NOTICES

[6560-01]

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

EPEL 82843

KRAFT PULP MILLS

Draft Guideline Document- Availability

AGENCY: Environmental' Protection

Agency.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of

Draft Guideline Document.

SUMMARY: This action announces the availability of a draft guideline

document for the control of total re- duced sulfur (TRS) emissions from ex- isting kraft pulp mills, 'and invites

public comments on the contents of

the document. Standards of performance for control of TRS from new,

modified, and reconstructed kraft pulp

mills are being promulgated elsewhere

in this issue of the FEERAL RGISTES . Under the Clean Air Act, the Administrator must issue this draft document,

consider the public comments received on the draft, and publish a final guideline document. Publication of the final

document will trigger the development

of State plans to control TRS emissions from existing draft pulp mills.

DATE: Comments must be received on or before April 24, 1978. (60 days after

this publication).

ADDRESS: Comments should be submitted, preferably in triplicate, to the

Emission Standards and Engineering

Division, Environmental Protection

Agency, Research Triangle Park, N.C.

27711, Attention: Mr. Don R. Goodwin.

A copy of the draft guideline document may be obtained from the US.

EPA Library (MD-35), Research Triangle Park, N.C. 27711 (specify "Draft

Guideline Document: Control of TRS

Emissions from Existing Kraft Pulp

Mills").

The draft- guideline document and

all public comments received will be

available for inspection and copying during normal business hours at the

Public Information Reference Unit

(EPA Library), Room 2922, 401 M

Street SW., Washington, D.C.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT:

Don R. Goodwin, Emission Standards and Engineering Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, N.C. 27711,

telephone 919-541-5271.

- SUPPLEMIENTARY INFORMATION:

The Clean Air Act applies to three

general categories of pollutants emitted from stationary sources. The first

category consist of pollutants (often

referred to as "criteria pollutants") for

wfiich air quality criteria, national amblent air quality standards, and State

implementation plans are established

under sections 108-110 of the Act. The

second category consist of pollutants

listed and controlled as hazardous pollutants under section 112 of the Act.

The third category consists of pollutants that are (or may be) harmful

to public health or welfare but are not or cannot be controlled under sections

108,-110 or 112. Section 111(d) requires control of existing sources of such pollutants whenever standards of perfor- mance (for those pollutants) are established under section 111(b) for new sources of the same type. For conve- nience of reference, such pollutants are referred to as "designated pollutants," and existing facilities whose

emissions of such pollutants must be

controlled under section 111(d) are re- ferred to as "designated facilities."

On November 17, 1975 (40 FR

53340), EPA promulgated a new subpart B to 40 CFR Part 60 establishing

procedures and requirements for submittal of State plans for control of

designated pollutants from designated

facilities under section 111(d). A sum- mary of subpart B and a discussion of

the basic concepts underlying it

appear in the preamble published in

connection with its promulgation. In

brief, subpart B provides that after a standard of performance applicable to

emissions of i designated pollutant

from new sources is promulgated, the

Administrator will publish a draft

guideline document containing Information pertinent to the control of the same pollutant from designated (i.e.,

existing) facilities. He will also publish a notice of availability of the draft

guideline document and invite com- ments on its contents. After consideration of these comments, the Administrator will publish a final guideline

document for the pollutant in question, and the States will then have

nine months to develop and submit

plans for control of that pollutant

from designated facilities. Within four

months after the date for submission

of plans, the Administrator will approve or disapprove each plan (or portion thereof). If a State plan (or portion thereof) is disapproved, the Administrator will promulgate a plan (or

portion thereof) within six months

after the date for plan submission.

These and related provisions of subpart B are basically patterned after

section 110 of the Act and 40 CFR

Part 51 (concerning adoption and submittal of State implementation plans

under section 110).

As discussed in the preamble to subpart B, a distinction is drawn between

designated pollutants which may cause or contribute to endangerment of public health (referred to as "health-related pollutants") and those

for which adverse effects on public health have not been demonstrated

(referred to at "welfare-related pollutants"). For health-related pollutants,

emission standards and compliance

schedules in State plans must ordinarily be at least as stringent as the corre- sponding emission guidelines and com- pliance times In EPA's guideline documents. As Provided in subpart 3,

States may apply less stringent re- quirements when economic considerations or other factors, such as the re- maning useful life of a designated faclity, make such requirements significantly more reasonable. For welfare

related pollutants, States may balance

the emission guidelines, compliance

times, and other information in EPA's

guideline documents against other factors of public concern in developing

their plans, as explained more fully in

the preamble to subpart B and in the

Introductory portion of each guideline

document. Thus, the States have more flexibility in establishing plans for

welfare-related pollutants than is provided for plans involving pollutants

that may affect public health.

For reasons explained in the draft

guideline document, the Administrator

has determined that atmospheric TRS

emissions In the kraft pulping industry may cause or contribute to endangerment of the public welfare but that

adverse effects on public health have

not been demonstrated. As indicated

above, this means that TRS emissions

will be considered a welfare-related

pollutant and the States will have

greater flexibility in developing their

plans than would be the case if public

health might be affected.

EMISSION GUIDELINES: The emission guidelines and compliance times

contained in the draft guideline document reflect the Administrator's judgment on the degree of control attainable with application of the best

system of continuous emission reduction (considering the cost, nonair quality health, environmental impacts, and

energy requirements of such reduction) that has been adequately demonstrated for existing facilities at kraft

pulp mills, including the time within

which these systems can be purchased

and installed. The emission guidelines

presented in the document for control

of TRS emissions from existing facilities at kraft pulp mill are 5 parts per

million (ppm) of TRS from digester

systems, 5 ppm of TRS from multipleeffect evaporator systems, 5 ppm of

TRS from straight kraft recovery fur- nace systems designed for low TRS

emissions (the basis for'this design is

defined in the guideline document), 20

pl~m of TRS from all other straight

kraft recovery furnace systems, 25

ppm of TRS from cross-recovery fur- nace systems, 20 ppm of TRS from

lime kiln systems, and 5 ppm of TRS

from condensate stripper systems. These concentration standards are all

four-hour averages. The recommended

FEDERAL REGISTER, VOL 43, NO. 37-THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1978

7597

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NOTICES

emission guideline for the smelt dissolving tank is 0.0084 gram of TRS per

kilogram of black liquor solids (dry

weight). The amount of time neces- sary to retrofit an existing kraft mill can vary widely depending upon such

factors as space limitation, weather

conditions, lack of available utilities,

delays in equipment delivery, and time

required to develop engineering data.

Subject to these considerations, the

approximate times necessary to retrofit existing facilities are 3-6 years for

recovery furnaces; 2 years for digesters, multiple-effect evaporators, smelt

dissolving tanks and condensate strippers; and 2-4 years for lime kilns. The

rationale for the selection of these

guidelines, including emission test

data and control technology, is disbussed in the draft guideline document.

MISCELLANEOUS: This action is

being performed under the authority

of section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act,

as amended. In accordance with section 117 of the Act, publication of this

draft guideline document has been

preceded by consultation with appropriate advisory committees, independent experts, and Federal departments

and agencies.

Interested persons are invited to participate in the development of these

guidelines. The Administrator welcomes comments on all aspects of the

draft guideline document, including

economic and technological Issues, the

proposed test methods, and the deterfmination that TRS Is a welfare-related, rather than health-related pollutant for purposes of section 111(d) and

subpart B of 40 CFR Part 60.

AuTonrr: This notice of proposed guide- lines Is Issued under the authority of sec- tions 111, 114, and 301(a) of the Clean Air

Act, as amended, Pub. L. 91-604, 84 Stat. (42 U.S.C. 7411, 7414, 7601(a)).

Dated: February 10, 1978.

BARBARA BLUM,

ActingAdministrator

IFR Doc. 78-4794 Filed 2-22-78; 8:45 am]

FEDERAL REGISTER, VOL 43, NO.- 37-THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1978

7598

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