LLL:NO1S

POLL.U ‘I’ION

CONTROL

HOARD

Nevember

21,

lPfl

SHERWIN-w:LL:AMS

COMPANY

)

)

v.

)

PCB

72-401

)

)

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

)

)

OPINION

AND ORDER OF THE

BOARD

(by

Mr.

Dumeile);

The

Sherwin-WiLliams Company on October

10.

1972 filed

a petition

asking

that

its earlier

variance

to

discharge

mercury

into two

City of

Chicago sewers

be extended for an additional

year

with tighter

limits.

We grant the variance

without hearing.

The earlier

variance ranted

November 8,

1971

(PCB

71-111,

3PCB 37)

permitted

Sherwin-Williams

to discharge

mercury not in excess

of 0. 005

mg/I

‘compared

to the standard of 0. 0003 mg/l)

not to exceed

10

lbs.

per

year.

The

instant petition

asks that

the

0. 005

mg!1

variance

level

be

retained for

discharges

to the

113th

Street sewer

and that

discharges

to the

Kensington

Avenue sewer

be tightened

to

0. 002

mg/I

with

total mercury

releases

not

to exceed

5

Lbs.

per

year.

Sherwin-Williams

in the

past year has thus

reduced by

50

its discharge

of this

toxic

metal to the environment

and is

to be

commended.

The verified

petition

describes

Sherwin-Williams

past

actions

in

(a) substituting

non-mercuric

materials

for phenyl mercuric

acetate

and similar

compounds formerly used

as

fungicides

and

bactericides

in

Jatex pdnts;

lh) testing

and

analyzing raw

materials

for mercury

content;

(ci switc:hing

from

mercury

cell caustic

(85)

to

diaphragm

made caustic

(85°t)

to avoid

mercury

contamination;

(d) instituted

strict

handling practices

for

metallic

mercury

instruments;

anti

(e) practiced

a

high

degree of good housekeeping

in order

to minimize

mercury

discharges.

Furthermore

the Sherwin-Williams

Company has

retained the well -known

consulting

firm of Roy

F.

Weston,

Tn’:.

to

study

its metal

discharges

(including

mercury)

and

to

recommend

further

improvements

which the Company is

embarking

upon.

6-.

---

—2—

The

Agency,

in

its

recommendation

filed

November

6,

1972

recommends

the

grant

of

the

variance

for

an

additional

year

with

whfch

we

concur.

We

feel

that

the

Sherwin-Williams

Company

has

done

an

excellent

and

outstanding

~ob

in

studying

and

correctjng

its

mercury

discharge

problem

in the

short

period

since

the

grant

of

the

initial

variance.

ORDER

1.

A

variance

is

granted

until

November

6,

1973

from

Rule

702

of the

Water

Regulations

(Chapter

3) to

permit

discharges

of

mercury

on

a

24-hour

composite

basis

not

to

exceed

0. 005

mg/I

into

the

115th

Street

sewer

and

not

to

exceed

0.

002

mg/l

into

the

Kensington

Avenue

sewer;

and

not

in

excess

of

5

lbs.

per

year

as

a total

from

all

plant

discharges.

2.

Preliminary

engineering

plans

and

drawings

for further

mercury

control

shall

be

submitted

to

the

Agency

by

December

18,

1972.

3.

Detail,

design

drawings

and

plans

for

further

mercury

control

shall

he

submitted

to

the

Agency

by

June

4~ 1973.

4.

Quarterly

reports

shall

he

submitted

to

the

Agency

setting

forth

progress

being

made

toward

full

compliance

with

Rule

702

of

Chapter

3

(Water

Regulations).

5,

Present

efforts

be

continued

to

obtain

the

best

possible

control

over

mercury

discharges.

6.

Application

for

further

extension

of

this

variance

shall

be

made

at

least

90

days

prior

to its

expiration.

1,

Christan

L.

Vloffett,

Clerk

of

the

Illinois

Pollution

Control B~rd,

hereby

certify

the

above

Opinion

and Order

were

adopted

on the~1~__day

of

November,

1972

by

a

vote

of

________________________

Christan

L.

JVloffett,

~~yk

Illinois

Pollution

Control

Board

6

—