United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA530-R-08-001 February 2008 National Priority Chemicals Trends Report (2001-2005) Section 4 Chemical Specific Trends Analyses for Priority Chemicals (2001-2005): Hexachloroethane (HCE) Hazardous Waste Minimization and Management Division Office of Solid Waste U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Contact Information: Bill Kline, Senior Data Analyst Analysis & Information Branch (540) 341-3631 kline.bill@epa.gov Tammie Owen, Data Analyst Analysis & Information Branch (703) 308-4044 owen.tammie@epa.gov Ben Lesser, Chief Analysis & Information Branch (703) 308-0314 lesser.ben@epa.gov ------- Hexachloroethane (HCE) Chemical Information: Alternate Names - carbon hexachloride, ethane hexachloride, perchloroethane General Uses - HCE is used by the military to make weapons that produce smoke, such as smoke pots and grenades used during training. It is also used to remove air bubbles in melted aluminum. HCE may be present as an ingredient in fungicides, insecticides, lubricants and plastics. How Much Hexachloroethane Was Generated? Exhibit 4.78. National Generation of Hexachloroethane (2001-2005) TRI Reporting Year 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Total Quantity of HCE (pounds) 4,145,249 4,056,497 2,694,131 3,772,853 6,149,898 Number of TRI Facilities Reporting HCE 8 9 9 9 9 For 2005, nine facilities reported approximately 6.1 million pounds of HCE, representing an increase of approximately 2 million pounds, or 48 percent, compared to the total quantity of HCE reported for 2001. Since 2001, the number of reporting facilities remained relatively constant (Exhibit 4.78). Exhibit 4.79. Distribution of Quantities for Facilities Reporting Hexachloroethane (2005) Hexachloroethane (6,149,898 pounds) Quantity Reported Number of Facilities Reporting This Quantity (2005) Percent of Total Quantity of HCE (2005) up to 10 pounds 0 0.0% between 11 -100 pounds 0 0.0% between 101 -1,000 pounds 0 0.0% between 1,001 - 10,000 pounds 1 0.1% between 10,001 - 100,000 pounds 3 1.5% between 100,001 - 1 million pounds 2 4.7% > 1 million pounds 3 93.7% Three of the nine facilities reported approximately 94 percent of the total national quantity of HCE in 2005 (Exhibit 4.79). 4-56 ------- WASHINGTON V MAINE EPA Region 1 NORTH DAKOTA EPA" Region 8 / NEW \ » YORK 1 y epa Region 2 OREGON NEWjHAMPSHI EPA Region 10 \ Huron SOUTH DAKOTA MASSffSHUSET" -^T^jTODEIS COWiEiftlCUT WISCONSINi WYOMING MICHIGAN PENNSYLVANIA I EPA I Region.3-^ NEBRASKA NEVADA NSW JERSEY EPA— Region 7 )ELAWARE TOYLAND COLORADO fWEST MRGIh KANSAS VIRGINIA MISSOURI KENTUCKY NORTH CAROLINA OKLAHOMA NEW MEXICO EPA Region 4 SOUTH ^CAROLINA I EPA \ Region 6 ARKANSAS ARIZONA ALABAMA UNITED STATES TEXAS MISSISSIPJ LOUISIANA AJaska Gulf of Mexico ¦FLORIDA Where Was Hexachloroethane Generated? Exhibit 4.80. Location of Facilities that Reported Hexachloroethane (2005) 9 Facilities Reporting Hexachloroethane ~ 3 largest facilities reporting hexachloroethane • Other facilities reporting hexachloroethane x EPA „ v CALIFORNIA.-^ . ^ Pacific \ Region 9, Ocean Atlantic Ocean Facilities Reporting Hexachloroethane (2005) Office of Solid Waste - Fall 2007 Analysis and Information Branch For 2005, nine facilities in five states reported HCE (Exhibit 4.80). Exhibit 4.81. Quantity of Hexachloroethane, by EPA Region and State (2001-2005) EPA Region State 2001 (pounds) 2002 (pounds) 2003 (pounds) 2004 (pounds) 2005 (pounds) Percent of Total National Quantity of HCE (2005) 6 LA 1,506,255 918,178 1,945,275 3,342,716 4,308,456 70.1% 6 IX 2,575,079 2,989,804 645,719 400,049 1,679,391 27.3% 10 OR 0 0 91,255 17,867 101,119 1.6% 9 CA 0 0 0 0 55,576 0.9% 5 Ml 63,652 63,076 11,549 11,529 5,356 0.1% Since 2001, facilities in two states: Louisiana and Texas, have reported most of the HCE, including approximately 97 percent of the total quantity for 2005 (Exhibit 4.81). Some highlights concerning trends for the reported quantity of HCE in states include: 4-57 ------- • In Louisiana, the quantity of HCE fluctuated significantly from year to year, as follows: o For 2002, two facilities reported decreases of approximately 440,000 pounds and 140,000 pounds, respectively. o For 2003, a facility reported an increase of approximately 1 million pounds. o For 2004, the same facility that reported the large increase in 2003 reported a further increase of 1.4 million pounds. o For 2005, the other facility reported an increase of approximately 1.3 million pounds. • In Texas, the quantity of HCE also fluctuated significantly in several years, as follows: o For 2003, a facility reported a decrease of approximately 2.4 million pounds, o For 2005, this same facility reported an increase of approximately 1.5 million pounds. • In Oregon, a federal facility reported significant fluctuations for both 2004 and 2005 due to the extent that HCE was used as a "surrogate" in trial burns to ensure their incinerators are properly operating prior to introducing the chemical weapon materials. • In California, a facility reported HCE for the first time in 2005. Exhibit 4.82. Quantity of Hexachloroethane, by State and County (2005) State County Quantity (pounds) of HCE Percent of Total National Quantity of HCE (2005) 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 LA Iberville 711,410 572,045 1,641,315 2,996,866 2,682,667 43.6% TX Brazoria 2,309,015 2,760,822 386,648 167,233 1,641,075 26.7% LA Ascension 137,180 128,800 126,869 165,210 1,436,915 23.4% LA Calcasieu 657,665 217,333 177,091 180,640 188,874 3.1% OR Umatilla 0 0 91,255 17,867 101,119 1.6% CA Contra Costa 0 0 0 0 55,576 0.9% TX Harris 266,064 228,982 259,071 232,816 38,316 0.6% Ml Lenawee 63,652 63,076 11,549 11,529 5,356 0.1% Total 4,145,249 4,056,497 2,694,131 3,772,853 6,149,898 100.0% Three facilities, one each located in the Louisiana counties of Iberville and Ascension and in Brazoria County, Texas, reported approximately 94 percent of the HCE for 2005 (Exhibit 4.82). 4-58 ------- Which Industries Generated Hexachloroethane? Exhibit 4.83. Industry Sectors Quantities of Hexachloroethane (2001-2005) Primary SIC Code SIC Description Number of Facilities Reporting HCE in This SIC Code (2005) Quantity (pounds) of HCE Percent of Total National Quantity of HCE (2005) 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2869 Industrial organic chemicals, nec 3 266,064 801,027 1,900,386 3,229,682 2,720,983 44.2% 2819 Industrial inorganic chemicals, nec 1 0 0 0 0 1,641,075 26.7% 2812 Alkalies and chlorine 2 3,815,533 3,107,494 690,941 346,543 1,625,789 26.4% 9711 National security 1 0 0 91,255 17,867 101,119 1.6% Total 7 4,081,597 3,908,521 2,682,582 3,594,091 6,088,966 99.0% For 2005, nine facilities in six SIC codes reported HCE. Exhibit 4.83 shows the quantity of HCE for the four industry sectors in which facilities reported 99 percent of this PC for 2005. Facilities in SIC 2812 (Alkalies and chlorine) reported the largest quantities of HCE from 2001 to 2002. Since 2003, facilities in SIC 2869 (Industrial organic chemicals, nec) reported the largest quantities of HCE. For 2002, the large increase reported by SIC 2869 facilities, along with the corresponding large decrease reported by SIC 2812 facilities, was due, in part, to a facility that reported under SIC 2869 beginning in 2002, rather than under SIC 2812 as it had done for 2001. For 2004, SIC 2869 facilities reported a significant increase of approximately 1.3 million pounds primarily attributed to increased production and improved flow measurement equipment which resulted in the facility using larger volume flow streams in calculating quantities of HCE. For 2005, a facility that had previously reported under SICs 2812 and 2821 instead reported under in SIC 2819 (Industrial inorganic chemicals, nec), resulting in the large increase of approximately 1.6 million pounds for SIC 2819. Another facility in SIC 2812 reported an increase of approximately 1.3 million pounds primarily attributed to changes in feedstock composition and groundwater remediation. One facility in SIC 2869 (Industrial organic chemicals, nec) reported an increase of approximately 1.4 million pounds for 2004. This increase was attributed to increased production and improved flow measurement equipment which resulted in the facility using larger volume flow streams in calculating quantities of HCE. Aside from the approximately 1.3 million pound increase reported by one facility in SIC 2812, several facilities reported decreases for 2005 due to hurricane-related operational problems. 4-59 ------- How Did Facilities Manage Hexachloroethane? Exhibit 4.84. Trends in Management Methods for Hexachloroethane (2001-2005) Management Method for Hexachloroethane 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Disposal Quantity (pounds) 233 306 254 263 75 Energy Recovery Quantity (pounds) 455,985 206,953 139,929 146,243 134,712 Treatment Quantity (pounds) 3,689,031 3,849,238 2,553,948 3,626,347 6,015,111 Recycled (pounds)1" 850,000 3,530,419 2,336,505 2,279,804 3,320,347 Exhibit 4.84 shows the national trends for how facilities managed HCE in 2001-2005. Disposal: Since 2001, relatively small quantities of HCE were disposed of. Energy Recovery: Since 2001, three facilities reported using energy recovery for their HCE. A facility in Louisiana that reported approximately 358,000 pounds or 78 percent of the total energy recovery quantity for HCE in 2001 has since reported an average of approximately 96,000 pounds each year. Treatment: By far, since 2001, facilities treated most of the HCE. Recycling: Since 2001, facilities recycled significant quantities of HCE; an average of 2.9 million pounds per year since 2002. Two facilities, one each in Louisiana and Texas, reported most of the recycling, including approximately 2.8 million pounds or 84 percent of the total quantity for 2005. 18 For additional information on recycled quantities see footnote 8. 4-60 ------- Exhibit 4.85. Management Met lods for Hexachloroethane in Industry Sectors (2005) Primary SIC Code SIC Code Description Onsite Disposal (pounds) Offsite Disposal (pounds) Onsite Energy Recovery (pounds) Offsite Energy Recovery (pounds) Onsite T reatment (pounds) Offsite T reatment (pounds) Onsite Recycling (pounds) Offsite Recycling (pounds) 2869 Industrial organic chemicals, nec 0 0 33,862 0 2,674,971 12,150 0 0 2819 Industrial inorganic chemicals, nec 75 0 0 0 1,600,000 41,000 1,500,000 0 2812 Alkalies and chlorine 0 0 95,394 0 1,530,218 178 1,300,000 0 9711 National security 0 0 0 0 0 101,119 0 0 2879 Pesticides and agricultural chemicals, nec 0 0 0 100 54,491 985 482,451 842 2821 Plastics materials and resins 0 0 0 5,356 0 0 0 37,054 Total 75 0 129,256 5,456 5,859,680 155,432 3,282,451 37,896 Exhibit 4.85 shows how facilities, by SIC code, managed HCE in 2005. Facilities in all industry sectors overwhelmingly treated (incinerated) HCE, mostly onsite. Two facilities, one each in SIC 2819 (Industrial inorganic chemicals, nec) and SIC 2812 (Alkalies and chlorine) reported the largest recycling quantities. Two facilities, one each in SIC 2879 (Pesticides and agricultural chemicals, nec) and SIC 2821 (Plastics materials and resins) recycled a larger quantity of HCE than was managed using other methods 4-61 ------- |