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 440.47 - Grain elevators

(a) The provisions of this section apply to each affected facility at any grain terminal elevator or any grain storage elevator, except as provided under sub. (5) (b). The affected facilities are each truck unloading station, truck loading station, barge and ship unloading station, barge and ship loading station, railcar loading station, railcar unloading station, grain dryer and all grain handling operations.

(b) Any facility under par. (a) which commences construction, modification or reconstruction after August 3, 1978 is subject to the requirements of this section.

(a) "Capture system" means the equipment such as sheds, hoods, ducts, fans, dampers, etc. used to collect particulate matter generated by an affected facility at a grain elevator.

(b) "Column dryer" means any equipment used to reduce the moisture content of grain in which the grain flows from the top to the bottom in one or more continuous packed columns between 2 perforated metal sheets.

(c) "Fugitive emission" means the particulate matter which is not collected by a capture system and is released directly into the atmosphere from an affected facility at a grain elevator.

(d) "Grain" means corn, wheat, sorghum, rice, rye, oats, barley and soybeans.

(e) "Grain elevator" means any plant or installation at which grain is unloaded, handled, cleaned, dried, stored or loaded.

(f) "Grain handling operations" include bucket elevators or legs (excluding legs used to unload barges or ships), scale hoppers and surge bins (garners), turn heads, scalpers, cleaners, trippers, and the headhouse and other such structures.

(g) "Grain loading station" means that portion of a grain elevator where the grain is transferred from the elevator to a truck, railcar, barge or ship.

(h) "Grain storage elevator" means any grain elevator located at any wheat flour mill, wet corn mill, dry corn mill (human consumption), rice mill or soybean oil extraction plant which has a permanent grain storage capacity of 35,200 m3 (ca. 1 million bushels).

(i) "Grain terminal elevator" means any grain elevator which has a permanent storage capacity of more than 88,100 m3 (ca. 2.5 million U.S. bushels), except those located at animal food manufacturers, pet food manufacturers, cereal manufacturers, breweries and livestock feedlots.

(j) "Grain unloading station" means that portion of a grain elevator where the grain is transferred from a truck, railcar, barge or ship to a receiving hopper.

(k) "Permanent storage capacity" means grain storage capacity which is inside a building, bin or silo.

(L) "Process emission" means the particulate matter which is collected by a capture system.

(m) "Rack dryer" means any equipment used to reduce the moisture content of grain in which the grain flows from the top to the bottom in a cascading flow around rows of baffles or racks.

(n) "Railcar" means railroad hopper car or boxcar.

(o) "Unloading leg" means a device which includes a bucket-type elevator which is used to remove grain from a barge or ship.

(a) On and after the 60th day of achieving the maximum production rate at which the affected facility will be operated, but no later than 180 days after initial startup, no owner or operator subject to the provisions of this section may cause to be discharged into the atmosphere any gases which exhibit greater than zero percent opacity from any:

(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 cause to be discharged into the atmosphere from any affected facility except a grain dryer any process emission which:

(c) On and after the 60th day of achieving the maximum production rate at which the affected facility will be operated, but no later than 180 days after initial startup, no owner or operator subject to the provisions of this section may cause to be discharged into the atmosphere any fugitive emission from:

(d) The owner or operator of any barge or ship unloading station shall operate as follows:

(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). Acceptable alternative methods and procedures are given in par. (c).

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

(c) The owner or operator may use the following as alternatives to the reference methods and procedures specified in this subsection:

(a) The factor 6.5 shall be used in place of "annual asset guidelines repair allowance percentage," to determine whether a capital expenditure as defined by in s. NR 440.02 has been made to an existing facility.

(b) For purposes of this chapter, the following physical changes or changes in the method of operation may not by themselves be considered a modification of any existing facility described under sub. (1) (a):