Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Natural Resources
NR 400-499 - Environmental Protection - Air Pollution Control
Chapter NR 440 - Standards of performance for new stationary sources
Subchapter II - Standards of Performance
Section NR 440.31 - Primary emissions from basic oxygen process furnaces for which construction is commenced after June 11, 1973

Universal Citation: WI Admin Code § NR 440.31

Current through August 26, 2024

(1) APPLICABILITY AND DESIGNATION OF AFFECTED FACILITY.

(a) The affected facility to which the provisions of this section apply is each basic oxygen process furnace.

(b) Any facility under par. (a) that commences construction or modification after June 11, 1973, is subject to the requirements of this section.

(2) DEFINITIONS. As used in this section, terms not defined in this subsection have the meanings given in s. NR 440.02.

(a) "Basic oxygen process furnace" or "BOPF" means any furnace with a refractory lining in which molten steel is produced by charging scrap metal, molten iron, and flux materials or alloy additions into a vessel and introducing a high volume of an oxygen-rich gas. Open hearth, blast and reverberatory furnaces are not included in this definition.

(b) "Primary emissions" means particulate matter emissions from the BOPF generated during the steel production cycle and captured by the BOPF primary control system.

(c) "Primary oxygen blow" means the period in the steel production cycle of a BOPF during which a high volume of oxygen-rich gas is introduced to the bath of molten iron by means of a lance inserted from the top of the vessel or through tuyeres in the bottom or through the bottom and sides of the vessel. This definition does not include any additional or secondary oxygen blows made after the primary blow or the introduction of nitrogen or other inert gas through tuyeres in the bottom or bottom and sides of the vessel.

(d) "Steel production cycle" means the operations conducted within the BOPF steelmaking facility that are required to produce each batch of steel and includes the following operations: scrap charging, preheating (when used), hot metal charging, primary oxygen blowing, sampling (vessel turndown and turnup), additional oxygen blowing (when used), tapping, and deslagging. This definition applies to an affected facility constructed, modified, or reconstructed after January 20, 1983. For an affected facility constructed, modified, or reconstructed after June 11, 1973, but on or before January 20, 1983, "steel production cycle" means the operations conducted within the BOPF steelmaking facility that are required to produce each batch of steel and includes the following operations: scrap charging, preheating (when used), hot metal charging, primary oxygen blowing, sampling (vessel turndown and turnup), additional oxygen blowing (when used) and tapping.

(3) STANDARD FOR PARTICULATE MATTER.

(a) Except as provided under par. (b), on and after the date on which the performance test required to be conducted by s. NR 440.08 is completed, no owner or operator subject to the provisions of this section may discharge or cause the discharge into the atmosphere from any affected facility any gases which:

1. Contain particulate matter in excess of 50 mg/dscm (0.022 gr/dscf).

2. Exit from a control device and exhibit 10% opacity or greater, except that an opacity of greater than 10% but less than 20% may occur once per steel production cycle.

(b) For affected facilities constructed, modified, or reconstructed after January 20, 1983, the following limits shall apply:

1. On or after the date on which the performance test under s. NR 440.08 is required to be completed, no owner or operator of an affected facility for which open hooding is the method for controlling primary emissions may cause to be discharged to the atmosphere any gases that:

a. Contain particulate matter in excess of 50 mg/dscm (0.022 gr/dscf), as measured for the primary oxygen blow.

b. Exit from a control device not used solely for the collection of secondary emissions, as defined in s. NR 440.315(2), and exhibit 10% opacity or greater, except that an opacity greater than 10% but less than 20% may occur once per steel production cycle.

2. On or after the date on which the performance test required by s. NR 440.08 is completed, no owner or operator of an affected facility for which closed hooding is the method for controlling primary emissions may cause to be discharged into the atmosphere any gases that:

a. Contain particulate matter in excess of 68 mg/dscm (0.030 gr/dscf), as measured for the primary oxygen blow.

(c) On and after the date on which the performance test required by s. NR 440.08 is completed, each owner or operator of an affected facility subject to par. (b) shall operate the primary gas cleaning system during any reblow in a manner identical to operation during the primary oxygen blow.

(4) MONITORING OF OPERATIONS.

(a) The owner or operator of an affected facility shall maintain a single time-measuring instrument which shall be used in recording daily the time and duration of each steel production cycle, and the time and duration of any diversion of exhaust gases from the main stack servicing the BOPF.

(b) The owner or operator of any affected facility that uses venturi scrubber emission control equipment shall install, calibrate, maintain, and continuously operate monitoring devices as follows:

1. A monitoring device for the continuous measurement of the pressure loss through the venturi constriction of the control equipment. The monitoring device shall be certified by the manufacturer to be accurate within " 250 Pa (" 1 inch water).

2. A monitoring device for the continuous measurement of the water supply pressure to the control equipment. The monitoring device shall be certified by the manufacturer to be accurate within " 5% of the design water supply pressure. The monitoring device's pressure sensor or pressure tap shall be located close to the water discharge point. The department shall be consulted for approval in advance of selecting alternative locations for the pressure sensor or tap.

3. All monitoring devices shall be synchronized each day with the time-measuring instrument used under par. (a). The chart recorder error directly after synchronization may not exceed 0.08 cm (1/32 inch).

4. All monitoring devices shall use chart recorders which are operated at a minimum chart speed of 3.8 cm/hr (1.5 in/hr).

5. All monitoring devices shall be recalibrated annually, and at other times as the department may require, in accordance with the procedures under s. NR 440.13(2).

(c) Any owner or operator subject to requirements under par. (b) shall report to the department, on a semiannual basis, all measurements over any 3-hour period that average more than 10% below the average levels maintained during the most recent performance test conducted under s. NR 440.08 in which the affected facility demonstrated compliance with the mass standards under sub. (3) (a) 1., (b) 1. a. or 2. a. The accuracy of the respective measurements, not to exceed the values specified in par. (b) 1. and 2., may be taken into consideration when determining the measurement results that must be reported.

(5) TEST METHODS AND PROCEDURES.

(a) In conducting the performance tests required in s. NR 440.08, the owner or operator shall use as reference methods and procedures the test methods in Appendix A of 40 CFR part 60, incorporated by reference in s. NR 440.17, or other methods and procedures as specified in this subsection, except as provided in s. NR 440.08(2).

(b) The owner or operator shall determine compliance with the particulate matter standards in sub. (3) as follows:

1. The time-measuring instrument of sub. (4) shall be used to document the time and duration of each steel production cycle and each diversion period during each run.

2. Method 5 shall be used to determine the particulate matter concentration. The sampling time and sample volume for each run shall be at least 60 minutes and 1.50 dscm (53 dscf). Sampling shall be discontinued during periods of diversions.

a. For affected facilities that commenced construction, modification or reconstruction on or before January 20, 1983, the sampling for each run shall continue for an integral number of steel production cycles. A cycle shall start at the beginning of either the scrap preheat or the oxygen blow and shall terminate immediately before tapping.

b. For affected facilities that commenced construction, modification or reconstruction after January 20, 1983, the sampling for each run shall continue for an integral number of primary oxygen blows.

3. Method 9 and the procedures in s. NR 440.11 shall beused to determine opacity. Observations taken during a diversion period may not be used in determining compliance with the opacity standard. Opacity observations taken at 15-second intervals immediately before and after a diversion of exhaust gases from the stack may be considered to be consecutive for the purpose of computing an average opacity for a 6-minute period.

(c) The owner or operator shall use the monitoring devices of sub. (4) (b) 1. and 2. for the duration of the particulate matter runs. The arithmetic average of all measurements taken during these runs shall be used to determine compliance with sub. (4) (c).

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