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# IOKIO)??R-S'-I\ UNIO N CARBID E UNIO N CARBID E CORPORATIO N SOLVENT S AN D COATING S MATERIAL S DIVISIO N P.O

. BO X471

. TEXA S CITY

. TEXA S 77592-047 1 Septembe r 15 , 198 6 Regiona l Administrato r EPA , Regio nV I 120 1 El mStree t Dallas , T X7527 0 Nationa l Respons e Cente r Commandan t - GTG C - 2 210 0 Secon d Street , S.W . Washington , D C 2059 3 Subject : Superfun d Reportin g - Continuou s Release s Dea r Si r o r Madam : A s yo u ar e aware , ther e ha s bee nconsiderabl e confusio n regardin g th e 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 , and Liabilit yAc t o f 198 0 (CERCLA ) provision s addressin g continuou s release s (Sectio n103(f ) ( an d federall ypermitte d release s Sectio n101(a)(10)) . Indeed , i nEPA' s promulgatio no f th e fina l regulation s addressin g reportin g requirement s generally , EP Astate d tha t "du e t o th e complexit yo f th e issue s involved , th e Agenc yha s decide d t o study(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 yAgend a indicate d tha t EP Aintend s t o propos e regulation s o nbot hsubject s byth e end o f thi s year . Unio n Carbid e Corporatio ni s attemptin g t o assis t EP Ai ndevelopin g technicall ysoun d and consisten t regulations . T o tha t end , Unio n Carbide , togethe r wit hsevera l othe r intereste d companies , hav e me t wit hEP Ai nWashingto n and explore d variou s issue s and concern s regardin g continuou s and federall ypermitte d releas e matters . W e inten d t o continu e thes e discussions . I naddition , th e Texa s Cit yPlan t and Marin e Termina l o f Unio n Carbid e wishe s t o shar e wit hEP Aand th e Nationa l Respons e Cente r dat a and informatio nregardin g certai n ai r release s whic hi t believe s ma y fi t withi nth e continuou s releas e o r federall ypermitte d releas e reportin g exemptions . Thi s dat a and information , whic har e enclosed , relat e t o emission s whic har e routine , anticipated ' release s t o th e ai r incidenta l t o th e norma l manufacturing , treatmen t processes , an d operatio no f facilitie s and vessel s a t th e Texa s Cit yPlan t an d Marin e Terminal . 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 yand rat e an d ar e generall y predictabl e durin g norma l operations . Mos t o f th e enclose d dat a wer e previousl ysubmitte d t o th e stat e agenc yi nth e formo f a nAi r Emission s Inventory , date d 198 0 an d 1984 .P. 2

EPA/NR C Septembe r 15 , 198 6 Pag e 2 I t mus t b e recognize d and emphasize d tha t th e emissio nvalue s (whic har e reporte d 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 base d o non e o r mor e variabl e factor s and sources , whic hma yinclud e proces s desig n calculation s (bot hoperationa l and treatment) , samplin g data , emissio n factor s and

- ofte n requir e individua l engineerin g judgments . Fo r example , th e us e o f controversia l emissio nfactor s i ncalculatin g fugitiv e losse s ca nlea d t o widel yvaryin g results . I nth 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 , th e Texa s Cit yPlan t and Marin e Termina l intend s t o repor t anyrelease s whic har e know nt o excee d th e uppe r limi t o f th e identifie d range . Reportabl e release s no t covere d b yth e enclose d informatio nwil l continu e t o b e reporte d o na nindividua l basis . I nth e cours e o f ou r dat a compilatio nand review , w e identifie d a nissu e o f broa d applicatio nwhic hw e wis ht o brin g t o you r attention . A s yo u ar e aware , nitroge ndioxide , whic hi s bot ha hazardou s substanc e unde r CERCL Aand a criteri a pollutan t unde r th e Clea nAi r Act , i s generate d a s a produc t o f combustio ni nindustria l boilers , flar e and othe r combustio n devices . Fro mal l suc hsources , nitroge ndioxid e i s produce d a t rate s ofte nmeasure d i 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 i n CERCLA' s reportin g requirements . A s a criteri a pollutant , nitroge ndioxid e emission s ar e eithe r directl ypermitte d o r generall yregulate d (fo r th e large r sources ) unde r Stat e Implementatio nPlans . I neithe r case , EP Ai s awar e o f thei r existenc e and ha s n o reaso nt o exercis e it s authorit yunde r CERCL Ai nrespons e t o suc hemissions . Accordingly , w e ar e no t / submittin g anydat a regardin g suc hnitroge ndioxid e emissions . \ Th e Unio nCarbid e Texa s Cit yPlan t and Marin e Termina l believe s th e dat a and informatio ncontaine d i nthi s submissio nestablis hfo r i t th e identifie d ai r emission s a s continuou s release s unde r CERCLA . I f NR C o r EP Awant s t o receiv e additiona l dat a o r information , o r i f yo u hav e anyquestion s regardin g th e content s o f thi s lette r o r it s attachments , pleas e advis e me . Ver ytrul yyours , 

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F
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. Provejrt-an o Plan t Manage r FSP:TDS:IR:SuprfTD S ^ Attachment sSUMMAR YO F CONTINUOU S EMISSION S FO RTH E TEXA S CIT YPLAN T AN D MARIN E TERMINA L ( 1 )

Chemica l Nam e Benzen e Ethylen e Oxid e CA S No . 7143 2 7521 8 (2 )

Sourc e Marin e Termina l
Batc hReactio na t Ethylen e Oxid e Derivative s Uni t Continuou s Reactio n a t Ethylen e Oxid e Derivative s Uni t (3 )

Caus e o f Releas e Barg e Loadin g Norma l Productio no f Commodit y Surfactant s Productio n o f Specialt y Produc t Surfactant s (4 ) No . o f time s R Q equalle d o r exceede d pe r yea r 2 4 36 5

3 0 (5 )

Rang e o f Releas e Minimu mMaximu m (lb/day ) (lb/day ) 120 0 1 160 0 7 1 5 1

2 0 | 4 6