Document omgywR797Q85j16nqN12mMpZ3
FROM: DATE:
SUBJECT:
P. c. Gowan
September 14, 1989
XBVTROKMBMTAL STUDY
This document: is being distributed for your information. It was compiled with a number of different objectives and internal audiences in mind. The "Prologue" summarizes these.
Please keep in mind that it does not define a total plan or policy upon which to base actions, though several recommendations may be accepted. At this point, I believe that it may be useful as an educational tool, a reference document and a starting point for development of informed consensus. Actions to be taken will be directed through the line organization as appropriate.
Please contact me with questions or suggestions and keep in mind that I would be happy to address interested groups within the Company on this subject at your request.
Paul C Gowan S&T.012/mlf
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PROLOGUE
This report is intended to address the following questions regarding Vista's environmental situation:
Where have we been? Where are we today? What is the outlook for the future?
*a
How can past performance be improved?
It should be viewed as a beginning rather than an end product. The objectives in compiling the information are several:
To inform and educate those who may not have closely followed recent developments in the environmental area. To serve as a reference document where appropriate. To identify areas which need further work.
To serve as a starting point for development of an informed consensus in the organization.
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Environmental capital commitments are expected to total $50$100MM over the next five years. This large resource requirement is due to increasingly stringent regulations governing allowable chemical emissions to air, land, and water.
It is anticipated that the regulatory trend will continue on toward an eventual "zero discharge" standard. This is due to increasing public pressure to eliminate health risks from preventable chemical exposure. Coupled with it is an increasing trend toward local public control of the discharge permitting process. Therefore, a strong incentive exists to ensure that the systems built to address the short-term situation are also compatible with anticipated long-term requirements. Otherwise, some portion of the upcoming investment may ultimately be re-spent.
To the degree that Vista successfully anticipates and integrates future requirements into current solutions, a competitive advantage may be obtained over companies which pursue piece-meal approaches.
The project to upgrade the Lake Charles Wastewater System is
the most expensive ($40+MM) environmental issue in the current plan.
It is also an excellent example of the preferred way to approach
environmental challenges. It appears to be a flexible, modular
system which can be adapted to meet more stringent requirements as
they occur. It was developed as a series of alternatives from which
informed choices could be made. The selected approach required the
smallest initial investment. The detailed design and implementation
phase has a full-time project manager. Nevertheless, as far as
implementation timing, Vista appears to be in the lower middle of
the competitor group surveyed.
This indicates that some
organizations may have a head start in analyzing and planning for
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future requirements.
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Investments of $35MM and $10MM may be required at Aberdeen and Oklahoma City respectively to reduce residual VCM in PVC resin. About $2MM of environmental items are included in the Ethylene Expansion Project. A $70MM PACOL front-end at Baltimore would address numerous issues, some of which are environmental. These projects are further discussed in the body of the report.
The remainder of Vista's current environmental plan is a compilation of several location-specific plans, some further developed than others. None is in final form for the next five plus year period. Many projects have been identified and manpower anticipated to be required has been estimated for most. Few are yet developed to the point of being cost-estimated. This area will require significant work to bring it into full focus. At some locations, external resources are expected to be required for design and implementation.
With the recent release of Vista's Environmental Policy Statement, the organization is better equipped to proceed with the discussion and debate necessary to refine the current plan into one which better reflects an organizational consensus.
A number of recommendations address issues identified during this three month study. The following is a summary.
1. Environmental decisions should receive broader input and be fully integrated into Business Area strategies. This is a key requirement if the cost burden is to be developed into either a neutral or a competitive advantage.
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2. In support of the above, greater and earlier R&D Involvement in addressing these issues is warranted. Also technical personnel should be actively encouraged to look at the total system, to develop alternative solutions and to identify returns on incremental/ decremental expenditures relating to those options.
3. An active effort should be initiated to gather and compile information on the developing environmental activities and philosophies of both domestic and foreign competitors. This will provide an additional yardstick against which to assess our own.
4. The above recommendations are all directed toward obtaining additional or better quality facts and viewpoints on which to base decisions. It is proposed that environmental decisions continue to be based upon sound business judgement, taking into account both longand short-term factors, both internal and external. This differs with past tendency to set environmental matters apart from normal business activities because they are externally imposed and viewed to be non productive costs. The magnitude of predicted future expenditures should preclude that approach.
5. Resolve the environmental performance standards to which smaller businesses such as Blane, Premiere, and Vycom will be subject. The same need may exist for offshore joint ventures and trading activities. Competitive issues must be balanced against Vista's liability in the event of a problem.
6. Marketing of streams which would otherwise be considered "waste" poses both opportunities and challenges.
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Successfully placing streams not currently sold, such
-
as Ethylene Unit spent caustic and VCM Incinerator HC1,
could result in a capital avoidance in the $5MM range
and operating/disposal cost avoidance in the $2-5MM per
year range. These appear at present to be neither-orn
situations and should receive high priority. Several
other streams have significant potential for margin
improvement/cost reduction, but can be viewed
opportunistically. A third category is those currently
being sold, but which would quickly become problems if
the current customers were lost.
Development of
contingency plans for these streams may be warranted.
7. Evaluate Vista's off site chemical emergency response readiness via a joint Manufacturing/S&T Team.
8. Consider utilizing additional resources, which may include consultants and contractors, as necessary to catch up on environmental activities. As previously mentioned, this need may exist particularly at Lake Charles. Duration maybe over the next one to two years.
9. Consider whether an intensified R&D effort in PVC compound/dryblend formulation may allow Vista to gain a competitive advantage as regulations tighten on heavy metals, flame, and smoke generation.
10. Consider use of a consultant to assess DOT pipeline compliance. This may be an immediate need.
.11 Continue to support development of waste minimization
goals by location and for the corporation. Manufacturing locations are underway with identified coordinators and targets to be included in objectives.
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BACKGROUND
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ENVIRONMENTAL WHITE PAPER
BACKGROUND
Summary
Environmental issues are again assuming a prominent place on the national agenda. This can be seen in legislative initiatives, increasingly visible action by regulatory agencies and a shift in public opinion. This last may be partially attributable to "media events" following newsworthy spills and the public release of industry emissions data. The more astute politicians sense an environmental mandate and are publicly declaring their new-found activism.
During the 1970's and early 80's, regulations and procedures were put in place to correct "gross pollution". The emphasis now turns to reduction of the remainder by on the order of 90% in order to protect public health. In the current debates as to what constitutes an "acceptable risk", cost/benefit considerations are notably absent. Objective research data is unavailable regarding human health effects of long term exposure to low chemical concen trations; therefore, decisions will be based on an emotional objective of "zero risk" with reality moving ever closer toward that "zero discharge" standard.
While Vista has historically concentrated on remaining in compliance with environmental regulations as they developed, this may not be a cost effective approach in the long term. At Lake Charles, we face a multi-million dollar replacement of existing wastewater treatment facilities in order to comply with tightening standards. A more proactive approach over the years could very well have cost no more than was spent and have avoided the upcoming expenditures altogether or at least to some extent. By approaching the environmental area strategically rather than reactively, Vista can achieve a competitive advantage over those who continue piecemeal programs based on minimizing short term
A more compelling reason may be that proactive companies are
more likely to obtain public endorsement of their right to operate
than are laggards and those who chronically fall short of
regulatory standards.
This issue is expected to grow in
importance with time as discharge permit issues become
increasingly subject to control at the local public level.
The following is a partial list of environmental issues which affect or will affect Vista:
A. Air emissions of organics from wastewater treatment systems. (Anticipated 1990)
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B. Sara Title III reporting - public outcry over industry emissions with probable increased regulations. (In force 1988)
C. Definition of "safe" levels of various chemicals in air and water. (Definition debate in progress)
D. States establishing individual regulations more stringent than federal. (Increasing trend)
E. Much tighter limits for various chemicals in wastewater whether discharged directly or to city treatment system. Examples are: LCCP wastewater BOD reduction of 80-90%; Baltimore benzene from essentially unregulated to parts per billion level; VCM Plant EDC 99.6% reduction. (Imple mentation of new regulations underway)
F. Improving analytical ability allows regulation to parts per billion and lower vs. parts per million a few years ago.
G. EPA mandated by legislature to "eliminate discharge of pollutants into waters of the United States". (Strategy statement in Clean Water Act of 1972 and 1987 indicating long term direction)
H. "Hazardous" waste being redefined to encompass more chemicals in much lower concentrations. (1989 and contin uing) Potentially includes almost everything but waste paper. For example, some off-spec PVC compounds are currently classified as hazardous due to metals content. The proposed regulations would include PVC resin with VCM residuals exceeding about 5 ppm. It has been claimed that shredded paper money from the U.S. Mint is hazardous waste in California due to heavy metals content of the printing ink.
I. Federal regulations require tank and pond modifications to minimize potential for release of hazardous materials to groundwater. (Now in force)
J. State of Louisiana already expressly prohibits discharge of "pollutants" to groundwater. (Recently in force)
K. New regulations will eliminate burning of many "hazardous" materials as boiler fuel. (Anticipated 1989)
L. State and Federal regulations being phased in to eliminate any landfill type disposal of many "hazardous" wastes. (Implementation 1989-90)
M. "Acceptable Risk" will be decided in local public forum instead of by scientific study! This may become the most
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Past Practice/Philosophy
When we were Conoco Chemicals, the environmental philosophy
was to stay in legal compliance with regulations as they were
developed.
This was done primarily with closely controlled
capital expenditures for equipment at the "end of the pipe" . The
equipment was designed to collect a wide variety of waste streams
and either dilute or destroy chemicals which would otherwise be
emitted directly. In light of current understanding, relatively
little was done to the manufacturing processes or operating
practices to eliminate, segregate or recycle these wastes other
than for yield improvement.
As Vista, the basic philosophy of compliance remained initially the same and we achieved the added benefit of Conoco/Du Pont retaining liability for conditions or practices preceding the purchase. This retained liability has resulted in significant cost savings for Vista, but it is far from a panacea and relates very little to many of the issues we face in the near future. For instance, the split of costs to cleanout sludge from equipment in use both before and after the formation of Vista is a topic for negotiation. Costs to reduce emissions from Level A to a lower Level B due to a recent regulatory change belong solely to Vista.
Therefore, with the exception of pre-existing groundwater contamination and closure of idled waste treatment ponds, Vista faces future environmental challenges on the same regulatory basis as our competitors.
The opportunity exists, however, to manage these expenditures in such a way as to achieve a competitive advantage. At first glance, turning a forced expenditure into an advantage would seem a bit optimistic. But just as the Federal Trade Commission imposes rules to supplement free market forces, so too do the environmental regulators. By so doing, a more or less "level playing field" is created. Just as some organizations achieve a competitive edge within the commercial arena, so too can other constraints be met more efficiently by one group than by another. The difference in performance per dollar expended comes from ceasing to treat environmental costs as a burden and beginning to manage them in the same way as any other aspect of doing business; i.e., Do they make sense to the benefit of the business and how can this benefit be maximized?
As an example, consider the Lake Charles Complex wastewater nent system. Between 1960 and 1986, Conoco/Vista spent
approximately $10MM capital on facilities which must now be abandoned and replaced because they cannot meet new standards. In 1989 dollars, that cost is about $35MM. Those facilities will consume another $10MM in cleanout and closure cost before they can be abandoned. So, in today's dollars, we expended and committed $45MM to those facilities.
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Regulations
As things currently stand, a plethora of regulations, both
state and federal, deal with environmental issues.
These
regulations, carrying the force of law, appear to be a maze of
overlapping, interlocking and sometimes conflicting set of
directives.
Fragmented administration, scope, timing and
technical particulars abound.
Numerous critical (to Vista)
interpretations are vague and/or left to the discretion of
functionaries in one agency or another. Definitions of what
constitutes a hazardous chemical and what concentration is harmful
vary from group to group, list to list. New regulations, along
with updates, expansions and re-authorizations of existing
regulations continue to be issued for review, public comment or
in final form on a daily basis.
In order to make some sense of it all, consider that there are major areas being
1) Air emissions
2) Wastewater quality
3) Groundwater contamination 4) Hazardous solid waste 5) Non-hazardous solid waste (garbage)
During the late 60's and 70's, most of the emphasis (as far as the chemical industry) was being placed on wastewater quality. The intent was to eliminate gross pollution of lakes and streams which caused oil slicks, fish kills and destroyed recreational value. The automobile industry felt the effect of efforts to reduce air emissions from vehicles.
In the late 70's, air quality in terms of smoke and sulfuric acid precursors became an issue for the chemical industry. The question of how to dispose of hazardous solid and liquid wastes began to be a constraint. Also, studies were beginning to identify health effects from exposure to various common chemicals. Major cities began to run out of space for conventional garbage dumps.
Through the early to mid 80's, concern mounted regarding possible chemical contamination of underground water supplies and allowable limits were "fine-tuned" downward on all the above. The general public saw no new major initiatives and concluded that the Reagan Administration had abandoned the environment. However, the regulators continued to tighten existing standards.
It has been estimated that 80-90% of pre-1970 emissions were addressed by regulations to date. A mandate seems to exist to reduce the remainder by another 80-90% within the next several years. (Remember that cost increases geometrically.) Individual states have begun proposing and enforcing regulations which are
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i
much more strict than federal standards. The State of Louisiana
is a prime example.
The driving force for this new round of cleanup has moved from
the visible effects on the environment to an emphasis on protect
ing human health.
An example is the pending wastewater
biotoxicity standards which require survival of microscopic and
extremely delicate water fleas as an indicator of non-toxicity.
The following is a sampling of actual and proposed regula tions. They are more fully described in the Appendix.
I. Air
A. EPA - Clean Air Act - Remove 95% of volatile organic organic compounds from wastewater streams before going to treatment. (Proposed)
B. EPA - RCRA - Reduce organics from hazardous waste storage, treatment and disposal by 95%. (New in force)
C. EPA - NESHAPS - EPA required to set emissions standards which provide ample margin of safety to protect human health. (1987)
D. State of La. - New installation may contribute no more than 1/42 of allowable exposure limit at plant fenceline. (Much lower for carcino gens based on health risk factors of 10"A to 10-6. (New)
E. EPA - SARA Title III - Industry required to publically release annual inventory of hazardous emissions to air, ground, water. (1987)
II. Wastewater
A. EPA - OCPSF - Control pollutants by best available technology (80-90% reduction for Lake Charles Complex). (1987)
B. EPA - Cleanwater Act - Eliminate discharge of pollutants into waters of U.S. (1972 & 1987)
C. EPA - TC - Redefines what materials are hazardous and therefore subject to the extremely strict set of handling/treatment/disposal requirements of RCRA. (Anticipated 1989)
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Public/Legislative Sentiment
It ight be said that information and "education" are raising awareness of and sentiments against human health effects Leals in the environment.
For many years a vocal percentage of the general public has maintained that industrial decision makers are allowing irreparable harm to be done. After 20-30 years of attempts to dispel that perception, it remains. Unfortunately, as more concrete knowledge became available and past abuses were un covered, we had to concede that to some extent, unwitting harm was done. Regardless that past practices were based on good faith ignorance, for industry to achieve credibility with the general public is extremely difficult at this point.
Within the past few months, the first annual reports of hazardous emissions were made available to the public under SARA Tile III "Right to Know" legislation. Nearly everyone can read about tons of chemicals, which the government says are hazardous, being emitted within their general area. This is a frightening prospect, particularly to the uninitiated.
This data, coupled with other "media events" such as spills, releases, and cancer corridors has spread concerns across a much larger portion of the populace than the previous vocal few. Topics such as global climate changes and acid rain are now debated at the international level.
From that perspective, let's revisit the question of "acceptable risk". Simply stated, this means "What chance of getting cancer from preventable chemical exposure am I willing to accept?" The current debates deal with ranges of 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 1 million. Even these infer emissions of cancer-related materials in the parts per billion to parts per trillion range.
There is no reason to believe, however, that the public will accept any given exposure level as being low enough if the opportunity exists to drive it lower still. This is particularly true if the public remains convinced of industrial insensitivity.
That is why an eventual zero discharge standard is likely, with the only real questions being "How soon and with how many stops along the way?"
The legislators and other elected officials have begun to
the
of support available ' to environmental
activists. Numerous legislative initiatives are making their way
through the system as "read my lips" gives way to "clear the air
One little-noticed regulatory procedural change is that public comment periods are now a major determinant of outcome. In
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Other
By now, anyone who has not closely followed this area over the past several years may be feeling a bit punchy.
The news is not all bad.
As with previous regulatory
initiatives, real world considerations of jobs and the need to
avoid wholesale loss of segments of American industry are apt to
temper implementation timing. The sky won't fall, but we will
find a way to achieve the required levels of performance.
That is not to say that any individual company will not be hurt. It is reasonable to expect that those best able to adapt to changing situations will gain at the expense of those which are unwilling to change.
Vista has no apparent fatal flaws such as Love Canal or Bophal. We do have some groundwater contamination by EDC at Lake Charles and benzene at Baltimore, but believe the remediation actions underway have it surrounded. We may be at a disadvantage in PVC reactor stripping. A group is working to define that. We know that a large expenditure is necessary to replace the Lake Charles wastewater treatment system, but believe that to be a prudent, well thought out solution. It is possible that further investigation will uncover other regulatory-driven requirements. However, our competition also must face the same regulations and many have substantial pre-existing liabilities as well.
In short, there is no ticking bomb.
It should be noted that this conclusion is not necessarily
shared by all of Vista's environmental and enviro-legal experts.
It has been suggested by some involved in day-to-day environmental
activities that a ticking bomb does in fact exist. That bomb is
a result of a general complacency and failure to appreciate the
seriousness of the challenges facing the Company. This concern
stems from a perception that increases in resources applied to the
environmental area are being made belatedly and fear that
financial restructuring will cause management attention to be
directed elsewhere, precluding effective solutions.
The
management challenges in the environmental area include dispelling
that
In truth, Vista's regulatory compliance record is not
pristine.
While most excursions do not result in formal
enforcement actions, the trend toward formal proceedings against
violators is increasing. Vista Legal has recently assembled the
following data on enforcement actions (not all of which are
strictly environmental):
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PLAN DEVEL
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DEVELOPMENT OF A PLAN
Summary To say that Vista currently has a solid, fully integrated and
engineered long-range environmental plan would be misleading. That ultimate plan will evolve as the implications of the Corporate Environmental Policy are tested, understood, and interpreted by employees and managers.
There exist good location - specific plans, some more fully developed than others. Corporate Policy Statement communication has recently begun. There also exists a good example of the development of a long-range plan directed toward one waste category at one location. This is the LCCC Wastewater Project. The methods and approach used in the development of that project may he applicable to other selected issues. Additional recent examples of longer range thinking include the Baltimore Sewer Project and the environmental aspects of the Ethylene Expansion Project.
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5. Fully integrated with business area strategy and
Objectives
In order to achieve a favorable result, any plan must meet certain criteria. There must first be recognition that having some plan is necessary. The plan itself must be consistent with overall organizational objectives. Most importantly, thought leaders and decision makers must be able to "buy in" on the strategy and tactics implied in the plan.
*
The objective in developing an environmental plan for Vista is to satisfy those criteria.
The recognition element is addressed in the "background"
section of this document.
Consistency derives from the plan
objectives as guided by policy; in this case, the Corporate
Environmental Policy which is by definition consistent with overall
corporate objectives.
"Buy in" is anticipated to come from
communication, debate, and refinement of the initial proposals
contained in this document.
An ideal environmental plan might include the following among its objectives:
1. A long-term view vs. short term.
2. An integrated system vs. a sub-optimized "band aid" approach.
3. Implementation managed in the same fashion as other aspects of the business.
4. Compatible with eventual "near-zero discharge" standard.
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Identify waste minimization options for water, air, and solids associated with wastewater treatment. Identify optimum waste management implemenation Plan.
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While expensive and time consuming, the result was a comprehensive, objective treatment of an extremely complicated area. Perhaps more importantly, the Radian Study allowed for a clear and
decision making process with multiple alternatives from which to select. This provided the ability to deal with the issues in a businesslike manner. The broader representation on the study team, both internal and external, contributed an overall perspective lacking in a one or two person effort.
Studies
In the past, the study portion of environmental planning has consisted primarily of internal personnel identifying to management the requirements of newly enacted or proposed regulations. Due to the typically short response time allowed by these regulations, communications, and development of action plans tended to be conducted in a crisis type atmosphere. While this approach was successful in focusing attention on the problem, it fostered resentments and misunderstandings which diluted the impact of more forward-looking proposals.
Given that internal studies took time away from today's problems , there was concern that they may have been hastily done or might be lacking in long-range objectivity.
In the Lake Charles Wastewater Project, Radian Corporation, was retained as a consultant to first develop a comprehensive review of wastewater regulations and regulatory trends. This regulatory assessment took one month and cost about $15,000, excluding the value of time spent by internal people. This portion was completed in November 1988.
Radian then continued to develop project alternatives from which Vista would select one strategy and Radian would then proceed to outline a preliminary process design with implementation plan. As part of this effort, Engineering Science, Inc. was retained by Radian as a subcontractor and Vista retained Lyle Tichler and Diana Kocurek of Austin as an additional resource. A Vista Project Team was formed with representatives from PED and three Lake Charles Plants, plus part time involvement by Headquarters Environmental and Legal personnel. This phase involved six months and about $235,000 out of pocket cost.
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focus . It is not necessary to think of outside consultants in terms of multi-hundred thousand dollars provided that their work is restricted in scope to specific questions. This is borne out by the comparison of regulatory assessment and project development cost for Radian.
A positive aspect of QMP and PD&I influences has been the broadening of representation on internal efforts. Early involvement of R&D, Business Area, and Marketing personnel will continue to be a key factor in converting regulatory burdens into competitive
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Management Reviews A common complaint from managers has been the tendency for
environmental projects to contain no realistic alternatives. The Lake Charles Wastewater Study instead provided four possible approaches encompassing differing costs, technologies, and philosophies.
This allowed selection of a combination of source control and "end of pipe" treatment which can be later adapted to meet more stringent requirements. The selected option was also that of least initial cost. (A summary is included in the Appendix.)
The project implementation is also proceeding in a businesslike manner with appointment of a full-time project manager to direct detailed engineering and construction. Obviously, not all environmental projects require this type of focus, but providing it for this large project is evidence of Vista's commitment to excellence.
As efforts continue to move out of the reactive mode, originators of environmental projects will need to spend additional preparation time identifying positive benefits and developing creative alternatives. Otherwise, the audience will lack a basis for informed business decisions. This issue is further addressed in the Appendix.
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of Wastes
A comprehensive environmental plan will recognize and address major types of wastes/emissions:
Air
Point Sources Fugitive (Leaks)
Wastewater
Process Water Cooling Tower/Boiler Blowdown Streams Stormwater Run-off
Groundwater
Existing Cleanup Future Contamination Prevention
Solid Waste - Hazardous
Continuous Generation From Spills or Excavation From Old Site Cleanup Scrap Product
Solid Waste - Non-Hazardous
Trash Scrap Product Innert Materials
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These wastes have a variety of sources, among which are:
Raw Materials Intermediates Products Byproducts Wastes/Losses Processing Supplies Maintenance Supplies Lab Chemicals
Office Supplies Transp./Pkg. Supplies Fuels Heels, BS&W, Ash, Coke Contaminated or Surplus Materials Byproducts of Waste Trtmt. Processes Spills, Accidents, Upsets
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This policy forms the basis of and mandate for future environmental planning. Included in this section are summaries of some possible implications of the policy along with a few examples of this thinking in action.
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Vista Chemical Company
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Vista Chemical Company produces and transports chemical products that can potentially impact the environment in the communities in which we conduct business. Vista believes that compliance with all laws and regulations related to environmental quality and public health protection is a minimum standard of acceptable practice. Vista Chemical Company is committed to improving Vista's environmental protection efforts to achieve performance levels exceeding those required by law.
Vista recognizes the responsibility we have to our employees, the surrounding communities, customers, carriers, contractors and government agencies to conduct our business activities according to the following environmental principles:
Vista will inform and educate employees, surrounding communities, customers, carriers, contractors and government agencies of the health and environmental hazards of the chemicals we make, use and sell. These activities will involve recognizing and responding to community concerns regarding environmental issues.
Vista will continually reduce the risk to employees and neighboring communities posed by chemical substances used, produced and transported within our communities.
Vista will continue to reduce the potential for emergencies involving chemical releases that would impact the environment and surrounding communities.
Vista will foster and maintain an awareness of and sensitivity to environmental responsibility among our employees through an ongoing internal communication program.
Vista will maintain an environmental quality assurance program to ensure that operations are in full compliance with Company policies and procedures, governmental permit limitations and regulatory requirements.
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Vista will determine how each new or existing product can be made, used, handled and disposed of while protecting employee safety, public health and the environment Vista will make safety, health, environmental control and waste minimization essential and integral parts of process and facility design, construction and operation. Vista will reduce waste generation in the air, water and soil through employee involvement and the pursuit of source-control technology to reduce emissions from both the manufacturing process and equipment. Vista will work with the government and other parties in developing responsible laws, regulations and standards to protect employees, surrounding communities and the environment. July 20,1989
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Environmental Policy Summary
Item
Imnact
Performance Better Than Required
$
Inform & Educate Employees Community
People
Reduce Risk Used/Produced Transported
$/People
Reduce Potential for Emergencies (Chemical Releases)
$/People
Environmental Quality Assurance Program
Waste Reduction/Minimization Integral Design Construction Operation Source Control
People $
Government/Regulatory Involvement
People
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Corporate Policy Statement
1. A pro-active approach to environmental responsibility.
2. Key differences from previous practice:
a. Performance better than required by law as a desired goal.
b. Commitment to waste minimization by source control
rather than cleanup as it leaves the Plant.
Also
"designed in" control vs. "added on".
c. Emphasis on education and awareness among employees and surrounding communities. Also emphasis on legislative involvement.
3. Why do it?
a. Long-term correct approach - minimize resources, rework.
b. Regulations directionally headed toward zero discharge. Timing and methods are seemingly the only issues. Unfavorable publicity likely for incidents of noncompliance .
c. "Right to know" puts vast amounts of previously confidential information on chemical emissions in hands of public.
d. Environmental issues to be increasingly debated in public forms vs. on a technical level. We will need our neighbors on our side.
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e. CMA membership requirement.
Implications of Corporate Policy Statement
a. Short Term
1. Higher capital theoretically (probably little if any higher from practical standpoint).
2. More manpower devoted to environmental matters in order to catch up.
3. Higher profile in local communities and in government.
4. More emphasis on planning vs. reacting.
5. Multi-discipline responsibility for environmental
excellence.
(engineering, R&D, operators,
business areas, support groups, in addition to
manufacturing
management,
environmental
specialists, legal specialists).
b. Long-Term
1. Less Capital - (See Appendix - Look Back Study)
2.
Less
manpower
specifically
devoted
to
environmental problems as responsibility is spread more broadly.
3. Flexible, modular plans which anticipate and allow for changing regulations.
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v.v\U2_E*3T P L/\ ^
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CURRENT FLAN
A. Summary This location - specific plan contains some elements of a comprehensive
corporate plan along with an identification of open issues and recommendations as to how the organization might proceed from this point. As such, it should be viewed as one interration in the process of discussion, testing and debate from which a consensus will emerge.
The question posed to the organization was to identify upcoming environmental projects exclusive of those already in the 1990 or earlier Capital Budgets. The intent was to develop location - specific plans looking forward into the next several years. From these, it was anticipated that an overall plan could be developed.
The project lists which resulted were based on brainstorming sessions at the various locations during the summer budgeting period. They consisted of items which were known or anticipated to be necessary, but had not yet been developed to a point where they were ready for budget - quality consideration. Very few were engineered or ready to be cost - estimated. Therefore, due to time and available resources, it was decided to identify the manpower which would be necessary to develop each project and the desired completion time frame for each. At Lake Charles this estimated manpower is a large fraction of the total available technical force, indicating a possible need for outside engineering
An issues list has been developed, outling items which need resolution before an overall plan is completed.
A limited competitive assessment was also performed which indicated Vista to be somewhat behind in implementation of the Wastewater Project.
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VAB.0001125119
B. Project List - Lake Charles Chemical Complex
Based on discussions with plant personnel, there is a belief that substantial work remains to achieve compliance with current Environmental Regulations. The magnitude of this effort mitigates against a strong focus on future requirements and proactive projects.
However, as previously discussed, the approach taken on the Lake Charles Wastewater Project is a good example of designing to meet current requirements while creating a system which is adaptable to the more stringent demands of the future.
A concern expressed by the Plant is to what extent time and available resources will allow similar approaches to the other outstanding issues at LCCC. This concern is reflected in the anticipated environmental project workload summary for process engineers which indicates that a high percentage of available manpower will be required over the next 1-3 years. Outside or headquarters engineering assistance may be necessary on a selective basis if the desired project timetables are to be net.
In an effort to bracket the impact of this project list, the following worst case scenario was developed: Assuming no ability to provide internal resources to these projects, what would be required in the next year? The LCCC technical group would then recommend as follows:
Regulatory Analysis by outside consultant (priority order). Approximate cost $90M.
a. Air
b. SARA
c. TOSCA
d. Hazardous Waste
e. Solid Waste
2. Outside (contract) engineering to design and begin implementing solutions. Approximate cost $1HM.
The critical restraint (excluding cost) would be Vista's ability to oversee and give direction to contract personnel.
The actual situation is probably somewhere between business as usual and that worst case. It is recommended that this issue receive further attention to achieve a better definition of staffing requirements along with completion of project cost estimates.
VAB.0001125120
I i li
LCCC ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT AGENDA
PROJECT
Budgeted Projects
DAF Unit modiflcatIon
Stormwater Projects (3)
AREA
LCCP LCCP
COST. MS
30 1250
TIMING
1Q90 1Q90
Cooling water leak detection
Stormwater tank
LCVCM LCLAB
80 100
1Q90 1Q90
T-405 Secondary Containment
SPCC Plan MODS.
Environmental Lab Equip.
Alcohol VOC closed loop sampling
Ethylene VOC Anal. Bldg, vents
S.400 RX Emission Red.
Spent caustic loading system
Stormwater & Hydr. min Proj. (2)
LCVCM LCVCM LCVCM LCCP
LCCP
LCCP LCCP LCCP
75 63 50 50
90
4000 250
2700
2Q90 2Q90 2Q90 2Q90
2Q90
2Q90 2Q90 2Q90
REMARKS
For Wastewater Project Maybe For wastewater Proj ect
Maybe
For Wastewater Proj ect
VAB.0001125121
I I Ii
PROJECT
Stormwater & W.W. Proj. (3)
LCCC ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT AGENDA
AREA LCLAB
COST. MS 1800
TIMING 2Q90
VCM Wastewater Engr.
LCVCM
150
3Q90
EO Emission
S.600 Baro. Sump Emis. Red.
Stormwater HNDLG.
LCCP LCCP
LCCP
100 2000
2000
3Q90 3090
3Q90
Wastewater HNDLG.
LCLAB
1000
3Q90
KOH Benzene Stripper
EDC Wastewater Compliance
Wastewater Slop Tank Copper Pit Replacement Waste/Hydr. Red.
W. W. Treatment MODS.
LCLAB LCVCM
1500 1000
LCVCM LCVCM LCCP
LCLAB
400 150 2000
800
3Q90 4Q90
4090 4090 4Q90
4Q90
REMARKS
For Wastewater Project
For Wastewater Project
For WasteWater Project
For WasteWater Project
Maybe
For Wastewater Proj ect
For Wastewater Project For Wastewater Project
VAB.0001125122
LCCC ANTICIPATED ENVIRO. PROJECT WORKLOAD (2) PROCESS ENGRS
GEN. LCCP LCVCM LCLAB
TOTAL
ENVIRO. WORK (1)
% OF AVAILABLE
ENGRS
Process Engrs. - Total Equiv. Manmonths
Enviro. Proj ect Requirements (Manmonths)
Immediate 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Later
17 7 3 204 84 36
27 324
59 48
37.5
145
12 15 21
2
50
74 23
4
101
34 15
5
54
4 13 7 4
28
11 12 23
29 29
6 24
30
45 15 31 17
9 7 9 9
Wastewater Proj. (?)
55 43
98
Note: (1)
If projects assumed to be part of the Wastewater Project must be handled Individually, the percentages increase with the largest effect being in early years.
Note: (2)
This workload Is understood to be In addition to projects previously Identified by 1990 and earlier capital budgets and projects known to be part of the LCCC Wastewater (Black Box) Project.
VAB.0001125123
PROJECT______________
Hazardous Waste Disposal Coke Asbestos Waste Paint Sandblasting Sand Filter Cartridges Tank Btms. Solid/Liq. Waste Oil Samples Laboratory Chemicals Contaminated Trash
AREA Gen
Air Emissions
Gen
Asbestos Removal Emerg. Release Elim. Program
Heater Emissions Red. - NO , C02
Water Issues
Gen
Bayou Verdine Toxic/Biotoxicity LCCC Wastewater Project
Product Stewardship
Gen
Reduce Residual R.M. Risk Communications Use Communications End User Exposure
in products
Transportation
Gen
Railcar Heels/Cleanouts Truck Heels/Cleanouts Railcar Repairs Pipeline Maintenance/DOT Compliance Elimination of Drums/Admin. Changes
LCCC GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL
COST
TIMING Immed.
EST. ENGR. HANHONTHS
PROCESS
PROJECT
6+ 4+
REMARKS
Many are economic issues today Coke immediate problem; complete Abestos elimination at LCCP is estimated S5MM over time; remainder are waste minimization issues at present.
Continuing
2000
3+4
6
3+3 S
1993 & 94
limed. limed.
limed.
3 3
Non-Capital II It II
2
1 1
1 I'
4
VAB.0001125124
PROJECT
Wastes
Groundwater Cleanup Old Site Cleanup Catalyst, Sieves Filter Cartridge Disposal
AREA Gen
Spill Containment
Tank High Level Alarms Tank Dike Cleanup
Gen
Waste Minimization Program Development
Gen
Contingency Plans
Gen
Event of CoProduct Market Loss Reduce Volume of Hazardous Materials stored onsite
(E.O., ALKYLS, H.F., Benzene, V.C., Chlorine)
LCCC GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL
COST
TIMING
EST. ENGR. MANMONTHS
PROCESS
PROJECT
6
REMARKS
1990
3+ 2+4
1+1+2
12
??
Phased completion with desired early start
VAB.0001125125
LCCP ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT AGENDA
PROJECT
AREA
COST
Elim. EPA-023 Discharge Violations Elim. RV Discharges to Grade Elim. Spills to Grade or Contain. Off-Spec/Mixed Product Novel Catalyst Disposal Novel Catalyst Contaminated Material Disposal
NPU ETO ETO ETO ETO ETO
Closed Loop Sampling (Grab & Continous) Fugitive Emissions Sec, 300 Values Alumina Dust Emissions Elim. Rainwater Flooding Fugitive Emissions
Subtotal Immediate
Alcohol/Ethylene Alcohol Alcohol Alcohol Ethylene
Better define fugitive emissions Cooling Tower Emissions/Exchanger Leaks Tank 428 - B2, VOC Definition
Subtotal 1990
NPU Alcohol Alcohol
Spent Caustic Elim. or Sale Fugitive E.O. Emissions Control E.O. Viking Emissions Control Oxidation RX and Barometric Emissions Acid Holding Pit Emissions Elim. RV Discharge to Grade
Subtotal 1991
Ethylene ETO ETO Alcohol Alcohol Alcohol
$2750M
Elim. Once-Through Cooling Water E.O. Blowdown Pond * Elim. or Synthetic Liners Quench Solids Subject to Land Ban
NPU ETO
Alcohol
TIMING
Immed. Immed. Immed. Continuing Before AFE Before AFE
Immed. Immed. In Process Immed. Immed.
1990 1990 1990
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991
1991-92 1991-92
1991-92
EST. ENGR. MANMONTHS
PROCESS
PROJECT
31 21 21 42 31 31
4+3
2 2 10
4+3+3 48
3 4+2+4
J
15
10
3 3 50 4 _4 74
2+1
1 1
12 2+1+1
28
1
3+1+4
_2______________ 11
8 1 1
40
2
_3 55
42
68
Railcar/Truck Loading Emissions Containment Internal Floating Roofs Tanks below 10,000 gal. Closed Loop tank Sampling Ethanol alternate to burning Flare Emissions Sampling
NPU
Alcohol
Alcohol Alcohol Ethylene
1992
1992
1992 1992 1992
6
3 4
1
1
4
2
2
REMARKS
Marketing Solution Ideally should be resolved as R&D issues prior to process commerc i a l i zat i on.
Marketing Solution ($5MM capital avoidance)
See Wastewater Project Issues Possible economic issue Marketing solution with $500M/yr. current incentive increasing to $1MM/yr by 1991 Proposed LA. State Regulation Marketing Solution
VAB.0001125126
PROJECT
Tempered Water Toxicity? Subtotal 1992
Eliminate Ammonia Emissions Benzene Emissions/Neshap Residual EO in Product
Subtotal 1993
Tank Cleanout Method/Disposal Cleanout Tank Dikes Merox Odor Reduction
Subtotal 1994
Elim. Dixoane Emission Light Hydrocarbon Odor Elim. ALKYL Containment Catalyst, Sieve, Filter Cartridge Disposal
Subtotal 1995
Addressed bv Wastewater Protect (?)
Reduce Hydraulic Loading Stormwater Elim. once - through cooling water? Revise surface ditches Underground Lines Sewer System Redesign EPA 018 Outfall Violations Oil Spills, Leaks, Drips EPA 004 Outfall Violations
Subtotal W.W. Proj. (?)
LCCP ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT AGENDA
AREA Alcohol
COST
Alcohol Ethylene ETO
Alcohol Alcohol Ethylene
ETO Alcohol Alcohol NPU/Alcohol/Ethy
TIMING
1992
1992-93 1992-93 1993-94
1994 1994 1994
1994-95 1995 1995 1995
EST. ENGR. MANMONTHS
PROCESS
PROJECT
44 34 24
32 42 64 13 8
44 48 31 11 13
3 4 6 4+6+6
1 2 3 1+3+4
29 14
NPU NPU Alcohol Alcohol Alcohol Alcohol Ethylene Ethylene
1991-92 1991-92
3 3 6 12 12 3 4 12 55
1 1 6 12 12 3 3 10 48
Miscellaneous Additional Issues
Turnaround Waste Red/Disposal Elim. Odors Replacements for Freon Sec. 225 BTMS - Min., Recycle, Sell Quench Solids
NPU ETO Alcohol Alcohol
Prior to next TAR
3 3 3 6
1 1 2 5
REMARKS
If leak std. revised to 1000 ppm vs current 10,000
Define administrative changes
Marketing Solution
VAB.0001125127
LCCP ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT AGENDA
PROJECT
Disposal of hot oil contaminated Alkoxide Coke Handling/Disposal
Subtotal Mi-sc.
AREA
Alcohol Ethylene
COST
TIMING
EST. ENGR. HANHONTHS
PROCESS
PROJECT
43
_5 _3 24 15
REMARKS
Incinerate? Economic Issue
\
VAB.0001125128
1
PROJECT
Invest. RC Vent Handling Scope Bauxite Bed Problem Reduce Fugitive Emissions Elim. Tar Still R. Disk Events Eval. Alt. Direct Chlorination Tech. Red. Potential for Reportable Releases Red. Light & Hvy. Ends Production Alt. Disposal for Lt. & Hvy Ends Close Surface Impoundments Provox In Incin. Area Min. Vents to Incin. Rev. Coke Handling Environmental Lab for LCCC
Subtotal
Addressed bv Wastewater Project (?)
Rev. Sewers/Fix CPS Eval. C. T. Alternatives Upgrade Stream Stripping Elim. Limestone Neutralization Biotoxcity Identification
Subtotal
AREA
Total Enviro.
LCVCM ENVIROIIHENTAL PROJECT AGENDA
COST 7
TIMING
Immed. Immed. Immed. Immed. Immed. Immed. 1993-94 1993-94 1992 1992 1991 1993-94
7
EST. ENGR. MANMONTKS (Process/Proiect)
1990
1991
1992
1993
Total
2/0 1/0 4/1 2/0 1/0 4/0
-
*
6/2 1/0
-
0/1
-
2/2 2/2 6/2 6/2
-
-
1/0 2/2 4/1
-
-
-
-
2/4
-
4/1 2/0 3/2
-
1/3 3/0
-
-
-
-
-
2/2 3/1 0/2
-
-
2/1
2/1 1/0 6/3 4/2 9/6 10/2 6/3 5/1 4/4 8/4 6/4
5/1
21/3
23?12 is7io 7/6
66/31
Remarks Economic Issue
Immed. Immed. Immed. 1991 1992
4/0 2/4 0/2
6/6
3/0 3/3
-
-
6/3
8/2 6/4 3/4 * 17/10
2/0 4/2 2/2
-
8/4
2/0 4/1
-
-
6/1
19/2
19/14 575
43/24
If .
II II II II
34/5 42/26 20/18 7/6 109/55
4
VAB.0001125129
C. PROJECT LIST - BALTIMORE PLANT
The Baltimore Plant's Environmental Vision is as follows: Short Term - Compliance with all applicable regulations. Long Term - Work toward zero discharge. A. Apply state-of-the-art environmental technology to all new installations. B. Stop emissions at the source rather than by adding "end-of-pipe" equipment.
There is a strong belief at the plant that replacement of the front end with a PACOL unit would significantly improve both safety and environmental cost/performance. As compared with current operation, the project would achieve the following benefits:
1. Eliminate production of HC1 with its attendant problems of marketing, disposal/destruction cost, hazardous sludge production, wastewater contamination, environmental/safety capital requirements.
2. Eliminate the majority of plant corrosion-related equipment repair & maintenance costs.
3. Eliminate storage, transportation, handling, emissions of chlorine.
4. Eliminate tetralins from LAB product - (Quality). 5. Upgrade byproduct values. 6. Potential for improved community relations. 7. Improved operating efficiencies.
VAB.0001125130
Ii
The PACOL Project is in the early stages of definition with probable timetable of 3 years and $70MM to complete.
A major sewer replacement project is underway at Baltimore. Due to leaks and associated groundwater contamination potential, some action was necessary. The approach chosen (suspension of sewer lines inside a
#-
concrete-lined, grating-covered trench) is a good example of the sort of forward thinking we want to encourage across the company. While allowing easy detection/repair of leaks (as would be the case if run in overhead piperacks), the system continues to operate by gravity flow, avoiding problems of power outages. This type installation should be evaluated as a potential standard for new and replacement sewer systems.
The Plant also has a very good regulatory agenda document which is included for reference. It describes in-force and pending regulations along with the impact and response necessary to comply. Other locations might consider whether a similar approach would be helpful for communication and planning purposes.
Since this location was undergoing a strike in addition to budgeting activity, efforts were concentrated on assembling the project listing and further definition of cost, timing and manpower requirements was postponed.
VAB.0001125131
I l1
BALTIMORE ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT AGENDA
PROJECT
AREA
COST M$
BUDGETED PROJECTS
W.W. VENT COLLECTION SYSTEM PROCESS SEWER REPLACEMENT
700 650
VENT COLLECTION IMPROVEMENT
950
TIMING
2Q90 2Q90 3Q90
STXS VOC EMISSION CONTROL PROCESS SEWER REPLACEMENT
100 500
4Q90 4Q90
BALTIMORE ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT AGENDA
VAB.0001125132
PROJECT
AREA
ANTICIPATED PROJECTS
WATER RECYCLE REPLACE RIVETED TANKS IN BENZENE SVC. ELIM. BZ RELIEF VALVES TO GRADE BZ CONTROL TOWER - REPL.AND/OR SPARE ELIM. IN-GROUND PROCESS TANKS ACID PIT REPL. /UPGRADE ACID PIT SLUDGE HANDLING FUGITIVE EMISSIONS REDUCTION TANK FARM REVISIONS - LONG TERM GROUNDWATER REMEDIATION PUMP SEAL REPL. - BZ SVC. REMOVE TRACE MATERIAL FROM PRODUCT ALTERNATE DISPOSAL FOR SPENT SULFURIC RAILCAR/TRUCK UPGRADE - HAZMAT LAB ANALYTICAL EQUIPMENT ASBESTOS REMOVAL EQUIP. CLEARING REV. - BZ SVC. ELIM. GROUNDWATER INTO STORM DRAINS CONTAMINATED DIRT DISPOSAL
*
PACOL FRONT END
COST M$
TIMING
1000 1000-1500
100
200/YR
70,000
VAB.0001125133
I I I'
To:
Frcm: Date:
J. P. Warner June 27, 1989
Subject: BALTIMORE PAOOL UNIT - KEOCMfENDAXICN PGR A nFTT7lTTFD STUD*
A number of preliminary evaluations for a Baltimore PAOOL Unit have been made since the LCXAB plant began operations. Each of these previous studies concluded that there was not sufficient justification to pursue a PAOOL Unit. A new evaluation has just been completed by PED and Baltimore which concluded that there is justification and recommends that a detailed evaluation be con ducted. The changes in the conclusions are based upon:
(1) There is increasing pressure to reduce or elimi nate tetxalins in LAB.
(2) There is a potential that a Baltimore PAOOL Unit with AICI3 alkylation will produce high quality dialkylbenzenes that can be moved into the syn thetics lubricants market at high margins.
(3) There is a continual deterioration in the HC1 market while disposal costs are escalating rapidly.
(4) There is a higher efficiency associated with a PAOOL Unit since Define and Paid Energy Recovery projects have cane on line.
(5) There is a realization that the ccnmunity safety issues associated with the transportation of chlorine and hydrochloric acid will make permits for the project easier to obtain.
The new evaluation shews a 13% IKR based upon a capital cost of 70 million dollars. Average revenues for the project were derived from the following sources:
VAB.0001125134
I I I'
L. R. Bauer June 27, 1989
Variable Costs Iirprovements (not including HCL) Maintenance Savings Increased 7050 Margins - Improved Quality HC1 Marketing and Disposal Cost Avoidance
Ability to use Tetralins Against Competition Sale of HCl Business Chlorine and HCl Transportation Safety Issues
8,800 2,400 2,200 3,000 1,900 Not Included Not Included Not Included Not Included
(excluding 7050)
HCl Environmental Projects
Not Included 1,100
Not Included
The Capital requirement of 70 million dollars is larger than that included in any of the previous studies. The increase is due to a better definition of the facilities outside of the project's battery limits. The project costs are brokendown as follows:
PAC0L Unit Revisions to Distillation and Alkylation Outside Battery Limits
30 Ml $ 10 MM $ 30 MM $
Total:
70 MM $
A presentation on this issue was made to Ron Bryan and Tom O'Brien at the last Plant/Business Area meeting. Ron agreed with our
recommendation but wanted to check with upper management before
committing manpower to the detailed study. It is our recommenda tion that the study be pursued based upon our preliminary economics and on the need to be prepared if the Tetralins becomes a major issue in the American LAB market.
J. Paul Warner
/nw
cc:
JAD, TP0, RB, GEH - Houston A.A. Salah - LOOP JOGr, JOGi, JRP, JJR, DIM, ACP, MAF
VAB.0001125135
i l I*
J. P. Warner
Date
R. B. Merriam June 2, 1989
Subject: Capital Experelitunes Due To HC1 - 1985 thruucfr 1991 -
Per your request, attached is the graph of capital expenditures for projects related to HC1 from 1985 through 1991. We do not have and projects projected for 1992 so this data is not included in the graph.
Also attached is the list of projects and the associated capital that make up the graph.
VAB.0001125136
I
BALTIMORE PLANT CAPITAL EXPENDITURES
RELATED TD HCL AND MURIATIC ACID
c'/u * '>fit r
YEAR
l1
VAB.0001125137
1985 - 1991
FY 1985
D-344 Replacement Acid Piping Upgrade, Phase I Primary Deoiler Replacement F-36/50 Weak Acid Circulation System T-247 Roof Replacement
Total
$93,186 85,263
195,168 44,778 89,397
$508,000
FY 1986
Secondary Deoiler Replacement Acid Piping Upgrade, Phase II
Total
FY 1987
Acid Sewer Recovery, Phase I Acid Piping Upgrade, Phase III Acid Pit Overflow Protection Spare HC1 Absorber T-10 Floor Replacement Crude Tank Bottcm Replacement
Total
$219,000 183.608
$403,000
$245,000 95,000 90,000 83,070
165,000 210.000 $888,000
4th Acid Tank
$600,000
Absorber Vent Line Replacement
120,000
Acid Pit Foam and Fume Protection
65,000
HC1 Fume Scrubbing Isproveraents
140.000
Acid Filter Replacement
120.000
Acid Dilution
285.000
Spare Critical Equipment (Absorber Only)
60,000
Water Wash Drum Replacement
210.000
Crude Neutralization Inprovements
130.000
Caustic Settling Drum Replacement
170.000
Total
$1,900,000
Acid Pit Scubber D-24 Replacement Acid Sewer Benzene Control Secondary Benzene Tower
Total
$120,000
50,000 1.750.000 1.600.000
$3,520,000
VAB.0001125138
EL122Q
Crude Neutralization Inprovements Acid Filter Replacement Deoiler Tenperature Control Second Acid Pit Cover D-201 Replacement Acid loading Spill Prevention underground Acid Sewer Elimination
Total
$800,000 125,000 200,000 400,000 400,000 250,000 400.000
$2,575,000
$2,000,000
VAB.0001125139
11
t
To: Paul Gowan
Interoffice
Communication
Fran:
D. L. Mahler July 7, 1989
PEAMT RBODIATCPV aCTMnfr
Jim Gibson indicated that you would like to review the attached document prior to visiting Baltimore this month. Please give me a call if you have any questions.
/dwt.
Dave Mahler Director of Environmental Control
/ma
JUL TO 89
VAB.0001125140
*
T?F!n TT ATOPY AGENDA
BAUTM3RE CHEMICAL PLANT
1. EFFLUENT GUIDELINES FOR OCPSF FACILITIES 2. ORGANIC TOXICITY CHARACTERISTIC 3. MARYLAND TOXIC AIR POLLUTION REGULATIONS 4. NESHAP - BENZENE RECONSIDERATION 5. IAND DISPOSAL BAN 6. VOC REGULATION REVISIONS 7. RCRA DEFINITION OF "TANK1* 8. REPORTABLE QUANTITY ADJUSTMENTS 9. BURNING OF HAZARDOUS WASTE IN BOIIERS FOR ENERGY
RECOVERY ASBESTOS NESHAP REVISIONS 11- OIL POLLUTION PREVENTION REGULATION 12. DISTILLATION N5PS 13. SOCMI REACTOR NSPS 14. SMALL BOILER NSPS 15. REFINERY WASTEWATER SYSTEMS NSPS 16. AIR TOXICITY CHARACTERISTIC FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE
H
O
4-12-89 Rev. 4-19-89
VAB.0001125141
ABSTRACT: EPA has issued regulations which limit the discharge of toxic pollutants from organic chemicals, plastics and synthetic fibers manufacturing facilities to United States waters and publicly owned treatment works.
IMPACT: Wastewater discharged to the Baltimore City sewer will need to comply with strict concentration limits for 47 listed chemicals by 11/90. Pertinent limits include:
. Benzene - 57 ppb monthly average, 134 ppb daily maximum. . Toluene - 28 ppb monthly average, 74 ppb daily maximum. . Phenol - 19 ppb monthly average, 47 ppb daily maximum. . Chlorobenzene - 142 ppb monthly average, 380 ppb daily maximum. . Methylene chloride - 36 ppb monthly average, 170 ppb daily
maximum.
ENDING ACTION STEPS:
. Complete design, construction and successful startup of all projects identified in the plant's compliance plan by 11/90.
. Purchase the GC/MS and provide lab space, manpower and analytical methods to operate it by 11/90.
. Submit quarterly progress reports to the City.
. Institute process monitoring and control procedures.
4-12-89 Rev. 7-7-89
VAB.0001125142
page 1 of 2
ABSTRACT: EPA has proposed to expand the criteria for identifying
^
.
4t
4*
*
I
^
^
ft
l
Final
6/86 Earliest date - 8/89 Probable date - ?/90 6 norths after final
IMPACT: This regulation will have a major inpact on nearly every
Mary wastes which are currently nan-hazardous could become classified as hazardous wastes. Any treatment, storage and
facility which complies with RCRA facility standards. Noted
The following wastes at the Baltimore plant will become subject to this new hazard identification criteria.
. Wastewater solids, including acid pit spoils. . Slip solids. . Excavation dirt. . Trash. . Tank bottoms stored in excess of 90 days. . Any material which is spilled or leaked onto or into the
ground.
Pertinent thresholds are expected to be 0.5 ppm benzene and 1,000 ppm toluene. Liquids will be analyzed directly for hazardous constituents, whereas solids and sludge will be extracted and analyzed using the Toxicity Characteristic leaching Procedure (TCLP).
FENDING ACTION STEPS:
. Complete construction and startup of Phase I of the SOB frac tionation improvements. Design, construct and startup Phase II of the SOB fractionation inprovements if necessary.
. Purchase the GC/MS, headspace analyzer and zero headspace extractor, and provide lab space, manpower and analytical procedures to operate this equipment by the effective date.
. Stabilize wastewater solids and acid, pit spoils off-site and close the jersey barriers operation if the OTC effective date precedes start-up of the pretreatment standard projects.
VAB.0001125143
2. (cant.) SENDING ACTION STEPS (cant.) . dose out the slip and remove the dam.
page 2 of 2
. Develop procedures to clean out tanks within 90 days of removal from service.
out solids as hazardous waste. permanent DPA slurry operation.
This will likely involve a
4-12-89 Rev. 4-19-89
VAB.0001125144
3. MARYLAND TOXIC AIR FOUHE1GN REGOIATICNS
page 1 of 2
ABSn&CT; Facilities which discharge listed toxic air pollutants (TAPs) must quantify TAP emissions and demonstrate that ambient TAP concentrations outside of the facility do not exceed health-
Final
and highly All
5/88 8/88 - 7/90 - 7/92
IMPACT: Preliminary modelling indicates that benzene emissions are impacted by this regulation. All other TAP emissions should screen-out without any additional controls. The plant will need to install Best Available Control Technology (BACT) on all benzene emission sources as follows.
. Collect, store and treat benzene contaminated wastewater in closed processes. BACT will probably be the Refinery Wastewater
. Eliminate venting from benzene containing storage tanks. BACT will be the Volatile Organic Liquid Storage New Source
. Tie-in all remaining benzene containing tanks, vessels and vents (excluding D-201) to the VCS or other appropriate control
. Maintain compliance with the benzene fugitive emissions NESHAP.
A compliance plan can be submitted by 7/1/90 if compliance cannot be obtained by that date. Modelling studies for benzene, chlorine and hydrochloric acid must be submitted by 7/1/90. Modelling studies for toluene and xylenes must be submitted by 7/1/92.
PENDING ACnCN STEPS:
. Complete construction and startup of the VCS tank monitoring project and follow-up with necessary improvements.
. Provide benzene emissions controls for T-185 tank, the new wastewater stripper, the new process sewer, the new wastewater transfer tanks, T-150 tank and the weak AICI3 liquor tanks.
4-12-89 Rev. 7-7-89
1
VAB.0001125145
I
3- (cent.)
Page 2 of 2
PENDING ACTION STEPS (cont.)
. Rencdel anticipated and current (as of 7/90) benzene, chlorine, and hydrochloric acid emissions by 7/90.
. Submit a benzene emissions reduction occpliance plan by 7/90 and a special permit application if modeling does not screen-
4-12-89 Rev. 4-19-89
VAB.0001125146
ABSTRACT: EPA must reconsider NESHAPs for all benzene sources as a result of the recent NRDC vs. EPA vinyl chloride decision. Target benzene sources include LAB plants, benzene storage tanks, benzene fugitive sources and benzene containing wastewater treat
ment units.
TIMETABLE
Fined
9/89 ?/90
IMPACT: Ary additional Federal benzene emissions requirements are
not expected to exceed requirements posed by Maryland's Toxic Air
Pollutant regulations.
However, additional recordkeeping,
monitoring and enforcement are expected based on historical NESHAP
FENDING ACTION STEPS Proceed with Maryland toxic air pollution steps. Monitor the progress of PA NESHAP activities.
4-12-89 Rev. 4-19-89
VAB.0001125147
5. IAND DISPOSAL BAN
ABSOBCT: Hazardous wastes are to be banned from land disposal in
accordance with a schedule specified by RCRA. Hazardous wastes
'which exhibit the organic toxicity characteristic will be banned
from land
6 months after promulgation of the organic
* it
% _________________________________________________* ________i_ J _______
Final
Same as OTC final action
Same as OTC effective
Immediate when final
IMPACT: Unless a variance is granted by EPA, wastes which are
hazardous because of benzene contamination will be banned from
land disposal on the effective date of the organic toxicity
(6 months
promulgation).
which are
disposed of on land include:
. Tank bottoms with lew BIU value.
Treatment alternatives will need to be identified for any such
PENDING Acne** STEPS: locate incineration or other treatment capacity for wastes subject to the land disposal ban. Wastes which will most likely be subject to the land disposed, ban include benzene dryer molecular sieves, spent AICI3 liquor carbon, spent HC1 carbon and benzene contaminated tank bottoms.
4-12-89 Rev. 4-19-89
VAB.0001125148
6. VOC REQOIAIICN REVISIONS
ABSTRACT: EPA has instructed Maryland to revise its VOC regula tions in order to further reduce hydrocarbon emissions in the Baltimore area. Maryland will adopt piecemeal changes throughout
IMPACT:
Several changes are expected which will impact the
Baltimore plant.
. The VOC storage tank MSES will be adopted as the standard for all VOC storage tanks in the Baltimore area.
. The 200 lbs/day VOC emission control cutoff will be lowered to 100 lbs/day. The STXS plant VOC emissions inventory is currently 135 Ib/day.
. Seme type of fugitive emissions monitoring program will be
Once any of these changes are adopted, a compliance plan can be submitted if additional time is needed to attain compliance.
PENDING ACTION STEPS:
negotiate new requirements with the AMA. . Implement STXS plant controls as required. . Submit compliance plans as required.
4-12-89 Rev. 4-19-89
VAB.0001125149
7. RCRA EEFTNITICN OF TANK*'
ABSTRACT: This isnp involves a troublesome EPA interpretation of an existing regulation which is resulting in the development of a new regulation. In two separate proceedings (EPA vs. Brown Wood, EPA vs. Kdppers) EPA has alleged that structures which require earthen backfill for structural support are surface iinpoundtnents and not tanks. Opposite decisions were obtained on these cases, leaving a final decision to the Administrator of the EPA. The EPA has subsequently announced that it intends to promulgate a new FORA definition of "tank" throu^i the rulemaking process.
TIMETABLE:
10/89
IMPACT:
Several inground concrete units on-site may became
classified as surface impoundments if earthen backfill is shown to
provide structural support. Surface impoundments which contain
hazardous waste must obtain KCRA permits and be provided with
secondary containment, leak detection, leachate collection and
groundwater monitoring. In addition, the land disposal ban for
wastes with a pH less than 2 is already in effect.
FEUDING ACTION STEPS:
which can be made to any such units.
. Provide structural revisions or secondary containment if
required.
4-12-89 Rev. 7-7-89
VAB.0001125150
8. REPCKIABEE QUANTITY ADJUSTMENTS
ABSTRACT: EPA has preposed to adjust reportable quantities for certain carcinogens, including benzene. The reportable quantity for benzene will potentially be lowered from 1,000 lbs to 10 lbs. With limited exceptions, releases in excess of a reportable quantity must be reported to the National Response Center, the
Action
Proposal Final
Date 3/87 ?/89
IMPACT: A continuous release report for benzene emissions will have to be made annually. Nan-continuous release reporting will have to be made for sudden releases in excess of the reportable quantity.
F991DEENG ACTION S
. Annually report to the National Response Center continuous benzene releases from storage tanks and wastewater treatment units in excess of 10 lbs/day.
. Develop and inplement procedures to immediately report non routine benzene emissions in excess of 10 lbs.
4-12-89 Rev. 4-19-89
VAB.0001125151
9. BURNING OF HAZARDOUS WASTE IN BOUERS FOR ENERGY RECOVERY
ABSTRACT: EPA has proposed stringent standards for boilers which bum hazardous waste for energy recovery. In addition, RCRA
TUMbTAHTK ;
Action Proposal Final
Date 5/87 ?/90
Effective
6 months after final
IMPACT:
This regulation will have no impact on the Baltimore
plant if waste hydrocarbons transferred to the fuel oil tank
remain non-hazcirdous.
PENDING ACTION STEPS: Proceed with SOB fractionation improvement plans.
4-12-89 Rev. 7-7-89
VAB.0001125152
TTMigrararig;
Action
IMPACT:
Changes to the asbestos waste handling and storage
operation by T-l tank could be required. Asbestos objects such as
FENDING ACTION STEFS:
. Monitor development of this regulation.
. Continue to aggressively remove asbestos from the Baltimore plant.
4-12-89 Rev. 4-19-89
!
VAB.0001125153
I
11. OIL FOIIDT1CN FKEVENTTCN KEGUIATICN
ABSTRACT: In response to the Ashland Oil spill incident, EPA is reviewing the adequacy of existing oil pollution prevention regulations. A task force has developed reccranendations which are to be adopted in two phases.
Final
?/90
IMPACT: Unknown
FENDING ACTION SEEPS: Monitor the development of this regulation.
4-12-89 Rev. 7-7-89
VAB.0001125154
new and modified distillation units.
TTMITraRTR;
Action Proposal Fincil Effective
Date 12/83
Immediate when final for sources constructed after 12/83
IMPACT: This regulation will control hydrocarbon emissions from W-l and W-6 tower, and airy other new distillation units which vent to the atmosphere.
FEUDING ACFICN STEPS: Monitor the development of this regulation.
4-12-89 Rev. 4-19-89
t
VAB.0001125155
i I'
TTM^TTAHTlRit: Action
Proposed Final Effective
Date
* * *
IMPACT: Qnoe proposed, any new reactor will become an affected facility. Emissions from affected reactors will be regulated by
PENDING ACCrCN S
Monitor the development of this regulation.
4-12-89 Rev. 4-19-89
VAB.0001125156
ABSTRACT: EPA is developing a New Source Performance Standard for new and modified small boilers (less than 100 M* BKJ/hr).
TTMRTAKTF;
Final
6/89 9/90 Immediate when final for sources
IMPACT:
After proposed, art/ new or modified snail industrial
boiler will be regulated by this NSPS.
FENDING ACTION STEPS Avoid the need for a third boiler, if at
4-12-89 Rev. 4-19-89
VAB.0001125157
15. REFINERY WASTEWATER SYSTEMS NSPS
ABSTRACT: EPA has issued a New Source Performance Standard for new and modified petroleum refinery wastewater systems. The NSPS
TIMETABLE: Action Proposed. Final
Date 5/87
11/88
IMPACT: This NSPS does not directly impact the Baltimore plant,
however it is likely that EPA will follow-up with a SOCMI waste-
NSPS. Maryland will probably consider this NSPS to
be Control Technology
units
to Maryland's toxic air pollution regulation
IENDlEMS ACFICN STEPS: Proceed to install a closed sewer and wastewater collection system as currently planned.
4-12-89 Rev. 7-7-89
VAB.0001125158
16. AER TCKJCTTY CHARACTERISTIC FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE
ABSTRACT: EPA intends to develop test procedures and threshold concentrations for wastes which contain volatile hazardous constituents. Wastes which contain threshold amounts of listed organic chemicals will be classified as hazardous wastes. This new characteristic will supplement the organic toxicity
TIMETABLE: Action
Final
IMPACT
?
>
will have no impact are set at lcwer levels than the TCLP
PENDING ACFICN STEPS: Monitor the develconent of this reoulation
4-12-89 Rev. 4-19-89
VAB.0001125159
With completion of projects currently underway and planned for 1990, the plant personnel feel they will be in relatively good shape with the exception of one major potential expenditure.
The possible need for External Steam Stripping (as opposed to current In-
Reactor Stripping) of product to remove Residual VCM is a potential $20-30MM
item. Current regulations do not force the change, but it is anticipated that
regulations will tighten sufficiently within the next five years to require it.
It is believed that major resin competitors (possibly excepting Air Products)
already use this technology. Georgia Gulf recently voluntarily agreed to a lower
residual level than our current practice will achieve.
Therefore "Best
Available" treatment has a now (and unfavorable to Vista) definition. A Vista
team is currently assessing this situation to develop a recommendation with
expected proposal early calendar 1990.
With the exception of a major project such as External Stripping, plant personnel believe that staffing is adequate to address anticipated project work. A question exists concerning administrative requirements such as communication, training and legislative involvement implied in the corporate policy statement.
For purposes of completeness, cost estimates should be performed for the anticipated project list.
VAB.0001125160
ABERDEEN ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT AGENDA
Proiect___________________________
Area
Budgeted Projects
New Module Piping Upgrade TC Wastewater Compliance Phthalic Anhyd. Waste Elim. Plasticizer Process Improvements Plant Sewer Revisions
Cost. M$
59 1,350
125 175 300
Timing
1Q90 2Q90 2Q90 2Q90 3Q90
Remarks
Maybe Maybe Maybe
Anticipated Projects
External Steam Stripping Reduction of Unknown Product
Residuals Old Site Cleanup Alt. Disposal of Paper Bags
With Hazardous Resid. Collection/Recycle of Non-Haz.
Bags & Cardboard Recycle Water From Waste
Treatment Alt. Handling RX culls & Vac
Vent Dust Complete Decontamination Of
Junked Equipment PVC Customer Scrap Recycle Asbestos Removal Transite Siding Removal Repair/Repl. Leaking Sewers
20-30,000
1-5 yrs.
Long Term Long Term 5-6 yrs.
5+ yrs.
10 yrs.
Contingency
Long Term
Unknown Ongoing Contingency 5 yrs.
VAB.0001125161
E. Project List - OKC
The Oklahoma City Plant has a situation very similar to Aberdeen in that they seem to be in. relatively good shape except for the Potential External Steam
nm /cm K15uM"M') Internal resources are believed to be adequate to address the anticipated project load.
Though claiming a short-term focus, management seems to have for several years
been looking to future requirements and generating creative solutions
That
sort of sustained effort is key in achieving cost e ffective performance
VAB.0001125162
A number of issues or areas requiring further work are listed below. In many cases, agreement on philosophy is required, after which technical and implementation efforts will follow naturally. In a minority of cases the issue to be resolved is technical only.
1. Degree to which smaller businesses, such as Blane, Premiere and Vycom, will be accountable against corporate policies and programs. This is a thorny issue involving staffing, capital, margin and competitive considerations weighed against liability, publicity and consistency questions. The solution would seem to include combinations of further distancing these operation from the rest of the organization from a liability standpoint, providing additional support from headquarters and working togther to clearly define expectations.
2. Resolution of the perception that environmental jobs by their nature will
result in a "dead end" career path. This long-standing concern could be
addressed from several standpoints. The broadening of environmental
responsibility throughout the organization will help. This is addressed
both directly and indirectly throughout this report, including the
Corporate Environmental Policy.
It is suggested that management and
supervision watch for opportunities to interact with environmental
professionals and to recognize positive contributions. A challenge also
exists for environmental professionals to move away from the "siege
mentality" and to deal with managers on a non-emotional basis. Part of
the problem is that it is assumed (whether or not correctly) that one would
operate in other jobs similarly to the one currently held. Many other jobs
lack the "hammer" of regulatory development to influence action in the
organization. If a manager has seen little evidence of an individual's
capability to influence without a hammer, he may question whether the capability exists.
3. The general issue of product liability is purposely not addressed in this report.
^ Involvement of Vista's International businesses in corporate environmental planning. NNC, NAA and the Indonesian Alcohol Operation contain elements of the smaller business question, but are probably of less liability concern due to being non-domestic joint ventures none of which are majority owned by Vista. However, fairly extensive trading and direct export sales activities also exist. Since differing laws and standards exist in each location in which business is done, the question of prudent training and of Vista's International activities may require additional work. This could be an appropriate area for use of one or more consultants to assess the situation.
VAB.0001125163
5. A related matter is the concern that foreign companies operating under less stringent regulations may obtain a competitive advantage over domestic producers such as Vista. This might be an issue appropriately addressed through the several trade organizations to which Vista belongs. Among these are Chemical Manufactures Association (CMA), National Petroleum Refiners Association (NPRA), Society of Plastics Industry (SPI), Vinyl Institute, Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) . Within each of these and
other industry groups, various environmental, safety and trade issues are included among the agenda items.
6. PVC recycling is potentially of interest to Vista and certainly to the industry. Plastics recycling in general is a media issue due to the developing crisis of lack of space in municipal landfills. While numerous studies indicate that plastics are a small part of landfilled trash, this portion is essentially there forever once buried. (Other studies have shown that newspapers and food don't biodegrade either in some landfills, but that is a technical irrelevancy to Environmentalists.) Vista is currently working with several companies through the Vinyl Institute to develop a workable system for collection of PVC containers from consumers and recycle of that plastic into another product such as pipe. This could be a joint demonstration plant with a 25MM lb./yr. capacity. The Polymers Business Area is leading this continuing effort.
7. Heavy metals, such as barium, cadmium and lead in PVC compounds/dryblends. This issue stems from redefining what materials will be classified as "hazardous" in the future. Though an industry issue, it may offer an opportunity for Vista to achieve a competitive advantage if reformulation work in progress can produce a product line free of these "bad actors" without noticeable loss of performance in customer applications. In the extreme case, together with flame, smoke and other PVC "safety" issues someone with breakthrough formulation technology could setup a marketing coup similar to the DuPont Freon situation. By publically dropping and, by inferrance, denouncing freon after having developed the only viable (though lower performance) substitute, DuPont may have the market essentially to itself for some period of time. In any event, a significant R&D activity will probably be required at some point and smaller compounders may be at a disadvantage. The decision to be made is whether to attempt to lead or follow.
8. Integration of environmental decisions into mainstream business activities.
This is a recurring theme throughout the report and requires conscious
acceptance by responsible managers.
It is suggested that applicable
environmental plan review and revision be included as a topic on Business
Steering Team agendas. This can provide a means for deeper involvement
of R&D and support groups along with better integrated overall direction
and priority-setting.
VAB.0001125164
9. Environmental activities, programs and philosophies of domestic competitors
is partially addressed elsewhere in this report. However, it is an
appropriate item for ongoing follow-up and documentation.
Limited
information may be gathered from published documents such as lOK's, permit
filings, enforcement actions, SARA Title III filings, news releases,
. However, these sources are incomplete and may be misleading
or fail to address the specific areas of interest to us. A more reliable
and timely sources is informal conversations with our counterparts in those
organizations via trade group meetings or other circumstances which present
on opportunity. Quite a bit of information is likely gathered and then
not fully utilized now due to lack of documentation and assembly. It is
recommended that gathering and compiling this type information be
institutionalized as follows:
a. Managers and employees be encouraged to gather and write down information which may be obtained from normal contacts.
b. This information be routed to one group which has the responsibility to periodically compile and publish an assessment. This could be the Environmental group or any one of several others.
10. Other items previously mentioned in the section dealing with "Studies" include:
a. Assessment of DOT pipeline regulations. Consultant assistance is
recommended. Based on the findings, an implementation plan may need
to be developed.
Individual plants now
have the pipeline
responsibility, so implementation may proceed naturally once
requirements are defined.
b. Resolution of whether External Stripping is required for reducing
residual VCM in PVC. As previously mentioned, a Vista team is
currently evaluating this $40-50MM question.
Most other PVC
producers appear to have previously made the switch for large
reactors. The expenditure is included in recapitalization forecast
capital for 1991.
c. Assessment and plan development for Lake Charles air emission with assistance from consultant recommended. This would be a smaller and perhaps less expensive version of the Wastewater Project effort.
d. Resolution of Baltimore Process Revisions (PACOL front end). As previously mentioned, a team is doing a preliminary assessment of this $70MM project. The outcome of a decision whether or not to proceed could have significant impact on environmental capital and expense requirements at Baltimore.
VAB.0001125165
11. A mostly technical issue is that of assuring the integrity of
underground sewer systems. This an decision similar to that made in
the Wastewater Project to convert ponds and lagoons to above-ground
tanks. That decision was prompted by regulations designed to protect
soil and groundwater from contamination due to seepage or leaks.
Similar regulations for sewers do not now exist, but might be
anticipated eventually. It might be wise for new construction or as
opportunities occur to consider either putting sewers above ground or
in lined trenches a la Baltimore. This is unfortunately a multimillion
dollar proposition, but so is remediation if the integrity of these
systems cannot otherwise
At the least, system integrity
should be assessed by each location on a periodic basis.
12. Portions of the Plan propose marketing solutions as a means of dealing with specific waste streams. These solutions may or may not be entirely realistic, but the potential exists for substantial savings of capital and/or expense if the efforts are successful. A summary is provided below for information and input into priority-setting. The streams are grouped into three categories.
a. "Must Do Something" - The current situation is or will soon become unacceptable and marketing the stream is a desirable option vs. alternatives.
b. "Improvement Opportunity" - While no external forces are currently acting to change how the stream is handled, the opportunity for cost savings or margin improvement exists.
c. "Contingency" - Current handling is acceptable, but loss of that market would create a significant problem.
i w
t
VAB.0001125166
INCENTIVE TO MARKET
PLANT
STREAM
Must Do Something
LCCP
Ethylene Spent Caustic
ANNUAL VOLUME
(MMLB)
17.0
LCVCH
Incinerator HCL
11.0
CAPITAL AVOIDED
S4-6MM S500M
Improvement Opportunity ABD Stormwater Pit #1 Solids
0.1
ABD LCCP
Stormwater Pit #2 Resin
0.1
Pressed Biological Solids 16.6
-
?
LCCP LCCP LCCP LCCP
Molex Sieves - Current 1nventory
Molex Sieves - Every 3-5 years
Ethanol Solution
0.7 0.4 Total 3.8
-
*0.1M-S3MM
Quench Unit Solids
8.4
*
DISPOSAL COST AVOIDED
OPERATING COST AVOIDED
EST. SALES REVENUE
$1MM/Yr. S4HM/Y r.
? $1.8MM/Yr.
7
IV
*
$3M/Yr. S3M/Y r. S500M/Yr.
* -
? ? ?
S185M
S28M/Yr. STG.
?
S120M - ?
0 If Remains Burnable
S500M/Y r.
?
S270M
1 *
REMARKS
Problem in Wastewater System as-is.
Current ly neut ra l i zed wi th l imestone causing fune problem and sol ids disposal. Caust ic neutralization option is capitaL and operating cost. Offsite disposal is S4MM option.
Annual accunulation of compound. Hazardous due to metals content.
Annual accunulation of resin. Non-hazardous currently.
Non-hazardous landfilled now. Substantial cost increase if it becomes hazardous.
Based on non-hazardous landfill.
One sieve replacement.
a
Currently burned.
Based on non-hazardous landfill.
VAB.0001125167
Page 2
PLANT LCLAB
STREAM Alkylate Bottoms
ANNUAL VOLUME
(MMLB)
CAP1TAL AVOIDED
4.0 Excess
DISPOSAL COST AVOIDED
OPERATING COST AVOIDED
EST. SALES REVENUE
$1-2.5MM/Yr.
(S204M)
$840M
LCLAB
Acid Soluble Oil (ASO)
1.1
? $275-700M/Yr. ($42M)
?
Contingency
LCCP
MeCl Spent Hcl
13.8
$1-2MM
?
-
?
LCCP
Recovered Oil From
17.9
?
*
9
?
Wastewater
LCCP/LCLAB LCVCM
Nickel and Paladium Catalyst
Variable
Light and Heavy Ends
1.1 LT > 9.9 Hvy>
N/A $0.3-7.25HM
N/A $5.5MM/Yr.
N/A Varies
$4.5-1,1MM/Yr.
?
REMARKS
Currently sold to refinery. Could be burned as fuel at same value until regulations change. Then would requi re capital or incineration.
Currently burned as fuel. If regulations change as expected, would require incineration or capital to modify heaters.
Non-issue based on MeCl shutdown date. Disposal problem otherwise due to high organic content.
Currently sold to Conoco Refinery as part of HAD stream at $920M/Yr. revenue. If contract volume limit is enforced, this stream or the actual HAD stream from ethylene will need another home.
Currently sold for precious metal recovery based on assay. Should not become an issue.
Currently sold. Light ends to Vulcan for $55M/Yr. revenue. Heavy ends go to PPG at net negative revenue. One Alt. is $7.25MM capital and$1.lMM/Yr. OP. cost for UOP technology to convert streams to Anhydrous HCl for recycle in process. On-site incineration is another option at $0.3MM
VAB.0001125168
Page 3 PLANT
STREAM
ANNUAL VOLUME
(MMLB)
CAPITAL AVOIDED
ABD
Vacuum Vent Dust
0.5 >
Millscrap
1.3 >
S0.4MM
VRP 1.6 >
ABD Pond Resin
1.7 $0.1MM
ABD Reactor Culls
0.5 >
$0.3MM
Sifter Overflow
0.08 >
ABO LCCP
Ethylene
Methyl Chloride
Normal Paraffin
De-Box Resin
10.6
HAD LAC Butadi ene P&P MOG HOG
18.1 26.6 33.6 21.3 60.2 133.3
Spent HCL Spent Sulfuric Acid
13.8 1.1
MR Solvent (Raffinate) Unstabilized Gasoline N.P. Off-gas LPA Solvent
957.0 151.1
10.8 148.2
'
-
-
-
DISPOSAL COST AVOIDED
OPERATING COST AVOIDED
$35M/Yr.> S37M/Y r.> S48M/Yr.
$2M/Y r.
*46M/Yr.
$2M/Yr.
S32M/Y r.> $2H/Yr. >
S280M/Y r.
S5M/Y r.
-
EST. SALES REVENUE
REMARKS
capital and $4.5MM/Yr. OP. cost. THis also requires additional S0.5MM capital for caustic neutralization. Offsite incineration is $5.5MM/Yr.
$17M Current S200M Current $640M Current
If current markets were lost, capital and operating cost reflect a scrap compound line. Disposal is option in interim.
S435M Current
Currently sold. Alternate capital to prevent material reaching pond to improve marketability and margin.
$10M $12M
Current Cur rent
Currently sold. Alternate capital for Grinder & Dryer to market beyond single current customer.
S3.2MM Current Currently sold. Probable non-issue.
S0.5-7.0MM S0.5-5.0MM S2.0-5.0MM S2.0-5.0MM $0.5-2.0MM $1.0-3.0MH
Burnable N/A N/A N/A Burnable Burnable
S0.9MM Current $2.9MM Current S3.0MM Current S2.8MM Current S3.0MM Current S10.2MM Current
S1.0-2.0MM Undetermined
$0.25-1.OHM $0.5-1.0MM Undetermined Undetermined
Undetermined Undetermined
N/A N/A Burnable N/A
N/A Subtracted from Raw Cost
73.2MM Current 11.6MM Current N/A 11.3MM Current
Page 4
PLANT Ethoxylation
Alcohol
STREAM
ANNUAL VOLUME
(MMLB)
Off-spec Mixed Ethoxylate
1-2
SSO Thermal Olefins Solvent & Stripper Overhead Growth Reaction Hotwash Solvent
Butanol Fuel Gas
40.0 92.2
3.0
11.8 12.7
CAPITAL AVOIDED
Undetermined
DISPOSAL COST AVOIDED
N/A
OPERATING COST AVOIDED
EST. SALES REVENUE
S0.3-0.7MM Current
REMARKS
S1.0-7.0MM $4.OMM
Undetermined
$0.2-0.5MM Undetermined
N/A N/A
Undetermine
Burnable Flared
$6MM Potential 4.9MM Current
0.2MM Current
3.1MM Current 0.1MM Current
j
VAB.0001125170
13. Development of contingency plans. A number of non-primary-product streams are currently being sold to Conoco or others for blending or extraction of valuable components. In most cases, the loss of these markets would result in significant containment or treatment/disposal problems if alternate markets were not quickly available. Assuming success in marketing additional streams as indicated above, the potential problems increase. Developing and documenting a set of contingency plans may be a worthwhile team project given that production of Vista's primary products could be impacted on short notice.
14. Included "for the record" are the following items for which appropriate actions are already underway:
a. Groundwater Cleanup b. Definition of waste
emissions.
minimization
goals
including
fugitive
air
15. An essentially technical issue is that much work remains, particularly at Lake Charles, on resolution of wastewater biotoxicity. The proper action seems to be underway, but it should be noted that the Wastewater Project cannot presently be guaranteed to solve the problem. To date, no Lake Charles plant wastewater has passed this "water flea survival" test and the causes are not yet isolated. Therefore the requirements are undefined at this time.
16. Chemical emergency response readiness. Other than being referred to
in the Environmental Policy, this is not specifically an environmental
issue. The Exxon Valdez situation highlights the difficulty of dealing
with transportation-related incidents in remote locations.
Plant
incidents, while the potential may be greater, seem to raise fewer
concerns due to the proximity of equipment, people and supplies to deal
with the situation. A joint manufacturing/S&T team may be appropriate
for addressing offsite response ability and needs.
17. Environmental manpower has previously been evaluated by a Team and recommendations were issued in late 1988. A summary and current status is included below.
It should be noted that some overlap may exist between these recommendations and the Lake Charles engineering requirement identified by the project list. However, my sense is that the needs identified are essentially separate and may be additive. Further resolution is required.
1t
VAB.0001125171
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ENVIRONMENTAL MANPOWER TEAM (Nov. 1988)
I. BACKGROUND:
As a result of discussions at the Vista Annual Environmental Meeting, a team
was formed to evaluate and recommend changes to address Environmental Manpower
staffing needs.
Pursuant to this goal extensive data were collected and
analyzed. Based upon the results of the data analysis, the team recommends a
total of five permanent positions be approved to assure our immediate compliance
goals are achieved.
A second tier of four dedicated positions are recommended for purposes of maintaining environmental program continuity and addressing longer term needs. Attrition in the environmental area is a significant area of vulnerability for Vista.
Beyond immediate needs the team identifies two other significant
deserving attention.
Environmental awareness at many levels is lacking,
particularly among non-environmental/non-operational personnel. Environmental
training is a fundamental need at all levels surveyed. Unless environmental
awareness is elevated, both these interrelated areas will be a long term
detriment to the environmental, engineering, and operational efforts of the
company.
A third tier of recommendations involving temporary engineering
assignments is made to address these areas. Further work is needed to expand
awareness and training into the business and marketing areas, and the
recommendations within this report address this problem.
The recommendations are made to respond to immediate compliance demands,
well as to modify the
organization. The intent is to ultimately reduce
the need to further
professional environmental manpower, through
addressing environmental
at the source, rather than awaiting development
of a crisis situation.
II. Recommendations:
The Team is making recommendations in three areas of priority. The three groupings reflect a phased approach to satisfy immediate and longer term needs. The Priority I recommendations are based on immediate manpower needs to satisfy existing short term compliance demands. We view these as recommendations
to assure a minimal level of achievement of our compliance goals. Priority II needs reflect both longer term demands as well as insuring program continuity as personnel changes occur. Priority III recommendations reflect the company's need to create environmental issues awareness Process Superintendents, Plant Managers, Business Area and Marketing personnel, or serve in other supervisory capacities.
VAB.0001125172
1 I'
Where an immediate manpower need is recommended in the near term. No further
assessment was performed to determine whether additional manpower, beyond the
scope of the recommendation, is needed at any specific location.
Further
assessment by each individual location is needed for identification of manpower
needs beyond the scope recommended by this report.
Staffing Additions:
Priority I To Assure Compliance (1 to 6 month implementation)
Status 9-89
D
LCCG: LCCP/LAB - Add 1 Senior Environmental Coordinator
LCVCM - Add 1 Environmental Coordinator
Offer Outstanding Done
Houston Environmental - Add 1 Program Manger
OKC - Add 1 Environmental Coordinator S&T - Add 1 Environment Coordinator*
Done
Done No Progress
Priority II To Assure Program Continuity (6 to 12 month implementation)
Status 9-89
Baltimore - Add 1 Environmental Coordinator
Blane - Add (or dedicated 1 Environmental Coordinator
Houston - Add 1 Environmental Coordinator
R&D - Add (or dedicated 1 Environmental Coordinator
Done
ti
VAB.0001125173
I
To: Paul Gowan
From:
J. C. Ledvina
August 11, 1989
Subject: Environmental Planning at Other Companies
Paul,
At your request, I have phoned several contacts at other companies to discuss the degree to which they are proactively spending money in anticipation of future environmental regulations. A number of people within Vista have expressed an interest in knowing whether other companies are contemplating or doing projects similar to the LCCC "Black Box*'. This survey is an attempt to provide some perspective an that issue.
From the information that I was able to obtain it appears that Vista behind BF Goodrich. Mobay. Borden, Rohm & Haas, Union Carbide and
C=> i mpnundmen ts. We are at Georoia-Gul f and DuPont. We are ahead of Conoco and Oxy
In the survey, I askgd
<~nntacts what their companies were doing
about surface impoundments in anticipation of the Toxicity Characteristic
(TC) being promulgated. Since the TC regulation is a significant part of
the reasoning for Vista's work on the "Black Box", asking what other
companies are doing an this seems to be a reasonable basis for evaluating
our degree of proactivity relative to other companies. Following are
comments by company to the question "What is your company doing about
surface impoundments in anticipation of TC?"
Georgia-Gu 1 f - Will probably have a problem with TC at one site. They are
in the process of testing wastewater at that site to determine if
constituents are present above the an tic i (Da ted regulatory level. At
another plant, source control work was done to reduce constituent levels
in wastewater below regulatory levels. Georg ia-Gu 1 f does not have an
active project to replace surface impoundments with tanks yet. However,
surface impoundments that were considered environmental problems have been
replaced with tanks.
Impoundments, such as those in the wastewater
treatment unit that are causing no known environmental problem are not
replaced. Ga-Gulf will wait to seen how the TC regulations develop.
Dxv -- The Oxy corporate office is not pushing the plants an pond replacement. The Pasadena plant has proposed money in the 1990 budget to do something on TC/surface impoundmen ts. They don't know what that "something" is yet. My contact at the Oxy/Cain Chocolate Bayou Plant says that Oxy seems to be disorganized on this issue.
Conoco - Conoco is at the evaluation stage. They are doing analytical work to determine which surface impoundments will be impacted by the TC. No proactive surface impoundments have been done.
AiC_PrgduCS ~ Have two surface impoundments that may be impacted. My contact was not sure what they were going to do, but he isn't the person most knowledgeable on this subject.
IXjPontL - My contact was unaware of surface impoundment replacements within
EXjPont that were done in anticipation of regulations. A few years ago,
the Chambers Works installed,a tank-based wastewater treatfrent plant but
that was before TC was an issue. However, tanks were chosen becauge of
a perception that they were more environmentally acceptable than surface
impoundments. DuPont has done analytical work to characterize wastewater.
They are installing a steam stripper an the Ethylene Unit at Sabine to
remove benzene from wastewater.
That project is currently under
construction. The Cape Fear. NC plant is looking at getting out of
surface impoundments but for reasons other than TC; apparently, to avoid
groundwater contamination.
VAjlcan - They have replaced some surface impoundments at Geismar. No
Rohm & Haas - They closed out their Deer Park Plant surface impoundments except for two impoundments in the wastewater treatment plant. The wastewater treatment plant will need to be revised to meet the OCPSF effluent guidelines. When that occurs they plan to go to a tank-based system. They are doing feasibility studies and engineering now. The Deer Park Plant is planning to make each operating unit do primary treatment
their wastewater before pumpino it in above ground sewers to the secondary.
Mobay - This past May, Mobay took five surface impoundments out of service
at their Baytown Plant and replaced them with above ground tanks. Plants
Ws/,in Kansas City, and Bushy Park (PA?) replaced surface impoundments
with tanks for reasons other than TC.
Dow -- Dow is moving away from surface impoundments on storage of
concentrated materials.
They continue to operate impoundment-based
wastewater treatment plants in their US facilities. They have replaced
impoundments in a German plant and the Ft. Saskatchewan plant. Dow is
looking toward the year 2000 and trying to predict what the regulatory
situation wiJ^L be. Decisions on surface impoundments will be based on
that prediction.
biol
-- They are putting together projects to but will not implement until
1 treatment svst
their
The tanks are
out of PVC settling become firmer.
equipped with double
BF Goodrich - All surface impoundments at all plants, with one exception, have been taken out of service and replaced with tanks. The one exception is a pond that follows biological treatment and is used only occasionally for flood control. That pond will be eliminated later this year.
Lbion Carbide - My contact is at the Texas City Plant which has several
Company
Ethyl BFG Borden Formosa
Monsanto Shell Oil GA Gulf Dow
PPG Carbide
Hercules
DuPont
INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENTAL COST DATA
Data Source
Environmental Capital Expenditure ($MM)
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
Comments
10K
645
10K
1.7
10K
2.0
1.7
-
1986 Ann. Rpt.
17.2
23.4
(Taiwan) (Taiwan)
10K
65-75
36
1988 Enviro. O&O $207MM
10K
245
170
1988 Enviro. O&O $415MM
10K
10K
150
150
105
Fcst. Enviro. at 10% of Cap. Exp. ( Financed by Revenue Bonds )
10K
30 27 26 19
Article
50-60+
$50-60MM is for wastewater at Texas City only.
Article
30
3/4 of Enviro. total is for wastewater.
Article
100-200
VAB.0001125176
INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENTAL COST DATA
Comoanv Ethyl BFG Borden Formosa
Monsanto Shell Oil
GA Gulf Dow PPG
Data Source 10K 10K 10K 10K
10K 10K
10K 10K 10K
Fines Paid (M$}
Old Site Cleanup Cost
398 in 1989, 395 in 1987 $11MM 1988 (+$38MM Accrual)
1000 in 1988, 90 in 1985 35 sites Cost?
80 plus 4-wk shutdown in 1985
$19MM in 1988, $23MM in 1987
103 sites (Fcst $120MM after tax at one site)
204 in 1987 225 in 1987, 36 in 1986
46 Sites $25-30MM/yr. Fcst.
Consent Decrees
6 1986-89 2 1985-88 1 1987 2 1987
2 1987 2 1986-87
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Priority List
The following proposal for the relative order in which environmental opportunities might be explored is intended primarily as a thought jogger. The actual order is likely to be different in many cases as a result of local issues or industry initiatives.
ENVIRONMENTAL WASTE MINIMIZATION
PRIORITIES
1. Meet Regulatory Limits
2. Groundwater Remediation
3. Reduce Hazardous Waste - Normal Production (Process, Supplies, Lab, Maintenance, Turnaround Contractors)
4. Reduce Potential for Hazardous Material (Product, Waste, Raw Material, Intermediate, etc.) - Spill/Release
Old Site Remediation
6. Reduce Hazardous Constituents/Characteristics of Products
7. Reduce Non-Hazardous (Nuisance) Emissions - Dust, Smoke
8. Reduce Non-Hazardous (Visible) Emissions - Steam, Cooling Tower Vapor, Colored/Dirty Looking Water
9. Reduce Volume of Non-Hazardous Waste Leaving Plant Site
10. Reduce/Eliminate Storage of Non-Hazardous Waste On Site
VAB.0001125179
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What is Waste?
As the organization begins coming to grips with development
of a waste minimization program, the definition of a waste is
becoming an issue.
Having heard many of the arguments and
concluding that no definition is perfect or without exception, the
following is proposed as a working model pending better insight:
A waste is any material which enters a process and (A) remains
or (B) leaves without a positive price tag on it.
Recycled
containers such as trucks and railcars are excluded.
Under this definition, products and materials sold as byproducts are not wastes. Anything which goes into the air, ground, or water is a waste. Any byproduct which we pay someone to take is a waste. As an extreme, vented steam could be termed a waste, though obviously not a hazardous one. Catalyst sold for recovery of metal would not be a waste, even though it is likely that waste would be generated in the recovery process by others. If on the other hand, Vista paid someone to recover metal from catalyst to which we retained title, the waste from that process would be a Vista waste. As with any definition, loopholes can be found in this one.
Purists would say that byproducts sold below raw material value should be termed a waste and that such things as dewatering of sludge to reduce volume are not true waste minimization efforts. No doubt some regulator will be address the issue one day. Until then, Vista should pick almost any reasonable basis and begin moving forward. In the end, the only impact of differing definitions will be the percentage magnitude of reportable improvements. Regulations and good business judgement will determine the degree to which resources are allocated toward the effort.
Definition of 11 Pro-active11
Since words are subject to different interpretation, it might be useful to describe the intended meaning of "pro-active" as used in this report.
PRO-ACTIVE - Taking action before being forced to do so by regulations. The intent, however, is to take such action only when indicated by sound business judgement to be more cost effective in the longer term than other alternatives. This might also include considerations such as enhancement of community or regulatory officials' perceptions of corporate responsiveness on a selective basis.
Most "pro-active" opportunities are apt to come from a more complete review of possible alternatives when addressing a given regulatory issue. An example might be the cleanup and disposal of accumulated sludge in a tank. Option one might be to handle the situation now at a cost of $100 per ton. Option two might be to wait until next year when the sludge level interferes with normal operation. Option two is probably preferable given that limited information. However, if it is known that this particular sludge is scheduled to be re defined as hazardous waste a few months hence and that hazardous waste disposal will cost $600 per ton, the option one "pro-active" approach makes more sense, all else being equal.
The same principal applies to proposed capital expenditures. Often, by making provision for future equipment additions or by attacking a waste at the source instead of later in the process, large benefits may derive from small incremental expenditures. By encouraging an assessment of the return on incremental dollars, more opportunities to improve cost performance may become visible.
The day may arrive when 11 pro-active" comes to mean other than
1
good business practice, but in view of the magnitude of work
required to simply stay current, that day may not be near for Vista.
In preparation for discussions regarding taking that next step to
"extremely pro-active", the following thought joggers may be helpful.
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PRO
Potentially Good P.R.
Satisfies Sense of Morality
If Correct, May Save $ Long Term
Re-defines ''Best Available" which Becomes New Min. for Competitors
Enhance Long-Term Competitive Position Via Efficiency Improvements
Consistent with QMP Principles
Directionally Minimizes Liability
A Trading Chip In Regulatory Negotiations
CON
Will Not Get Enough Credit from Public
Penalizes Current Earnings
Some Competitors Will Not Follow Unless Forced by Regulation
Some Foreign Competitors may not be subject to even the basic U. S. requirements
Possible Low to No Immediate Return on These Discretionary Investments
Debt Load Takes Priority
Requires Leap of Faith from Relatively Successful Past Practice
Hard to Sell on Businesslike Basis
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AGENCY EPA
REGULATION
CLEAN AIR ACT (CAA) UPDATE
AREA AIR
EPA RESOURCE CONSERVATION AIR RECOVERY ACT (RCRA)
APPENDIX C REGULATIONS
PURPOSE
VOLATILE ORGANICS (VOC) FROM WASTE WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS.
IMPLEMENTATION TIMING
2 - 5 YEARS (BY STATES) EPA PRELIMINARY DRAFT APRIL *88 EPA FINAL DRAFT OCT. '90
ORGANICS FROM HAZARDOUS STG/TREATMENT WASTE STORAGE TANKS AND JUNE <89 AND IMPOUNDMENTS
DISPOSAL SPRING *90
COMPLIANCE 2 YRS - VENTS 90 DAYS-LEAKS
CONTROL STRATEGY
EFFECT ON
VISTA
1) REDUCE VOC 95% PRIOR TO AIR CONTACT AND RECYCLE /RECOVER.
STATE BY STATE - MAY BE INITIALLY
IN OZONE NON ATTAINMENT AREAS.PROBABLY AFFECT REFINERIES FIRST.
2) CONTROL VOC IN COLLECTION /TREATMENT SYSTEM.
1) IF WASTE STREAM HANDLED IS 10% OR MORE TOTAL ORGANICS
ALL STATES - NEW EXISTING SOURCES (RCRA CURRENTLY EXEMPTS WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS PERMITTING) [TANK EXEMPT, IMPOUNDMENTS OR BOTH?]
(A) REDUCE EMISSIONS FROM ALL VENTS BELOW 3 LB/HR OR 3.1 TON/YR.
CURRENT RCRA - VCM HVY ENDS TANK.
OR (B) REDUCE ORGANIC EMISSIONS BY 95%.
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CONT'D AGENCY
REGULATION
AREA
SUPERFUND AMENDMENT AND REAUTHORIZATION ACT (SARA) TITLE III - COMMUNITY RIGHT TO KNOW
NATIONAL EMISSIONS STDS. FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS (NESHAPS)
AIR AIR
4
APPENDIX C REGULATIONS
PURPOSE
ANNUAL REPORTING OF INFO TO PUBLIC ON EMISSIONS TO AIR, LAND AND WATER CAA REQUIRES EPA TO ESTABLISH STDS WHICH PROVIDE AMPLE MARGIN OF SAFETY TO PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH
IMPLEMENTATION TIMING
CONTROL STRATEGY
EFFECT ON
VISTA
(C) LEAK DETECTION /REPAIR PROGRAM FOR ALL PUMPS & VALVES
2) IMPOUND MENTS & TANKS CONTAINING UASTE1S GREATER THAN 500 PPM TOTAL ORGANICS
(A) COVERED/VENTED TO REOUCE EMISSIONS 95%
OR <B) WASTES PRETREATED TO REMOVE ORGANICS
IN FORCE
N/A COMPLYING
DEVELOPMENT IN PROGRESS
BZ, VCM ONLY ONES TODAY FUTURE * BUTADINE, EO BZ STG TKS a BALT. SLURRY DUMP FROM PVC REACTORS 400 PPM VCM
VAB.0001125186
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AGENCY
STATE OF MARYLAND
REGULATION AIR TOXICS
STATE OF LA.
AIR TOXICS
AREA AIR
AIR
EPA
ORGANIC CHEMICALS,
WASTE
PLASTICS & SYNTHETIC
WATER
FIBERS (OCPSF)
APPENDIX C REGULATIONS
PURPOSE
CONTROL EMISSIONS OF AIR TOXICS SUCH AS BZ
CONTROL EMISSIONS FROM NEW INSTALLATIONS
IMPLEMENTATION TIMING
FY91
POLICY IN FORCE
CONTROL LIST OF CONVENTIONAL AND PRIORITY POLLUTANTS
FINAL DEC '67 IMPL. DEC <90 OKC, BALT.
IMPL. W/NEW PERMIT ABD, LCCC.
CONTROL STRATEGY
EFFECT ON
VISTA
DETERMINE BY AIR EMISSIONS DISPERSIONS MODELING
MOST REDUCE BE REDUCE BZ AIR EMISSIONS FROM BALTIMORE PLANT PER MODELING ALREADY COMPLETED
NEW PROJECT MUST NOT CONTR1B. MORE THAN 1/42 OF TLV TO AMB. AIR AT FENCELINE AND NOT MORE THAN SPECIFIED RISK LEVEL FOR CARCINOGENS. DEMONSTRATE BY AIR DISPERSION MODELING.
CURRENTLY EXCEED SOME LEVELS AT LCVCM AND LCCP. EXAM PROJECT DIRECTLY AFFECTEO.
MASS LOADING LIMITS (BASED BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY)
WILL APPLY ON RENEWAL OF NPDES PERMIT (SEPT 91) WILL REQUIRE 80 - 90% REDUCTION FOR LCCC.
ALSO REQUIRES PRETREATMENT IF DISCHARGE INTO CITY SEWER SYSTEM.
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AGENCY STATE OF LA.
STATE OF LA.
LEGIS/ EPA
REGULATION
REVISION TO SURFACE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
COMPILING STATUS & CONTROL STRATEGY FOR WATER TOXICS IN CERTAIN STATE WATERWAYS FOR SUBMISSION TO EPA
CLEAN WATER ACT
AREA WASTE WATER
WASTE WATER
APPENDIX C REGULATIONS
PURPOSE
PROTECT DESIGNATED USES OF STATE WATERWAYS
IMPLEMENTATION TIMING
?
ELIMINATE DISCHARGE OF POLLUTANTS INTO WATERS OF THE US.
IN FORCE
SUBMIT TO EPA 2/89
CONTROL STRATEGY
EFFECT ON
VISTA
EXPECT TOUGHER THAN FEDERAL
i
EPA TO; 1) ISSUE
EFFLUENT LIMITATION GUIDELINES STDS FOR newIexiSTING INDUSTRIAL DISCHARGES
2) ENSURE MAINTENANCE OF EXISTING WATER USES THROUGH UATER QUALITY STANDARD PROGRAM (TECHNOLOGY BASED)
STATES TO: 1) DEVELOP LIST OF
IMPAIRED WATERS (BIOTOXCITY)
CALCASIEU RIVER AND BAYOU
VERDINE
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AGENCY
REGULATION
AREA
EPA
TOXIC CHEMICAL
WASTE
LEACHING
WATER
PROCEDURE (TCLP)
(PART OF RCRA)
OTC
TC
STATE OF LA.
NARRATIVE STANDARD
GROUND WATER
APPENDIX C REGULATIONS
PURPOSE PERMITS IMPLEMENTED 6/92
FINAL 12/89
REDEFINES HAZARDOUS WASTE
IMPLEMENTATION TIMING
2) IDENTIFY POINT SOURCES CAUSING IMPAIRMENT
3) DEVELOP INDIVIDUAL CONTROL STRATEGIES FOR EACH POINT SOURCE (PERMITS)
4) REVISE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS EVERY 3 YEARS
SEPT 89?
CONTROL STRATEGY
PROHIBIT DISCHARGE OF POLLUTANTS INTO GROUND WATER
ADOPTED
EFFECT ON
VISTA
BENZENE, TOLUENE, EDC, VCM AFFECTED. IF NOT REDUCED TO TO PPB LEVELS, WOULD RENDER WASTE WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS "HAZARDOUS WASTE IMPOUNDMENTS11 SUBJECT TO RULES REQUIRING HIGH COST LINERS, WASTE TREATMENT, REPORTING, ETC.
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AGENCY EPA
REGULATION RCRA
STATE OF LA.
UPGRADE OF NONHAZARDOUS SOLID WASTE RULES
EPA BURNING & BLENDING
EPA RCRA *
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AREA
GROUND WATER
APPENDIX C REGULATIONS
PURPOSE
MINIMIZE POTENTIAL FOR RELEASE OF HAZARDOUS MAT. FROM WASTE TANKS & IMPOUNDMENTS TO GROUND WATER
IMPLEMENTATION TIMING
IN PLACE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
GROUND WATER
AS ABOVE NON-HAZARDOUS
AIR? HAZ. WASTE
REGULATE WHAT MATERIALS MAY BE BURNED AS FUEL
HAZ. WASTE
TANKS TO HAVE SECONDARY CONTAINMENT
PROPOSED DRAFT SPRING 89 FINAL 12/89?
SOME COMPLIANCE PERIOD BUT UNKNOWN
FINAL SPRING 89 ANTIC. EFF SEPT 89
EXISTING
1flitIP'i 1
'SHW
CONTROL STRATEGY
CORROSION PROTECTION, SECONDARY CONTAINMENT, LINERS, LEACHATE COLLECTIONS, MONITORING
EFFECT ON
VISTA
NONE-IMMEDIATE (CURRENT RCRA PERMITTING EXEMPTION FOR WASTE WATER TREATMENT UNITS) OTHERWISE REQUIRES FOR IMPOUNDMENTS DOUBLE LINER, SINGLE LEACHATE COLLECTION SYSTEM, GROUND WATER MONITORING COVERS HVY ENDS TKS VCM, THREE DRUM STG AREAS AT LCCC, NO RCRA FACIL. 8 OTHER LOCATIONS
ALL LCCC IMPOUNDMENTS AND OLD DISPOSAL SITES REQUIRE SYNTHETIC LINER, LEAK DETECTION/REMOVAL SYSTEM
TIMING??
SECONDARY
CONTAINMENT FOR HAZ. WASTE TANKS
MUST REMOVE BZ FROM BALT. SPRUNG OIL BTMS TO ALLOW CONTINUED USE AS BOILER FUEL W/O RETROFIT OF MON. EQUIPMENT, RCRA ( HAZ WASTE ) PERMIT, ADMIN. PROGRAMS, ETC.
LCVCM 452 TANK MUST HAVE SEC. CONT. BEFORE CAN GO INTO HEAVY ENDS SERVICE
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APPENDIX D
LAKE CHARLES WASTEWATER A LOOKBACK STORY
This story is not to justify Rich Gerlach's having saved plant presentations from the Blauvelt/Gerhart era, though without the data from them, the story probably could not have been assembled.
During the 1960-86 period, on the order of $10MM capital was spent on installations which will be abandoned after completion of the wastewater project. Based on Nelson cost indices, this to about $35MM at today's cost. In addition, approximately $10MM will be spent to clean out, close up and mop up behind those abandoned installations.
Portions of the wastewater project which more or less directly replace those installations total $21MM in 1989 dollars. (An additional $11MM will also be spent on "enabling" equipment, not including $0-2.5MM in MeCl.)
Interesting, but so what? The "so what" is that with perfect foresight about the same money could have been spent "way back when" and we would need spend nothing or very little today or until 1995-98.
The technology being proposed already existed when the previous investments were made. Were we just dumb? No, each technical and investment decision made sense at the time, taken individually. The problem was that the sum of the individual decisions was a patchwork instead of a coordinated whole. (Lest anyone think this story to be an attack, the author had input to some of those decisions also.)
While no guarantee exists that a similar story won't appear 15 or 20 years from now, the LCCC Wastewater Project has been approached with best efforts at developing a long term, modular and flexible system to carry the complex into the future.
NOTE: Though it is true that operating cost differences between the new and old systems were disregarded, so also were the cost and resource diversion involved in redesign, following up violations, writing lookback stories, etc.
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LCCP WASTEWATER PROJECTS TO BE ABANDONED (Probably Significant on Low Side)
Project
Date
Holding Pond API Separator Sand Filters Aerated Lagoons Polishing Pond Other Water Projects Flow Meas./Pol. Pond Imp. Misc. Proj. Stormwater Ponds Segr. B.D. Streams DAF Unit Stormwater Diver. Rev. Sludge Dewate ring Oil/Water Separator Covers Wastewater Compliance NPDES Runoff Compliance
1960 1971 1968 1971 1972? 1968-74 1974 1974-77 1976 1976 1977 1978 1981 1983 1983 1986
LCCP SubTotal
Orig. Cost
0.25? 0.57 0.20? 1.28 0.05? 0.38 0.02 0.50? 0.24 0.17 0.75? 0.30? 0.60? 0.91 1.08 0.23
7.53?
$MM
Current Cost
1.3 1.9 0.8 4.2 0.2 1.3 0.05 1.1 0.5 0.4 1.4 0.5 0.9 1.1 1.3 0,3
30.0
VCM Lagoons VCM Copper Pond VCM Acid Pits VCM CPS Repl.
VCM SubTotal
1970 1980 1985 1986
0.40
*
1.91 0,15
2.46
2.1 ?
2.1 0.2
4.4
Total LCCC
10.00
35.0
VAB.0001125192
LCCC WASTEWATER PROJECT
ITEMS DIRECTLY REPLACING ABANDONED PMENT OR TECHNOLOGY
1tern ASU Pond Upgrade Ale. Baro. C.T. Hydr. Load Red. WAO-Spent Caustic Stormwater Tanks Tank Based ASU
Replacements
1989 $ Cost 1.6 .55 2.0 4.2 4.6 _Ll8 20.8
Date 1991 1990 1989/90 1990 1992 1992
Cost As Of Inst. Date
1.76 .55
2.0 4.2 5.5 9.4 23.4
Pond Closures Groundwater Treatmt.
Cleanup
8.0 _Lu5
9.5
1992-97 1989PV
9.9 1,5+ 11.4
MeCl Unit Shutdown
1991
30.3
35.0
NOTE: "Enabling" equipment not listed here.
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CONSTRUCTION INDEX
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INDEX <1946 * 100)
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1 1 PUMPS |
1 1tj
1 YEAR | COMPR j
1 " J == |
1 1946 j 100.0 j
1 1947 j 117.2 j
l 1948 j 127.0 j
1 1949 j 135.9 j
1 1950 j 138.2 j
1 1951 j 155.9 j
1 1952 j 155.6 |
1 1953 j 162.5 j
1 1954 j 166.5 j
1 1955 j 172.2 j
1 1956 j 192.0 j
1 1957 j 206.7 j
1 1958 j 214.7 |
1 1959 j 226.9 j
1 1960 j 228.3 j
1 1961 | 228.8 j
1 1962 j 222.5 |
1 1963 j 224.3 j
1 1964 j 231.5 j
1 1965 j 245.6 j
1 1966 j 260.5 |
1 1967 | 272.2 j
1 1968 | 284.4 j
1 1969 j 298.6 j
1 1970 j 313.1 j
I 1971 j 330.6 j
1 1972 j 337.5 j
1 1973 j 346.9 j
1 1974 j 416.3 j
1 1975 j 509.8 j
1 1976 j 538.6 j
1 1977 | 574.9 j
1 1978 | 619.5 j
1 1979 j
1
1 1980 j
1
1 1981 j 880.6 {
1 1982 j 944.1 j
1 1983 j 944.5 j
i 1984 | 950.5 j
1 1985 | 969.9 j
1 1986 j 982.6 j
1 1987 | 995.3 j
1 1988 j 1,027.8 j
1 1989 j
1
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1 ELECT |
MACH j
J 100.0 j 113.0 j
127.6 J 130.9 j 134.9 j 154.3 j
152.4 j 156.4 j 160.0 j
162.5 | 175.0 j 188.9 j 192.7 j 195.8 j 195.2 j 192.1 j 189.5 j 187.7 j
186.4 | 186.2 j
190.5 |
196.1 j 198.2 |
201.7 j
208.6 |
241.5 j 216.3 j 220.2 j
244.9 | 275.6 | 287.2 | 299.2 j
323.1 |
1
1
431.4 | 453.8 |
469.0 j
486.5 |
497.0 j
504.6 | 511.5 j 519.7 j
1
I NT- | COMB j ENGINE j
ZZSS88 1
100.0 I 109.0 j
116.9 | 124.8 j
126.0 | 146.1 j 146.5 j 148.1 j 150.5 j 153.2 j
164.0 | 173.9 j
178.3 | 178.5 j 180.7 j 181.2 j 183.4 j 181.5 j 184.9 j
186.4 | 188.7 | 192.0 j 198.9 j 207.4 j 217.0 j 226.1 j 233.3 j 238.3 j
270.2 | 319.8 j
348.3 | 376.9 | 412.7 j
1 1 576.9 j 627.7 j 653.7 j
663.1 |
666.7 j
676.9 |
690.3 j 702.3 j
1
1 CONT | INSTR j
100.0 j 113.0 j 120.0 j 122.0 j 127.8 j 142.3 j 146.2 j
151.8 | 154.6 j 162.9 j 182.1 j 187.4 j 194.9 j
201.0 | 202.5 j 207.5 j 214.8 j 224.5 j 225.3 j
221.5 | 299.7 j
232.3 | 239.1 j 252.8 j
278.8 |
304.2 | 328.4 | 338.0 j
376.5 j 420.5 | 466.4 j 484.1 j 518.7 j
1 1 623.4 | 652.5 | 675.2 j
696.8 | 713.7 |
733.3 |
744.4 j 748.8 j
1
1 HEAT | EXCH j
SH J
100.0 j
115.0 j
130.0 | 133.0 j 140.0 j 152.0 j 165.8 j 174.9 j 171.1 j 156.8 j 190.7 j 203.6 j 181.2 j 178.9 j
194.0 | 188.1 j 183.6 j 189.1 j 206.1 j 218.4 j 235.2 j 237.9 j 223.4 j 235.8 j
253.8 |
268.0 | 274.3 j 313.7 j 501.3 j 553.9 j 478.5 j
454.0 j 496.0 j
1
1 727.3 j
635.9 | 541.7 j 530.9 j 520.0 j 524.7 j 577.7 j 664.1 j
1
Ml SC I EQUIP j AVG j
SSMM j
100.0 I 114.2 j
122.1 | 121.6 | 126.2 | 145.1 j 153.3 j
158.8 | 160.7 j 161.5 j 180.5 j 192.1 j 192.4 j 196.1 j 200.0 j 199.5 j 198.8 j 201.4 j
206.8 | 211.6 j
220.9 | 226.1 | 228.8 j 239.3 j 254.3 j
268.7 ( 278.0 j 291.4 j
361.8 | 415.9 j 423.8 j 438.4 j 474.1 j
515.4 | 578.1 j
647.9 | 662.8 j 656.8 j 665.6 j 673.4 j
684.4 j 703.9 j 732.5 j
1
M
II II
II It
N
H
U
II
H
ft*
M
11
II It
11
II II
II
II
II II
fle
UN J 5.
H
11
'1
it
II
l*
EZZSSSZSSZZS;
I MATL j COMP j
SSBZX3 1
100.0 I 122.4 | 139.3 j 143.6 j 149.5 j 164.0 j 164.3 j 172.4 j 174.6 j 176.1 j 190.4 j 201.9 j
204.2 | 207.8 j 207.6 j 207.7 j 205.9 j 206.3 j 209.6 j
212.0 | 216.2 | 219.7 j 224.1 j 234.9 j
250.5 j 265.2 j 277.8 j 292.3 j 371.3 j 421.0 j 445.2 j 471.3 j 516.7 j 573.1 j
629.2 | 693.2 j 707.6 j 712.4 j 735.3 j
739.6 | 730.0 |
750.0 j
802.8
1
II II II II II II II
H
LABOR COMP
1 j NELSON
INDEX
II
II
II If It
II II II
100.0 j 113.5 j 128.0 j 137.1 j 144.0 j 152.5 j 163.1 j 174.2 j
183.3 | 189.6 j 198.2 j 208.6 j 220.4 j
231.6 | 241.9 j 249.4 j 258.8 j
268.4 | 280.5 | 294.4 j 310.9 j 331.3 j 357.4 j
391.8 | 441.1 | 499.9 | 545.6 |
585.0 |
623.6 | 678.5 j
729.4 j 774.3 j 824.2 j 879.0 j 951.9 j 1,044.2 j 1,156.5 j 1,234.8 j 1,278.1 j 1,297.6 j
1,330.0 | 1,397.6 j 1,405.6 j
1
100.0 117.0 132.5 139.7 146.2 157.2 163.6 173.5 179.8 184.2 195.3 205.9 213.9 222.1 228.2 232.7 237.6 243.6 252.1 261.4 273.0 286.7 304.1 329.0 364.9 406.0 438.5 468.0 522.7 575.5 615.7 653.0 701.1 756.6 822.8 903.8 976.9 1,025.8 1,061.0 1,074.4 1,089.9 1,123.0 1,164.5
tzo S
on V
- *2.1 /-*!**
Z,i7.
01125194
I-****'-.,
11^.
1989
Must Do
7.2
LCCC Black Box 2.0
Proactive
1.4
1990 8.2
11.7 0.9
APPENDIX E ENVIRONMENTAL CAPITAL COMMITMENTS FORECAST
(RECAP BASIS')
;991 3.0 0 1.8
1992 5.0 8.0 2.0
1993 5.0 0 2.0
SUB TOTAL
}994
28.4
5.2
21.7 1 8.1
0 1.0
1995 1.0
1996 9.2
1997 6.0
1998
TOTAL 37; 9
Subtotal
10.6
External Stm. Strpg.
0
20.8 0
4.8
15.0
45 0
7.0 0
58.2
6.2
0
TOTAL
10.6
20.8
49.8
15.0
7.0
103.2
6.2
VAB.0001125195
J|T" lHI-^ I "t
Vr^-I-W t I I -H-l;--
|FW*--<<*-- "'
P*JlW4f+*"*-"IHI
H ' HI- -I - -IS-.P--
AIR WASTEWATER
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
(1) VOC Industrial Wastewater Control Strat{eI*gies
RCRA Air Emission Control Requirements
(3) OCPSF Effluent Limitations
Water Quality Based Effluent Limits!*)
GROUND WATER WASTE
MINIMIZATION
Prohibition on Discharge to(6G) round Water:
RCRA Deal gn Requirements Closure of Surface Impoundments
(7) OTC Promulgation
Retrofitting and Permitting
Housekeeping Improvements Stormwater Segregation
Treatment in Tanks to Reduce Concentrations/Remove/Recover
s
Contaminants
i
i
2000 ->
(5)
-> No Discharge
6-T
(1)
See Table 1-1
(2)
See Table 1-2
O)
Sea Tab1e 1-3 (4)
See Table 1-4
(5)
See Table 1-5
(6)
See Table 1-6 (7) See Table 1-7
Figure 1-1. Short- and Long-term Regulatory Trends Applicable to the Vista Lake Charles Wastewater Treatment System
VAB.0001125196
.K-llp-u
l-Jt'KI
''iTF
rr-e(i,'
I +c Nv.-i.e; .
JJtHt
'i-'T" .-I
ts^I. I-Ml ^ ...................
.IhPiH.I--- i IFJO'tM
ip -| iipir*
1
.VO- -ViViVl-r MMIU
tT#. -L-hI | IlirT T
f
4
Consultant (Radian') Directional Recommendations - Wastewater LCCC
1. Prevent, eliminate, minimize waste generation
.2 Implement practices which concentrate, remove, destroy, recycle organics in wastewater
3. Segregate waste streams for differing management (stormwater, others) 4. Improve housekeeping 5. Long Term - Alter/replace feedstocks, alter/replace production technology, redesign end products if necessary
m ' ij'rnik^'r1' i
l-'r iv . ?!
' - -i ' -
I' -h
r (--+ .s-iir-iM!
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IvWi
-n
f`r + i- -
-
- pJ -v
.....
-i
VAB.0001125197
1 |1T
"V
r--
-4 !
If I- " N .'-Sr.
. j-'-'nn i-i-iiipJuewfH.-fcHh
ii.
41 i_"i i;- k.' -4
1
> :h
1-.
.lip .iL^L.ihik. j Lk) r i|
in i j.. ' h- >- i- .1 i
PHASE I LCCC WASTEWATER PROJECT - RADIAlt ESTIMATES (MARCH 1989)
PROJECT
Total Cost________ 1989 %
Jan. Est. War. Est.
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996 1997 1998 Total
A. Stormwater Segregation
* 1. MECL Stormwater*
0*
2. LAB Water Collection 458
3. Ethylene Stormwater 1,080
4. Alcohol Stormwater 1,530
5. VCM Stormwater
36
3,104
3.1
3.1
.46 1.08
1.53 .04
B. Wastewater Treatment
1. ASU Pond Upgrade
1,600
2. ASU Treatability
250
Study
3. Biotoxicity Study
43
4. LCCC Stm. Stripper 1,978
5. LAB Water Treatment 1,985
6. VCM Stm. Stripper 1,426
Upgrade
7. VCM C-500 FD.TK/
290
T-110
8. VCM SPCC Study
75
9. Alcohol OAF Unit
825
10. Repl. Ale. Baro C.T. 550
11. ALC. Acid Holding Pit 90
12. Hydraulic Load
2,000
Reduction
a. ALC
600
b. VCM
400
c. Ethy
750
d. NPU/ETO 250
11,112
5.0
11.1
.25
.04 1.98 1.99 1.43
0.29
.08 .82 .55
1.76
.60 .40
.75 .25
C. Wet Air Oxid. - Spent Caustic
5.6
4.2
4.28
D. MeCl Stripper
0 13.7
____ 18.4
____ 2.83
______ 13.89
____ 1.86
18.6
. i. .
.ik j. 1..,..
+ ..i
j-
fAHiPrb'eW l;i> -
ip
i- Iraqi -dp ^i- iH
.. ^
.....
. 11
li h1" jr-J-- i| :in-|
. |T Hr .. .1 |i .
1.,^;%.^' r
t hC'
T I
' s' !. ' I' -p"
'lisf-
VAB.0001125198
PHASE II LCCC MASTEMATER PROJECT - RAD 1AM ESTIMATES fMARCH 19891
PROJECT______________
Total Cost 1969 >
Jan. Est. Har. Est.
E. Stormwater Treatment (Tanks) 3.8
4.6
1989
1990
1991
1992 5.53
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997 1998 Total
F. Tank Based ASU G. NPU Coalescer
4.2 7.8 8.0 12.7
9.38 15.3
i H -p.
' |*H4 T
' 1 -I
'........................i-1 T f
' '
r 'i: i
t !( ''ur..................v
>r i-frv
i
*p--t u-.r if--r
-> j
rPB"?
r ^ra-Qir .
v^-nre*1"^~auiri
4' V''CJHIfJ
ii iV'Ji 'i>i
-pi
** -n
+- |i Hi
M-v* .--q
i M Hn
VAB.0001125199
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1,4.4
Jlgpl
I
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PHASE 111 LCCC MASTEUATER PROJECT - RADIAM ESTIMATES fMARCH 19891
PROJECT______________
Total Cost 1989 $
Jan. Est. Mar. Est.
H. PACT/MAO
PACT/WAO - Engr. PACT/UAO - Const.
465 ,188
10.2
4.7
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997 1998 Total
.64 5.87
I. Incinerator
Incinerator - Engr. 600 Incinerator - Const. 5,400
6.0
16.2
6.0 10.7
.72 7.56
.72
.64 5.87
7.56 14.8
I ! "?
M>Ub
<
i *\+ \< wib. ,|>r. +pu *
4p
r h=f^ Sk.. mf '1414, N-l, |lf. 1
.
iHUppA.i- ... : -j
-ih-h
-f-m-hj
'* H-HH + .W
"-T-: Vi-d-
!l.|
f "wi: to
*-t 1
w.j-hi
!^r> - y -`i- i--
'H -li'-H fii-Hl-'i
"I /
VAB.0001125200
NOT INCLUDED IN CAPITAL {EXPENSE
ITEM
COST
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
TOTAL
Pond Closures
Partial
Holding Pond-ENGR.
65
Holding Pond Closure Cleanout N, S
Lagoons & % Stormwater Pond
586 2066
Close % Stormwater Pond & Sand Filters
368
Close REM. Impound^ ments-ENGR.
339
Close REM. Impound ments -CONST.
3050
Digester Closure 1000-2000
1.5
.07 2.48
4.27
Groundwater Treatment VCM Radian Prelim. Design
Partial 700 250
. 70 .25
8924
2.45
.06
0
2.99
0
0
0
4
10.2
0
i ki-iif i
1
i::
+-
-p -i 4
: I . -i n
n f? .
jj i -r i
ji -| M l r-J< u:
rLi Hr!
................
if.
-HI T** T ' I1'- 4^ n . !:
VAB.0001125201
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H
-r|. -Sr *Vfi K + fv**
i\
-+T! -
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rhi ^ L'i-:bih -I ti-HlPJ". Ji. e-1,141,,1 i.
-ffn -Fi ihv^-m
3^4" l>
i|" I'm . i
v-itt-hi:
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'hl. ir- . .. rw.
|-
FIGURE I SUMMARY
LCCC Wastewater Implementation Plan
Major Impact
i
i
1 Impoundment ASU
System for LCCC
i
I Tank-based ASU System for LCCC
i i
i
V
PACT:WAO Mod. Tank-Based ASU
i i
i i
V
LCCC Incinerator
i
i
V
i i
Major Projects
1
2
3 4 5
6
7
8
9
*90 *91 PHASE I
*93 *94 95 *96 97 *98
PHASE II
PHASE III
Treatability Study
1
LCVCM ASU Modif.
Hydr. Reduction Proj. 2
Biotoxicity Analysis
Stormwater Segr.
Projects
3,
Steam Stripper System 4,
Upgrade (LCLAB &
LCVCM)
New Groundwater
Stripper (LCVCM)
5
Barometric C.T. Repl.
(Alcohol)
New LCCC Steam Stripper.
Tank-based ASU for LCCC Tank-based stormwater trmt. system
1 2 3 4 5
Clean-out N. & S. Lagoon, Holding Pond and 1/2 St. Water Pond Close Holding Pond, sandfilters, 1/2 St. Water Pond
PACT:WAO Modifications to ASU Solid Filters Close VCM ASU and 1\2 St. Water Pond Incinerator Close N. and S. Lagoon
2000
l
l
*
m- -Si S-.-i - J-li-. -
- b;.
J-b*;-
i II-- .
- i-
J!K
*-i-
TV-'*'1*--^
^
, m 1 Hfniljl J?
'WUi
-
W-\i-
Ik-*
Li?:
;*
-ir t p-tr p-
-Ht Jt+l*'-T'
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s 11* miih
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J '* LT*--
VAB.0001125202
V
I
i
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4
, < I,
l-y
ETHOXTLATES UNIT NORMAL PARAFFINS UNIT
\*p+*
V T-
*h
- i* r
ETHYLENE UNIT
POTENTIAL BENZENE/ TOLUENE LADEN WATER
(CURBED AREA)
SPENT CAUSTIC
1r
H'-iX *.* 3. *-
., s;.
w?
-J-
r
ftc * *
4 ,-
-1* 'VV ' hk
ir
*>'''
QUENCH WATER
STEAM PLAICl ALCOHOL UNIT
PROCESS WASTEWATER AND TANK TRUCK/RAILCAR LOADING AREA
CLASS I STORMWATER I
VCM PLANT
PROCESS WASTEWATER/ CLASS I STORMWATER
GROUNDWATER
4. LAB PLANT PROCESS WASTEWATER
.. - j
t ;Z >< :' V '
^
"I
= `t
4-
I'.
t' ^r
STORMWATER
i
ii:
?t
if*
- .
! 1 .'p- n ' 1
r.-
. ;.j:
. .ij*:.p .& --^k I ii <*.< -iri
t
t * ..
Pi
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**
h.'; .
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<
i .'
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. i- ` *
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i> _ -. *j
- :*
A-
J
FIGURE 2 K''* t '
4
r
V >-
'F
Y VF-
LCCC WASTEWATER PROJECT PHASE I - BLOCK FLOW DIAGRAM
Pr
. .*
. .:
% *j j
*p
__
"
* -
>iAPI UNIT
i--------
^
K
fa _ ^
-r * 4 ^ i* *
I`4-
i. ` J f
\- z %
*b
i' "
-
s:
*r
W
..
.
^
.'
' '*
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a
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*. v
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+ '
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't
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.\
.
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-\
~
+ *""*"
^'
r
.
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-1
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* 4
^-
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rf ' .-. -fZ ,-
rT
%^
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j-
^
n/.
.* -s;
^ : Jr"-
i-1 >
j*
F P^ p
**
* r .-n, -
t
r
*
NEW
L. Jank
VISTA BUSINESS AREA
r,OR NEW WET AIR OXIDATION
NEW REDUNDANT
STRIPPER
f-
`b *
- r-.
b V
,V
DOX UNIT
EXAM
W QUENCH STRIPPERS
NEW ALCOHOL IN-UNIT TREATMENT
TO NEW LCCC
------1 STRIPPER
*
> r. ^ >
" -y
F
V *
*:
'f r
, --F
V-
,r
- " T '"P
.1
1
-- `/i,
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. _ _
pi- ^ V
T
* Ji---
*
: '" *J'T" b
* 1.
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^ '"j-
REVISED LCVCM ASU
SYSTEM
S-*r
OUTFALL
I
c
*L TANK
VCM STRIPPER w
NEW
CARBON TREATMENT
^RECYCLE TO LCVCM
%.
iw 1.' 4?
i->
. . rs _
* .*<
-F .-i
rl,
'.r * -
* -<
r- - *
f,
4 ,#
NEW STORMWATER
r
1^
LAB STRIPPER
^DIRECT DISCHARGE
:,.i p +
-f-r
4-i<
----Tlli - 1 '(.*
-
* * +`J:
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if
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f"
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N
t-
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ik^ fv'
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J
CTHOXYLATC3 UNIT NORMAL PARAFFINS UNIT
PROCESS WATER
STORMWATER ETHYLENE UNIT
POTENTIAL BENZENE^ TOLUENE LADEN WATER (CURBED AREA)
4
SPENT CAUSTIC
-m
QUENCH WATER
w
CLASS I STORMWATER (SURFACE RUNOFF)
ALCOHOL UNIT
WASTEWATER AND TANK TRUCK/RAILCAR LOADING AREA
CLASS I STORMWATER VCM PLANT
PROCESS WASTEWATER
1 STORMWATER
GROUNDWATER
LAB PLANT
PROCESS WASTEWATER
i***K
L.
jr
y v ^S^rK: - j
fit r rj;^
v -, ^ k - * *.
W - V r *i\- -
^J
4fe.-:.V Xr'
41 ` r ':
H f1
^
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*S
'
>
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* 1 vt`I > ;". , I ,' J - i ': ?. :.!-.
-^
*' l
f-m .
&
K
i * * t,.
1 1> JCi
k*.
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.I
/ ;J"J- "
'1
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I
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R _. -S----H * u. -
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-
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r
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:*
*-
v-
p. -A
. * T
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'i . / r ` > -
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-:
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. ' -T- ;-
4, r
* " ^4
... Ah .
FIGURE 3
" V V*
* -'*
T. r. * *.
s. .
LCCC WASTEWATER PROJECT PHASE M ~ BLOCK FLOW DIAGRAM
A- J 1
-- '
> ;i*
NEW I
f
API UNH
I
, - * * * r - - -
*?**
^ -\
- - ^ r-
rrT
``
f- *
1 ` '. w
7r '-7*^
-- >
;'' '. ^
- '- -
<
..> * . . r'
:X
^ ,1 *
A" ; f * "
C-H^7 *
x .^
^ - "i * * '
1
^
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ipj- fc
p T. - r* '
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r : 1 -
--
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........................................................................................
I
VISTA BUSINESS
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DOX UNIT
EXAM
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NEW LCCC STRIPPER
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LCCC WASTEWATER STUDY
1. STUDY OBJECTIVES 2. REGULATORY REVIEW 3. REVIEW OF OPTIONS 4. COST 5. FUTURE ACTIONS
VAB.0001125205
WASTEWATER TEAM
LCCP
LCVCM LCLAB PED LEGAL ENVIRONMENTAL
DUANE EVERY MIKE HAYES JIM SHAMBURGER
SANDRA CORKRAN
PAUL HIPPMAN
TOM HELLER MIKE WISELEY
BILL McCLAIN
JOE LEDVINA
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LCCC WASTEWATER STUDY
INITIATED BY LOUISIANA DEQ PERMIT REQUEST
- LCCC SOURCE SURVEY
- $250M CONTRACTOR-BASED STUDY INITIATED OCTOBER 1, 1988 (TO BE COMPLETED MARCH, 1989)
STUDY OBJECTIVES
1. EVALUATE REGULATORY IMPACT (NEXT 30 YEARS)
2. IDENTIFY WASTE MINIMIZATION OPTIONS
AIR SOLIDS WATER
3. IDENTIFY OPTIMUM WASTE MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
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LCCC WASTEWATER STUDY
TASK 1.0 TASK 2.0 TASK 3.0
TASK 4.0 TASK 5.0
REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
WASTE CHARACTERIZATION
PROCESS SELECTION AND DESIGN
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTUAL DESIGN
PRELIMINARY DESIGN
FINAL REPORT - IMPLEMENTA TION PLAN
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VAB.0001125208
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AIR REGULATIONS
EXISTING SARA 313
EXPECTED AIR TOXICS
ORGANIC EMISSION CONTROL
REPORT EMISSIONS OF TOXICS ANNUALLY
REQUIREMENT
CONTROL OF SARA 313 CHEMICALS TO 10-6 HEALTH RISK
REQUIRE 95% REDUCTION FROM 1987 LEVELS OF HYDROCARBON EMISSION FROM SEWERS, DITCHES, SUMPS, TANKS, IMPOUNDMENTS, OR OTHER TREATMENT UNITS IN WASTEWATER SERVICE (INCLUDING WATERS AND RESIDUALS)
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WATER REGULATIONS
EXISTING
REQUIREMENT
ORGANIC CHEMICALS, PLASTICS, SYNTHETIC FIBERS EFFLUENT GUIDELINES
WASTE LOAD ALLOCATION FOR BAYOU VERDINE
EXPECTED
BIOTOXICITY LIMITATIONS ON EFFLUENT DISCHARGE
SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS FROM EXISTING PERMIT FOR CONVEN TIONAL POLLUTANTS (APPROX. 80% FOR BOD).
APPROXIMATELY 50% REDUCTION FOR BOD AND TSS.
REQUIREMENT
80% SURVIVAL OF TEST SPECIES IN EFFLUENT WATER. ORGANICS, METALS, CALCIUM SALTS, AND CHLORIDES ARE SUSPECTED MAJOR CAUSES.
BIOTOXICITY LIMITATIONS BASED ON RECEIVING WATER QUALITY
80-100% SURVIVAL OF TEST SPECIES IN EFFLUENT DISCHARGE WATERS.
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SOLID
EXISTING
DEFINITION OF A SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL UNIT
INCLUDES SURFACE IMPOUND MENTS CONTAINING OR COLLECTING WASTEWATER.
DIRTY' STORMWATER, 'CLEAN* STORMWATER FROM PROCESS AND PROCESS OFFSITE AREAS, AND NONHAZARDOUS RESIDUES.
EXPECTED LINER REQUIREMENTS
REQUIREMENT
DOUBLE OR SINGLE SYNTHE TIC LINERS AND LEACHATE COLLECTION SYSTEMS WILL BE REQUIRED FOR ALL NONHAZARDOUS SOLID WASTE SURFACE IMPOUNDMENTS.
EXPECTED
TOXICS WASTE LOAD ALLOCATION FOR BAYOU VERDINE BASED ON WATER QUALITY STANDARDS FOR TOXICS
DETECTION LIMITS FOR TOXICS IN EFFLUENT WATERS.
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HAZARDOUS WASTE REGULATIONS
EXISTING LINERS FOR LAND DISPOSAL FACILI TIES
SECONDARY CON TAINMENT FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE TANKS
I I
AIR EMISSION CONTROLS FROM HAZARDOUS WASTE EQUIPMENT
REQUIREMENT
ALL HAZARDOUS WASTE IMPOUNDMENTS MUST HAVE DOUBLE SYNTHETIC LINERS AND LEACHATE COLLECTION.
TANKS MUST BE CONSTRUCTED SO THAT LEAKS FROM TOP, SIDES, OR BOTTOM CAN BE DETECTED IMMEDIATELY. DIKE AREAS MUST BE SEALED AND HAVE CAPACITY TO STORE THE TANK CONTENTS PLUS A 25 YEAR FLOOD.
TANK, VALVE, PUMP SEAL, COMPRESSOR SEAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HYDROCARBONS FROM HAZARDOUS WASTE TANKS AND EQUIPMENT.
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EXPECTED ORGANIC TESTING CHARACTERISTIC (OTC (WAS TCLP))
DESIGN REQUIRE MENTS FOR CONVEYANCE DEVICES
AIR EMISSION CONTROL REQUIRE MENTS
LANDFILL BANS
WASTE MINIMIZATION
REQUIREMENT
RECLASSIFIES WASTES WHICH CONTAIN LOW LEVELS OF ORGANIC POLLUTANTS FROM SOLID WASTE TO HAZARDOUS WASTE. FACILITIES CON TAINING THESE WASTES MUST MEET HAZARDOUS WASTE STANDARDS.
A NO DISCHARGE OR MIGRA TION TO GROUNDWATER STANDARD FOR PIPES, DITCHES, ETC., TRANSPORTING HAZARD OUS WASTES.
A CONTROL REQUIREMENT FOR HYDROCARBON EMISSIONS FROM ALL RCRA UNITS, INCLUDING CONVEYANCE DEVICES.
HAZARDOUS WASTE LAND DIS POSAL WILL CONTINUE TO BE LIMITED WITH ADDITIONAL
CLASSES OF HAZARDOUS WASTES PROHIBITED FROM LAND DISPOSAL.
NUMERICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR WASTE ELIMINATION
VAB.0001125213
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STORMWATER SEGREGATION
OBJECTIVE: IDENTIFY REVISIONS WHICH WOULD SEGREGATE 'CLEAN* STORMWATER FROM `PROCESS AREA*
STORMWATER.
TO ADDRESS: a. b. c.
STORMWATER COMPLIANCE
ALCOHOL FLOODING REDUCE HYDRAULIC LOADING (MeCI, WASTE MIN.)
46% RED.
- ELIMINATE OPEN DITCHES/REVISE PIPING - GRADING/CURBING FOR SEGREGATION - TANK FARM PIPING REVISIONS FOR
SEGREGATION
63% RED.
- ALT. 1 ITEMS
- ADDITIONAL IN-UNIT CURBING - CATCH RAINFALL ON EXIST ROOFS
ALT. 3 - TRIPLE COST
60% RED.
- ALT. 1 ITEMS - ALT. 2 ITEMS - ROOFING OVER H.C. SOURCES
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WASTE MINIMIZATION
CLEAN STREAM SEGREGATION
OBJECTIVE; IDENTIFY REVISIONS WHICH WOULD SEGREGATE PROCESS VOTER NOT REQUIRING TREATMENT
TO ADDRESS: a. b.
c.
STORMWATER COMPLIANCE ALCOHOL FLOODING
REDUCE HYDRAULIC LOADING (MECL, WASTE MIN.)
COOLING TOWER BLOWDOWN FROM ALCOHOL TO DIRECT DISCHARGE
COOLING TOWER AND BOILER BLOWDOWN STREAMS FROM ETHYLENE TO DIRECT DISCHARGE
BOILER BLOWDOWN AND ZEOLITE REGENERANT STREAMS FROM STEAM PLANT TO DIRECT DISCHARGE
LIME PIT WATER RECYCLE (STEAM PLANT)
INSTALLATION OF RECIRCULATING COOLING VOTER SYSTEMS IN ETHOXYLATE AND NORMAL PARAFFIN
COOLING TOWER BLOWDOWN FROM LCVCM TO DIRECT DISCHARGE
MISCELLANEOUS STEAM CONDENSATE RECOVERY SYSTEMS, FREEZE PROTECTION, AND MODIFIED SAMPLE LOOP PROJECTS
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CHEMICAL OXIDATION PHOTOLYSIS OXIDATION CHEMICAL PRECIPITATION
VOLATILIZATION (GAS STRIPPING) HYDROLYSIS SOLVENT EXTRACTION WET AIR OXIDATION MEMBRANE PROCESSES MOLECULAR SIEVES ION EXCHANGE
ACTIVATED CARBON ADSORPTION PROCESSES FILTRATION COALESCE
DEWATERING (CENTRIFUGATION AND PRESSURE FILTRATION)
DISTILLATION RESIN ADSORPTION
EQUALIZATION/NEUTRALIZATION OIL SEPARATION (GRAVITY AND FLOTATION) COAGULATION AND FLOCCULATION
BIOOXIDATION PROCESSES (AEROBIC AND ANAEROBIC)
PHYSICAL-BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES CLARIFICATION/THICKENING CRYSTALLIZATION PROCESSES EVAPORATION PROCESSES THERMAL DESTRUCTION PROCESSES
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VAB.0001125216
EXISTING AND/OR PROPOSED BASE CASE SOURCE TREATMENTS/ WASTE MINIMIZATION PROJECTS
EXAM (ETHYLENE UNIT)
EXISTING STEAM STRIPPING IN LCLAB AND LCVCM
EXISTING OIL-WATER SEPARATION IN NORMAL PARAFFIN UNIT AND LCLAB
m
TANKS AND VESSELS VENT TO CONTROL DEVICES
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SECONDARY CONTAINMENT ON HAZARDOUS WASTE TANKS AND PIPING
SECONDARY CONTAINMENT ON PROCESS WASTEWATER SEWERS
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VAB.0001125217
DESCRIPTION
1 ONE END-OF-PIPE LCCC TREATMENT SYSTEM
2 SOURCE CONTROL WITH ONE END-OF-PIPE LCCC TREATMENT SYSTEM
3 SOURCE CONTROL WITH SEPARATE END-OF-PIPE TREATMENT SYSTEMS LCCP/LCLAB AND LCVCM
4 ZERO WATER DISCHARGE
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CASE 1 END-OF-PIPE TREATMENT
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVE #1 WITH RETENTION-STORAGE AND SECONDARY OIL-WATER SEPARATION (TANKAGE, DAF, STEAM STRIPPER)
CLEAN STREAM SEGREGATION AND DIRECT DISCHARGE
PRIMARY OIL-WATER SEPARATION (UPGRADE) OF COMBINED PROCESS WASTEWATERS AT THE END-OF-PIPE (CPI)
SECONDARY OIL-WATER SEPARATION OF COM BINED PROCESS WASTEWATERS AT THE END-OFPIPE (DAF UNIT)
VOLATILIZATION (STEAM OR NATURAL GAS STRIPPING)
EQUALIZATION/NEUTRALIZATION (TANKAGE/ VESSELS)
POWDERED CARBON ACTIVATED SLUDGE TREAT MENT (ASU WITH POWDERED CARBON)
TERTIARY FILTRATION
RESIDUALS MANAGEMENT (SOLIDS, SOLVENTS, VOC'S) BY INCINERATION AND WET OXIDATION OF POWDERED CARBON
WET AIR OXIDATION AND NEUTRALIZATION/ PRECIPITATION APPLIED TO ETHYLENE SPENT CAUSTIC WASTEWATER
CASE 2
SOURCE CONTROL WITH END-OF-PIPE TREATMENT
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVE #1 WITH RETENTION-STORAGE, SECONDARY OIL-WATER SEPARATION, AND STEAM STRIPPING (TANKAGE, DAF, STEAM STRIPPER)
CLEAN STREAM SEGREGATION AND DIRECT DISCHARGE
SOURCE CONTROLS
- COALESCING FILTERS APPLIED TO ALCOHOL AND NORMAL PARAFFIN WASTEWATERS
- WET AIR OXIDATION AND NEUTRALIZATION/ PRECIPITATION APPLIED TO ETHYLENE SPENT
CAUSTIC WASTEWATER
- PRIMARY OIL-WATER SEPARATION UPGRADE AND SECONDARY OIL-WATER SEPARATION APPLIED TO
LCLAB WASTEWATERS (CPI UPGRADE, DAF)
- VOLATILIZATION UPGRADE APPLIED TO LCVCM WASTEWATERS (EXISTING STRIPPER UPGRADE)
- DISPERSED OIL EXTRACTION AND STEAM STRIPPING (PROVIDED BY EXAM) APPLIED TO ETHYLENE WASTEWATERS
- REDUNDANT SOURCE CONROL SYSTEM (TANKAGE, DAF, STEAM STRIPPER)
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CASE 2
(CONTINUED)
END-OF-PIPE TREATMENT - EQUALIZATION/NEUTRALIZATION - POWDERED CARBON ACTIVATED SLUDGE
TREATMENT - TERTIARY FILTRATION RESIDUAL MANAGEMENT (SOLIDS, SOLVENTS, VOC'S) BY INCINERATION AND WET AIR OXIDATION OF POWDERED CARBON
VAB.0001125221
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CASE 3 SOURCE CONTROL WITH SEPARATE
END-OF-PIPE TREATMENT
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVE #1 WITH RETENTION-STORAGE, SECONDARY OILWATER SEPARATION, STEAM STRIPPING, FILTRATION, AND GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON ADSORPTION (TANKAGE, DAF, STRIPPER, CARBON)
CLEAN STREAM SEGREGATION AND DIRECT DISCHARGE
SOURCE CONTROLS
- COALESCING FILTERS APPLIED TO ALCOHOL AND NORMAL PARAFFIN WASTEWATERS
t
- WET AIR OXIDATION AND NEUTRALIZATION/ PRECIPITATION APPLIED TO ETHYLENE SPENT CAUSTIC WASTEWATER
- PRIMARY OIL-WATER SEPARATION UPGRADE AND SECONDARY OIL-WATER SEPARATION APPLIED TO LCLAB WASTEWATERS (CPI UPGRADE, DAF)
- VOLATILIZATION UPGRADE APPLIED TO LCVCM WASTEWATERS (EXISTING STRIPPER UPGRADE)
- DISPERSED OIL EXTRACTION AND STEAM STRIPPING (PROVIDED BY EXAM) APPLIED TO ETHYLENE WASTEWATERS
- REDUNDANT SOURCE CONTROL SYSTEM (TANKAGE, DAF, STEAM STRIPPER)
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(CONTINUED) LCCP/LCLAB WASTEWATER END-OF-PIPE TREATMENTS - EQUALIZATION/NEUTRALIZATION - POWDERED CARBON ACTIVATED SLUDGE
TREATMENT - TERTIARY FILTRATION LCVCM WASTEWATER END-OF-PIPE TREATMENTS - EQUALIZATION/NEUTRALIZATION - POWDERED CARBON ACTIVATED SLUDGE
TREATMENT - TERTIARY FILTRATION RESIDUAL MANAGEMENT (SOLIDS, SOLVENTS, VOC'S) BY INCINERATION, WET AIR OXIDATION OF POWDERED CARBON AND THERMAL REGENERATION OF GRANULAR CARBON
VAB.0001125224
VAB.0001125225
CASE 4 ZERO WASTEWATER DISCHARGE
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVE #1 WITH RETENTION-STORAGE, SECONDARY OIL-WATER SEPARATION, STEAM STRIPPING
CLEAN STREAM SEGREGATION AND DIRECT DISCHARGE
SOURCE CONTROLS
- COALESCING FILTERS APPLIED TO ALCOHOL AND NORMAL PARAFFIN WASTEWATERS
- WET AIR OXIDATION AND NEUTRALIZATION/ PRECIPITATION APPLIED TO ETHYLENE SPENT CAUSTIC WASTEWATER
- PRIMARY OIL-WATER SEPARATION UPGRADE AND SECONDARY OIL-WATER SEPARATION APPLIED TO LCLAB WASTEWATERS (CPI UPGRADE, DAF)
- VOLATILIZATION UPGRADE APPLIED TO LCVCM WASTEWATERS (EXISTING STRIPPER UPGRADE)
- DISPERSED OIL EXTRACTION AND STEAM STRIPPING (PROVIDED BY EXAM) APPLIED TO ETHYLENE WASTEWATERS
- REDUNDANT SOURCE CONTROL SYSTEM (TANKAGE, DAF, STEAM STRIPPER)
CASE 4 (CONTINUED)
END-OF-PIPE TREATMENTS
- EQUALIZATION/NEUTRALIZATION
- POWDERED CARBON ACTIVATED SLUDGE TREATMENT
- TERTIARY FILTRATION
- TERTIARY EQUALIZATION
- REVERSE OSMOSIS AND ASSOCIATED PRETREATMENTS
RESIDUALS MANAGEMENT (SOLIDS, BRINES, SOLVENTS, VOC's) BY INCINERATION, BRINE CONCENTRATION, AND WET AIR OXIDATION OF POWDERED CARBON
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VAB.0001125228
COMMON ADVANTAGES
REDUCE AND/OR ELIMINATE THE RELEASE OF TOXICS TO THE AIR (REDUCTION OF SARA 313 EMISSIONS)
REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF SOLID RESIDUALS GENERATED DURING TREATMENT (EXCEPT CASE 4) (MINIMIZATION, LAND BAN)
v
PROVIDE GREATER SYSTEM OPERATION PERFORMANCE RELIABILITY (100% COMPLIANCE)
PROVIDE GREATER FLEXIBILITY FOR SYSTEM RETROFIT AND/OR EXPANSION (NO DOUBLE SPENDING)
REDUCE THE OVERALL LAND REQUIRE MENTS FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT
VAB.0001125229
PIPE TREATMENT
(MAJOR PHILOSOPHY ITEMS ADDRESSED)
1. NO SURFACE IMPOUNDMENTS
2. COMPLETE GED STORMWATER SEGREGATION (MINIMUM)
3. BYPASS OF 'CLEAN" STREAMS
4. IN-UNIT TREATMENT: SOURCE CONTROL HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS: STEAM STRIPPING/ WET AIR OXID. FREE OILS/ALCOHOLS: COALESCERS SOLIDS: CPI/FILTERS
5. ABOVE-GROUND TREATMENT FACILITY
6. ONE BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT SYSTEM FOR LCCC
7. STORMWATER TREATMENT (DAF, STEAM STRIPPING)
VAB.0001125230
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COST
CASE 1 2 3
4
ONE END-OF-PIPE LCCC TREATMENT SYSTM
SOURCE CONTROL WITH ONE END-OF-PIPE LCCC TREATMENT SYSTEM
SOURCE CONTROL WITH SEPARATE END-OF-PIPE TREATMENT SYSTEMS FOR LCCP/LCLAB AND LCVCM
ZERO WATER DISCHARGE
40.3 37.5
40.1
VAB.0001125231
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COST FORECAST ($MM)
4
WASTEWATER TREAT.
7.4
6.0
STORMWATER WAO (SPENT CAUSTIC)
10.6
8.1
0 6.6
STORMWATER TREAT.
TANK-BASED ASU Y *
PACT/WAO INCINERATOR
(SAME)
FY96* (SAME)
3.8
8.0 10.2
6.0
16.2
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VAB.OOOl125232
APPENDIX K (Partial> The following is a sampling of articles which provide random industry, environmentalist, regulatory agency and media viewpoints on regulatory issues. These articles can be quickly skimmed by reading the underlined passages.
i
VAB.0001125233
FORTUNE JULY P. 1989
THE ENVIRONMENT
Bush wants to put a bigger broom to the skies, but most major pollutants have fallen. How dangerous is all this stuff now? And how fast do we need to move? by Edmund Faltermayer
Meteerotogist Vfewy Aiwji studies what's killing traaa an North Carolina's Mount Mtchoff.
EQRGE BUSH campaigned as a foursquare environmentalist, claiming that he wants to be the most ecology-minded occupant of the White House since Tcddv Roosevelt.
Congress is more than eager to go along. After eight years of inactivity, it is primed to make the air fresher and the world brighter. But does the evidence justify the expense of the President's new clean-air proposals? Do the health hazards and the damage to crops, forests, and lakes cry out for legislation that could cost industry and consumers up to SI9 billion a year by the mid-1990s?
Compared with other threats--drug
Report** ASSOCIATE Sandra L. Kirsch
gangs, slum schools, the budget and trade deficits--a tainted atmosphere seems less urgent. Besides, this is one enemy that is on the run (see charts opposite), thanks to the S34 billion a year the U.S. already spends on pollution abatement. But the progress appears to be slowing. Some acceleration of the cleanup makes sense, even though the research so far--some of it frightening--is largely inconclusive.
Among the President's goals: Drastically reducing airborne toxic chemicals. About half these substances--a grab bag of 320 poisons--emanate from in dustry. By applying the best abatement techniques or devices available, factories would reduce their wastes so that cancer
deaths associated with them--1.500 to
3,000 a year, the Environmental Protection
Agency says--would fall 75% to 90% by
the mid-J990s.
Cutting sulfur dioxide emissions, the
main ingredient in acid rain, almost in hall
by the year 2000. Coal-burning electric
utilities in the Midwest and Appalachia
would carry out and pay for most of the
cleanup. Power companies would also have
to reduce nitrogen oxides, another contrib
utor to acid rain escaping from their stacks.
Breaking an impasse on ozone. A saint
in the stratosphere, where it filters radia
tion from space, ozone is an irredeemable
sinner at ground level, where it is the nasti
est ingredient in smog. Some 81 urban ar
eas theoretically face federal "sanctions"--
bans on new factories, for one--because
they have been unable to reduce maximum
ozone readings to an EPA health standard
that was set in 1979. The President wants
stricter controls on auto tailpipe emissions,
from which ozone forms, and on fuel va
pors that escape from vehicles and gas sta
tions. His plan would also phase in
methanol (which is easily made from natu
ral gas) and other clean-burning motor fu
els, and would restrict the use of volatile,
ozone-creating chemicals at petroleum re
fineries. paint shops, and dry-cleaning es
tablishments. Under the cleanup plan all
but the three most ozone-prone cities
would meet the EPA standard by the year
2000. The exceptions--Los Angeles. Hous
ton. and New York City--would get a re
prieve until 2010.
Bush's offensive against ozone, the most
persistent of the main pollutants, is hard to
quarrel with. It is also difficult to oppose
the President's clampdown on air toxics,
which are believed to be linked to respira
tory illnesses and birth defects as well as to
cancer. But in the proposal to wring out
acid rain, the politics have leaped ahead of
the science. Proof that acid rain
125234
Cone *d
< -Ih-V
s - | . -M-
FORTUNE JULY 1". 1989 Cont'd
ing trees and fish is still not established. And while Washington worries about mountain lakes, concerns about the health effects of sulfur dioxide have been widely overlooked.
stein. former EPA research chief and now director of New Jersey's Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Insti
tute, able job of cleaning up."
For all its ambition, the Administration's plan is not as drastic as clean-air bills al ready circulating in Congress. Nor does it embrace some of the draconian steps that Los Angeles authorities have called for in a 20-year smog-fighting plan, which may ul timately require electric cars on those ten-
OU SURE CANT say that about airborne toxics, which were largely ignored when the country went after the six-pack of pollut ants. Because of legal hurdles under pres-
been able to set
lane freeways.
emissioos-Siandan'
Commendabiy, the Bush plan allows for
Air toxics include the
flexibility. Power companies, for example, benzene that leaks from refineries and
would be allowed to pick their own method cars, solvents like acetone, bits of synthet
for bringing down sulfur dioxide and could ic rubber, and chemicals with names like even trade pollution permits among them l,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (just call it
selves. The President also advocates that DBCP). Also on this rogue's roster are
industry use the cheapest, most cost-effec metals--cadmium and mercury--suspend
tive measures in the early years. Thus, be ed as tiny particles in the air.
fore the big spending must kick in,
After the Bhopal disaster in India,
researchers can learn more about pollu Congress passed a law requiring factories
tion's health risks. And the country can get to disclose how much of these toxics they
a clearer idea of how far and how fast it emitted. In March the EPA announced
really needs to go.
the total: 2.7 billion pounds in 1987. "The 4
It has already come a long way. For, numbers are staggering," says Senator
more than a decade the EPA has set "air- Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, who to
quality criteria" for six major pollutants, gether with Representative James Florio,
mostly expressed as the maximum allowa a candidate for governor of the same
ble parts per million. The six are lead, state, held a press conference in April to
sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, oaniciis- dramatize the problem. They stood at
iaxes, carbon monoxide, and ozone. what they called "toxic ground zero"
for ozone, says Dr. Bernard Gold amid the refineries and petrochemical
plants near Newark Airport, where esti mated emissions are 110 times the nation al average. Lautenberg has introduced one of several bills that would force industry to button up.
The President, too, is indignant, saving at his dean-air announcement: "People who live near industrial factories should not have to fear for their health." The neighbors' increased chances of getting cancer, according to the EPA, may be as high as I in 1.000. Still, keep a few facts in mind before making wide detours around Newark. The cancer risks assume day and night exposure over u 70-year lifetime and are based on animal studies open to debate.
An EPA investigation several years ago shows that people mav have mnrt* tn fcnr
from even/dav pollutants, such as cigarette smoke and paint thinners. ihqp frnm rhe chemical plant next door. For two days some 350 residents of Elizabeth and Bay onne. New Jersey--"ground zero" country for sure--wore monitors so sensitive they registered the effect of a visit to the dry cleaner. The dosage of volatile air toxics from those satanic industrial plants, it turned out, was a fraction of the total in haled--anywhere from one-half to oneseventieth, depending on the pollutant. The total intake of perilous stuff was no greater than in a tight industrial city in North Caro lina used for comparison, or the farm town
T978
'87It978
'871T978
Sine* the nation declared war on six major poMutaata In the 1970s, four have been driven safely below the EPA*s standards (indexed
'8711978
'8711978'
* 8711973*V '*-V '87
here at 100). Carbon monoxlda is a problem in congested areas, while ozone, the lung-burning ingredient in smog, remains too high.
VAB.OOOid:?2S5
FORTUNE JULY r. 1989 Coat'd
THE ENVIRONMENT
of Devil's Lake. North Dakota. Other
million tons is not much firmer than
research suggests that airborne metal dust near factories may be a more se
an acid cloud. Last year the agency disclosed that 2.7% of all the miles of
rious worry than toxic chemicals. Even if the health effects of air
I streams surveyed in the East were acidic, and blamed industry and the
toxics are hard to nail down, industry
automobile for most of it. Yet an in
lobbyists are not inclined to resist this
terim report of the National Acid
cleanup. Jon Holtzman dent of the Chemica Association, savs health
V M
Precipitation Assessment Program, a $500 million, ten-year interagency study that still has a year to go. found
jhe debate over toxic
no proof that acidity in streams and
sequential if the public thinks there's
lakes is getting worse.
too much." Cancers caused by air
Neither did the interim report in
toxics are believed to have fallen 50% Fill er up: California taats clean-burning methanol fuoL dict acid rain as a destroyer of forests.
since 1970. but the President's fur- --
Here the evidence is decidedly mixed.
ther cleanup seems like a good idea. At a A ten-million-ton-a-year reduction in sul Maple syrup production in the province of
cost of roughly S2 billion a year when in fur dioxide "has become the threshold of Quebec, whose decline in recent years had
full swing, it is the least expensive part of credibility" within the beltway. Congress, been partly blamed on acid rain, rebounded
his clean-air plan.
led by Senate majority leader George 69% last year. According to the U.S. Forest
Mitchell of Maine, is so determined to bat Service, the culprit killing trees at the sum
AR MORE CONTROVERSIAL is tle acid rain that anything below eight dig mit of North Carolina's Mount Mitchell, the
the proposed assault on acid rain-- its would have seemed the proverbial drop highest mountain in the East, is not pollu
politically the sexiest item on in the bucket.
tion but an insect called the balsam woolly
Bush's checklist. Canada, where
Yet sulfur dioxide emissions have al adelgid. which feasts on Fraser firs. Even so,
much acid rain lands, has pressured Wash ready fallen 20% since 1977. to 20 million a combination of acid fog and ozone mav
ington to cut way back. President Reagan tons a year, despite a huge increase in coal have made trees on this and other Easte
stalled while awaiting more data. But his consumption by utilities. Scrubbers under summits more vulnerable to bugs, weatht.
successor proudly telephoned Prime Minis construction at new power plants promise and drought. Volker Mohnen. an atmo
ter Mulroney just before announcing his further, albeit slow, improvement. Nearly spheric chemist at the State University of
proposal to halve sulfur dioxide emissions all cities are below the EPA health standard New York in Albany, who monitors the ef
to ten million tons a year.
for both sulfur dioxide and nitrogen diox fects of acid rain in the Northeast, says pol
Why the hurry? Explains economist Paul ide, each of which can return to earth as lution should be brought down a lot even
Portney of Resources for the Future, an en acidic fog, rain, or snow.
though its role in forest damage has not been
vironmental research group in Washington:
The science underlying that magic ten firmly established.
Health concerns, largely overlooked in
the crusade to save the trees and fish, mav
turn out to be one of the best reasons to keep
whittling away at the emissions that cause
acid rain. About 25,000 of the country's ten
million asthmatics are prey to violent bouts
of constricted breathing when the sulfur di
oxide level is high but still within the EPA's
health standard. Because of this the agency
has considered--but dropped for now--
adopting a stiffer criterion.
The EPA is also looking more closely at
so-called acid aerosols (no kin to aerosol
sprays in consumer products) that can form
from both sulfur dioxide and nitrogen ox
ides. A Harvard study, which has been fol
lowing the respiratory health of 18,000
children and 10.000 adults in six cities since
1974. has found that children's bronchitis
rates go up when the aerosols rise. Other
researchers have noticed higher hospital ar
missions--even a small but significant num
ber of premature deaths--following an
increase in sulfate particulates that are asso
Based on 1988 data, thaso areas can't gat peak oxona readings below the EPA maximum.
ciated with acid aerosols. The EPA may eventually set a separate air-cya^|g^Q@^25236
Cont *d
JULY 17. 1989 FORTUNE Cont'd
THE ENVIRON
ness of breath while playing tennis or golf
2 on summer days in Los Angeles. And the
i EPA says ozone's damage to crops is cost
8 ing farmers S2.5 billion a year nationwide. In 1984 Dr. Henry Gong Jr., associate
chief of UCLA's pulmonary disease divi
sion, put 17 Olympic and other cyclists
through one-hour tests in a smog cham ber at
various ozone levels. They pedaled vigor
ously for most of the period, using 80% of
their lung capacity, and then made an all-out
effort as if approaching a finish line. When
Gong revved up the ozone to the federal
standard of 0.12 ppm, he says, the cyclists
"couldn't tell the difference" over normal
air. But a level of 0.20 ppm "significantly
compromised them. They couldn't ride as
long or as hard." Other research has shown
that at that level, the lung capacity of
healthy people decreases by about 15%. Af
ter repeated one-hour exposures, the effects
diminish, suggesting that the body adapts.
dard for acid aerosols. But until more is
ic health emergency." But what if such exposures go on for years?
known, the President's attack on acid rain,
Anyone coming to the subject cold
They have in Glendora, an affluent sub
which could raise residential electric bills might wonder what the fuss is about. Some urb of 50,000 at the foot of the haze-ob
as much as 20% in the Midwest, may be tOO million Americans live in those 81 ur scured San Gabriel Mountains, which trap
overkill.
ban areas that exceed the federal ozone the smog moving east from Los Angeles.
standard, but the numbers overstate the Glendora was America's ozone capital last
risks. A city "violates" the standard if only year, breaching the federal standard of 0.12
by far the most toxic of the usual one of several monitoring stations has a ppm on 148 days. But the number of alerts
outdoor
reading above 0.12 parts per million (ppm) has fallen significantly. The last second-
mental physician Goldstein. Sun for one hour on two separate days in an en stage alert, which comes when ozone hits
shine and two parents produce ozone at tire year. Even in the Los Angeles area, the 0.35 ppm, was about ten years ago. Four
ground level: nitrogen oxides, which result readings on 35 monitors are below that lev teen first-stage alerts, called at 0.20 ppm,
from any kind of combustion, and volatile el 95% of the time. During the 1984 Olym took place in the 1987-88 academic year.
organic compounds (VOCs) tike gasoline. pics in Los Angeles, athletes did not But because of unusually good climatic
The destructive offspring is a variant of ox complain about smog. So what's the big conditions, only three occurred in the
ygen composed of three atoms instead of deal?
school year just ended. During the alerts,
the usual two. It can hardly wait to get rid
To begin with, the Olympians benefited typically in the late afternoon, a black flag
of the loosely attached extra atom, which from good weather and strict temporary with the letters S-M-O-G goes up at the
oxidizes--or burns--anything from paint measures to reduce freeway congestion. high school. To the grousing of athletes
to soybean crops to the inside of your lungs. Every year thousands of healthy people ex and coaches, outdoor team practice is de
The tailpipes on today's new cars emit perience chest pains, coughing, or short layed for about an hour and a half until
76% less nitrogen oxides and 96% __
__ readings drop back to a safer level.
less VOCs than those of a generation ago. But vehicle traffic has soared, and other ozone outputters--manu
er. Gone monitors bicyclists in a UCLA smog chamber.
More than 1,100 nonsmoking
***
Glendorans age 7 to 59 participated in the only study of the long-term effects
facturing companies and utilities-- have cut back less or not at all. A
2 of ozone on humans. A team led by
^1 Dr. Roger Detels, a UCLA epidemiol
typical city's ozone concentrations
ogist, compared the volunteers' lung
declined only 9% between 1979 and 1987. With no new legislation, im
functions with those of a similar-size group in Lancaster, a town beyond the
provement would continue for a
hills and far (ess polluted. The subjects
while as older cars are scrapped. But
were retested five years later. Every
with traffic still increasing, total VOC emissions--and ozone--will start to climb around the turn of the century. David Hawkins of the
one's lung capacity increases through the late teens and then goes into a steady decline. But the Glendora group had somewha^l
Natural Resources Defense Council,
to begin with. Mor
an environmental group, contends
lung capacity grew more slowly there.
Cone fd
FORTUNE JL'tt I 19$9 Cont'd
THE ENVIRONMENT
Vinyl cWoridt plants Uka ona in Loniaiana havt wwitttd Urtt amounts of air toxica.
healing
r
^uirwubu IUU50
kins of the Natural Resources Defense
Council likens the effect to that of repeated
sunburn, which turns the skin leathery.
Eastern and Midwestern ozone may have
a partner in crime. Dr. Morton Lippmann. a
deputy director of New York University's
Institute of Environmental Medicine, who
ran the New Jersey summer camp study,
suspects that acid aerosols aggravate the
lung damage. Is ozone shortening people's
jives? Nobody knows. Lippmann says, `but
it could be reducing the quality of life at the end of our lives.'1 Fran rw
-Assneiarinn adds. "We may
O
reduced lung func
tion or c
ung disease as adults."
______________________________ tatistics deplorable: "We're talking billions for ex-
penditures to cut ozone, when only pennies are needed for research that might give us
the answers." For now, jogger Goldstein is
putting his running shoes where his mouth
is. During heat waves he gets his run in ear
ly near his New Jersey home, before the
sun sends the ozone climbing.
and adults' declined more rapidly than in Lancaster. The S2.5 million study had meth odological pitfalls, but strongly suggests that ozone is bad stuff. Says Detels: "We've looked at other possible explanations for the differences in the two groups, and haven't been able to find them."
Don't cry just for Glendora. Your own community may have ozone problems too. in most of metropolitan Los Angeles, says Dr. Jack Hackney of the University of Southern California, a longtime pollution researcher, ozone episodes come in short but intense bursts. In the East and Midwest, cities exceed the federal standard fewer days per year--typically 20 or so in the New York City area. Peak readings are lower, with New York reaching 0.21 ppm for at least one hour last year to Glendora's 0.34. But the ozone in the Northeast Corridor, particular ly during heat waves as the air travels from one city to the next, extends far. Kennebunkport. Maine, was repeatedly above the federal standard last summer, as a deputa tion of environmentalists reminded the President when he was preparing his legisla tion. Even when the readings are not espe cially high. Eastern and Midwestern ozone can linger at. or just below, the federal stan dard for most of the day.
Instruments in Camden. New Jersey, of ten pick up ozone levels that average more
than 0.10 ppm over eight hours. Such read ings occurred on 38 days over a three-year period in the mid-1980s. That put the area just over the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's all-day standard for exposure on the job. As recent studies at the EPA's smog chamber in North Carolina show, that's high enough to affect anyone outside, from kids to carpenters. At that level and even lower, the lung capacity of 22 nonsmoking males who exercised mod erately but with rest periods over 6.6 hours--walking briskly up a slight in cline--dropped by 7% on average, which the researchers found statistically signifi cant. Just as meaningful, the loss of lung power became progressively greater after each hour of exposure.
In normal air the next day, the test sub jects regained full breathing capacity. But recovery may take longer after a prolonged ozone spell. That was the experience of children at a New Jersey summer camp who were examined several years ago after four successive days in which readings shot past the federal standard for at least an hour. Their lungs were impaired for up to a week after dear skies returned. Based on what has been learned in animal tests, re searchers believe that in long episodes ozone bums away cells that take five to ten days to regenerate. Years of burning and
F HIS HUNCHES are right, the air
Icleanup should not just coast along un til hundreds more bicyclists have huffed and puffed in smog chambers and thousands of citizens have paraded
past epidemiologists. How big a bill should
industry and consumers be required to pay ?
Says Portney of Resources for the Future,
who has been working on cost-benefit stud
ies of the Los Angeles 20-year plan and
who has felt his own lungs burning there:
"We may not want to spend every last dime
to get ozone down to the EPA standard ev
erywhere. But we will probably want to
spend a lot to lower it."
Whatever the right goal, let's also be look
ing for ways to achieve it at the lowest cost.
James Lents, a tail Tennessean in charge of
air pollution control for the Los Angeles
area, believes his region's plan will prompt
an outpouring of money-saving business in
novation. Under the proposal, furniture
makers must drastically reduce volatile
emissions when applying varnish. Lents
asks, "What if we come up with a better
method of coating the product? Is that bad?"
A debt-laden nation with such a big agen
da has no choice but to pinch pennies, even
on something as precious as the planet. Es
pecially when the dimensions of some parts
of the problem are still as hazy as New York
City on a smoggy summer day.
g
ChamicaiWMMMay 17, 1989
SPECIAL REPORT
he diverse field of water treatment is growing ever
Tmore complex. Legislation and regulatory concerns are to a large degree driving growth in the industry; they've been the focus of previous special reports on water treatment [CW, May 18. 1988. p. 18). This year, we've peppered the perspective with insight from producers and users of water treatment goods and services.
Chemical companies are concerned with the enormous financial burdens imposed by current legislation and regula tions. They argue that some requirements are redundant And in certaincases, practical technology doesn't yet exist to meet the government's water purity standards.
While the regulations will clearly benefit water treatment firms, they may well threaten small chemical companies'
stnncen
laws.
Mew treatment technology is emerging fast, especially in
automation, substitutes for environmentally unacceptable
treatment chemcials. and alternative container and delivery
svstems.
_____ chemical comoanies
deal
t
minimization are becoming increasingly important
INDUSTRY
TOUGH
NEW
RULES
The chemical industry lost a major
battle over
wafc
ons t
spring when the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans
sweepingly rejected its challenges to
EPA wastewaterregulations. The March
30 court decision, which upholds EPA's
1987 Organic Chamii
tation guidelines, will require new tech*
its
some i ,uuu chemical
The chemical industry also faces
tougherregulations on a variety ofother
fronts. On May 2 EPA sought to nearly
double the number of pollutants sub
ject to federal standards under the Safe Drinking yVatar Art The agency
now has limits
oantsbut
or a total of 83 contaminants hy
June. The action could signifi-
cantly affect industry, because
such standards are used as ref
erence levels in the cleanup of
hazardous-waste sites under
both Superfund and Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA) laws.
Meanwhile, legislative ini
tiatives under
____
Act, reauthorized bv Congress
in 1987. will
nonpoint source pollution and
toxic not spots" in waterways.
And EPA recently proposed new regu lations on t
" mean
additional pollution controls for the chemical industry.
*
In mid-April EPA released statistics to detail the potential water-pollution problem. As part of its first comprehen sive inventory of chemicals emitted
*
into the nation's water, air. and land. EPA noted that 9.7 billion pounds of chemicals were released in bodies of water, and 1.9 billion pounds were sent to municipal wastewater-treatment plants.
To be sure, the environmental sig nificance of the numbers is undeter-
mined. For one thing, sodium, sulfate constituted 95% of the reported re leases. and EPA has proposed--in re sponse to an industry petition--to de lete that chemical from the toxic-emis sion reporting list because it has deter mined the chemical has no apparent adverse human-health or environ mental effects. The other five percent consisted primarily of 12 chemicals, some of which are regulated bv EPA.
Hltfi price tag. The New Orleans
court decision could--bv EPA estimates--cost industry some S500 mil lion/vear. Indeed, experts sav ths tougher limits wiil roughiv Hrmhl* rha price of treating wa.VBwatPr The deci
sion could be particularly crippling for small manufacturing plants: some in dustry observers predict a substantial number will be driven out of business by the costs of the new regulations.
The EPA rules set tough limits
discharge of pollutants jn several categories. Based on what it determined were
(BATs), the agency estab lished limits
also
limit*
conventional pollutants
based on best-oraft^ai-^h-
nologies (BPTs). Finally, the
EPA regulations include
.pretreatment standards for
ubliclv owned treatment works (POTWs).
The rules have been a Ilong time coming. Ori^EkffiLM)!125239
Cont.
Chemica!weK/May 17, 1989
Cont.
SPECIAL REPORT
proposed in 1974 and 1976, they were analysis in setting BPT limitations.
hard work. But, he adds, "it can be
finally issued by EPA in November
CMA also objected strongly to the achieved. "
1987. Almost immediately, the regula technical basis used in establishing the
The battle is all but over. While
tions were legally challenged in sepa BATs and the resulting limits on efflu CMA has petitioned for a limited re
rate petitions by facturers Syntheti turers Associa
and the emical Manufac-
), as well as
ent releases. CMA argued, for example, says Perelman. "that (EPA) distorted data" by questionable methods to de termine limits possible with BATs.
hearing on a few points in the court decision, others say they will not con tinue the legal struggle. In any case, says Campbell, "industry needs to get
cal companies. Tak ing issue with dif ferent specifics, the groups generally
FEDERAL LAWS AFFECTHQ WATER QUALITY
_____
revised in treatment and disinfection, radionu
on with it. Clearly, companies can't stop and wait; they have to be in the compliance
1987, provides grants for wastewa clide control, and a ban on lead solder mode. Industry
tech- ter treatment plants and sets limits and pipes.
representatives
of
rules. But in March. th rnnrt-- siding with EPA
on discharge of pollutants. Recent amendments address nonpoint source pollution, toxics, sludge disposal, and estuarymanagement
He
^
uthorized in 1984,
protects groundwater by requiring
stronger, safer tanks for underground
should not think there is any realis tic hope of turn ing this around. "
storage of chemicals and petroleum
Despite its in
e are disap pointed with the ruling of the court," says Charles Malloch, Monsanto's director of regula tory management. "Faced with highly technical issues, it appears the court gave great deference to [EPA's] judg
requires EPA to set national drink ing water standards, protects drink ing water from underground waste injection, and provides special pro tection for wellheads located in sole-source aquifers. EPA must issue regulations for 83 contami nants by June 1989. The 1986 amendments will impose new bur dens on the drinking-water indus try, requiring further surface-water
and establishes a system of response to petroleum spills and financial lia bility rules for tank owners.
___ reauthorized in 1988, provides EPA with authority to act swiftly to protect groundwater in emergencies. A primary goal is to preventtoxics at hasHdous-waste sites from leaching into groundwater.
Source: Congressional Research Service
volvement in the court case, says Monsanto's Malloch. his company has been actively moving to meet the regulations since 1987. "In some cases we'll have to scratch," he says, "but we will meet them."
ments." Suggests Douglas Kliever, a lawyerwho represented SOCMA in the case, "the regulations will have an adverse impact on U.S. industry, with out commensurate environmental benefits."
Small chemical plants could have particular economic problems comply ing with the regulations, says Kliever. because they lack the economies-ofscale associated with larger plants. Moreover, many of the small facilities tend to be batch producers for whom control of effluents will prove more difficult, he suggests. In its petition, SOCMA argued that a separate cate gory with less stringent pretreatment requirements be established for small chemical plants that discharge wastewater into POTWs.
According to EPA's estimates, says Kliever, about half of small plants will be significantly and negatively affected. "No doubt," he adds, "we will lose some plants and some products " due to the costs of compliance.
Meanwhile, CMA challenged tech nical procedures and economic analy ses EPA used to develop the regula tions. CMA counsel Dell Perelman says that while EPA is bound to "look at economics" in establishing the regula tions. it failed to use appropriate cost-
Even the best or most appropriate technology cannot meet the standards all the time. Given EPA's own method ology, explains Hugh Campbell, con sultantmanager forthewastewatertreat ment consultant group in Du Pant's engineering department, even a model plant will be in compliance only 99% of the time because of effluent variabil ity. "It really puts you in a Liable situ ation." says Campbell. "We wanted EPA to acknowledge the problem and deal with it on a formal basis. But we got no relief hom the court. "
Not surprisingly. EPA strongly sup ports both the regulations and the proc ess by which they were developed. Dov Weitxnan, EPA's acting assistant gen eral counsel for effluent guidelines, paints out that the final regulations were the result of over a decade of analysis, visits to industry, and several preliminary drafts. Indeed, he says, the cost analysis "was probably as detailed as (any) the EPA ever did."
In deterxning BATs. explains Weitman. the agency extensively ana lyzed the best performing facilities in the industry. The purpose ofthe regula tions. he savs. was to see that tfie entire industry improved to the level of
performer.' Uetting there, he acknowledges, will entail expense and
The main thrust of the Clean Water Act continues to be construction of wastewater treatment facilities; nearly S50 billion has been distributed since 1972 to aid communities in build ing plants. EPA is still developing and improving the pretreatment program that requires industries to treat their wastewater before discharging it into POTWs. The agency is forcing 1.500 municipal wastewater treatment plants that handle more than 80% of all in dustrial wastewater discharged to such facilities to develop effluent limits for industries responsible.
While most of the facilities have developed a plan, many are just begin ning to implement them, and one EPA report says that at least 47% of the POTWs with approved programs may still not be in compliance.
Another area getting increased at tention from EPA is nonpoint source pollution, such as rain runoff from farms, urban areas, and construction sites, contributing as much as 65% of water pollution. The 1987 revisions to the Clean Water Act require states to develop control programs and identify waters where standards are not being met. EPA has just completed work on a strategy for controlling such pollution, but funding woes have held up any real
Vii01125240
4
I
ChemicalweeK/May 17. 1989 Cont.
C91T; JffuflTaiArLTJu .PKFJsUdrrUiKP.TJ.
some ofthe standards."
Gomperts claims handle a 10- to 20-miLlion gallon-per-
Baker contends. He
that the Kodak water day (MGD) system. While he agrees
calls for logical and fair
treatment system is one that the large prices such systems
rules that could not
of the best. Still, those command will generate intense devel
onlv lead to a better
last few parts per bil opment and competition, he doesn't
environment but also
lion will be elusive. He expect a low-cost solution to result any
"make the plavine field
cites a common equa time soon.
even" for all competi
tion in wastewater
Gomperts--whose plant treats 30
tors in the business.
treatment: The equip MGD and could handle six MGD
ment and chemicals more--doesn't expect new develop
needed to remove the ments to solve the problem to any great
Fast 5% of the organics extent. "There are a lot of neat little
water treatme:
stream mav technologies, but they are just not
tHejjtuv down the river
cost ud to twice as applicable to a 36-MGD stream. I've
oesnt spend a dime
much as t_________
been going to the trade shows for the
ere 1
remove the first 95%. past five years, and I haven't seen much
could compete
Numbers vary widely progress, not in large scale systems. All
by company, effluent the refinements are for 2-MGD plants
ut as Monsanto
characteristics, and or smaller."
environmental protec
condition ofthe receiv
The developers of treatment tech
tion manager Mike
ing stream. "We've nology "are just not responding to our
Foresxnan says. "We
been throwing around needs at this stage, but it's hard to get
are looking at regula
numbers like 50 or 75 people to take a risk. There really should
tions that have been
million (dollars
be something else (besides regulation]
through a lot ofreview.
come into full comnli to spur development," says Campbell.
So while we may not
ance with the new EPA But he is hopeful: "Maybe new tech
like them, there is no
organic effluent guide nology will be coming, now that the
sense standing around
lines. And that's iust market is there. "
and yelling about it.
Metals and
Shirting tbs load. New methods
The realization is that
inorganics are com notwithstanding, wastewater treatment
we have deadlines to
pletely another thing." facilities must always be viewed as
meet if we are going to stav in business and KailMMS Thwt isn't much continue to operate." of
he adds.
part of the whole processing line.
Doug Keilman. di Changes anywhere in that line will
rector of environ affect the whole system.
He does believe permit-review hear mental affairs for Hercules, savs. "A
3M (St. Paul. MN). for example,
-*1
ings for individual sites will allow the basic biological unit will do the job installed a wet scrubber on a new ro
company a chance to work with regula most of the time, but there isn't much of tary kiln, which just moved the con
tors. ironing out compliance problems a margin for error. It's so much easier to tamination from outgoing air to outgo
and perhaps proposing changes and get the first 95% than it is to get the last ing water. The company recycled 60%
alternatives.
5%. especially with OCPSFguidelines of the water and precipitated the rest of
Several industry experts observe in the 5-to-10-parts-per-billion range." the particulate withasimple limetreat-
EPA mav intentionally set new efflu-
"As vou invest
*
ent levels at the outer edge of the exist oodles more money
--____mern- But a high vol ume of sludge re
ing technology to force development of to get that last per
sulted.
new systems and methods. "That might centage." notes Gom not be the intention." says Hugh perts, "usually you
Russell Susag. di
Can the product rector of environ
Campbei 1. manager ofwastewater treat have to add some ment for Du Pont, "but that will be the thing to get some
support the
mental regulatory af fairs for3M. notes that
outcome--and that is not a fair ball- thing else out. And
game. "
everything you add
water treatment
this is often the case with scrubbers. And
One engineer responds a bit less you've got to pull out subtly. "That's great." he exclaims. "but again. That means
research?
steam or air stripping the waste stream only
they're not the ones who have to pay oxidize -- with
returns the pollutants
for all the new stuff."
ozone, with chlorine,
to the air. "As you get
In light of the failed court chal with ultraviolet
down to that nth de
lenges. Bob Gomperts, general super light--or filler or sorb. But then what? gree. you are actually generating large
visor of wastewater treatment at East- We'd have to put in another incinerator amounts of secondary waste and using
(Rochester. NY), notes a for that sludge."
lots of energy to do it." he says.
strategy that is just now paying off:
Even when capital is available for
Nevertheless. Susag feels that his
"We spent our money investigating and specialized treatment, there may be no company can increase the efficiency
building treatment technology, rather good way to spend it. On the more and reliability of its exisiting svstem.
than in court."
exotic: tertiary treatment methods, such "We won't need the exotic methods if
95/5. New regulations are a groat as carbon sorption and reverse osmo the svstem is reliable."
obstacle in terms of time and money, sis. Dow s Ki patrick thinks the tech
Um is Isss. "There is work to be
because the law of diminishing returns nology might not even exist--at a prac done on optimizing the cost of waste
has replaced economy of scale.
tical scale and a reasonable price--to treatment." says Monsanto's Fores^gi^Q^125241
Cont.
ChemicaiweeK/May 17. 1989
Cont.
SPECIAL REPORT
progress, says lim Horn, policy direc tor for EPA's Office of Water.
Congress has also established a pro gram to deal with "toxic hot spots.*' States must list waterways that don't
*
meet health and aquatic protection standards and propose cleanup strate gies. This can involve tracing pollution back to an industrial source. EPA must approve such cleanup plans by June for states that have submitted lists, and waters are scheduled to be in compli ance in three years.
In December 1988. EPA proposed that thousands of industrial sources apply for permits to deal with storm water discharges. New manufacturing facilities will have to install collection ponds to allow pollutants to settle be fore the water is released into water ways.
The agency also has issued a contro versial proposal to regulate contami nants in sludges produced by munici pal sewage-treatment plants. Such measures, say industry observers, are sure to eventually affect some of the chemical facilities that relv on POTWs.
hottest adopted their own ornun
_______ _
water pollution. taction programs. Among the toughest
because it is the only major area stil are Florida's systems for classification,
unregulated at the federal level through monitoring, and wastewater-discharge
a comprehensive law. EPA reports that permitting. And Iowa has placed a tax
at least 8,000 wells across the U.S. have on the sale of pesticides and hazardous
been closed or degraded because of household chemicals to help pay for
contamination. Late last year, theagency groundwater cleanup.
confirmed that 46 pesticides had been
But even as more rules take effect,
detected in the groundwaterof26 states some observers see a fundamental regu
due to normal agricultural use.
latory shift horn specific technology-
Both houses of Congress approved based discharge limits to ones based on
money for further groundwaterresearch water quality. The move, explains
but didn't enact the bills before last Monsanto's Malloch. means the next
year's session ended. Anyway, says round of permits will start requiring
Velma Smith, director of groundwater companies to run
programs for the Environmental Policy identifying anv toxics in waterways
Institute (Washington. DC), "the envi a.nd eliminating the toxicity
ronmental community will be pressing than just responding to specific li
for a bill that requires more than re on a list orf poluluuttaannttss.. Ti hnat,. nhe says,
search. We want a national regulatory will "make it more complex" for com
program for groundwater." This year, panies. And while he is not opposed to
that's not likely: Congress is too the change, he adds. "Let's make sure
wrapped up in Clean Air Act revisions that it is done-right. Ft
to make much notable progress on
groundwater.
CONRAD MA CKERRON
Meanwhile.
in Washington
ent federal policv. some state
i
with David Rotman
WATER TREATMENT RESTRICTIONS SINK IN
For several years, chemical compa
nies have sought to minimize or mod
ify effluent streams, anticipating the
day when costly regulations would
mandate such treatment.
That day has arrived. And one source
savs the price
ew
will be "at least a
couple of billion [dollarsl on top of
what we already have in place." ~~
ost firms use a series of treatment
levels: pretreatment to remove specific
substances and return others to the
process: primary systems to
screen, filter, skim, and settle:
secondary treatment with *
biological activity; and added
tertiary chemical systems. But
the expense of such methods
pales compared to what is now
required.
"The cost nf further rerinr-
L I the pollutants ini an ef-
uent stream is tremendous."
savs Steve Kilpatrick, water
issues manager with the Envi
ronmental Quality Depart
ment of Dow Chemical. Two
Wilmington. DE giants have
tried to quantify the tremen
dous costs: capital budget for domestic ponminn control isS3Q milling. thre^imrtere nf which will go for wastewater treatment:
somewhere betwe
Faced with such expenses, "we challenged the EPA Organic Chemi cals. Plastics, and Svthetic Fibers (OCPSF) regulations and failed. " states Jim Baker, associate director of envi ronmental affairs for Union Carbide's
chemicals and plastics business.
He savs Carbide's main far-ill exas City, TX. designed in mope
tion with Sterling Chemicals (Hous-
i). was
_____ _________ __________ ____striai wastes. Yet the new regulations require additional pretreatment.
"It will take S50 to $60 million for Carbide to meet the OCPSF guidelines, halt ofwhich will be redundant. " Baker predicts. Variances and removal cred its--which allow removal of a given substance at one site to compensate for pollutants at other locations--won t be "practically available'' until 1992. he maintains.
What everyone in the chemical *
industry wants is "logical and fair regu lation. uniformly applied." according
to Baker. "We support the wise use of all resources, and that includes the time and money of the regulatory agencies." he says, implying that the gov ernment's resources might benefit business and the envi ronment more with a different type of regulation.
Chemical companies aren't opposed to clean, water--"We drink the water, we swim in it. and we fish in it." savs Baker-- but they question the logic behind some of the rules.
"We're not sure the tech-
1125242
Cont.
CMmicaiweK/Mav 17 1999
Cont.
"There's great incentive to modify the
3M took the theory one step further.
processes, to reduce waste [requiring "We had a problem with ammonia in
treatment]. That is where the money one waste stream." Susag relates. "We
will be. All the easv stuff has alreadv w
would have had to spend more than a
been taken out."
million dollars on a removal system.
As regulations get tougher, the costs But instead we spent that money on a
of waste treatment factored into the concentration system, and now we
whole cost of manufacturing can tip
the balance against marginally profit*
able products or obsolescent processes
that might have to be completely re
placed. "We have to look at processes
that aren't efficient." savs Foresman.
"We have to figure, do we really need
the product?* In some cases the answer
i*s_ I no.
He also believes forward thinking
can save a lot of money down the pipe.
While it is impossible to predict which
substances considered safe today may
be restricted in the future, manv efflu-
ent professionals are forcing research
and development staffs to take edu
cated guesses. Foresman espouses a
simple philosphy: The key question is.
"Can the product support the [water
treatment] research?"
Decades ago. questions like these
weren't asked; waste treatment was
simple. "We started in the 1960s with
the settling ponds and have backed up
into the system since then." says 3M's
Susag. "Now those same ponds are
called `polishing ponds.' at the very
end of the treatment process. "
And such "backing up" goes all the
way to the design stage of new prod
ucts and processes. Ail developments
must undergo an environmental re
view to ze if any hazardous or exces
sive wastes will be put into the effluent
stream. Such reviews, as well as recov
ery and recycling, go on at most com
panies. says Susag.
Om man's moot.... Recycling does
not have to mean just returning process
chemicals to the system. At Colgate-
Palmolive's Jeffersonville. IN plant,
surplus acid from a manufacturing line
is used to adjust the pH of the equaliza
tion basins, and condensate from the
power/steam plant is used to maintain
biological activity in the activated
sludge basins during harsh weather.
Recycling doesn't have to be re
stricted to a given process, a given fa
cility. or even a given state. "One of our
plants in Alabama was treating zinc
j chloride as waste in its effluent." Susag
1 relates. "Then we discovered that an I other plant, in Connecticut, was buv-
1 mg zinc chloride as a raw material. So
: we started shipping the stuff up to
Connecticut." Thecost of shipping still
i allows a considerable savi ngs--for both
1 sites.
I
I
recover the cost of treatment by selling the ammonia as a feedstock for fertil izer. "
Making the whole business profit able could be the ultimate advance ment in water treatment.
GREGOR Y DL MORRIS
VAB.0001125243