From: Kurtis Blohm 

To: lstaron@headwaters.com 

CC: Bartram, Deborah; Hall.Josh@epamail.epa.gov; Holman, Sarah; 

Jordan.Ronald@epamail.epa.gov; madams@headwaters.com; pfote@headwaters.com; 

tschmaltz@headwaters.com 

Date: 12/18/2009 10:00 AM 

Subject: Follow Up to Conference Call with EPA 

Lance, 

 

Thank you very much for taking the time for the conference call with EPA on 

Dec 2. The information you provided on ash handling systems was very 

helpful, and we hope to continue the communications with you as EPA 

progresses through the information collection stages of the Steam Electric 

rulemaking. As we discussed during the conference call, EPA would appreciate 

your comments on Part C of the draft Steam Electric questionnaire, which can 

be found at: 

http://www.epa.gov/guide/steam/questionnaire.pdf 

In particular, we would appreciate your input on whether EPA is asking the 

right questions for developing a model to estimate the cost of wet-to-dry ash 

handling system conversions (for both fly and bottom ash). EPA is also open 

to any other comments on how Part C or the rest of the questionnaire might be 

improved. 

As we discussed during the conference call, EPA/ERG will be laying out an 

approach for the development of the ash handling system cost model, and EPA 

would appreciate Headwaters’ input at that time to help ensure that costs are 

estimated as accurately as possible. EPA would also welcome any other 

information that you could provide to help in this effort. As discussed, you 

may claim any information you provide as confidential. EPA will handle such 

information in accordance with the Agency’s strict confidential business 

information (CBI) handling procedures. 

 

Please let me know if you have any questions for EPA, and feel free to 

contact Ron Jordan in the future. Ron’s contact information is provided 

below. 

 

Ron Jordan: 

Email: Jordan.ronald@epa.gov 

Phone: 202-566-1003 

 

Regards, 

Kurt 

 

Kurt Blohm 

Chemical Engineer 

Eastern Research Group, Inc. 

14555 Avion Pkwy, Suite 200 

Chantilly, VA 20151 

(703) 633-1675 
From: Kurtis Blohm 

To: kevinmcdonough@unitedconveyorsupply.com 

CC: Bartram, Deborah; Hall.Josh@epamail.epa.gov; Holman, Sarah; 

Jordan.Ronald@epamail.epa.gov 

Date: 12/18/2009 9:50 AM 

Subject: Follow Up to Conference Call with EPA 

Kevin, 

 

Thank you very much for taking the time for last week’s conference call with EPA. The 

information you provided on ash handling systems was extremely helpful, and we hope to 

continue the communications with you as EPA progresses through the information collection 

stages of the Steam Electric rulemaking. EPA is interested in your offer for future meetings at 

power plants or at your testing facilities and plans to contact you soon to discuss potential 

opportunities. 

 

As we discussed during the conference call, EPA would appreciate your comments on Part C of 

the draft Steam Electric questionnaire, which can be found at: 

 

http://www.epa.gov/guide/steam/questionnaire.pdf 

 

In particular, we would appreciate your input on whether EPA is asking the right questions for 

developing a model to estimate the cost of wet-to-dry ash handling system conversions (for both 

fly and bottom ash). EPA is also open to any other comments on how Part C or the rest of the 

questionnaire might be improved. 

 

Additionally, during the conference call, you provided cost estimates for converting from wet to 

dry fly ash handling for a 600 MW generating unit. EPA would appreciate any additional cost 

curves or budget information that you would feel comfortable providing that may help EPA 

predict the cost of converting to dry bottom/fly ash handling at power plants. For example, 

during the conference call we discussed that economies of scale have a large effect on total 

system cost. If UCC has any "rules of thumb" to share with EPA (e.g., plants with 4 generating 

units generally need 2 silos, etc.), we would greatly appreciate this information. We would also 

like to reiterate that you may claim any information you provide as confidential. EPA will handle 

such information in accordance with the Agency’s strict confidential business information (CBI) 

handling procedures. 

 

Lastly, during the conference call, ERG emailed you a link to EPA’s Final Detailed Study 

Report, which lists the power plants that EPA visited during the detailed study, and EPA asked 

that you identify at which of these plants you have been involved with wet-to-dry ash handling 

conversions. For reference, EPA’s site visit list can be found on page 2-5 of Final Detailed Study 

Report (link provided below). 

 

http://www.epa.gov/guide/steam/finalreport.pdf 

 

In addition to the facilities visited during the detailed study, EPA also visited the following 

power plants recently in 2009: 

 
-Allen (NC) 

-Cape Fear (NC) 

-Catawba (SC) 

-H.B. Robinson (SC) 

-Monroe (MI) 

-Karn/Weadock (MI) 

-Kinder Morgan (MI) 

-Sanford (FL) 

-Polk (FL) 

-Chesterfield (VA) 

 

Please let me know if you have any questions for EPA, and feel free to contact Ron Jordan in the 

future. Ron’s contact information is provided below. 

 

Ron Jordan: 

Email: jordan.ronald@epa.gov 

Phone: 202-566-1003 
From: Kurtis Blohm 

To: RonG@deltaducon.com 

CC: Bartram, Deborah; Hall.Josh@epamail.epa.gov; Holman, Sarah; 

Jordan.Ronald@epamail.epa.gov 

Date: 12/18/2009 10:07 AM 

Subject: Follow Up to Conference Call with EPA 

Ron, 

Thank you very much for taking the time for the conference call with EPA on Dec 4. The 

information you provided on ash handling systems was extremely helpful, and we hope to 

continue the communications with you as EPA progresses through the information collection 

stages of the Steam Electric rulemaking. As we discussed during the conference call, EPA would 

appreciate your comments on Part C of the draft Steam Electric questionnaire, which can be 

found at: 

http://www.epa.gov/guide/steam/questionnaire.pdf 

In particular, we would appreciate your input on whether EPA is asking the right questions for 

developing a model to estimate the cost of wet-to-dry ash handling system conversions (for both 

fly and bottom ash). EPA is also open to any other comments on how Part C or the rest of the 

questionnaire might be improved. 

Additionally, EPA would greatly appreciate the compilation of cost and design information that 

you offered to provide to help in the development of EPA’s ash handling cost model. Lastly, I 

would like to follow up on Ron Jordan's request for the DRYCON presentation that you 

presented at PowerGen as well as any other relevant materials, papers, or ash handling system 

performance data that you or your European counterparts would be able to share. 

 

We would also like to reiterate that you may claim any information you provide as confidential. 

EPA will handle such information in accordance with the Agency’s strict confidential business 

information (CBI) handling procedures. 

Please let me know if you have any questions for EPA, and feel free to contact Ron Jordan in the 

future. Ron’s contact information is provided below. 

 

Ron Jordan: 

Email: jordan.ronald@epa.gov 

Phone: 202-566-1003 

Regards, 

Kurt 

 

Kurt Blohm 

Chemical Engineer 

Eastern Research Group, Inc. 

14555 Avion Pkwy, Suite 200 
Chantilly, VA 20151 

(703) 633-1675