### MEMORANDUM

TO: Ron Jordan, EPA

FROM: Anna Dimling, ERG

DATE: September 30, 2015

SUBJECT: Notes from Meetings with GE on Zero Liquid Discharge Technology for

FGD Wastewater Treatment

GE met with staff from EPA and ERG and on October 21, 2014 and on March 3, 2015 to discuss a zero liquid discharge (ZLD) t echnology for FGD wastewater treatment. This

memorandum summarizes the discussion points from both of these meetings.

Meeting Notes for October 21, 2014 Discussion:

Table 1 identifies the October 21 st meeting participants.

Table 1. Meeting Particip ants on October 21, 2014

Name Affiliation Phone Number Email Colin Enssle GE (Power & Water) (202) 637-4535 Colin.Enssle@ge.com Todd Langford GE (Power & Water) Not provided Todd. Langford @ge.com John Cooper GE Not provided John.Cooper@ge.com
Jezebele Alicea EPA (202) 566- 1755 Alicea.Jezeb ele@epa.gov Phillip Flanders EPA (202) 566-8323 Flanders.Phillip@epa.gov Ron Jordan EPA (202) 566-1003 Jordan.Ron@epa.gov Jesse Pritts (phone) EPA (202) 566-1038 Pritts.Jesse@epa.gov Sharon DeMeo (phone) EPA/ Region 1 (617) 918-1995 DeMeo.Sharon@epa.gov Anna Dimling (phone) ERG (703)-633-1692 Anna.Dimling@erg.com TJ Finseth (phone) ERG (703)-633-1698 Thomas.Finseth@erg.com

Introduction

[Redacted] In EPA’s proposed Steam Electric Effluent Guidelines (ELG), regulatory option 5 was based on FGD wastewater treatment with a chemical precipitation system followed by a vapor-compression evaporation (VCE) syst em. EPA assumed the VCE system contained softening equipment, a mechanical vapor compre ssion brine concentrator, and forced-circulation crystallizer. In the meetings described in this memorandum, GE described [Redacted].

Development of the ZLD System

GE started installing full-scale VCE systems [Redacted] and has constructed more than [Redacted] systems worldwide. The VCE traditi onal system includes softening equipment, a brine concentrator and a crys tallizer (see Figure 1).Memorandum September 30, 2015 Page 2

Figure 1. Process Flow Diagram for a Traditional VCE System

To design a more efficient ZLD technology, [Red acted] realized [Redacted] needed to be determined. Furthermore, while working with [Red acted] was tasked with creating a solid matrix [Redacted] from [Redacted] that could be managed in a landfill. This project provided a bench testing approach which was used to develop the Optimized System. This approach allowed [Redacted] to designate what reagents and the addition ratios to achie ve a pozzolanic reaction and produce a final material that meets the landf ill criteria.

Disposing waste in a landfill requires the material to meet certain criteria that ensure the substance is safely and efficiently managed. Th e pass/fail landfill performance criteria include:

 Unconfined compressible strength;

 Material must support its own weight a nd able to be used with equipment,

 Material must withstand 10 psi pressure,

 Paint Filter Test (PFI);

 Material must contain no free water,

 Hydraulic conductivity;

 Material must shed water (must not absorb liquid),

 The material’s hydraulic conductiv ity must be less than 1  10 -6 cm/s,

 Leachability;

 Material cannot contain hazardous-waste th at can be leached from the material.

Therefore, using the pass/fail landfill performance criteria and [Redacted] bench testing approach, GE [Redacted].

GE Optimized ZLD System

Design

[Redacted] made several modifications to the traditional VCE system to develop a simplified ZLD system [Redacted]. First, GE noticed [Redacted]. The [Redacted] introduces [Redacted] into the system so that [Redacted] (see Figure 2).Memorandum September 30, 2015 Page 3

Figure 2. Process Flow Diagram for an Optimized System

Therefore, GE’s system contains an [Redacted ]. GE is planning to perform a pilot study [Redacted] (See Figure 3).

Figure 3. A) Process Flow Diagram for Solidi fication/Stabilization System; B) Image of Solidified Matrix Provided at MeetingMemorandum September 30, 2015 Page 4

Meeting Notes for March 3, 2015 Discussion:

Table 3 identifies the March 3 rd meeting participants.

Table 3. Meeting Participants on March 3, 2015

Name Affiliation Phone Number Email Colin Enssle GE (Power & Water) (202) 637-4535 Colin.Enssle@ge.com Lanny D. Weimer GE (Power & Water) Not Provided Lanny.Weimer@ge.com Phillip Flanders EPA (202) 566-8323 Flanders.Phillip@epa.gov Ron Jordan EPA (202) 566-1003 Jordan.Ron@epa.gov Anna Dimling (phone) ERG (703)-633-1692 Anna.Dimling@erg.com TJ Finseth (phone) ERG (703)-633-1698 Thomas.Finseth@erg.com

Modularization Advancements

In the second meeting, GE stated that th e optimized ZLD system has been improved [Redacted]. The Optimized System is designed to be constructed [Redacted] and each system takes [Redacted] to construct. [Redacted]

GE noted that [Redacted]. Table 4 presents GE’s comparison of [Redacted] (chemical precipitation followed by biological treatment) [Redacted] (as show n in Figure 1), and to the Optimized System (as shown in Figure 2).

Table 4. Total Installed Cost Comparison for the Treatment of FGD Wastewater at [Redacted] per Minute

Cost Element Treat & Discharge Zero Liquid Discharge

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]

* EPRI Comments on Proposed Effluent Limitations Guidelines Rule – 20 September 2013; Appendix A Source: GE Water & Process Technologies FGD Blowdown Treatment Solutions: Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) (DCN SE05686A1)

GE’s Optimized ZLD System’s O&M costs are estimated to be [Redacted]. GE indicated

that the main driver of th e O&M costs is [Redacted].