Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Natural Resources
NR 400-499 - Environmental Protection - Air Pollution Control
Chapter NR 463 - National Emission Standards For Hazardous Air Pollutants For Metals Treating And Processing
Subchapter I - Chromium Emissions from Hard and Decorative Chromium Electroplating and Chromium Anodizing Tanks
Section NR 463.04 - Emission limits

Universal Citation: WI Admin Code § NR 463.04

Current through August 26, 2024

(1) MACT REQUIREMENTS. Each owner or operator of an affected source subject to the provisions of this subchapter shall comply with these requirements on and after the compliance dates specified in s. NR 463.06(1). All affected sources are regulated by applying maximum achievable control technology.

(2) APPLICABILITY OF EMISSION LIMITS.

(a) The emission limitations in this section apply during tank operation as well as during periods of startup and shutdown as these are routine occurrences for affected sources subject to this subchapter. The emission limitations do not apply during periods of malfunction. However, the work practice standards that address operation and maintenance and that are required by s. NR 463.05 shall be followed during malfunctions.

(b) If an owner or operator is controlling a group of tanks with a common add-on air pollution control device, the emission limitations of subs. (3), (4) and (5) apply whenever any one affected source is operated. The emission limitation that applies to the group of affected sources is as follows:

1. The emission limitation identified in subs. (3), (4) and (5) if the affected sources are performing the same type of operation, such as hard chromium electroplating, are subject to the same emission limitation, and are not controlled by an add-on air pollution control device also controlling sources not affected by this subchapter.

2. The emission limitation calculated according to s. NR 463.09(5) (c) if affected sources are performing the same type of operation, are subject to the same emission limitation, and are controlled with an add-on air pollution control device that is also controlling sources not affected by this subchapter.

3. The emission limitation calculated according to s. NR 463.09(5) (d) if affected sources are performing different types of operations, or affected sources are performing the same operations but subject to different emission limitations, and are controlled with an add-on air pollution control device that may also be controlling emissions from sources not affected by this subchapter.

(3) STANDARDS FOR HARD CHROMIUM ELECTROPLATING.

(a) Open surface tanks. During tank operation, each owner or operator of an existing, new or reconstructed affected source shall control chromium emissions discharged to the atmosphere from that affected source by doing any of the following:

1. Not allowing the concentration of total chromium in the exhaust gas stream discharged to the atmosphere to exceed 0.015 milligrams of total chromium per dry standard cubic meter (mg/dscm) of ventilation air (6.6 x 10-6 grains per dry standard cubic foot (gr/dscf)) for all open surface hard chromium electroplating tanks that are affected sources other than those that are existing affected sources located at small hard chromium electroplating facilities.

2. Not allowing the concentration of total chromium in the exhaust gas stream discharged to the atmosphere to exceed 0.03 mg/dscm (1.3 x 10-5 gr/dscf) if the open surface hard chromium electroplating tank is an existing affected source and is located at a small, hard chromium electroplating facility.

3. If a chemical fume suppressant containing a wetting agent is used, not allowing the surface tension of the electroplating or anodizing bath contained within the affected tank to exceed 45 dynes per centimeter (dynes/cm) (3.1 x 10-3 pound-force per foot (lbf /ft)) as measured by a stalagmometer or 35 dynes/cm (2.4 x 10-3 lbf /ft) as measured by a tensiometer at any time during tank operation.

(b) Enclosed tanks. During tank operation, each owner or operator of an existing, new or reconstructed affected source shall control chromium emissions discharged to the atmosphere from that affected source by doing any of the following:

1. Not allowing the concentration of total chromium in the exhaust gas stream discharged to the atmosphere to exceed 0.015 mg/dscm (6.6 x 10-6 gr/dscf) for all enclosed hard chromium electroplating tanks that are affected sources other than those that are existing affected sources at small, hard chromium electroplating facilities.

2. Not allowing the concentration of total chromium in the exhaust gas stream discharged to the atmosphere to exceed 0.03 mg/dscm (1.3 x 10-5 gr/dscf) if the enclosed hard chromium electroplating tank is an existing affected source and is located at a small, hard chromium electroplating facility.

3. If a chemical fume suppressant containing a wetting agent is used, not allowing the surface tension of the electroplating or anodizing bath contained within the affect tank to exceed 45 dynes/cm (3.1 x 10-3 lbf /ft) as measured by a stalagmometer or 35 dynes/cm (2.4 x 10-3 lbf /ft) as measured by a tensiometer at any time during tank operation.

4. Not allowing the mass rate of total chromium in the exhaust gas stream discharged to the atmosphere to exceed the maximum allowable mass emission rate determined by using the calculation procedure in s. NR 463.09(6) (b) for all enclosed hard electroplating tanks that are affected sources other than those that are existing affected sources located at small, hard chromium electroplating facilities.

5. Not allowing the mass rate of total chromium in the exhaust gas stream discharged to the atmosphere to exceed the maximum allowable mass emission rate determined by using the calculation procedure in s. NR 463.09(6) (d) if the enclosed hard chromium electroplating tank is an existing affected source and is located at a small, hard chromium electroplating facility.

1. An owner or operator may demonstrate the size of a hard chromium electroplating facility by meeting the criteria of s. NR 463.02(20) or (26). Alternatively, an owner or operator of a facility with a maximum cumulative potential rectifier capacity of 60 million A-hr/yr or more may be considered small if the actual cumulative rectifier capacity is less than 60 million A-hr/yr as demonstrated using one of the following procedures:

a. If records show that the facility's previous annual actual rectifier capacity was less than 60 million A-hr/yr, by using nonresettable ampere-hour meters and keeping monthly records of actual ampere-hour usage for each 12-month rolling period following the compliance date in accordance with s. NR 463.103(2) (L). The actual cumulative rectifier capacity for the previous 12-month rolling period shall be tabulated monthly by adding the capacity for the current month to the capacities for the previous 11 months.

b. By accepting a federally-enforceable limit on the maximum cumulative potential rectifier capacity of a hard chromium electroplating facility and by maintaining monthly records in accordance with s. NR 463.103(2) (L) to demonstrate that the limit has not been exceeded. The actual cumulative rectifier capacity for the previous 12-month rolling period shall be tabulated monthly by adding the capacity for the current month to the capacities for the previous 11 months.

2. Once the monthly records required to be kept by s. NR 463.103(2) (L) and by this paragraph show that the actual cumulative rectifier capacity over the previous 12-month rolling period corresponds to the large designation, the owner or operator is subject to the emission limitation identified in par. (a) 1. or 3. or (b) 1., 3. or 4., in accordance with the compliance schedule of s. NR 463.06(1) (e).

(4) STANDARDS FOR DECORATIVE CHROMIUM ELECTROPLATING TANKS USING A CHROMIC ACID BATH AND CHROMIUM ANODIZING TANKS. During tank operation, each owner or operator of an existing, new or reconstructed decorative chromium electroplating tank using a chromic acid bath or chromium anodizing tank shall control chromium emissions discharged to the atmosphere from that affected source by one of the following:

(a) By not allowing the concentration of total chromium in the exhaust gas stream discharged to the atmosphere to exceed 0.01 mg/dscm (4.4Ã—10-6 gr/dscf).

(b) If a chemical fume suppressant containing a wetting agent is used, by not allowing the surface tension of the electroplating or anodizing bath contained within the affected tank to exceed 45 dynes per centimeter (dynes/cm) (3.1 x 10-3 pound-force per foot (lbf /ft)) as measured by a stalagmometer or 35 dynes/cm (2.4 x 10-3 lbf /ft) as measured by a tensiometer at any time during operation of the tank.

(5) STANDARDS FOR DECORATIVE CHROMIUM ELECTROPLATING TANKS USING A TRIVALENT CHROMIUM BATH.

(a) Each owner or operator of an existing, new or reconstructed decorative chromium electroplating tank that uses a trivalent chromium bath that incorporates a wetting agent as a bath ingredient is subject to the recordkeeping and reporting requirements of ss. NR 463.103(2) (n) and 463.106(9), but is not subject to the work practice requirements of s. NR 463.05, or the continuous compliance monitoring requirements in s. NR 463.07. The wetting agent shall be an ingredient in the trivalent chromium bath components purchased from vendors.

(b) Each owner or operator of an existing, new or reconstructed decorative chromium electroplating tank that uses a trivalent chromium bath that does not incorporate a wetting agent as a bath ingredient is subject to the standards of sub. (4).

(c) Each owner or operator of existing, new or reconstructed decorative chromium electroplating tank that had been using a trivalent chromium bath that incorporates a wetting agent and ceases using this type of bath shall fulfill the reporting requirements of s. NR 463.106(9) (c) and comply with the applicable emission limitation within the timeframe specified in s. NR 463.06(1) (f).

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Wisconsin may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.