ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL
BOARI)
September 20, 1973
MARQUETTE
CEMENT
MANUFACTURING
COMPANY
)
)
v.
)
PCB 73-115
)
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY
)
Dissenting Opinion
(By
J~Ir.
Dume lie)
My dissent
in this
case
is based upon the operation by
Marquette of its Kiln No.
3 so as to create
a health hazard.
The grant of the variance by the Board shields Marquette
from prosecution from April
6,
1973 to May 26, 1973
for vio-
lating particulate emission levels.
I question whether the
original variance
(PCB 70-23,
1 PCB 145, January
6,
1971) con-
templated below ground level emissions
of 6,500
lbs.
per hour
at any time.
But even saying
that
the
period from March
1,
1973
(when
the precipitator fire occurred)
to April
6,
1973 somehow came
under the original variance grant
does not excuse operation from
April
6
to May 26.
High-volume air samplers were first installed by
the Agency
on May
I
(Amended Recommendation,
p.
3).
Their data was pre-
:;uiiiably available
a few days
later.
So even had Marquette
:Jted until the May
1, and May
8 and
9 readings were available,
iey
should have shut down by May 12
at the latest.
The addi-
1or~aloperation for
14 days until May 26 may have shortened
~meone?s
life
or caused permanent health damage.
While the record is not clear,
it would appear reasonable
that Marquette itself could see,without measurement, the enormity
of their dust emissions.
And in good conscience
they should
have voluntarily cut back production much sooner
-
even
in
April,
if the problem occurred then.
The Agency may wish
to consider the requirement
for a tall
stack as
a “fail-safe~device
in future permits involving
precipitators with short stacks on processes which cannot be
shut down instantly.
Not only would the effects
of the con-
trolled emissions be
reduced. by
a tall stack but should control
equipment
fail
(by fire,
or electrical failure), then the tall
stack might be the sole protection for people’s lives.
9
—
291
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/
,1
,
/
//~
~/
I
Jacob
D.
Dumelle
I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
Board, certify that the above Dissenting Opinion was filed on
the
~
day of September,
1973.
9
—
292