P. 1



### UNIO N CARBID E

UNIO N CARBID E CORPORATIO N 3 9 OL D RIC&IEBUR Y ROAfl , DANBURY

. C

T 06817-000 1 COMMUNIT Y AN D EMPLOYE E HEALTH

. SAFET Y AN D ENVIRONMENTA L PROTECTIO N DEPARTMEN T 

# /oi(to)rfvX-s-2.i

Octobe r 1 . 198 6

Barbar a Hostag e Mai l Cod e WH-548 B U . S . Environmenta l Protectio nAgenc y 40 1 M . St. . S.W . Washington . D C 2046 0 Dea r Ms . Hostage : A s we discusse d onthe phon e thi s pas t week . I a m enclosin g nin e typica l report s fro m Unio nCarbid e facilit y manager s t o the NR C & Regiona l Administrator s regardin g continuou s release s o f hazardou s substance s unde r CERCLA . Thi s dat a an d informatio nrelat e t o emission s whic har e routine , anticipate d release s t o the ai r incidenta l t o the norma l manufacturing , treatmen t processes , an d operatio no f facilitie s o f Unio nCarbide . Thes e releases , whic hmay equa l o

r excee d the applicabl e reportabl e quantity , ar e stabl e i n quantit y

withi nth e rang e indicate d an d ar e generall y

predictabl e durin g operations . Mos t o f the enclose d dat a wer e previousl y submitte d t o the respectiv e stat e agenc y i nthe for

m o f ai r emissio n inventorie s o

r ai r pollutio npermits . A s the report s state , i t mus t b e recognize d an

d emphasize d tha t the emissio nvalue s (whic har e presente d i nthe report s a s range s of emissions ) ar e estimate s o f actua l emissions . Thes e estimate s ar e base d onon e o

r mor e variabl e factor s an d sources , whic hmay includ e proces s desig ncalculation s (bot hoperationa l an d treatment) , samplin g data , emissio nfactor s an d ofte nrequir e individua l engineerin g judgement . Fo r example , the us e o f controversia l emissio nfactor s i ncalculatin g fugitiv e emissio nlosse s ca nlea d t o widel y varyin g results . W e believ e th e dat a an d informatio ncontaine d i nthes e submission s establis hfo r thos e location s the identifie d ai r emission s a s continuou s release s unde r CERCLA . I a m i nreceip t o f on e respons e t o thes e submission s fro m th e Coas t Guar d (cop y enclosed) , whic hstate s tha t th e UnionCarbid e repor t "doe s no t constitut e a repor t a s require d b y 4 0 CF R302.6. " Nevertheless . I think yo u wil l recogniz e tha t thes e report s represen t a significan t effor t b

y UnionCarbid e t o com e t o term s wit hissue s tha t have elude d resolutio nb y eithe r EP A

o r the regulate d community . Thes e issues , whic hinclud e the definitio nan d practica l applicatio no f the term s "continuou s releases " an d "federall y

permitte d releases" , wer e the subjec t o f meeting s betwee nUnio nCarbide , othe r CM A membe rP. 2



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companies

. an

d yo u thi s pas t summe r and
. a s w e understan d it , ar e intende d t o be resolve d a s par t o f EPA' s ongoing regulatory developmen t process . W e woul d welcom e the opportunit yt o continu e thes e discussion s i n orde r t o assis t EP Ai n developing technicall y soun d an d consisten t regulations

. A s par t o f tha t process , w e woul d be please d t o discus s wit h yo u the content s o f the enclose d reports
.

R.F
. Kelle y
Enclosur e R.F.K./c v 0453 D