Ala. Admin. Code r. 335-3-5-.04

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 12, September 30, 2024

Section 335-3-5-.04 - Kraft Pulp Mills

(1) For the purposes of this Rule, the following definitions apply:

(a) "Old Design Recovery Furnaces" shall mean recovery furnaces designed to burn black liquor after direct contact evaporation, as well as units built prior to 1970, converted to an indirect contact unit prior to 1990 and whose exhaust gases pass through a wet bottom electrostatic precipitator.

(b) "New Design Recovery Furnaces" shall mean recovery furnaces designed to burn black liquor after indirect contact evaporation.

(2) Applicability. This Rule applies to manufacturing facilities for the pulping of wood and the preparation and recovery of associated chemicals by the kraft process, including combined recovery systems serving other processes such as neutral sulfite pulping.

(3) Except as provided in paragraphs (11) and (13), no owner/operator shall cause or permit an old design recovery furnace to emit more than 20 parts per million total reduced sulfur corrected to eight percent oxygen on a daily basis 12 hour average for the two consecutive periods of each operating day measured by the continuous emission monitor.

(4) Except as provided in paragraphs (11) and (13), no owner/operator shall cause or permit a new design recovery furnace to emit more than 5 parts per million total reduced sulfur corrected to eight percent oxygen on a daily basis 12 hour average for the two consecutive periods of each operating day measured by the continuous emission monitor.

(5) Except as provided in paragraphs (11) and (13), no owner/operator shall cause or permit a digester system or an evaporator system to emit more than 5 parts per million total reduced sulfur corrected to ten percent oxygen on a daily basis 12 hour average for the two consecutive periods of each operating day measured by the continuous emission monitor, unless the gases are incinerated in a unit at a minimum temperature of 1200° F for at least 0.5 seconds.

(6) Except as provided in paragraphs (11) and (13), no owner/operator shall cause or permit any lime kiln to emit more than 20 parts per million total reduced sulfur corrected to ten percent oxygen on a daily basis 12 hour average for the two consecutive periods of each operating day measured by the continuous emission monitor.

(7) Except as provided in paragraphs (11) and (13), no owner/operator shall cause or permit a smelt tank to emit more than 0.033 pounds of total reduced sulfur per ton of black liquor solids fired in the recovery furnace measured in accordance with the 40 CFR (7-1-90 Edition) Part 60, Appendix A, Method 16, 16A, or 16B as approved by the Director.

(8) Except as provided in paragraph (11), within eighteen months of this regulation's promulgation, for each affected recovery furnace, lime kiln, digester system and evaporator system the owner/operator shall have a continuous total reduced sulfur emission monitoring system installed, calibrated, maintained and operated in accordance with 40 CFR § 60.284, except that monitor spans will be approved by the Director. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this paragraph, when emissions from two or more sources are combined before release to the atmosphere, the owner/operator may install a single continuous emission monitoring system to measure the combined emissions. Digester and evaporator system emissions that are incinerated in units other than recovery furnaces or lime kilns at a minimum temperature of 1200° F for at least 0.5 seconds shall not require a continuous emission monitoring system for the measurement of total reduced sulfur.

(9) For each monitored unit, a quarterly report shall be submitted to the Department of all valid twelve hour averages determined as the arithmetic mean of the appropriate and valid 12 contiguous 1 hour average total reduced sulfur concentrations greater than the respective limits.

(10) For the purpose of quarterly reports required in paragraph (9), the following are applicable:

(a) All data averages must be calculated using valid data.

(b) Valid data is defined as each hourly and twelve hour average where the monitor provides calibrated emission data for a minimum of seventy-five percent of the unit operating time (i.e., the time a recovery furnace is firing liquor or a lime kiln is feeding lime mud).

(c) A continuous emission monitoring system installed per paragraph (8) is not calibrated (Monitor inoperable) when:

1. The continuous emission monitoring system breaks down, undergoes repairs, undergoes zero and span adjustments, or undergoes more than the required zero and span calibration drift check.

2. The fifth consecutive daily calibration drift check occurs that indicates either the zero or span calibration drift exceeded ten percent of span for total reduced sulfur or one percent for oxygen.

3. Or at the end of the daily calibration drift check preceding any daily calibration drift check that indicates the zero or span calibration drift exceeded twenty percent of span for total reduced sulfur or two percent for oxygen.

(d) Any continuous emission monitoring system found to be uncelebrated (Monitor inoperable) per subparagraph (c) of this paragraph is again calibrated when the calibration drift check after corrective action indicates both the zero and span calibration drift did not exceed ten percent of span for total reduced sulfur and one percent for oxygen.

(e) Twelve-hour periods which cannot be calculated using a minimum of seventy-five (75) percent valid data (e.g. data collected during either monitor inoperability or unit operating less than 75% of the twelve-hour period) shall be reported with an explanation of the cause of the valid data being unavailable.

(f) Data generated by required continuous emission monitoring systems which are shown to the satisfaction of the Director to be inaccurate due to unavoidable monitoring system problems shall not be considered valid.

(11) Within six months of this regulation's promulgation, the owner/operator of each affected unit shall notify the Department in writing of the compliance status of each affected unit. This notification shall state which of the following categories each unit falls into:

(a) The unit is in compliance, or;

(b) The unit is not capable of achieving compliance within six months of this regulation's promulgation. The owner/operator shall submit by that date a description of the techniques to be used to achieve compliance and a schedule (including increments of progress) that provide a final compliance date. The Director shall approve plans that he determines to be expeditious. In no case shall a plan to meet these limits specify a time period to exceed five years from this regulation's promulgation. The total reduced sulfur continuous emission monitoring system as described in paragraph (8) shall be installed and operational on the date measures designed to effect compliance are complete, or;

(c) The unit is scheduled to be permanently shut down. The owner/operator shall submit by that date a plan to shut the unit down. The Director shall approve plans that he determines to be expeditious. In no case shall a shutdown schedule exceed five years from this regulation's promulgation. A total reduced sulfur continuous emission monitoring system is not required; or

(d) The unit's compliance status is uncertain, and a determination of that status cannot be made until the monitoring system required in paragraph (8) is in operation. Within twenty-seven months of this regulation's promulgation, the owner/operator shall either confirm that the unit is in compliance or submit a description of the techniques to be used to achieve compliance and a schedule (including increments of progress) that provide a final compliance date. The Director shall approve plans that he determines to be expeditious. In no case shall a plan to meet these limits specify a time period to exceed five years from this regulation's promulgation.

(12) Each applicable emission unit shall remain subject to the following regulations until compliance with Paragraphs 1 through 11 is achieved:

(a) No person shall cause or permit the emissions of total reduced sulfur (TRS) from recovery furnaces, lime kilns, digesters, and multiple effect evaporators to exceed 1.2 pounds (expressed as hydrogen sulfide on a dry gas basis) per ton of air-dried pulp from kraft pulp mills.

(b) The pulp production rates for draft pulp mills referred to in this Rule shall be calculated as provided in Rule 335-3-4-.07(3).

(c) Notwithstanding the specific limits set forth in this Rule, in order to maintain the lowest possible emission of air contaminants, the highest and best practicable treatment and control for TRS currently available shall be provided for new kraft pulp mills.

(13) If an owner or operator demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Director that emissions in excess of the levels otherwise authorized in this regulation occur as a result of properly performed startups, shutdowns or unavoidable malfunctions these emissions will not constitute a violation.

Authors: James W. Cooper, John E. Daniel

Ala. Admin. Code r. 335-3-5-.04

Effective Date, July 26, 1972, May 29, 1973, October 30, 1992. Amended: Filed September 25, 1992, Effective November 10, 1992. Amended: Filed October 17, 1996; effective November 21, 1996.

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 22-28-14, 22-22A-5, 22-22A-6, 22-22A-8.