EHS

EHS | 2009 safety program | recent safety improvements

ASCIP: A Beyond Compliance Environmental Leader

Atlantic States continues to make tremendous strides with its environmental management program to ensure proper air emissions and storm water and waste management. All employees are trained regarding environmental processes, and in accordance with EPA requirements, receive environmental contingency plan training yearly.

Atlantic States restructured its environmental affairs department in August 2005 with the hiring of Dennis Zurakowski as the new director of environmental engineering and Jeffery Smith as senior environmental engineer. Together, the two industry veterans bring more than 40 years of combined experience in environmental engineering and compliance.

The company has been working closely with the Warren-Northampton RThe company has partnered with the Warren-Northampton Regional Air Quality Advisory Panel, to plan a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) focusing on mercury-related issues.

In 2004, Atlantic States upgraded its Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS), which, in accordance with its permit, includes an optimized cupola control system to monitor carbon monoxide emissions and processes to capture fugitive emissions. Atlantic States has invested in technology and processes to eliminate process water discharges from the facility by appropriately collecting, filtering, recycling, and reusing all the water used in the manufacturing process.

Atlantic States is committed to expanding beneficial reuse and recycling options for waste materials and byproducts, and identifying waste minimization opportunities. Atlantic States, one of the leading recyclers in the industry, currently works with numerous outside recycling partners to find safe and legal beneficial uses for certain waste materials and byproducts, such as the use of concrete pipe lining waste as road base for highways and as additives for planting soils. Atlantic States has invested in radiation detection technology to scan all materials arriving at the facility to ensure that materials entering the facility are free from radioactive contamination.

The First in North America: Atlantic States’ Mercury Emissions Reduction Project

Key Facts

  • ASCIP will be the first foundry in North America to apply control technology to substantially limit mercury emissions, even though its current system meets mercury emission limits.

  • ASCIP will go beyond compliance with current and anticipated air regulations in advance of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's strict standards set for January 1, 2010.

  • The system represents an investment in excess of $9.3 million and will begin operation by January 2006.

  • Aesthetically, the new emission control system will completely eliminate the water vapor cloud, which is a byproduct of the current emission system.

Background

  • On December 6, 2004, the NJDEP published a final rule setting standards for mercury air emissions from certain types of sources. Under the new rule, by January 1, 2010, foundries and steel mills in New Jersey must achieve a mercury emission rate of 35 mg/ton of steel produced by purchasing mercury-free scrap or 75 percent control efficiency by installing and operating add-on controls.

  • Thus, Atlantic States must reduce its mercury emissions by January 1, 2010 from approximately 52 pounds per year (actual) to approximately 12 pounds per year.

  • To date, add-on emission control technology has not been demonstrated to significantly reduce mercury emissions from a foundry cupola anywhere in the world.  Atlantic States does not buy, use, or add mercury in its process; the mercury comes from automotive scrap.

  • Atlantic States has been unsuccessfully pressuring vendors to eliminate mercury in the scrap.

  • Atlantic States has agreed to install a state-of-the-art emission control system comprised of a baghouse with activated carbon injection to substantially reduce mercury emissions. Atlantic States installation and successful operation of this mercury control technology is “technology-forcing” and establishes state-of-the-art mercury controls in the foundry industry nationwide for years to come.

  • Atlantic States began operation of this leading edge technology in 2006, four years in advance of the January 1, 2010 compliance deadline, thereby voluntarily removing approximately 160 pounds of mercury from the environment.

  • The new technology surpasses cupola emission standards set by the USEPA in April 2004 in the iron foundry industry’s Maximum Achievable Control Technology Standards (MACT).

  • Atlantic States also installed and operates a continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS) to monitor mercury emissions. Emissions data will be used solely for the purpose of advancing this technology, which has not yet been demonstrated to yield reliable results. Quarterly stack testing will continue to be the method used to determine compliance with mercury emissions. NJDEP and Atlantic States may, in the future, agree to use CEMS to monitor compliance with mercury limits.

  • Atlantic States has agreed to allow its technology to be studied and used as a model for mercury control at other foundries throughout the United States.

  • The emission control system is expected to yield the following additional environmental benefits:
    • Reduce CO emissions by 60 percent
    • Reduce particulate emissions
    • Reduce arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, and manganese emissions
    • Reduce natural gas use by 10 percent, thus reducing NOx, CO, and CO2 emissions
    • Reduce electricity consumption by 25 percent, thus reducing NOx, CO, and CO2 emissions
    • Eliminate fan upsets and associated citizen complaints to the NJDEP
    • Improve dispersion from the stack since the temperature will be higher
    • Reduce waste disposal by approximately 40 tons per day
    • Improve beneficial reuse of the dry material collected from the baghouse
    • Allow waste heat recovery, reducing plant wide NOx, CO, and CO2 emissions
    • Reduce offsite noise from the elimination of the high-pressure scrubber fans
    • Reduce odor associated with the existing plume
    • Eliminate the visible steam plume for the first time since 1856

  • The installation of the new emission control system and leading-edge mercury control technology positions Atlantic States to compete for the “New Jersey Environmental Excellence Award” in 2006, given annually by the NJDEP to individuals, businesses, and communities making significant contributions to environmental protection in New Jersey.