P. 1 

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- UNIO N CARBID E CORPORATIO N

POLYOLEFIN S DIVISIO N

UNIO N CARBID E P . O . BO

X 18 6 POET LAVACA

, TEXAS 7797 9 Septembe r 18 , 198 6

Regiona l Administrato r EPA Regio n6 120 1 El m

Stree t Dallas , T X 7527 0 Nationa l Respons e Cente r Commandan t - G TG C - 2 210 0 Secon dStree t S W Washington , D C 2059 3 Dea r Si r o r Madam : 

### RECEIVE D SEP , 3 ". 198

0 R . F . KEUEVJ

Re : Superfun dReportin g - Continuou s Release s A s yo u ar e aware , ther e ha s bee nconsiderabl e confusio nregardin g th e hazardou s substanc e releas e reportin g requirement s unde r th e Superfun do r th e Comprehensiv e Environmenta l Response , Compensation , and Liabilit y Ac t o f 198 0 (CERCLA ) provision s addressin g continuou s release s (Sectio n103(f ) and federall y permitte drelease s (Sectio n101(a ) (10) . Indeed , i n EPA' s promulgatio no f th e fina l regulation s addressin g reportin g requirement s generally , EPA state dtha t "du e t o th e complexit y o f th e issue s involved , th e Agenc y ha s decide dt o study [thes e issues ] further : today' s rul e does no t resolv e [thes e issues]. " 5 0 Fed . Reg . 13458 , Apri l 4 , 1985 . Th e mos t recen t Regulator y Agend a indicate dtha t EPA intend s t o propos e regulation s o n bot hsubject s b y th e en d o f thi s year . Unio nCarbid e Corporatio n i s attemptin g t o assis t EPA i n developin g technicall y soun dand consisten t regulations . T o tha t end , Unio nCarbide , togethe r wit hsevera l othe r intereste d companies , ha s me t wit hEPA i n Washingto nand explore dvariou s issue s an d con cern s regardin g continuou s an d federall y

permitte dreleas e matters . W e inten d t o continu e thes e discussions . I naddition , th e Seadrift , Texas , Plan t o f Unio nCarbid e wishe s t o shar e wit h EPA an d th e Nationa l Respons e Cente r dat a and informatio nregardin g certai nai r release s whic hi t believe s ma y fi t withi nth e continuou s releas e o r federall y permitte dreleas e reportin g exemptions . Thes e dat a and information , whic har e enclosed , relat e t o emission s whic har e routine , anticipate drelease s t o th e ai r incidenta l t o th e norma l manufacturing , treatmen t processes , and operatio no f facilitie s an d vessel s a t th e Seadrif t Plant . Thes e releases , whic hma y equa l„R2
_



### Superfun dReportin g - Continuou s Release s • -2-

o r excee dth e applicabl e reportabl e quantity , ar e stabl e i nquantit y andrat e and ar e generall y

predictabl e durin g norma l operations . Mos t o f th e enclose ddat a wer e previousl y

submitte dt o th e stat e agenc y i nth e form

o f a nAi r Emission s Inventory , dated.Marc h15 , 1986 . I t mus t 'b e recognize dandemphasize dtha t th e emissio nvalue s (whic har e reporte di nth e attache ddat a a s range s o f emissions ) ar e estimate s o f actua l releases . Thes e estimate s ar e base do non e o r mor e variabl e factor s andsources , whic hma y includ e proces s desig ncalculation s (bot hoperationa l andtreatment) , samplin g data , emissio nfactors , andofte nrequir e individua l engineerin g judg ments . Fo r example , th e us e o f controversia l emissio nfactor s i ncalculatin g fugitiv e losse s (a s required , fo r example , i nou r Ai r Emission s Inventory ) ca n lea dt o widel y

varyin g results . I nth e absenc e o f guidanc e from EPA a s t o wha t constitute s a "statisticall y significan t increase " fo r a continuou s release , th e Seadrif t Plan t intend s t o repor t an y

release s whic har e knownt o excee dth e uppe r limi t o f th e identifie d range . Reportabl e release s no t covere dby th e (abov e o r enclosed ) informatio n wil l continu e t o b e reporte do nanindividua l basis . I nth e cours e o f ou r dat a compilatio nandreview , w e identifie da nissu e o f broa dapplicatio nwhic hw e wis ht o brin g t o you r attention . A s yo uar e aware , nitroge ndioxide , whic hi s bot ha hazardou s substanc e unde r CERCL A anda criteri a pollutan t unde r th e Clea nAi r Act , i s generate da s a produc t o f combustio ni n industria l boilers , flares , andothe r combustio ndevices . From al l suc hsources , nitroge ndioxid e i s produce da t rate s ofte nmeasure di nton s pe r day . Unio nCarbid e assume s tha t thes e combustio nproduc t emission s wer e no t intende dt o b e included " i nCERCLA' s reportin g requirements . A s a criteri a pollutant , nitroge ndioxid e emission s ar e eithe r directl y permitte do r generall y regulate d(fo r th e large r sources ) unde r Stat e Implementatio nPlans . I neithe r case , EP A

i s awar e o f thei r existenc e andha s n o reaso nt o exercis e it s authorit y

unde r CERCL A

i nrespons e t o suc hemissions . Accordingly , w e ar e no t submittin g an y

dat a regardin g suc hnitroge ndioxid e emissions . Th e Unio nCarbid e Seadrif t Plan t believe s th e dat a andinformatio ncontained - 

### ' i nthi s submissio nestablis hfo r i t th e identifie dai r emission s a s continuou s release s unde r CERCLA . I f NR C o r EPA want s t o receiv e additiona l dat a o r infor mation , o r i f yo uhav e an y question s regardin g th e content s o f thi s lette r o r it s attachments , pleas e advis e me . Ver y trul y yours ,
D . L . Gori s Plan t Manage r DLG:j h Attachment sP. 3

Superfun dReportin g - Continuou s Release s -3 -

cc : Mr . A . E . Bel l Executiv e Directo r Texa s Ai r Contro l Boar d 633 0 Highwa y

29 0 Eas t Austin , TX7872 3 Mr . L . Soward s Executiv e Directo r Texa s Wate r Commissio n P . 0 . Box13087 , Capito l Statio n Austin , T X7871 1 Mr . J . R . Battalor a - UC C Seadrif t Mr . W . C . Dedek e - UC C Houston , Suit e 10 9 Mr . R . E . Graeber t - UC C Danbury , M 2 Mr . R . F . Kelle y

- UC C Danbury , P261 0 Mr . R . A . Matthew s - UC C Danbury , E324 9 Mr . J . D . Moor e - UC C Seadrif tSUMMARYO F CONTINUOU S EMISSION S FO RTH E SEADRIF T PLAN T
(1 )

Chemica l Nam e Ethylen e Oxid e

Ethylene Oxid e CA S No . 75-21- 8 (2 )

Sourc e (*Proces s Unit , Facilit y

ID , etc. ) Oxide-Glyco l Uni t

Buty l Glyco l Ether s

Ethanolamine s Glyco l Ether s (3 )

Caus e o f Releas e
Secondar y

Emission s fro m wastewate r Uni t Start-up/Shutdow n # 2 Evaporato r Ven t Fugitiv e Emission s Ven t Absorbe r # 2 BR C Je t Ven t Fugitiv e Emission s Fugitiv e Emission s Fugitiv e Emission s (4 ) No . o f time s R Q equale d o r exceede d pe r yea r 

### 36 5
12-1 8 

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2. 9 96 1 3 6 1 1 0 8. 2 2. 7 Not eSUMMAR

YO F CONTINUOU S EMISSION S FO RTH E SEADRIF T PLAN T (cont. )

(1 )

Chemica l Nam e

CELLOSOLV E

CELLOSOLV E

. Ammoni a CA S No .

00110-80- 5

7664-41- 7 (2 )

Sourc e (*Proces s Unit , Facilit y

ID , etc. )
Distributio n

Distributio n CELLOSOLV E Acetat e Glyco l Ether s

Distributio n

Ethanolamine s

' (3 )

Caus e o f Releas e

Tan k Ca r Cleanin g Tan k Ca r Sample s Hose s Vacuume d Sampl e Hoo d Co l lectio n Heade r Tan k Losse s Fugitive s Tan k Losse s Fugitiv e Losse s Tan k Breathing/Fillin g Losse s & Associate d Fugitive s Emission s Flar e (Incomplet e combustion ) Fugitiv e Losse s (4 ) No . O f time s R Q equale d o r exceede d pe r yea r


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36 5 33 3 20 8 20 8 36 5

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