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# /o/Clo) f ?r\-S-/g UNIO N CARBID E 

## UNIO N CARBID E CORPORATIO N P . O . BO X BOQ4 , SOUT H CHARLESTON . W . VA . SS30 3 Silicpne s an d Urethan e Intermediate s Sout hCharlesto nPlan t

CERTIFIE D MAI L Septembe r 18 , 198 6 RETUR N RECEIP T REQUESTE D

Regiona l Administrato r EP A Regio nII I 84 1 Chestnu t Buildin g Philadelphia , Pennsylvani a 1910 7

Nationa l Respons e Cente r Commandan t - G TG C - 2 210 0 Secon d Stree t S.W . Washington , O.C . 2059 3 Dea r Si r o r Madam :

Re : Superfun d Reportin g - Continuou s Release s A s yo u ar e aware , ther e ha s bee nconsiderabl e confusio nregardin g the hazardou s substanc e releas e reportin g requirement s unde r th e Superfun d o r th e Comprehensiv e Environmenta l Response , Compensation , an d Liabilit y

Ac t o f 198 0 (CERCLA ) provision s addressin g continuou s release s (Sectio n103(f) ) an d federall y

permitte d release s (Sectio n101(a)(10)) . Indeed , 1nEPA' s promulgatio no f th e fina l regulation s addressin g reportin g requirement s generally , EPA

state d tha t "du e t o th e complexit y o f th e Issue s Involved , th e Agenc y ha s decide d t o stud y [thes e Issues ] further ; today' s rul e doe s 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 d tha t EP A Intend s t o propos e regulation s onbot hsubject s b y th e en d o f thi s year . Unio nCarbid e Corporatio n1 s attemptin g t o assis t EPA 1 ndevelopin g technicall y soun d an d 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 1nWashingto nan

d explore d variou s Issue s an

d concern s regardin g continuou s an d federall y

permitte d releas e matters . W e Intend t o continu e thes e discussions .

I naddition , th e Sout hCharlesto nPlant , Specialt y Chemicals / Division , Sout hCharleston , Wes t Virgini a o f Unio nCarbid e wishe s t o shar e wit hEP A

an d th e Nationa l Respons e Cente r dat a an d Informatio nregardin gP. 2

Superfun dRelease s - Continuou s Release s Pag e 2

certai nai r release s whic h1 t believe s ma y fi t withi nth e continuou s releas e o r federall y

permitte dreleas e reportin g exemptions . Thi s 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 , an doperatio no f facilitie s an dvessel s a t th e Sout h Charlesto nPlant . Thes e releases , whic hma y equa l o r excee dth e applicabl e reportabl e quantity , ar e stabl e 1 nquantit y andrat e an

dar e generall y predictabl e durin g norma l operations . Th e dat a an dInformatio ncite d1 nth e attache dtabl e ar e derive dfrom th e A1 r Emissio nInventor y (AEI ) fo r dat a bas e yea r 1984 , whic hwa s file dwit hth e W . Va . A1 r Pollutio nContro l Commission .

I t mus t b e recognize dandemphasize dtha t th e emissio nvalue s (whic h ar e reporte d1 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 donon 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 nfactor s andofte nrequir e Individua l engineerin g judgements . Fo r example , th e us e o f controversia l emissio n factor s 1 ncalculatin g fugitiv e losse s (a s required , fo r example , 1 nou r A1 r Emission s Inventory ) ca nleadt 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 Sout h Charlesto nPlan t Intend s t o repor t an y release s whic har e know nt o excee dth e uppe r limi t o f th e Identifie d range . Reportabl e release s no t covere db y th e enclose dInformatio nwil l continu e t o b e reporte dona nIndividua l basis .

I nth e cours e o f ou r dat a compilatio nandreview , w e Identifie d a n Issu e o f broa dapplicatio nwhic hw e wis ht o brin g t o you r attention . A s yo u ar e aware , nitroge ndioxide , whic h1 s bot ha hazardou s substanc e unde r CERCL A anda criteri a pollutan t unde r th e Clea nA1 r Act , 1 s generate da s a produc t o f combustio n1 nIndustria l boilers , flare s andothe r combustio ndevices . From al l suc hsources , nitroge ndioxid e 1 s produce da t rate s ofte nmeasure d1 nton s pe r day . Unio nCarbid e assume s tha t thes e combustio nproduc t emission s wer e no t Intende d t o b e Include d 1 nCERCLA' s reportin g requirements . A s a criteri a pollutant , nitroge ndioxid e emission s ar e eithe r directl y permitte dor generall y

regulate d(fo r th e large r sources ) unde r Stat e Implementatio n Plans . I neithe r case , EPA 1 s awar e o f thei r existenc e an dha s n o reaso nt o exercis e It s authorit y unde r CERCL A

1 nrespons e t o suc hemissions . Accordingly , w e ar e no t submittin g any dat a regardin g suc hnitroge ndioxid e emissions .P. 3

Superfun dReportin g - Continuou s Release s Pag e 3

Th e Unio nCarbid e Sout hCharlesto nPlan t believe s th e dat a and informatio ncontaine d1 nthi s submissio nestablis hfo r 1 t th e Identified ai 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 Information , o r 1 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 ,

J. ' L . Worstel l Environmenta l Protectio nCoordinato r JLW/rls/c p 0172 T Attachment s

COPY : C . G . Beard , I I - WVAPC C D . H . Hanshe w

- UC C

### 1 .

2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 . 9 . 10 . (1 )

Chemica l Nam e
Ally l Alcoho l Ammoni a Ethylen e Oxid e Ethylen e Oxid e Ethylen e Oxid e Ethylen e Oxid e Propylen e Oxid e Propylen e Oxid e Propylen e Oxid e Propylen e Oxid e JLW/rl s 0I72 T 9-15-8 6 SUMMAI

CA S No .

10716 6 766441 7 7521 8 7521 8 7521 8 7521 8 7556 9 7556 9 7556 9 7556 9 < YO F CONTINUOU S EMISSION S F (

(2 )

Sourc e (Proces s Unit , Facilit y ID , etc. ) UCON FLUIDS/70 0 MICC : H-221/20 7 Fle xPolyol s 103/60 0 Polyol s Phas e IV/60 1 Ethylen e Oxid e Dist./73 l AIkanolamines/80 0 Bul k Termina1/03 1 FlexPolyol s B-103/60 0 Polyol s Phas e IV/60 1 UCO N Fluids/70 0 » TH E SOUT H CHARLESTON PLAN T

(3 )

Caus e o f Releas e

Fugitiv e emission s Norma l proces s los s Fugitiv e emission s Fugitiv e emission s Tan k losses , Fugitiv e emission s Fugitiv e emission s Fugitiv e emission s Norma l proces s los s Norma l proces s los s Norma l proces s los s (4 ) No . o f time s R Q equalle d o r exceede d pe r vea r



### 13 9 4 0 1 6 23 8 32 7 19 4 36 5 7 4 24 5 10 6 (5 )

Rang e o f Releas e Minimu m Maximu m (lb/day

81. 5 

### 62 0 2. 1 2. 1 99 3 5 97. 5 217. 5 

### 12 5 272. 5 (lb/day )

16 3 124 0 

### 4. 2 4. 2 19 8 66 19 5 43 5 25 0 54 5