Document ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2006-0771-0762
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2007-11-02T04:00Z

SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1 

	

Project No.: 0172.04.022.020

	

DISTRIBUTION

Page _1_ of  __1_

	

Project Name: Steam Electric Detailed Study  

	

TELEPHONE CALL RECORD

	  Outgoing Call	

Date: 1/31/07

	

Time: 2:30 pm EST

	

Company Name: GE Water and Process Technologies

                            Oakville, Ontario 	

Contact Name:   James Harwood and Tim Pickett

Phone No.:(905) 465-3030 ext. 3284 and (801) 485-4988 

	

Name:  TJ Finseth	

Eastern Research Group

	

GENERAL SUBJECT :  Zenon ABMet system for the treatment of FGD
wastewater

	

TOPICS DISCUSSED AND ACTION TAKEN

On Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 10:30 am I left a message for Ms. Sandra
Brunell (ext. 3266) asking her to call me back.

On Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 11:00 am, Ms. Brunell called me back.  I
explained to Ms. Brunell that I am a contractor for the U.S. EPA and
that I wanted to obtain some information about the Zenon ABMet system. 
Ms. Brunell connected me to Mr. James Harwood.  After my call with Mr.
Harwood, he provided me with the contact information for Mr. Tim Pickett
to obtain more detailed information about the system.

I asked Mr. Harwood to describe the typical characteristics of the FGD
scrubber wastewater.  Mr. Harwood explained that the wastewater entering
the ABMet system is not the same as the wastewater right off of the
scrubber.  He also told me that currently the ABMet system is not in
place at any steam electric facilities for the treatment of FGD
wastewater; however there are four facilities that are planning on
installing the system at the facilities.  Two of the systems will be
installed at the end of 2007.

Mr. Harwood went on to explain that some of the facilities have large
settling ponds and others have chemical precipitation prior to the ABMet
system.  Mr. Pickett explained that the ABMet system could not be used
to treat raw FGD wastewater right off the scrubber because of the high
solids content.  Prior to the system, there needs to be a solids/gypsum
removal system.  Therefore, the ABMet system could be directly
downstream of hydrocyclones.  Mr. Harwood told me that the system is
designed to treat selenium, mercury, and nitrates in the wastewater;
however, other heavy metals are removed in the system.  He explained
that the concentrations that the system will be treating vary depending
on the coal used and the treatment used prior to the system.  He stated
that some of the facilities have the following concentrations entering
the system:

Selenium: 30 ppm

Mercury: 3 - 40 ppb

Nitrates: Not sure

Mr. Harwood explained that the ABMet system is a biological treatment
system that uses carbon media for microbial growth.  He explained that
the system typically consists of 2 bioreactors, which contain the same
cocktail of micro-organisms.  The cocktail of micro-organisms is
determined based on the facility-specific wastewater.  The first
bioreactor removes most of the nitrate from the wastewater and the
second bioreactor removes most of the metals.  Mr. Harwood explained
that the system can treat the wastewater to the following
concentrations:

Selenium: single digit ppb

Mercury: less than single digit ppb

Nitrate: non-detect

Mr. Pickett explained that the effluent concentrations depend on the
influent concentration.  Therefore, if the influent if too high for the
system to treat it to the level required, then it may require there to
be an initial chemical precipitation process prior to the system to
reach the single digit ppb level.  Mr. Pickett also explained that the
system can treat the wastewater to lower levels, and the company is
still working on optimizing the system to achieve lower levels.

Mr. Harwood explained that approximately every 3 to 6 months, the system
needs to be backflushed to remove the solids build up in the system. 
The solids removed are typically dewatered and landfilled.  Those are
the only wastes from the system.   

Mr. Pickett stated that he would send me a paper that has some
performance data on the system.  He also stated that he would send me an
EPA study about the system that was for the treatment of coal mining
waste.

Mr. Pickett stated that he does not think that the effluent from the
system could be used as recycle water because the system does not treat
the chlorides present in the water.  He stated that the FGD system blows
down because of the chlorides, and because the chlorides are not
treated, the wastewater could not be recycled.  Mr. Pickett stated that
a typical chemical precipitation system would not remove the chlorides
either.  Mr. Pickett stated that a reverse osmosis system could be used
to make the water recyclable.  

Mr. Pickett stated that the cost of the system is mostly capital costs,
and that the only operating and maintenance costs are for the nutrients
that the micro-organisms require.  Mr. Pickett stated that the cost of
the system is dependant on the flow rate of the wastewater.  He stated
that he would send me a rough estimate for the cost of the system based
on MGD.  

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