What work practice standards must I meet?

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§ 63.7700 What work practice standards must I meet?

(a) For each segregated scrap storage area, bin or pile, you must either comply with the certification requirements in paragraph (b) of this section, or prepare and implement a plan for the selection and inspection of scrap according to the requirements in paragraph (c) of this section. You may have certain scrap subject to paragraph (b) of this section and other scrap subject to paragraph (c) of this section at your facility provided the scrap remains segregated until charge make-up.

(b) You must prepare and operate at all times according to a written certification that the foundry purchases and uses only metal ingots, pig iron, slitter, or other materials that do not include post-consumer automotive body scrap, post-consumer engine blocks, post-consumer oil filters, oily turnings, lead components, mercury switches, plastics, or free organic liquids. For the purpose of this paragraph (b), “free organic liquids” is defined as material that fails the paint filter test by EPA Method 9095A, “Paint Filter Liquids Test” (Revision 1, December 1996), as published in EPA Publication SW-846 “Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods” (incorporated by reference - see § 63.14). Any post-consumer engine blocks, post-consumer oil filters, or oily turnings that are processed and/or cleaned to the extent practicable such that the materials do not include lead components, mercury switches, chlorinated plastics, or free organic liquids can be included in this certification.

(c) You must prepare and operate at all times according to a written plan for the selection and inspection of iron and steel scrap to minimize, to the extent practicable, the amount of organics and HAP metals in the charge materials used by the iron and steel foundry. This scrap selection and inspection plan is subject to approval by the Administrator. You must keep a copy of the plan onsite and readily available to all plant personnel with materials acquisition or inspection duties. You must provide a copy of the material specifications to each of your scrap vendors. Each plan must include the information specified in paragraphs (c)(1) through (3) of this section.

(1) A materials acquisition program to limit organic contaminants according to the requirements in paragraph (c)(1)(i) or (ii) of this section, as applicable.

(i) For scrap charged to a scrap preheater, electric arc metal melting furnace, or electric induction metal melting furnace, specifications for scrap materials to be depleted (to the extent practicable) of the presence of used oil filters, chlorinated plastic parts, organic liquids, and a program to ensure the scrap materials are drained of free liquids; or

(ii) For scrap charged to a cupola metal melting furnace, specifications for scrap materials to be depleted (to the extent practicable) of the presence of chlorinated plastic, and a program to ensure the scrap materials are drained of free liquids.

(2) A materials acquisition program specifying that the scrap supplier remove accessible mercury switches from the trunks and hoods of any automotive bodies contained in the scrap and remove accessible lead components such as batteries and wheel weights. You must either obtain and maintain onsite a copy of the procedures used by the scrap supplier for either removing accessible mercury switches or for purchasing automobile bodies that have had mercury switches removed, as applicable, or document your attempts to obtain a copy of these procedures from the scrap suppliers servicing your area.

(3) Procedures for visual inspection of a representative portion, but not less than 10 percent, of all incoming scrap shipments to ensure the materials meet the specifications.

(i) The inspection procedures must identify the location(s) where inspections are to be performed for each type of shipment. Inspections may be performed at the scrap supplier's facility. The selected location(s) must provide a reasonable vantage point, considering worker safety, for visual inspection.

(ii) The inspection procedures must include recordkeeping requirements that document each visual inspection and the results.

(iii) The inspection procedures must include provisions for rejecting or returning entire or partial scrap shipments that do not meet specifications and limiting purchases from vendors whose shipments fail to meet specifications for more than three inspections in one calendar year.

(iv) If the inspections are performed at the scrap supplier's facility, the inspection procedures must include an explanation of how the periodic inspections ensure that not less than 10 percent of scrap purchased from each supplier is subject to inspection.

(d) For each furan warm box mold or core making line in a new or existing iron and steel foundry, you must use a binder chemical formulation that does not contain methanol as a specific ingredient of the catalyst formulation as determined by the Material Safety Data Sheet. This requirement does not apply to the resin portion of the binder system.

(e) For each scrap preheater at an existing iron and steel foundry, you must meet either the requirement in paragraph (e)(1) or (2) of this section. As an alternative to the requirement in paragraph (e)(1) or (2) of this section, you must meet the VOHAP emissions limit in § 63.7690(a)(9).

(1) You must operate and maintain a gas-fired preheater where the flame directly contacts the scrap charged; or

(2) You must charge only material that is subject to and in compliance with the scrap certification requirement in paragraph (b) of this section.

(f) For each scrap preheater at a new iron and steel foundry, you must charge only material that is subject to and in compliance with the scrap certification requirement in paragraph (b) of this section. As an alternative to this requirement, you must meet the VOHAP emissions limit in § 63.7690(a)(9).

(g) For each cupola at a new or existing iron and steel foundry, you must reduce VOHAP emissions to the extent practicable during periods of off blast, as defined in § 63.7765, by meeting the applicable requirements in paragraph (g)(1) or (2) of this section.

(1) On and before March 9, 2021, you must comply with the requirements in § 63.7710 and the requirements specified in the startup, shutdown, and malfunction plan required at § 63.7720(c).

(2) After March 9, 2021, you must comply with the applicable requirements in paragraphs (g)(2)(i) through (iii) of this section.

(i) Except as provided in paragraphs (g)(2)(ii) and (iii) of this section, you must operate an afterburner or other thermal combustion control device with a flame present at all times while the cupola is off blast. This includes the latter portion of coke bed preparation step and the initial metallics charging step during cupola startup, the slag and residual metal removal step during cupola shutdown, and idling conditions when the blast air is turned off or down to the point that the cupola does not produce additional molten metal.

(ii) During cupola startup steps of refractory curing and cupola bed preparation and during the cupola shutdown steps of cupola cooling and banking or bottom drop, you must comply with the requirements in § 63.7710 and the opacity limit in § 63.7690(a)(7).

(iii) You must light the cupola afterburner or other thermal combustion control device as soon as practicable during the cupola startup step of coke bed preparation following the procedures included in the operation and maintenance plan required at § 63.7710(b), but no later than 30 minutes after the blast air is started to begin the coke bed burn-in.

[69 FR 21923, Apr. 22, 2004, as amended at 70 FR 29404, May 20, 2005; 73 FR 7218, Feb. 7, 2008; 85 FR 56095, Sept. 10, 2020]


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