaces,
ammonia water,are dependent upon the installation of the above
centrifuge. Waste from the cutoff solid removal area are scheduled
to be fully treated by January 1, 1974. The wire drawing facility
which produces cyanide waste, should be in compliance by January 14,
1974 when Fansteel will have an operation and evaporating process
which will allow for the collection and dispo~alof cyanide by
a licensed cyanide scavenger.
The Agency has stated that Fansteel’s delay in compliance was
caused by events beyond its control and recommends that the variance
be granted because Fansteel is
in
substantial compliance with
Board’s previous Order in PCB 72-76. The Board finds that
Fansteel is in substantial compliance with the Board’s previous
Order in PCB 72-76 (6-79).
The above Opinion constitutes the Board’s findings of facts
and conclusions of law.
ORDER
The Illinois Pollution Control Board hereby grants Fansteel,
Inc. a variance from Order 2 of the Board’s previous Order in
10—674
-3-
Environmental Protection Agency v. Fansteel, Inc. and City of
North Chicago, PCB 72-76 (6-79) until May 1, 1974.
The control equipment required shall be installed and
operatlve by
May
1, 1974.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
Board, hereby certify the
above Opinion and
Order were adopted on the
~
day of January, 1974 by a vote of
~—(~
Christan
1~
L. Moffett1, Clerk
Illinois Pollution Control Board
10 — 675