P. 1 

## /o/Cfo ) f=ff c-s - l<f

Septembe r 18 , 198 6

CERTIFIE

DMAI L - RETUR

N RECEIP T REQUESTE

D
Regiona l Administrato r EP ARegio n IV 120 1 El mStree t Dallas , Texa s 7527 0

Nationa l Respons e Cente r Commandan t - G TGC - 2 210 0 Secon

d Stree t S W Washington , D C 2059 3
RE : SUPERFUN

D Reporting - Continuou s Release s Dea r Sir :
A s yo u ar e aware , ther e ha s bee n considerabl e confusio n regarding the hazardou s substanc e releas e reportin g requirement s unde r th e Superfun

d o r the Comprehensiv e Environmenta l Response , Compensation , an d Liabilit yAc t o f 198 0 (CERCLA ) provision s addressing continuou s release s (Section 103(f) ) an d federall ypermitte d release s (Section 101(a)(10))
. Indeed , in EPA' s promulgatio n o f the fina l regulation s addressing reporting requirement s generally , EP

Astate d tha t "due t o th e complexit yo f th

e issue s involved , th e Agencyha s decide d t o stud y[thes e issues ] further ; today' s rul e doe s no t resolve [thes e issues]."(Ref
. 5 0 Fed
. Reg
. 13458 , Apri l 4 , 1985)
. Th e mos t recen t Regulator yAgenda indicate d tha t EP A intend s t o propos e regulation s o n bot hsubject s b yth e en d o f thi s year . Unio n Carbid e Corporatio n i s attempting t o assis t EP A i n developing technicall ysoun d an d consisten t regulations
. T o tha t end , Unio n Carbide , togethe r wit hsevera l othe r interested companies , have me t wit hEP Ai n Washingto n an

d explore d variou s issue s an

d concern s regarding continuou s an d federall ypermitte d releas e matters
. W e inten d t o continu e thes e discussions
.

0403 eP. 2

- 2

I n addition , th

e Unio n carbid e Plan t a t Taft , Louisiana wishe s t o shar e wit hEP Aand

- th e Nationa l Respons e Cente r dat a an d informatio n regarding certai n ai r release s whic hi t believe s ma yfi t withi n th

e continuou s releas e o r federall ypermitte d releas e reportin g exemptions
. Thi s dat a an d information , whic har e enclosed , relat e t o emission s whic har e routine , anticipate d release s t o th e ai r incidenta l t o th e norma l manufacturing , treatmen t processes , an d operatio n o f facilitie s an d vessel s a t the Taf t Plant
. Thes e releases , whic hma yequa l o r excee d th e applicabl e reportabl e quantity , ar e stabl e i n quantit yan d rat e an

d ar e generall ypredictabl e during norma l operations
. Mos t o f th e enclose d dat a wer e previousl ysubmitte d t o the Louisiana Departmen t o f Environmenta l Qualit yi n th e for mo f an Ai r Emission s Inventory , date d Marc h1986
. I t mus t be recognize d an d emphasize d tha t the emissio n value s (whichar e reported i n th

e attache d dat a a s range s o f emissions ) ar e estimate s o f actua l releases
. Thes e estimate s ar e based o n on e o r mor e variabl e factor s an d sources , whic hmayinclud e proces s design calculation s (bothoperationa l an d treatment) , sampling data , emissio n factor s an d ofte n requir e individua l engineering judgements
. Fo r example , th e us e o f controversia l emissio n factor s i n calculating fugitive losse s can lea d t o widel yvarying results
. I n th e absenc e o f guidanc e fro mEP Aa s t o wha t constitute s a "statisticall ysignifican t increase " fo r a continuou s release , the Taf t Plan t intend s t o repor t an yrelease s whic har e know n t o excee d the uppe r limi t o f the identifie d range . Reportabl e release s no t covere d b yth e attache d dat a wil l continu e t o be reporte d o n an individua l basis
. I n th e cours e o f ou r dat a compilatio n an d review , w e identified an issu e o f broad applicatio n whic hw e wis ht o bring t o your attention
. A s yo u ar e aware , nitroge n dioxide , whic hi s bot ha hazardou s substanc e unde r CERCL Aan d a criteri a pollutan t unde r the Clean Ai r Act , i s generate d a s a produc t o f combustio n i n industria l boilers , flare s an d othe r combustio n devices
. Fro m al l suc hsources , nitroge n dioxid e i s produce d a t rate s ofte n measure d i n ton s pe r day
. Unio n Carbid e assume s tha t thes e combustio n produc t emission s wer e no t intended t o be included i n CERCLA' s reporting requirements
. A s a criteri a pollutant , nitroge n dioxid e emission s ar e eithe r directl ypermitte d o r generall yregulate d (fo r the large r sources ) unde r Stat e Implementatio n Plans
. I n eithe r case , EP Ai s awar e o f thei r existenc e an d ha s n o reaso n t o exercis e it s authorit yunde r CERCL Ai n respons e t o suc hemissions
. Accordingly , w e ar e no t submitting an ydat a regarding suc hnitroge n dioxid e emissions
.

0403 eP. 3

- 3 -

The Unio n Carbid e Taf t Plan t believe s th e dat a an

d informatio n containe d i n thi s submissio n establis hfo r i t the identifie d ai r emission s a s continuou s release s unde r CERCLA
. I f NRC o r EP Awant s t o receive additiona l dat a o r information , o r i f yo u have an yquestion s regarding the content s o f thi s lette r o r it s attachments , pleas e advis e me .

Ver ytrul yyours ,

D
. L
. Brucke r UNIO N CARBIDE CORPORATIO N Taf t Plan t Manage r

Attachmen t DLB/TJC/jt g 0403 e

cc : Mr
. G
. Vo n Bodunge n DEQ/AQD P
. 0
. Box4406 6 Bato n Rouge , L

A70804-406 6SUMMAR Y O F CONTINUOU S EMISSIONS FO R TH E UNIO

NCARBID E TAFT , LOUISIAN APLAN T (1 )

Chemica l Name Acetaldehyd e

Acrolei n

Ammoni a

Chlorin e 1,4-Dioxane

Ethylen e Oxid e

• Hydroge n chlorid e Viny l Chlorid e CA S No
. 7507 0

10702 8

766441 7

778250 5 12391 1

7521 8

764601 0 7501 4 (2 )

Sourc e (Proces s Unit , Facilit yID , etc. ) OX- I Proces s OX-I I Proces s AE- I Proces s DAP Proces s P AProces s Variou s proces s equipmen t Wast e Wate r Treatmen t Plan t OX- I Proces s OX-I I Proces s AE- I Proces s Variou s proces s equipmen t Wast e Wate r Treatmen t Plan t EA- I Proces s EA-I I Proces s Variou s proces s equipmen t EA- I Proces s OX- I Proces s OX-I I Proces s Wast e Wate r Treatmen t Plan t OX- I Proces s OX- I Proces s OX-I I Proces s OX-I I Proces s Variou s proces s equipmen t Wast e Wate r Treatmen t Plan t EA- I Proces s EA- I Proces s (3 )

Caus e o f Releas e

Norma l proces s venting Norma l proces s venting Norma l proces s venting Norma l proces s venting Norma l proces s venting Fugitive emissio n losse s Secondar

yemissio n losse s Norma l proces s venting Norma l proces s venting Norma l proces s venting Fugitive emissio n losse s Secondar

yemissio n losse s Equipmen t startups/shutdown s Norma l proces s venting Fugitive emissio n losse s Norma l proces s venting Norma l proces s venting Norma l proces s venting Secondar

yemissio n losse s Norma l proces s venting Equipmen t startups/shutdown s Norma l proces s venting Equipmen t startups/shutdown s Fugitive emissio n losse s Secondar

yemissio n losse s Equipmen t startups/shutdown s Equipmen t startups/shutdown s (4 ) No
. o f time s R Q equalle d o r exceede d pe r yea r

35 0 day s 35 0 day s 30 8 day s 30 1 day s 30 1 day s 36 5 day s 36 5 day s 35 0 day s 35 0 day s 30 8 day s 36 5 day s 36 5 day s 1 2 day s 29 4 day s 36 5 day s 29 4 day s 35 0 day s 35 0 day s 36 5 day s 35 0 day s 1 6 day s 35 0 day s 1 6 day s 36 5 day s 36 5 day s 1 2 day s 1 2 day s (5 )

Rang e o f Minimu m (lb/da y
40 0 12 0 1 4 1 7 50 0 14 4 0 3 5 5 2 8 24 0 5 2 8 2 1 24 0 7 7 7 3 4 0 10 0 3 7 5 7 5 5 5 9 6 30 0 3 Releas e Maximu m (lb/day )
60 0 22 0 1 6 2 0 55 0 24 0 62 4 5 0 7 3 0 36 0 1 2 3 5 2 5 36 0 4 8 10 0 4 0 1 48 5 12 4 10 6 16 7 1 5 12 0 694 0 9 6 0403 e 09/17/8 6

T J