Document rBkgn6jZgJVmbmLM38YRJ5Koq

Interoffice Communication to VCM Plant Employees From J. A. DeBernardi Date December 30, 1980 Subject VCM Plant Expansion I am very pleased to report that Conoco1s Board of Directors has approved as part of the 1981 Capital Expenditure Budget for the Company, the expansion of the Lake Charles VCM Plant. The expansion design will increase our present VCM capacity from 670 MM lbs. per year to 1.0 MMM lbs. per year. The project schedule indicates the expanded plant will be operative in the second quarter of 1983. The expansion design includes technology changes in oxychlorination and direct chlorination. The existing oxy unit will be converted to oxygen feed gas replacing the air feed presently used. The existing direct chlorination system will be replaced with a boiling liquid reaction system. The total expansion cost is estimated to be in excess of $75 million. DeBernardi 1s Distribution Bulletin Boards Supervisors Department Heads 0079777 CC* 00 Lak* Charles VCM Plant CERTIFIED MAIL #316137 RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED ZO)^ < **i 4 }> Conoco Chemicals Company A Division of Conoco Inc. P.0 Box 605 Westlake. Louisiana 70669 (318) 491-5211 December 30, 1980 Diana Dutton Enforcement Division Environmental Protection Agency, Region VI First International Building 1201 Elm Street Dallas, TX 75270 Dear Ms. Dutton: In accordance with the conditions of the Conoco Chemicals Company VCM Plant's NPDES Permit No. LA 0003476, we are informing your office that the daily maximum limitation for TSS in the effluent waste water at out fall 001 was exceeded on December 22, 1980. A. Description and Period of Non-Complying Discharge Waste water discharged from the VCM Plant's secondary waste water treatment system at outfall 001 showed a TSS of 3458 lbs./day on December 22, 1980. B. Cause of Non-Compliance Waste water from the VCM Plant is treated to. raise the pH before equalization in the aeration basin of the secondary waste water treatment system. The waste water from the aeration basins is then pumped into the Activated Sludge Unit of the waste water treatment system where bio-degradation of the organic content in the waste water occurs. The water and bio-mass from-the Activated Sludge Unit then gravity-flows into the clarifier where, after phase separation, the bio-mass is pumped from the bottom of the clarifier into the Activated Sludge Unit. The water overflows the top of the clarifier and is aerated before discharge. On December 21, the bio-mass return pump which returns bio-mass from the clarifier to the Activated Sludge Unit plugged up and bio-mass flowed over the top of the clarifier into the final aeration basin and was discharged. C. Steps Taken to Reduce, Eliminate, and Prevent Recurrence The spare bio-mass return pump was started and the main bio-mass return pump was shut down and cleared. The bio-mass layer was drawn down into the clarifier to the normal level by the spare pump so that the normal phase separation could occur. The clarifier was then cleared of solids or bio-mass. CCR 000079778 Diana Dutton Page 2 December 30, 1980 Please let me know if you have any questions concerning this report or require any additional information. Sincerely, . r>. ucuci iiai'dl PI ant Manager is CC: J. Dale Givens - DONR BCC: REL-CRH-HJN-VAM-RLH-GLF-PLF-DLD-JWW-JCL-JGC CCR 000079779