March 17, 2016
By:
Walter G. Wright
Category:
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
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The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (“ODEQ”) and Uroboros Glass Studios, Inc. (“UGS”) entered into a March 15th Air Emissions Agreement (“Agreement”) that restricts the use of cadmium, chromium and nickel to protective levels as determined by the Oregon Health Authority.
UGS operates a Portland, Oregon manufacturing facility that makes art glass in various color combinations, styles and textures.
ODEQ states that the Agreement establishes new conditions specific to UGS’s operation that must be met before operations utilizing cadmium, chromium and nickel can resume.
The Agreement is characterized as filling a regulatory gap that exists until temporary rules are adopted by the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission (“Commission”). The Commission is stated to be taking public comments on temporary rules to address air toxics from small colored art glass manufacturers.
The terms of the Agreement include:
- Install one or more emission control devices to control all glass-making furnaces that use arsenic, cadmium, chromium or nickel to protect public exposure to these metals from production and test an emission control device to ensure proper operation.
- Commit to not using arsenic, cadmium, chromium VI in raw materials in any uncontrolled glass-making furnace.
- Cease the use of chromium III and chromium VI in a controlled or uncontrolled glass-making furnace until DEQ establishes maximum allowable chromium III and chromium VI usage rates that will not result in ambient concentrations that exceed levels that put public health at risk.
- Limit the use of nickel from uncontrolled glass-making furnaces to a level that does not exceed a Maximum Weekly usage limit.
- Maintain daily records of all batches produced and provide to DEQ the daily amount of metals used.
The Agreement also states that UGS will be subject to any additional rules adopted by the Commission and terminates in five years or whenever ODEQ issues a new permit that incorporates any new air toxic provisions and regulations adopted by the Commission.
Click here to download a copy of the ODEQ news release and Agreement.
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