p. 1 

# OAR Box 

# 1477 Prepped by Ollie Stewart



### Document

Number: 

# 16 ) ll-J- 7 Docket Number: 

# A-94-5 2

Printed 7/31/2008 11:18:29 AM Sheet 16 of 36P. 2



# MILE S ^FIBERGLAS S C COMPOSITE S

Januar y 6 , 200 0 

### JA N 

### 1 9 200 1 EP A AI R DOCKE T Mr . Keith Barnet t USEP A MD-1 3 RTP,N C 2771 1 Dea r Keith , Mile s Fiberglas s & Composite s i s asmal l famil y owne d busines s locate d i n tw o facilitie s i n th e Portland , Orego n metropolita n area . W e hav e bee n i n th e composite s busines s for 3 7 years . A s acusto mmolder , w e buil d alarg e variet y o f product s for

very divers e applications . A s a

n example , w e buil d platform s for haulin g automobile s o n railroa d car s tha t measur e 1 0 feet

b y 3 0 feet

long . W e make sidewall s for motorhome s tha t

ar e 8'/fee t b y 40 ' fee t

long . W e als o buil d smalle r part s tha t ar e les s tha n on e squar e foot . Becaus e ofth e shap e an d siz e ofth e product s w e buil d an d th e configuratio n ofou r buildings , w e mus t

mov e ou r

resi n applicatio n equipmen t t o th e mol d sit e rathe r

tha n mov e th e mold s t o th e equipment . Thi s proces s result s i n th e tota l buildin g bein g th e emissio n sit e an d preclude s u s fro mconstructin g an y kin d of aspray o r lay-u p boot h system . Contro l an d collectio n i n thi s situatio n i s basicall y impossible . W e als o hav e larg e overhea d door s tha t ar e continuall y bein g opene d an d shut . Thi s als o interrupt s an y consisten t airflow . Overhea d crane s ar e use d t o pic k u p larg e part s an d transpor t the m ou t o f door s t o flatbe d truck s waitin g for transport . I believ e tha t

eve n with complicate d ductin g system s i t

woul d b e impossibl e t o captur e an d contro l ou r emission s with an y efficienc y wha t

s o ever . Anothe r proble mw e hav e with th e MAC T proposa l i s th e MAC T floors . Th e floor s for th e resi n ar e basicall y "one-siz e fit s all" . W e us e differen t resi n for differen t applications . Fo r instance , th e sidewal l product s tha t w e manufactur e ar e use d i n extrem e temperatur e an d stres s conditions . W e hav e develope d resi n an d laminatio n requirement s ove r th e pas t 1 7 year s tha t

hav e prove n t o b e reliabl e an d enduring . EPA' s curren t floor s woul d no t allo w u s t o continu e usin g thes e resins . Th e proces s for achievin g thes e result s hav e bee n costl y an d lon g term , throug h tria l an d erro r an d testin g an d failure s in th e field. T o fix afailur e i n th e produc t afte r i t ha s bee n installe d o n amotorhom e i s a$10,00 0 proposition . With an exposur e o f hundred s o f

wall s pe r year , materia l failur e woul d hav e

Corporat e & Portlan d Location : 885 5 S E Ott y Rd. , Portland , O R9726 6 Fax (503 ) 774-256 1 • Phon e (503 ) 775-775 5 Web : www.milesfiberglass.co m Orego n Cit y Location : 151 6 Mai n St. , Orego n City , O R970<1 5 Fa x (503 ) 656-317 6 • Phon e (503 ) 657-83-1 5 Email : mfc@milesfiberglass.comP. 3

Pag e 2 Januar y 6 , 200 0 catastrophi c financia

l consequence s t o ou

r company . W

e ca n not entertain changin g th e resin fo r motorhom

e sidewalls . Ther e ma y b e lo w HA

P resin s availabl e tha

t wil l mee t o r excee dou r requirement s fo

r hea t an d stability , but

th e cost s ar

e s o extremel

y hig h tha t ou r customer s sa

y they couldor would g o t o othe

r material s suc

h a s stainles s steel or

aluminum . I have contacte dou r supplier s which represent s thre e manufacturer s tha t suppl y vinyleste

r resins . The

y d o have vinyleste

r resin s the y thin k wouldb e adequat

e fo r ou r application s on sidewalls . The cos t ofth e vinyleste

r i s aproblem . W

e currentl y pa y $ .8 6 pe r poun dfo r IS O resin an d ou r supplier , Composite s One , 1-800-255-6006 , Bil l Barnes , tell s m

e th e bes t pric e fo r vinyleste r fo r ou r applicatio n wouldb e $1.7 1 pe r poun dor a n $ .8 5 differenc e i

n cost . Tha t would b e almos t

100 % increas e i

n th e materia

l cost . A t aproductio n rate o f

10 0 wall s pe r wee k an d aconservativ e estimat

e o f $166.4 1 increas e i

n wall materia

l cost , w e would increas e ou

r wal l resin cos t

by $735,48 8 pe

r year . Anothe

r proble mwit h vinyleste r i s tha t ou r experienc e show s tha

t i t take s longe

r t o cur e an dtherefor e decrease s th e productio n rate . Reductio n i n productio n rate s increase s costs . Anothe r issu e i s usin g low HA

P gel coat s a s ametho dt o compl y wit h MACT . I understand tha

t som e gel coa t supplier s ar

e statin g publicl

y tha t they hav e lo w HA

P ge l coat s readily availabl e an

d the y will wor k fo r mos t applications . Unfortunatel y tha t ha s not bee n ou r experience . W

e hav e trie dlow HA

P gel coat s ove

r th e pas t fe w month s an

d hav e ha d no succes s i

n gettin g the

mt o wor k i n ou r equipment . W

e ordere dane

w versio n tw o month s ag o to tr y but have not receivedth e materia

l yet . I don' t believ e amateria

l should b e includedi

n astandar dtha t i s still i n th e developmen

t stages . I thin

k amateria l should b e i

n th e publi c domai

n fo r a t leas t tw o year s an

dprove n t o wor k fo r th e genera

l populatio n ofth e industr

y "t o perfor

ma s advertised " befor

e i t i s include d i n aregulation . Anothe r proble mare aw e have i s wit

h flow-coaters. I kno w flow-coater s have bee n around fo r clos e t o tw o years , an

d i n man y case s hav e bee

n mad e t o work . The proble

m i s tha t during th e tim

e they have bee

n on th e marke

t they have continually bee

n revised . I do believ e they ar

e improving , bu

t ou r experienc e ha s bee

n tha t they hav e progresse d fromno t performing a

t al l t o working fairl

y well fo r mos t application s bu

t no t working a t al l fo r som e applications . As one example , w e cannot produc e goo dqualit

y mold s (tooling ) usin g flow-coaters . I' mno t saying flow-coater s shoul

dnot b e i n th e MAC

T Standar dbu t wha t I a msaying i s tha t i t i s recognize d tha

t the y shouldno

t b e considereda s atota

l replacemen

t fo r spra y guns .P. 4

Pag e 3 Januar y 6 , 200 0

Th e floor s should b e changed s o tha t w e ca n us e IS O resin s (includin g tooling ) an d atomized spra

y resin applicatio n wher

e needed . Th

e standar dshouldals o allo w additiona l complianc e option s suc

h a s controlle dspray . In summary , I believ e ou

r company , an

dfo r th e mos t par t th e entir e industry , want s to d

o whateve r i s possibl e t o b e goo d steward s fo r th e environment . O

n th e othe r hand , ou r resource s ar

e limited i n term s o f mone y an dpeople . W

e not onl y hav e th e Clea

n Ai r Ac t t o contend with , but

als o th e hazardou s wast

e regulations , th e fire regulations , OSHA , loca l buildin g code s an

d man y other s tha

t I won' t ge t into now . W e ar e willin g t o d

o whateve r i s necessar

y t o compl y wit h reasonabl e requirement s tha t will mak e adifferenc e i

n th e environment . However , I hop e th e final outcom e ofth e MACT Standar

d will no t completel y devastat e ou r busines s an

dcos t th e livelihood s o f som e 10 0 familie s tha

t ar e counting ou

r compan y fo r asecur e an dcomfortable living . Sincerely ,

Lowell H . Mile s Presiden t 

# ^i^^i/^/j'/fit- h* LHM/j k Cc : Joh

n Schweitze

r Gar y Multanen