Hazardous waste emission standards

Particulate matter emissions in relation to hazardous waste combustion standards. 

The toxic air pollution regulations in the 1990 amendments contain requirements expressly for hazardous waste emissions. The CAA established the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs), which applies to those substances that are harmful to public health. A list of 188 substances has been developed that the USEPA must regulate under the CAA. Similar to nonhazardous pollutants, a source is designated as major if it discharges over 10 tons per year of any one of the 188 listed substances, or over 25 tons per year of any combination of substances. All other stationary sources of hazardous air pollutants are considered area sources. 

Emissions from hazardous waste combustors are regulated under two statutory authorities RCRA and the CAA. The MACT standards set emission limitations for dioxins, furans, metals, particulate matter, total chlorine, hydrocarbons/carbon monoxide, and destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) for organics. Once a facility has demonstrated compliance with the MACT standards by conducting its comprehensive performance test (CPT) and submitting its notification of compliance (NOC), it is no longer subject to the RCRA emission requirements with a few exceptions. RCRA-permitted facilities, however, must continue to comply with their permitted emissions requirements until they obtain modifications to remove any duplicative emissions conditions from their RCRA... 

To control the emission of organics, these units must comply with similar DRE requirements to the other hazardous waste combustion units. Owners or operators of MACT combustion units must select POHCs and demonstrate a DRE of 99.99% for each POHC in the hazardous wastestream. Sources that bum hazardous waste have a required DRE of 99.9999% for each POHC designated. Additionally, for dioxins and furans, U.S. EPA promulgated more stringent standards under MACT. For example, MACT incinerators and cement kilns that bum waste with dioxins and furans must not exceed an emission limitation of either 0.2 ng of toxicity equivalence per dry standard cubic meter (TEQ/m3) or 0.4 ng TEQ/m3 at the inlet to the dry particulate matter control device. This unit of measure is based on a method for assessing risks associated with exposures to dioxins and furans. 

Hazardous waste burning incinerators, cement kilns, and LWAKs do not follow a tiered approach to regulate the release of toxic metals into the atmosphere. The MACT rule finalized numerical emission standards for three categories of metals mercury, low-volatile metals (arsenic, beryllium, and chromium), and semivolatile metals (lead and cadmium). Units must meet emission standards for the amount of metals emitted. For example, a new cement kiln must meet an emission limit of 120pg/m3 of mercury, 54pg/m3 of low-volatile metals, and 180 pg/m3 of semivolatile metals. 

In addition, these units are also subject to the general TSDF facility standards under RCRA. Flazardous waste incinerators and hazardous waste burning cement kilns and LWAKs are also subject to the CAA MACT emission standards. A complete overview of the MACT standards and additional information about hazardous waste combustion can be found in Ref. 13. 

The Subpart O standards4 for hazardous waste incinerators set performance standards that limit the quantity of gaseous emissions an incinerator may release. Specifically, the regulations set limits on the emission of organics, HC1, and PM. The following section outlines the requirements for each of these substances. 

The combustors affected by this rule detoxify or recover energy from hazardous waste and include incinerators, cement kilns, lightweight aggregate kilns, boilers and process heaters, and hydrochloric acid production furnaces. U.S. EPA estimates that 145 facilities operate 265 devices that burn hazardous waste. These technology-based standards reduce emissions of hazardous pollutants, including lead, mercury, arsenic, dioxin and furans, and HC1 and chlorine gas. In addition, emissions of PM are also reduced. 

U.S. EPA promulgated MACT standards for most HWCs on September 30, 1999. These emission standards created a technology-based national cap for HAP emission from the combustion of hazardous waste in these devices. A number of parties, representing both industrial and environmental communities, requested judicial review of this rule, and challenged its emission standards and several implementation provisions. On July 24,2001, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the emission standards however, it allowed EPA to promulgate interim standards that were in place since February 13, 2002. U.S. EPA issued the new Final Rule and standards on April 20, 2004. Today s standards30 31 shown in Tables 23.5 and 23.6 result from the above judiciary and regulatory actions. 

U.S. EPA s recommendations regarding stack emission tests, which may be performed at hazardous waste combustion facilities for the purpose of supporting MACT standards and multipathway, site-specific risk assessments, where such a risk assessment has been determined to be necessary by the permit authority, can be found in the U.S. EPA document on Risk Burn Guidance for Hazardous Waste Combustion Facilities.32 The applicability of the new standards has been demonstrated in the management of hazardous waste incinerators, whose performance was shown to clearly surpass the regulatory requirements in all tested areas.33... 

Source U.S. EPA, Fact Sheet—Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) Standards, EPA530-F-05-018, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, September 2005 and U.S. EPA, 40 CFR Parts 9, 63, 260, 264, 265, 266, 270 and 271, National emission standards for hazardous air pollutants Final standards for hazardous air pollutants for hazardous waste combustors, final rule, Federal Register, 70, 196, October 12, 2005. a Standards expressed as mass of pollutant per million Btu contributed by the hazardous waste. 

Levels of NOx emissions in relation to Clean Air Act ambient standards and the risk-based alternative acute emissions guidance levels from Volume I of the Hazardous Waste Combustion Risk Analysis Guidance Document (EPA, 1998). This will address NOx as potentially convertible to nitric acid. 

Metals emissions, e.g., mercury emissions, in relation to EPA s hazardous waste combustion maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards and a site-specific, risk-based analysis that is particularly focused on silver and other metals impacted by the formation of chlorinated and nitrated volatile metals. 

Standards to control organic emissions, hazardous waste codes F021, F022, F023, F026, and F027 99.9999% DRE 40 CFR 266.104 EPA 1991 h... 

A heavy emphasis was given to use of performance standards in the Louisiana hazardous waste regulations. Associated with these performance standards are a number of design standards and operating requirements designed to minimize releases or emissions of hazardous wastes. 

In October 2005, under authority of the Clean Air Act and RCRA, the EPA issued its final national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants from hazardous waste combustors. The standards require hazardous waste combustors to meet hazardous air pollutant emission standards reflecting the application of maximum achievable controllable technology (MACT). These standards are applicable to any hazardous waste incinerator, including the chemical agent disposal facilities. In some states, separate air permits are issued to hazardous waste incinerators, while in others the RCRA permit requirements are adopted or changed to implement the requirements of the new MACT emissions standards for controlling the following pollutants ... 

In October 2005, the EPA issued a final rule updating the RCRA emission standards for hazardous waste incinerators based on maximum achievable control technology (MACT) that is commonly employed under the CAA. Therefore, hazardous waste incinerators are subject to MACT combustion unit performance standards and operating requirements, in addition to RCRA standards. 

The Hazardous Waste Combustion MACT rule states that a site-specific risk assessment is recommended for a specific site if the MACT controls do not sufficiently protect human health. If the MACT standards are sufficiently protective of health and the emissions are below the MACT standards, a new HRA is not typically required. 

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants From Petroleum Refineries National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants from Off-Site Waste and Recovery Operations... 

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Source Categories Generic Maximum Achievable Control Technology Standards National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Steel Pickling—HCI Process Facilities and Hydrochloric Acid Regeneration Plants National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Mineral Wool Production National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants From Hazardous Waste Combustors National Emission Standards for Pharmaceuticals Production... 

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