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A JOIN TVENTUR E O F FIRS TMISSISSIPP I CORPORATIO N AN D MISSISSIPP I CHEl/lCA^ycORj/JbRATTO N P

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. BO X31 0 TELEPHON E 50 4 473-923 1 DONALDSONVILLE . LOUISIAN A 70346-031 0 Marc h18 , 198 6

Mr . Le e M » Thomas , Administrato r Environmenta l Protectio n Agency 40 1 M . Street , S W Washington , D.C . 2046 0 Re : Require

dNotificatio

nUnde r n CERCLA n Dea r Mr . Thomas : Tria d operate s a 100 0 TP D ammoni a plan t an d a 150 0 TP D ure a plan t fro m whic h routin e ammoni a emission s ar e incidenta l t o norma l operations . Whil e ou r notificatio n obligatio n unde r CERCL Aremain s poorl ydefined , w e fee l tha t some documentatio n o f our emission s i s probabl ywithi n tH e inten t o f CERCLA . Thi s lette r constitute s a repor t whic hw e propos e t o confir mannually . 

# A Th e rational e fo r our decision s t o dat e involve s tw o isfl"«» s whirh rpmai n unresolve d i n curren t regulations ; continuou s release s an d federall ypermitte d releases . Th e majorit yo f our ammoni a emission s emi t fro mspecm c poin t source s whic har e reporte d i n a n Emission s Tnvont-nr ySurvey(EIS ) unde r Louisiana' s federall yapprove d ai r progfam!Th e EIS , a n integra l par t o f our ai r permi t wit h the state. t

disclose s thes e ammoni a emissions , thu s subjecting themt o scrutin y arSr-regulatio

n b ythe state . W e regard tnese"release s t o h p fpHprall ypermitte d an d thu s exemp t from10 3 reporting requirements . Secondarily , bot hplant s hav e fugitiv e ammoni a emission s fro mmiscellaneou s sources . Whil e i t i s no t practica l t o determin e suc hfugitive s o n a dail ybasis , w e estimat e tha t collectivel ytheyconstitut e a sourc e whic hi s mor e o r les s continuou s an

d whic hma

yexcee d 10 0 pound s pe r da ywithou t Triad' s knowledg e a t the rime o f "lo^ o <-. f iviaH' g ahi_LLELy__to quantif yth e collectiv e total . Regarding suc hreleases , w e continu e t o b e guide d b yth e directio n give n i n EPA' s Interpretiv e Rul e an d Polic yStatemen t date d Jun e 2 , 1981 . W e fee l thi s direc

tio n i s summarize d b ythe following excerp t fro mSectio n I.B . o f the statement.. . "Ther e ar e othe r release s o f hazardou s substance s whic har e subjec t t o th e notificatio n requirement s o f Sectio n 10 3 (a ) an d (b) . Thes e includ e routine , continuou s o r anticipate d intermitten t release s fro m facilitie s o r vessel s whic har e incidenta l t o norma l busines s opera tion s an

d ar e no t federall ypermitte d release s o r otherwis e exemp t o r excluded . EP Ai s no t presentl yrequirin g notificatio n o f thes e releases . Tftese release s a o no t generall ydeman d immediat e response.. - Requirin g immediat e notificatio n o f thes e release s woul d lea d t o thousand s o f report s eac hda yan d mak e i t difficult , i f no t impossible , fo r th e government"t o operat e it s emergencyrespons e system. "P. 2

Mr . Le e M . Thoma s Marc h18 , 198 6 Pag e Tw o



# y Thi s directio n i s equall yapplicabl e t o the poin t sourc e emission s whic hw e regard a s federall ypermitted . However , ou t o f a n abundanc e o f precaution , w e ar e filing thi s annua l notification . Finally , w e recogniz e a third categor yo f release s whic har e "episodic , nonroutine , unanticipated , o r accidenta l releases...i n quantitie s equa l t o o r greate r tha n th e notificatio n level..." , i.e. , 10 0 pound s fo r ammonia . W e clearl yregard suc hrelease s a s subjec t t o Sectio n 10 3 reportin g an d wil l continu e t o repor t the maccordingly . Reportedly , EP Ai s strivin g t o clarif yth e concept s an d requirement s regarding continuou s release s an d federall ypermitte d releases . W e woul d appreciat e receiving suchclarificatio n whe n i t become s available . Meanwhile , w e trus t tha t thi s repor t satisfie s the inten t o f CERCLA' s notificatio n require

ments .

BKS/KLC/d

m Sincerely , TRIA DCHEMICA

L

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cc : K . L . Croche t D . C . Andrew s H . F . Torre s J . D . Davi s W . A . McCrary- FMC S . Roger s - MC C