NOTICES
Availability of the Final General Plan Approval and General Operating Permit
[29 Pa.B. 2918]
Sintering Furnaces in Powder Metallurgy Facilities
(BAQ-GPA/GP-8) The Department of Environmental Protection (Department) finalized the General Plan Approval and General Operating Permit (BAQ-GPA/GP-8) for Sintering Furnaces in Powder Metallurgy Facilities. Notice regarding the availability of the draft general permit was published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on April 17, 1999 (28 Pa.B. 1678).
The Sintering Furnace General Permit was drafted in consultation with the Powder Metallurgy industry. A 45-day comment period was provided; however, no comments were received.
The general permit is now available for use by qualifying applicants. Copies of the final general permit and application form are available by contacting: Kimberly Maneval, Bureau of Air Quality, Rachel Carson State Office Building, P. O. Box 8468, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8468, (717) 787-4325.
The documents have also been placed on the Department's World Wide Web site which can be accessed at http://www.dep.state.pa.us, select Bureau of Air Quality, then Division of Permits.
1. Statutory Authority and General Description--In accordance with section 6.1(f) of the Air Pollution Control Act (35 P. S. § 4006.1) and 25 Pa. Code § 127.622, the Department of Environmental Protection (Department) hereby issues this general plan approval and general operating permit for powder metal sintering furnaces (hereinafter referred to as Sintering Furnaces General Permit).
2. Applicability/Source Coverage Limitations--This Sintering Furnaces General Permit is designed to serve as either a Plan Approval or an Operating Permit for sintering furnaces used exclusively in powder metals industries designed to sinter parts with metal containing lubricants such as zinc and lithium stearates.
Operating Permit
Sintering furnaces are exempted from the permitting requirements of § 127.402 if the furnace emits particulate matter less than or equal to 0.15 pound/hour as determined by mass balance calculations or stack testing, using maximum metal throughput and maximum percent lubricant. The company claiming exemption shall maintain records to demonstrate compliance with the above emission limitation. This general permit is intended for use by sintering furnaces with particulate matter emissions from each furnace greater than 0.15 pounds per hour. The company claiming exemption shall maintain records to demonstrate compliance with the above process limitations.
Plan Approval
Sintering furnaces equipped with particulate matter control systems (other than flame curtains or afterburners) are not eligible for this general permit. These furnaces shall be subject to the Plan Approval and Operating Permit requirements of 25 Pa. Code §§ 127.11 and 127.402. Powder metal sintering furnaces using only organic lubricants at equal to or less than 0.75% organic lubricant by weight are exempt from plan approval requirements. The furnace atmosphere must contain hydrogen (H2) at 3% or greater. The furnace must also maintain an operating flame curtain between part entry and pre-heat zone. In the absence of an operating flame curtain, furnace must operate an afterburner. A sintering furnace using higher than 0.75% organic lubricant or lower than 3% hydrogen may be exempt from permitting requirements by submitting a Request for Determination form.
The owner or operator of a sintering furnace used to sinter parts which are treated with oil is not eligible for this general permit.
3. Application for Use--Any person proposing to operate or construct under this Sintering Furnaces General Permit shall notify the Department using the Sintering Furnaces General Permit Application provided by the Department and shall receive prior written approval from the Department as required under 25 Pa. Code § 127.621 (relating to application for use of general plan approvals and general operating permits). The Department will take action on the application within 30 days of receipt.
4. Compliance--Any sintering furnaces operating under this Sintering Furnaces General Permit must comply with the terms and conditions of the general permit. The sintering furnaces shall be:
a. Operated in such a manner as not to cause air pollution.
b. Operated and maintained in a manner consistent with good operating and maintenance practices.
c. Operated and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications and the applicable terms and conditions of this Sintering Furnaces General Permit.
5. Permit Modification, Suspension and Revocation--This Sintering Furnaces General Permit may be modified, suspended or revoked if the Department determines that affected sintering furnaces cannot be regulated under this general permit. Authorization to use this Sintering Furnaces General Permit shall be suspended or revoked if the permittee fails to comply with applicable terms and conditions of the Sintering Furnaces General Permit.
The approval herein granted to operate the sintering furnaces shall be suspended, if, at any time, the permittee causes, permits or allows any modification without Departmental approval (as defined in 25 Pa. Code § 121.1) of the sintering furnaces covered by this general permit. Upon suspension of the general permit, the permittee may not continue to operate or use the sintering furnaces. If warranted, the Department will require that the sintering furnaces be permitted under the State operating permit or Title V operating permit requirements in 25 Pa. Code Chapter 127, if applicable.
6. Notice Requirements--The applications and notifications required by 25 Pa. Code § 127.621 shall be sent to the appropriate Regional Office responsible for issuing general plan approvals and operating permits in the county in which the sintering furnace is, or will be, located.
The permittee shall notify the Department within 24 hours or by 12 noon of the next business day following a weekend or holiday of any malfunction of the sintering furnaces which results in, or may possibly be resulting in, the emission of air contaminants in excess of the limitations specified in, or established under, any applicable rule or regulation contained in 25 Pa. Code, Subpart C, Article III (relating to air resources).
7. Sampling and Testing--If, at any time, the Department has cause to believe that air contaminant emissions from a sintering furnace covered by this general permit are in excess of the limitations specified in, or established under, any applicable regulation contained in 25 Pa. Code Subpart C, Article III, the permittee shall conduct tests deemed necessary by the Department to determine the actual emission rates.
The permittee shall perform the testing in accordance with applicable provisions of 25 Pa. Code Chapter 139 (relating to sampling and testing) and in accordance with any restrictions or limitation established by the Department at the time the permittee is notified, in writing, of the testing requirement.
8. Monitoring, Recordkeeping and Reporting--The permittee shall comply with applicable monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting requirements set forth in 25 Pa. Code Chapter 139 (relating to sampling and testing), the Air Pollution Control Act, the Clean Air Act, or the regulations thereunder applicable to the source. The permittee shall collect and record the information specified in this condition. The information shall be maintained at the facility for a minimum of 5 years and shall be made available upon request to the Department. The information required is the amount of powder metal mix processed and percent by weight of metal containing lubricant in the mix for each product for each sintering furnace.
9. Term of Permit--The applicant will be issued a letter authorizing the applicant to operate for a fixed term of 5 years under this Sintering Furnaces General Permit.
10. Permit and Administrative Fees--The Sintering Furnaces General Permit establishes the following application and renewal fees payable every 5 years if no equipment changes occur:
a. Two hundred fifty dollars during the 1995-1999 calendar years.
b. Three hundred dollars during the 2000-2004 calendar years.
c. Three hundred seventy-five dollars beginning in the 2005 calendar year.
A facility using this general permit will be required to submit a new general permit application, along with the appropriate fees, prior to the installation of additional sintering furnaces.
11. Expiration and Renewal of Permit--The permittee's right to operate under this Sintering Furnaces General Permit terminates on the date of expiration of this permit unless a timely and complete renewal application is submitted to the Department 30 days prior to the permit expiration date.
Upon receipt of a complete and timely application for renewal, the sintering furnaces may continue to operate subject to final action by the Department on the renewal application. This protection shall cease to exist if, subsequent to a completeness determination, the applicant fails to submit by the deadline specified in writing by the Department any additional information required by the Department to process the renewal application.
The Sintering Furnaces General Permit application for renewal shall include the identity of the owner or opera-tor, location of the sintering furnaces, current permit number, description of source category, the appropriate renewal fee listed in Condition 10 and any other information requested by the Department. At a minimum, the permit renewal fee shall be submitted to the Department at least 30 days prior to the expiration of the Sintering Furnaces General Permit.
12. Applicable Laws--Nothing in this Sintering Furnaces General Permit relieves the permittee from its obligation to comply with all applicable Federal, State and local laws and regulations.
13. Prohibited Use--Any air contamination source that is subject to the requirements of 25 Pa. Code Chapter 127, Subchapter D (relating to prevention of significant deterioration); 25 Pa. Code Chapter 127, Subchapter E (relating to new source review); 25 Pa. Code Chapter 127, Subchapter G (relating to Title V operating permits) or 25 Pa. Code § 129.91 (relating to control of major sources of NOx and VOCs) may not operate under this Sintering Furnaces General Permit. Title V facilities may use this Sintering Furnaces General Permit as a plan approval when the major new source review and prevention of significant deterioration review requirements are not applicable.
14. Transfer of Ownership or Operation--The permittee may not transfer the Sintering Furnaces General Permit except as provided in 25 Pa. Code § 127.464 (relating to transfer of operating permits).
15. Plan Approval--This Sintering Furnaces General Permit authorizes the construction of new sintering furnaces that meet the best available technology (BAT) required under 25 Pa. Code §§ 127.1 and 127.12(a)(5). For purposes of this general permit, BAT for sintering furnaces are those limits specified in Condition 16.
This permit also authorizes operation of the source provided the estimated airflow included in the general plan approval application is verified using Department approved methods within a period of 180 days from the date of commencement of operation of the sintering furnaces, and the Department receives written notice from the owner or operator of the completion of construction and the operator's intent to commence operation at least 5 working days prior to the completion of construction.
16. Emission Limitations--The operation of a sintering furnace shall not at any time result in the emission of:
a. Particulate matter emissions as determined by mass balance calculations or stack test in excess of 0.04 gr/dscf as specified in 25 Pa. Code § 123.13(c).
b. Visible emissions from sintering furnace stacks in excess of the following limitations:
i. Equal to or greater than 20% for a period or periods aggregating more than 3 minutes in any 1 hour.
ii. Equal to or greater than 60% at any time.
c. Sulfur compound emissions in excess of 500 parts per million, by volume, dry basis, as specified in 25 Pa. Code § 123.21.
d. Odor emission in such a manner that the malodors are detectable outside the property of the permittee as specified in 25 Pa. Code § 123.31.
JAMES M. SEIF,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 99-899. Filed for public inspection June 4, 1999, 9:00 a.m.]
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