TRI Reporting of Acid Aerosols

Thread from IPC's ComplianceNet

Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 13:16:00 -0800
Reply-To: "ComplianceNet E-Mail Forum." , "Sharp, John"
Sender: ComplianceNet Mail Forum
From: "Sharp, John"
Subject: TRI Reporting of Acid Aerosols

Hi All,

Well that magical time of SARA 313 TRI Reporting is almost here. In keeping with the spirit of TRI, I am distributing this gem of knowledge on how a scrubber impacts the TRI calculations for emissions of acid aerosols. The same logic would apply to sulfuric and hydrochloric acids.

This came from the December RCRA Hotline report (which I received hot-off-the-email-press on March 14th). If anyone is interested in getting this same level of "on the ball" type of service, contact me and I will send you some instructions. I am not sure if the print version is already out.

John Sharp
Merix Corp., Forest Grove, OR
503-992-4351 Telephone
503-359-1040 FAX
john.sharp@merix.com

EPCRA

5. Condensation of Acid Aerosols Under EPCRA Section 313

A chemical manufacturing facility subject to EPCRA Section 313 generates aerosol sulfuric acid in excess of 25,000 pounds in a calendar year. The aerosol sulfuric acid passes through a scrubber which removes and condenses the aerosol sulfuric acid. The resulting liquid sulfuric acid then undergoes chemical conversion in an on-site treatment facility. How must the owner or operator account for these activities in Sections 7 and 8 of the Form R?

When a scrubber is used to remove sulfuric acid aerosols prior to or in a stack, the acid aerosols are usually converted to the non-aerosol form. The non-aerosol forms of sulfuric are not reportable under EPCRA Section 313 because the qualifier to the sulfuric acid listing includes only acid aerosol forms (40 CFR Section 372.65). Sulfuric acid as a discreet chemical is not actually being destroyed by the scrubber, but the form of sulfuric acid that is reportable under EPCRA Section 313 is being destroyed. Therefore, since sulfuric acid aerosols removed by scrubbers are converted to a non-reportable form, the quantity removed by the scrubber can be reported as having been treated for destruction under Section 7 and should be included in Section 8.6, Quantity Treated On-Site. Since the condensed sulfuric acid (i.e., the liquid sulfuric acid) is a non-aerosol form, it is not reportable under EPCRA Section 313 and no reporting of other waste management activities for these non-aerosol forms is required.

John Sharp, P.E.
Merix Corporation
Forest Grove, OR
503-992-4351 Telephone
503-359-1040 FAX
john.sharp@merix.com