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EPA-335
A	
2EZEnvironmental News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1975
EPA SETS NEW SOURCE AIR POLLUTION STANDARDS FOR STEEL INDUSTRY
The Environmental Protection Agency today announced
final air pollution control standards for new or modified
electric arc furnaces in steel plants.
This type of furnace accounts for an estimated 21 per-
cent of all major emissions from the steel industry. As
a result of these regulations, electric arc furnace emis-
sions should be reduced approximately 95.6 percent from
previous uncontrolled levels.
The standards apply to both new furnaces, and to exist-
ing ones modified in a manner that increases their emissions.
The regulations affect any furnace that produces molten
steel and heats the steel-producing materials with electric
arcs from carbon electrodes. The rules, however, do not
affect either furnaces from whch molten steel is cast into
the shape of finished products—as in a foundry—or furnaces
that continuously add prereduced ore pellets as the primary
source of iron.
The standards regulate the emission of particulates
and the visibility (opacity) of the emissions. Gases
emitted from an electric arc furnace control device cannot
exceed 12 milligrams of particulates per cubic meter of
dry air under standard conditions, and must exhibit less
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than 3 percent opacity. Additional standards are set for
those gases not passing through the control device.
In addition, affected companies are required to monitor
and record their emission levels. Compliance with the
standards will be determined through performance tests
conducted by the companies involved. EPA must be notified
in advance of such compliance tests to permit observation
by Federal officials.
It is anticipated that approximately .15 additional new
or modified furnaces will become subject to these standards
each year. Applying these controls will cost about $1.90
per ton of steel billet produced. The current price of
such steel is around $190 per ton.
In addition to the electric arc regulations, EPA has
issued—or will issue—new source air pollution rules for
other processes within the steel industry. In March 1974,
the Agency promulgated final standards for basic oxygen
furnaces. Currently being developed are regulations for
sintering plants and for coke ovens—a major contributor
to steel industry emissions.
These new rules are issued under authority of the
1970 Clean Air Act Amendments, which require EPA to establish
performance standards for categories of industries causing
or contributing to the endangerment of public health or
welfare. The standards reflect the degree of emission
limitation achieveable using the best adequately demonstrated
technology, taking into account the cost to affected indus-
tries .
*
The new regulations are published in the Federal Register
of September 23, 1975.
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