Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0085-0417
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2023-08-16T04:00Z

From: 
Jonelle S Scheetz <JSScheetz@uss.com>
Sent:
Wednesday, August 10, 2016 2:59 PM
To: 
Jones, DonnaLee <Jones.Donnalee@epa.gov>
Cc:
Coleen Davis <CDavis@uss.com>; Raymond, Gabrielle <graymond@rti.org>; Shappley, Ned <Shappley.Ned@epa.gov>
Subject: 
Re: [External]-Re: EPA questions: U. S. Steel Clairton Works - Coke Oven ICR Questions

Dr. Jones, 

Please see the response below from the lab: 

Per our discussion the other day, the three methods we are not able to perform in house are the PAH's by EPA method 610, chloride by Standard Methods 4110 or Standard Methods 4500-Cl and Total dissolved solids by EPA method 160.1. 
  
Here are the reasons we are unable to perform these analyses: 
  
PAH's by EPA method 610 is using a HPLC instrument, which our laboratory does not have this piece of equipment and not certified by the PADEP to perform this analysis.  However, our low level EPA method 625 by GC/MS instrument is just as sensitive and gives more definitive results and our laboratory is certified by the PADEP to perform this analysis. 
  
Chloride Analysis by SM4110 is using an Ion Chromatography instrument which our laboratory does have this piece of equipment, but are not certified by the PADEP to perform the analysis by this method. However, EPA method 300 and SW9056 are both Ion Chromatography methods which our laboratory are certified by the PADEP to perform this analysis. 
  
Chloride Analysis by SM4500-Cl-D is a Potentiometric method and our laboratory is not certified by the PADEP to perform this analysis. 
  
Total Dissolved Solids by EPA method 160.1 our laboratory is not certified by the PADEP for this method, however the laboratory is certified by the PADEP for TDS by SM2540C method which are comparable methods. 
  
Thank you, 

Jonelle Scheetz
Clairton Environmental
United States Steel Corporation
Office: 412-233-1015
Cell: 412-445-1946

From:        "Jones, DonnaLee" <Jones.Donnalee@epa.gov> 
To:        Jonelle S Scheetz <JSScheetz@uss.com> 
Cc:        Coleen Davis <CDavis@uss.com>, "Shappley, Ned" <Shappley.Ned@epa.gov>, GABRIELLE RAYMOND <graymond@rti.org> 
Date:        08/08/2016 10:20 AM 
Subject:        Re: [External]-Re: EPA questions: U. S. Steel Clairton Works - Coke Oven ICR Questions 
                                       

Does the lab lack the equipment or the expertise or both?

Regards,
Donna Lee Jones, Ph.D.
Senior Technical Advisor, Metals Sector
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
Sector Policies and Programs Division / Metals & Inorganic Chemicals Group (D243-02)
Research Triangle Park, NC  27711  Tele:  (919)  541-5251  Fax  (919)  541-3207
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Reasonableness never fails to be appreciated."  - anon.

________________________________________
From: Jonelle S Scheetz <JSScheetz@uss.com>
Sent: Monday, August 8, 2016 10:15:59 AM
To: Jones, DonnaLee
Cc: Coleen Davis; Shappley, Ned; GABRIELLE RAYMOND
Subject: Fw: [External]-Re: EPA questions: U. S. Steel Clairton Works - Coke Oven ICR Questions

Dr. Jones,

Please see answers below in green:

2. What do you see as the a potential problem with what you plan to do?

I do not see any problem with the intended sampling, I just wanted to verify that you have not problem with this plan.

3. Why do you not want to use the required water sampling methods? Do you mean you would want to substitute just the sampling parts or also the analysis parts of the other methods listed?

The lab that we are intending to use, does not perform the required methods in the ICR.  They do, however, perform the EPA approved methods that I inquired about.  We would like to be able to send all of the analyses to the same lab under the same project to avoid any confusion.

Thank you,

Jonelle Scheetz
Clairton Environmental
United States Steel Corporation
Office: 412-233-1015
Cell: 412-445-1946

----- Forwarded by Jonelle S Scheetz/MonValley/USS on 08/08/2016 09:16 AM -----

From:        "Jones, DonnaLee" <Jones.Donnalee@epa.gov>
To:        Jonelle S Scheetz <JSScheetz@uss.com>
Cc:        Coleen Davis <CDavis@uss.com>, "Shappley, Ned" <Shappley.Ned@epa.gov>, GABRIELLE RAYMOND <graymond@rti.org>
Date:        08/04/2016 02:05 PM
Subject:        [External]-Re: EPA questions: U. S. Steel Clairton Works - Coke Oven ICR Questions
________________________________

Thanks for contacting me for clarification. I have some comments and questions.

1. Yes, of course.
2. What do you see as the a potential problem with what you plan to do?
3. Why do you not want to use the required water sampling methods? Do you mean you would want to substitute just the sampling parts or also the analysis parts of the other methods listed?

Regards,
Donna Lee Jones, Ph.D.
Senior Technical Advisor, Metals Sector
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
Sector Policies and Programs Division / Metals & Inorganic Chemicals Group (D243-02)
Research Triangle Park, NC  27711  Tele:  (919)  541-5251  Fax  (919)  541-3207
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Reasonableness never fails to be appreciated."  - anon.

________________________________________
From: Jonelle S Scheetz <JSScheetz@uss.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 4, 2016 1:39:06 PM
To: Jones, DonnaLee
Cc: Coleen Davis
Subject: U. S. Steel Clairton Works - Coke Oven ICR Questions

Dr. Jones,

Please see the following questions regarding the ICR testing at U. S. Steel - Clairton Works for 7A Quench Tower:

1.  EPA Method 315.  Clarification.  "Toluene to be used instead of methylene chloride as solvent for extraction."  It will be assumed EPA intended toluene to replace methylene chloride for sample collection and extraction.

2.  H2S by EPA Method 15 or 16.  Language in ICR page 11 of 40 for hydrogen sulfide is unclear regarding duration of test runs.  "Perform all tests over a period of at least 3 clock hours."    A single quench sample period for one rail car of coke will last approximately 2 minutes and ~ 4 quenches per hour are expected.  U. S. Steel proposes to complete the sampling at the Quench Tower in three clock hours collecting approximately 16 quench events for this method.

3.  For water sampling specifically, can the following methods replace the required methods in Enclosure 2?

      Pollutant                Required Method        Proposed Method
      Mercury                EPA 200.7(2)                EPA 245.1 (3) [method is mercury specific]
      PAH                        EPA 610 (5)                EPA 625 (6)
      TDS                        EPA 160.1(7)                SM 2540D

Thank you very much for your consideration in this matter,

Jonelle Scheetz
Clairton Environmental
United States Steel Corporation
Office: 412-233-1015
Cell: 412-445-1946