Document N22onow1RD0kOZV6OwRvbGX6R
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 5
77 WEST JACKSON BOULEVARD CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60604
SUBJECT: FROM: THRU: TO:
CLEAN AIR ACT INSPECTION REPORT American Axel & Manufacturing (AAM), previously Metaldyne
Ethan Chatfield, Environmental Engineer AECAB (IL/IN)
Nathan Frank, Section Supervisor AECAB (IL/IN)
File
BASIC INFORMATION
Facility Name: American Axel & Manufacturing (AAM), aka Metaldyne
Facility Location: 8001 Bavaria Rd, Twinsburg, Ohio 44087
Date of Inspection: April 24, 2023
EPA Inspector(s): 1. Ethan Chatfield, Environmental Engineer 2. Brianna Fenzl, Environmental Engineer
Other Attendees: 1. Alexander Chrustic, EHS Representative 2. Jeffery Nutter - Plant Maintenance Manager
Contact Email Address: alexander.chrustic@aam.com
Purpose of Inspection: Clean Air Act Inspection, including but not limited to compliance with any lead emission limits and associated health impacts.
Facility Type: Foundry
Arrival Time: 11:22 am (ET) Departure Time: 1:15 pm (ET)
Inspection Type: Unannounced Inspection Announced Inspection
Facility Name: AAM/Metaldyne Facility Location: Twinsburg, Ohio Date of Inspection: April 24, 2023
OPENING CONFERENCE
Presented Credentials Stated authority and purpose of inspection Provided Small Business Resource Information Sheet Check the box if you provided during the inspection, or emailed after return to the office. If you are unsure whether the company is small, simply provide it. Small Business Resource Information Sheet not provided. Reason: does not appear to fit criteria as small business Provided CBI warning to facility
The following information was obtained verbally from Alex Chrustic unless otherwise noted.
Company Ownership: American Axel purchased Metaldyne Performance Group Inc. in or around 2017. The company continues to use the name Metaldyne as well as AAM.
Process Description: The company has roughly 170 employees in the Twinsburg, Ohio location and operates 3 shifts, 24 hr/7 days: 7am-3pm, 3pm-11pm and 11pm-7am. Mr. Chrustic provided a map of the facility. The company uses aluminum alloys to make die cast parts for Ford and GM vehicles. There are four melting furnaces; two on the north end (referred to as Phase 1 furnaces) and two on the south end (Phase 2 furnaces). Generally, only one furnace on each end operates at any given time. Raw aluminum alloy, clean scrap material and some power `flux' material (as needed) is fed into each of the furnaces and the melted alloy is used in a series of die casting machines at high pressure (12 on Phase 1 and 12 on Phase 2 for a total of 24 die casting machines). The die cast parts are further processed (as needed) in one of two Shot Blasts (Phase 1 shot blast is controlled with a baghouse, but Phase 2 is not). None of the furnaces have PM controls. Two of the Die Cast machines have some internal emission controls, no details provided. All emissions from the die cast machines are exhausted directly into the Phase 1 (north) and Phase 2 (south) die casting machine rooms, respectively, and all fumes are evacuated to and through a series of roof vents. There is also closed loop water processing done onsite. The company makes approximately 17,000 parts per day. Any wet, oily scrap is sent offsite and any non-oily scrap is fed back into the furnaces.
There is a "stack inspection" completed each day on the roof stacks to check for any opacity; with a simple `yes' or `no' on opacity logged.
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TOUR INFORMATION
Facility Name: AAM/Metaldyne Facility Location: Twinsburg, Ohio Date of Inspection: April 24, 2023
EPA Tour of the Facility: Yes
Data Collected and Observations: EPA inspectors walked through each of the Phases production lines and noted high opacity inside each of the die casting rooms. Furnace 1 was in the process of being rebuilt during the inspection, but Furnaces 2, 3, and 4 were operating. The facility noted that they were getting ready to rebuild Furnace 4. Die casting machines 42 and 43 that make vehicle differential covers have been recently upgraded to newer machines with some internal PM controls. EPA noticed that these newer machines were significantly less emissive. The shot blast machines were not operating during the inspection. EPA then climbed a ladder to the roof to observe the roof exhaust vents. No visible emissions readings were taken.
Photos and/or Videos: were taken during the inspection.
CLOSING CONFERENCE
Provided U.S. EPA point of contact to the facility
Requested documents: Estimate of aluminum alloy usage (tons per month) past year. Specification of aluminum alloy. Specification of flux material used. Estimate of air emissions for PM, HAPs, Lead, etc. for 2022. Most recent air operating permit for the facility. Copies of any PM and/or lead stack tests (especially on any of the furnaces) Copy of the opacity check logs for past month.
DIGITAL SIGNATURES
Chatfield,
Digitally signed by Chatfield, Ethan
Report Author: _E_th__a_n________0_7:_23_:5_3 -_05_'0_0'_____________ Date: 2023.05.24
Section Supervisor:
Frank,
Digitally signed by Frank, Nathan
N__a_t_h_a_n_______1_5:4_1_:11_-_05_'0_0'______________ Date: 2023.05.24
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APPENDICES AND ATTACHMENTS 1. Appendix A: Digital Media Log
Facility Name: AAM/Metaldyne Facility Location: Twinsburg, Ohio Date of Inspection: April 24, 2023
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Facility Name: AAM/Metaldyne Facility Location: Twinsburg, Ohio
Date of Inspection: April 24, 2023
APPENDIX A: DIGITAL IMAGE LOG
1. Inspector Name: Ethan Chatfield
2. Archival Record Location: Region 5 Electronic Records Center
Image Number
File Name
Date and Time (incl. Time zone and DST)
Description of Image
1
P4240047.JPG
2023:04:24 10:16:03
Alloy melt Furnace #1 and 2
2
P4240048.JPG
2023:04:24 10:16:09
Scrap material to be melted
flux in front of bars of aluminum
3
P4240049.JPG
2023:04:24 10:16:37
alloy for melting
4
P4240050.JPG
2023:04:24 10:16:40
Alloy melt Furnace #1 and 2
5
P4240051.JPG
2023:04:24 10:22:26
Foundry Casting Unit 11
6
P4240052.JPG
2023:04:24 10:22:30
Opacity in foundry
7
P4240053.JPG
2023:04:24 10:23:31
Casting unit from back
8
P4240054.JPG
2023:04:24 10:34:03
9
P4240055.JPG
2023:04:24 10:34:12
Opacity in second foundry area
10
P4240056.JPG
2023:04:24 10:39:13
Alloy melt Furnace #3
11
P4240057.JPG
2023:04:24 10:39:17
Alloy melt Furnace #3 and 4
12
P4240058.JPG
2023:04:24 10:50:36
Roof vents
13
P4240059.JPG
2023:04:24 10:50:43
Roof vents
14
P4240060.JPG
2023:04:24 10:51:17
Roof vents
15
P4240061.JPG
2023:04:24 10:54:08
Roof vents
16
P4240062.JPG
2023:04:24 10:54:30
Roof vents
17
P4240063.JPG
2023:04:24 10:54:32
Roof vents
18
P4240064.JPG
2023:04:24 10:54:33
Roof vents
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