Update on Liberty Casting
Tom Wolber
Update on Liberty Casting
The local community has complained about “the Delaware stench” for years and has demanded the installation of better filters or scrubbers at Liberty Casting to meet local, state, and federal clean-air standards. In recent years, Sustainable Delaware Ohio (SDO) has played a leading role in the effort that culminated in a public Ohio EPA hearing on Jan. 26, 2015. Last December, Liberty Casting announced it had received approval for $180,000 in financing for cleaner air equipment by the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA). For the next six months, little happened. However, it now appears that Liberty Casting is finally getting ready to do something about its noxious and toxic air emissions that have given people headaches and led to respiratory problems. According to announcements dated 6/19 and an OEPA public notice in the “Delaware Gazette” that appeared 6/21/17, the metal-castings company has applied for a permit to install 3 fume hoods (furnace lids) “with a greater control efficiency.” It also requested permission for emissions unit P064 “to allow an increase in the current mold release limitation with a corresponding decrease to the current mold release VOC content limit resulting in a net reduction of VOC emissions.” VOCs are volatile organic compounds and include the various substances responsible for the malodor the company is infamous for. At SDO, we have tried to understand the technical details and the chemical components involved in the past, but with limited success because neither Liberty Casting nor OEPA are forthcoming with clear information. The opaqueness is deliberate. For those adventurous enough to dig deeper, the ID number is #P0121979. We can only hope that the new fume hoods will finally result in a qualitative difference in Delaware’s air. Heavy manufacturing adjacent to housing developments creates a disincentive for people and visitors, businesses and institutions to come and stay here. Places such as Liberty Casting should be relegated to distant industrial parks. I would not be surprised one bit if some day the area around Liberty Rd. will be put on a federal list of toxic superfund sites. (Tom Wolber, 6/25/17)
Stephanie Meyer
Update on Liberty Casting
The local community has complained about “the Delaware stench” for years and has demanded the installation of better filters or scrubbers at Liberty Casting to meet local, state, and federal clean-air standards. In recent years, Sustainable Delaware Ohio (SDO) has played a leading role in the effort that culminated in a public Ohio EPA hearing on Jan. 26, 2015. Last December, Liberty Casting announced it had received approval for $180,000 in financing for cleaner air equipment by the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA). For the next six months, little happened. However, it now appears that Liberty Casting is finally getting ready to do something about its noxious and toxic air emissions that have given people headaches and led to respiratory problems. According to announcements dated 6/19 and an OEPA public notice in the “Delaware Gazette” that appeared 6/21/17, the metal-castings company has applied for a permit to install 3 fume hoods (furnace lids) “with a greater control efficiency.” It also requested permission for emissions unit P064 “to allow an increase in the current mold release limitation with a corresponding decrease to the current mold release VOC content limit resulting in a net reduction of VOC emissions.” VOCs are volatile organic compounds and include the various substances responsible for the malodor the company is infamous for. At SDO, we have tried to understand the technical details and the chemical components involved in the past, but with limited success because neither Liberty Casting nor OEPA are forthcoming with clear information. The opaqueness is deliberate. For those adventurous enough to dig deeper, the ID number is #P0121979. We can only hope that the new fume hoods will finally result in a qualitative difference in Delaware’s air. Heavy manufacturing adjacent to housing developments creates a disincentive for people and visitors, businesses and institutions to come and stay here. Places such as Liberty Casting should be relegated to distant industrial parks. I would not be surprised one bit if some day the area around Liberty Rd. will be put on a federal list of toxic superfund sites. (Tom Wolber, 6/25/17)
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KMVogt
From: Stephanie Meyer <stephaniem...@gmail.com>
To: sustainable-...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Friday, June 30, 2017 8:24 PM
Subject: Re: [sustainable-delaware-ohio] Update on Liberty Casting
jerrygeist
Stephanie Meyer
Very good information, Matt.Jerry Geist
In reviewing the permit, the fume hoods will be used for three electric induction furnaces which are used to melt the metal for casting. They will be replacing a furnace lid. The hoods are an interior environment emissions control device. They will help collect the fumes from the furnaces to be vented to the exterior of the building through an emissions control system (baghouse, this a type of filtering system). The permit mostly talks about particulate emissions for the furnaces and how much they are allowed to release, as well as fugitive emissions (that is emissions escaping the building without going through any emission controls), see pages 19-28 on the permit.Here are some video examples of what we are talking about:Small induction furnace w/o lid or hood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K78kAAtrHkAt beginning is a furnace with a furnace lid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj03h2VqzLQExample of a fume hood at 1:46 to 1:52 in the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpQvapWFv_YThe other item discussed in the permit is the mold and core release material. This is the material used to help release the casting from the mold and mold core (for hollow items you have a core to create the hollow). It appears the primary emission from this is VOCs, of which there are many specific compounds, see https://archive.epa.gov/ttn/ozone/web/html/def_voc.html for a large list. The concern I see here is the statement that they are requesting an increase in overall emissions but a decrease in VOCs, however, there is no detail on what other types of emissions will be increasing. In the past I have sent out a list of all the EPA classifications of the types of emissions that Liberty Castings does produce.As a general note, the EPA classifies emissions within categories which specific types of emissions fall into. Monitoring of the emissions is done by the manufacturer with a review every couple of years by the EPA so there is no direct emissions monitoring done by the EPA. As such, other than the categories of emissions there is no further specific information on the exact chemical compounds that are released into the air. Also of note is item 8 of the Standard Terms and Conditions, pg. 8:8. Air Pollution NuisanceThe air contaminants emitted by the emissions units covered by this permit shall not cause a public nuisance, in violation of OAC rule 3745-15-07My conclusion would be that at best the smell may be reduced somewhat but I do not see any indication of a significant reduction in air pollution coming out of Liberty Castings.Matt Vogt
From: Stephanie Meyer <stephaniemeyergregory@gmail.com>
To: sustainable-delaware-ohio@googlegroups.com
Sent: Friday, June 30, 2017 8:24 PM
Subject: Re: [sustainable-delaware-ohio] Update on Liberty Casting
Tom, I am late to reply because I was out of town. Thanks so much for the update! When we last talked about the issue in May. I said I would investigate the progress Liberty Castings was making with installation of the Fume hoods. I did call two phone numbers that were posted on the internet and email at least two email address, but everything posted on the web was no longer functioning. I'm happy that you have more recent information and that the fume Hood project may start soon. The fumes are still terrible. I roll my windows up when I drive past. A week ago I rode my bike past and decided not to do that again. The air was horrible! Thanks so much for keeping us informed!-Stephanie--On Jun 25, 2017 8:25 PM, "Tom Wolber" <tkwo...@owu.edu> wrote:--Update on Liberty CastingThe local community has complained about “the Delaware stench” for years and has demanded the installation of better filters or scrubbers at Liberty Casting to meet local, state, and federal clean-air standards. In recent years, Sustainable Delaware Ohio (SDO) has played a leading role in the effort that culminated in a public Ohio EPA hearing on Jan. 26, 2015. Last December, Liberty Casting announced it had received approval for $180,000 in financing for cleaner air equipment by the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA). For the next six months, little happened. However, it now appears that Liberty Casting is finally getting ready to do something about its noxious and toxic air emissions that have given people headaches and led to respiratory problems. According to announcements dated 6/19 and an OEPA public notice in the “Delaware Gazette” that appeared 6/21/17, the metal-castings company has applied for a permit to install 3 fume hoods (furnace lids) “with a greater control efficiency.” It also requested permission for emissions unit P064 “to allow an increase in the current mold release limitation with a corresponding decrease to the current mold release VOC content limit resulting in a net reduction of VOC emissions.” VOCs are volatile organic compounds and include the various substances responsible for the malodor the company is infamous for. At SDO, we have tried to understand the technical details and the chemical components involved in the past, but with limited success because neither Liberty Casting nor OEPA are forthcoming with clear information. The opaqueness is deliberate. For those adventurous enough to dig deeper, the ID number is #P0121979. We can only hope that the new fume hoods will finally result in a qualitative difference in Delaware’s air. Heavy manufacturing adjacent to housing developments creates a disincentive for people and visitors, businesses and institutions to come and stay here. Places such as Liberty Casting should be relegated to distant industrial parks. I would not be surprised one bit if some day the area around Liberty Rd. will be put on a federal list of toxic superfund sites. (Tom Wolber, 6/25/17)
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