United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA-456-/F-(H}-004
November 2000
Office of Air QuaHiy Planning &. Standards (MP-12>
New Regulation. Controlling
Emissions from Secondary
Aluminum Production
(Sweat Fo.ni.aee Operations)
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EFA'S NEW REGULATION CONTROLLING EMISS
H The U.S. Emdronmenjal
Protection Agency (EPA) has
issued national regulations to
control air emissions from
secondary aluminum production facilities. •
These facilities include aluminum scrap
shredders, thermal chip dryers, scrap dryers/
deiacquering kilns/decoating kilns, group 2
furnaces (processing clean charge only and
no reactive fluxing), sweat furnaces, dross-
only furnaces, and rotary dross coolers.
This brochure presents a summary of the
requirements of the standard, for owners and
operators of sweat furnaces only (i.e.,
emission limits., performance testing., and
operating and monitoring requirements). The
full regulation appeared in the March 23,
2000, edition of the Federal Register [Vol.
655 No. 57, beginning on page 15690].
GENERAL INFORMATION
m What is a sweat furnace?
A sweat furnace is a unit designed and used
exclusively to reclaim aluminum from, scrap
that contains substantial quantities of iron by
using heat to separate the low melting point
aluminum from the scrap while the higher
melting point iron, remains in solid form.
These units are also commonly known as dry
hearth furnaces.
H Where are sweat furnaces located?
Due to their small size and portability, sweat
furnaces are common in many industries.
They are used to process scrap that cannot be
processed in other furnaces. For example, scrap
yards use sweat furnaces to reclaim aluminum
from many forms of scrap (sheet and cast
aluminum), and automotive salvage yards use
them to reclaim aluminum from, unusable auto
parts (such as, transmissions).
S Why are sweat furnaces included in
the regulation?
The Clean Air Act directs EPA to regulate
emissions of-188 toxic chemicals, which include
organic hazardous air pollutants (HAPs),
inorganic gaseous HAPs (hydrogen chloride,
hydrogen fluoride and chlorine), and participate
HAP metals. Some of these pollutants,
including dioxins are known to, or suspected of,
causing cancer, and all are harmful to humans.
The secondary aluminum regulation helps protect
public health by requiring that you reduce air
emissions from, your sweat furnace to comply
with "the national limits.
EPA estimates that with full compliance with this
rule, nationwide toxic emissions would be
reduced by about 12,400 tons per year (11.300
megagrams/year). Emissions of other pollutants,
such as particulate matter and volatile organic
compounds, would also be reduced.
H When must I meet these standards?
If your operation is an existing source (a sweat.
furnace that began construction or reconstruction
prior to February 11, 1999), then you must be in
compliance no later thai* March 24, 2003. On
the other hand, if you operate & new source
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ONS FROM SWEAT FURNACE OPERATIONS
(constructed or reconstructed after February 11,
1999)., then you must have complied by March
23, 2000, or upon startup, whichever is later.
H How much will it cost?
Estimates of the average cost for adding an
afterburner to a sweat furnace to control
dioxin/furan (D/F) emissions range from $8,000
to $58,000, depending on the size of the furnace.
if What happens if I don't comply?
If you fail to comply with the requirements of the
rule, you could race legal action under the Clean
Air Act. You may be assessed civil penalties of
$25,000 per day for non-compliance.
SWEAT FURNACE REQUIREMENTS
H Does this regulation apply to me?
The secondary aluminum production regulation
applies to ALL sweat furnace operations
regardless of their location and size.
H What emission limits must sweat
furnaces meet?
If you are an owner/operator of a sweat furnace,
you must control the dioxin /fiiran (D/F)
emissions from each sweat furnace to 0.80
nanogram of D/F toxic equivalent per dry
standard cubic meter (3.5 x TO"10 grain per dry
standard cubic foot) at 11 percent, oxygen.
As an alternative, you may operate and maintain
an afterburner with a design residence time of
0.8* seconds or greater and. an operating
temperature of 1600 °F or greater. If you elect to
comply with these afterburner requirements,
you would not be required to conduct emissions
testing to show compliance with the emission
limit.
S What operating standards must I
meet?
If you choose to install, and operate a.n
afterburner with a design residence time of
0.8* seconds or greater and an operating
temperature of 1600 °F or greater, then you
must, maintain the average afterburner
temperature at no less than 1600 °F. The
afterburner must operate in accordance with
your operation maintenance and monitoring
plan.
However, even if you are using an afterburner,
you can choose to comply with the emission
limits by conducting an. initial compliance test.
In this case, you must then maintain the
afterburner average operating temperature at
the level established during the performance
test.
H When must I conduct performance
tests?
If you choose to demonstrate compliance
with the requirements of the regulation by
conducting an initial compliance test, then the
test must be conducted prior to the compliance
deadline.
If you choose to compfy with the alternative
equipment standard, you are not required to
conduct emission testing.
*Th,e rule is being amended to reflect this time.
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H What test methods must I use In
conducting performance tests?
The lest method required to determine
dioxin/furan (D/F) emissions is EPA
Reference Method 23. This method and
other test methods can be found in the Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR), Appendix A,
40 CFR. Part 60, or the Emissions
Measurement Center (EMC) website at:
http: //www.epa. gov/ttn/emc
H What are the monitoring
requirements for afterburners?
You must operate a device that continuously
monitors and records the afterburner
operating temperature. This device must be
installed, at the exit of the afterburner's
combustion zone, and it must record the
temperature in 15 minute block averages and
also determine and record the average
temperature for each three-hour block period.
You must prepare and implement for each
emission unit, a written Operation
Maintenance and Monitoring (OM&M) plan,
approved by your permitting authority, that
shows how you are complying with the
national standards.
You must also inspect each afterburner at
least once a year and record the results of the
inspection. Repairs must be completed in
accordance with the OM&M plan. You
must maintain files of all information
(including all reports and notifications) for at
least five years for each affected source with
emissions controlled by an afterburner.
STATE OR LOCAL REQUIREMENTS
M How does the new EPA regulation
relate to state or local requirements?
Some state or local agencies have existing control
requirements that you must continue to meet.
Check with your state or local agency for the
specific requirements that apply to your sweat
furnace operation.
. Most state and. local permit authorities also have
operating permit programs (a Clean Air Act
requirement under Part 70) that you must comply
with. However, under this new regulation for
sweat furnaces, EPA has specified.that the state
or local permit authority lias discretion to defer
operating permits until December 9., 2004 for
sweat furnace operations at area sources of
HAPs (i.e., facilities that, emit or have the
potential to emit considering .controls, less than
10 tons per year of any individual HAP or less
than 25 tons per year of any combination of
HAPs). This deferral ib not automatic, so you
should check with your state or local agency to
see if your operation has a deferral.
FOR MOKE INFORMATION
B Wiiom can you cofttact?
For more information., contact your state or local
air pollution control agency, state Small Business
Assistance Program (SBAP), or state Small
Business Ombudsman (SBO). Remember, states
and local agencies may have additional
requirements. The State and Territorial Air
Pollution Program Administrators and
Association of Local Air Pollution Control
Officials (STAPPA/ALAPCO) website is:
http://www.4cleanair.org/
A list of the state SBAP and SBO contacts can
be found at:
http .7/wvvw. epa. gov/tta/sbap/offiees .html
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You may also contact the EPA Regional Office in
your stale or territory.
EPA .Regional Offices aiul Telephone Numbers
Region
1
2
3
4.
5
6
7
8
9
10
States
CT, ME, MA, NH,
RI,VT
NJ, NY, Puerto
Rico, Virgin
Islands
DE, MIX PA, VA,
WV., District of
Columbia
AT.-, FT.. GA, KY,
MS, NC, SC, TN
EL, IN
MI,WI
MN, OH
AR, LA, NM, OK,
TX
IA, KS, MO, NE
CO, Ml\ ND, SD,
UT\WY
AZ, CA, ffl, NV,
American Samoa,
Guam
AK, 3D, WA, OR
Telephone
(617)918-1314
(212) 637-4023
(800) 438-2474
(404)562-9131
(312) 353-6684
(312)886-6794
(312) 353-9228
(214) 665-7296
(913)551-7566
(303)312-6581
(415)744-1219
(206) 553-4273
Tlais pamphlet is intended for general reference cub-
it is not a fill] and complete statement of the
technical or legal requirements associated -with the
regulation. A copy of the rule can be obtained fron
the Federal Register or the EPA's Air Toxics
Website (ATW) rule and implementation page for
secondary aluminum at:
http://vv\^v.epa.gov/ttn/uat\v/alum2nd/alum2pg.htr
If you need TTN assistance, call (919) 541-5384.
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