Conference aims to clean air.

Never before has there been as much pressure to clean up the environment. Like all industries, foundries are feeling this presence, as workers fight the never-ending battle of paperwork, sweat out visits from federal agencies and wonder what will happen next.

The 6th Annual AFS Environmental Affairs Conference, held August 22-24 in Milwaukee, guided 243 foundrymen through a myriad of issues. More than 30 foundrymen, vendors, consultants, attorneys and agency officials explained how to comply with regulations, remedy environmental headaches and make key decisions to help foundries secure their survival.

A primary focus of the conference was the Clean Air Act (CAA) amendments. Other topics included: OSHA issues, beneficial reuse, stormwater pollution and tracking environmental costs.

VOCs

Jim Rickun, RMT, Inc., educated attendees on issues involving volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are any organic compound that participates in atmospheric photochemical reactions. Causing ozone to be formed, VOCs include all organic compounds except methane, ethane, methylene chloride and methyl chloroform.

Driving the regulation of VOCs are the recent amendments to the Clean Air Act of 1990, which include: Title 1--nonattainment area provisions; Title 3--air toxics, and Title 5--operating permit requirements. The other driver is attainment area permits--prevention of significant deterioration (PSD). Rickun noted for each:

Title 1--After more than 25 years of air pollution control in this country, there are still 96 areas (mostly urban) that do not meet national ambient air quality standards for ozone.

Title 3--EPA says there are 189 hazardous air contaminants foundries need to be concerned with. "You need to concern yourself with toxic and/or hazardous air emission regulations, and in some cases, policies that have been developed and are in the process of being implemented by state and local agencies throughout the country," Rickun said.

Title 5--This will require existing sources to submit very detailed applications no later than November 15, 1995. It will require complete emission inventory and compliance.

Attainment area permits--Before, prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) permits were only required for expanding or significantly modifying operations. "Now," Rickun said, "modifications to foundries with emission rate capacities as low as 6 ton/hr could also trip PSD."

He said VOCs emerge in foundries primarily from mold/core preparation. This includes shell or hotbox core- and moldmaking (heating, cooling pallet); coldbox (introduce catalyst and air sweep), nobake and ovenbake (core washing, apply wash and burnoff). VOCs are also emitted during sand reclamation, charging, pouring/cooling, vibrating conveyors, shakeout and painting or coating.

Long Survey Form

Jim Maysilles, EPA, discussed the new air toxics long survey form, which will be sent to iron and steel foundries in the next few months. He said foundries that received the short form a few months ago would also get the long form in the next few months.

Iron and steel foundries will be regulated for hazardous air pollutants under the amended CAA.

EPA created the long form to develop air emission standards under Title 3. Emission standards will be based on the capacity of equipment to produce or process materials. "We'll find the best controlled cupolas, arc furnaces, scrap preheating processes, shakeout--every process that can produce hazardous air pollutant emissions," Maysilles said.

He said best control sources will be a key issue in developing regulations. "The standards are going to be based on the achievements of the best controlled processes within the foundry industry," Maysilles said. "Any standards we set will be based on something that's actually achievable."

Environment & Economy

Responding to the notion that a vibrant economy can't exist with a proactive environment, Lyman Wible, Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources, highlighted results of a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Based on 20 years and 23 indicators, the study proved environmental regulation has no adverse effect on states' role in employment or economic activity.

"A sound environmental program is not bad for the economy," Wible said. "Efficiency and productive investments reduce liability and damage losses. Worker and resident health competitiveness and product quality benefit by strong environmental programs."

He also referred to a study reporting that two-thirds of Americans believe the environment and a strong economy can go hand in hand--which will influence future regulation.

"Perceptions are very important in public policy," Wible said. "They may not be reality or they may, but the fact is that public perception is there."