The main work items of Stationary air pollution source control project are as follows: (1) Database establishment, maintenance and updates. (2) Stationary Sources Permits application documents examining and issuing, including permit inspection. (3) Annual emissions quantities check for the premises which have been announced in 2 batches. (4) Using standard air pollutant testing method to inspect plumes of stationary sources. (5) Reinforcing control of fugitive particulate emissions. (6) Holding meetings for related policies or law announcement. (7) Reinforcing control of dioxin. (8) Reinforcing control of the premises odor complaints regarding stationary sources from citizens. (9) Audit of Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems. (10) Other work items.
This project, started from 29th January 2014 till 28th January 2015, was empowered by a contract which issued by the Bureau of Environmental Protection, Tainan County. We completed all work items before deadline. In order to make sure that the quality and quantity both met the requirements of the contract, we attended the monthly meeting of the Bureau, and followed internal QAQC plan. Schedule and quality of every work items also had been reviewed by the State Implement Plan, in order to ensure all requirements were met. Summaries of work items are as follows:
1. Database establishment, maintenance and updates
The goal of this work item is to maintain and update the emission inventory of 725 plants and to add new emission inventory of 30 plants in database. We maintained and updated the emission inventory of 734 plants and added new emission inventory of 30 plants in database.
By the end of the project, annual emission quantities of different pollutants from stationary sources in Tainan City are as follows: 2,833.5 tons of particles, 3,520 tons of SOx, 4,634.3 tons of NOx and 3,038 tons of VOCs.
2. Stationary Sources Permits application documents examining and issuing, including permit inspection.
519 permits were issued, including 45 installation permits, 18 modified permits, 67 operation permits, 165 change permits, 91 renewed permits, 131 re-issued permits and 2 coal-fired permits. The average review duration of the application documents was 12.1 days. 155 cases of air pollution qualified persons replacement were proposed and approved. For 3 significant cases of permit application, experts review was introduced to validate the content of the documents.
Periodic inspection for operation permits has been performed for 734 operation permits. Among them, 76 operation permits didn’t meet the contents of permits, and the discrepancy of inspection was 10.35%.
3. Annual emissions quantities check for the premises which have been announced in 2 batches.
356 premises are required to report emission inventory seasonally by regulation in Tainan City. (98 of them are announced in first batch, and 258 of them are 2nd batch.) The reporting rate, for a total of 1,429 reports, is 100% from 4th quarter, 2013 till 3rd quarter, 2014. We also checked all reports and found that 1,367 of them (95.7%) were correct, 62 of them (4.3%) were asked to improve within a limited time. On-site inspection for the reports was conducted on 314 premises; 90% of them proved correct (282 premises), 10% of premises, which was asked to improve within a limited time, showed discrepancy. We found that on-site records of raw materials didn’t match the reports were the main reasons, a total of 14 premises (53.8%), of inconformity. 36 premises report their emission inventory of Green House Gas (GHG) seasonally. (20 of them are announced in first batch, 11 of them are 2nd batch and 5 of them are volunteer to report their emission inventory of GHG.) The reporting rate, for a total of 128 reports, is 100% from 4th quarter, 2013 till 3rd quarter, 2014. We reviewed all reports and found them correct.
4. Using standard air pollutant testing method to inspect plumes of stationary sources.
We performed 12 plumes for SOx, NOx and particulate testing, 8 plumes for dioxin testing, 5 plumes for heavy metal(Pd, Cd, Hg and As) testing, and total suspended particulate testing in ambient air on boundary of 12 public or private premises. We also took 30 fuel samples from different plants to check if the sulfur content in the sample met the standard. Testing results of the total suspended particulate in ambient air on boundary of 4 public or private premises were not in compliance with standards, others testing results were in compliance with standards.
5. Reinforcing control of fugitive particulate emissions.
We grouped the premises into three levels, the first level ones (10 premises) were inspected once per month, the second level ones (69 premises) were inspected every other month, and the third level ones (140 premises) were inspected every four months. 343 patrols were paid and 287 of them met the regulation, the compliance rate of the regulation was 85%. The results showed that the intensive patrols on first level premises made them be aware of the regulation and fugitive dust control.
6. Holding meetings for related policies or law announcement.
We held 3 meetings during this period. 2 of them were to announce the regulations and review principles of Stationary Permit Application. The last one was held for promoting compliance with the Management Regulations for Facilities to Control Fugitive Dust Air Pollution from Stationary Pollution Sources. Besides, for on-job training, two sessions were completed, one topic was continuous emission monitoring system regulations briefing and on-site inspection and the other topic was review principles and frequent asked questions of Permits documents.
7. Reinforcing control of dioxin.
There are 55 plants (71 plumes) in the dioxin control list. On-site regulation inspection was performed on 43 plants (56 plumes). 47 plumes were completed the testing and 2 plumes failed to meet the regulation and they were imposed penalties. Improvements of their facilities were performed later.
8. Reinforcing control of the premises odor complaints regarding stationary sources from citizens.
(1) Periodical check for the frequent odor complaints list of public or private premises.
We patrolled 428 times in total. The inspection frequency depended on the level of possible odor complains, those which had most complaints were patrolled weekly, otherwise were patrolled bi-weekly or monthly. If the results of patrol found possible polluted situation, we would enforce standard testing of plume on them or sent the list to the Bureau. We found that the active patrol did decrease the odor complaints frequency.
(2) Intensive patrolling results of five most odor complaints premises
Last year, we performed “Long Stay” (on-site watch) policy on high frequent complaints of odor premises. This year, we continued to conducted the policy especially for top 5 premises in the most odor complaints list. We worked on 24-hour rotating shifts in Guang-Zheng Leather Company during the last week in August. We found the pipeline between wastewater treatment plant and scrubber was close, it made the collection of toxic vapor from wastewater to scrubber ineffectively. Bureau held the company suspended for operation and revoked the M01 Operation Permit of Guang-Zheng on 25th October, 2014. Chuan-Li Agriculture and Technology chemical manufacturing company also had frequent odor complaints. We performed odor testing on the plume and 3 testing results violating the standard within one year. Chuan-Li was fined up to 2.2 million NT dollars and suspended for operation. Lian-Chung company moved. Wu-Fu company stopped receiving odor materials. Hsin-Ying Technology was improving their manufacturing process in order to decrease the odors. For the above 5 premises, the frequency of odor complaints decreased from 530 times in 2013 to 403 times in 2014, a reduction of 24%.
(3) Other odor control
We helped 4 premises which also had odors issues to improve their processes, including Yung-Hsin hoggery, Da-De company, Chuang-Nan Enterprise Co., Ltd. 2nd plant and TPPC Hsin-Ying plant. We performed odors patrol and improvement activities on Tai-Yi industrial park and hoggeries near sea, creeks and mountain area.
9.The regulatory operations of Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS)
In the initial of this program, we submitted one copy which is the operating standard procedures of inspection and quality assurance of CEMS to Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), provided as a guideline to auditors to inspect and examine. The relevant regulatory outcomes of are summarized as follows:
(1) The factory chimneys which connected with CEMS have been inspected and the percentage of compliance rate is 100% in 2014. According to the results of the inspections, we suggest that some status should be adjust, including that Tainan Refuse Incineration Plant needs to confirm the correction parameters of the moisture and improve the quality assurance and quality control, as well as, Tuntex Petrochemicals Inc. should to correct the Relative Accuracy Test Audit (RATA) report and Wei Chih Steel Industrial CO., LTD. must to revise the report of opacity scheduled inspection.
(2) Focusing on the factories that has outdated equipments or the results of inspection are worse in previous years, those needs to examine more information (including the sampling test of RATA, the standard gas inspection, opacity and data comparison). After inspecting, Tainan Refuse Incineration Plant got the relatively poor rating of the inspections, but still compliance with regulations. This plant is recommended to be the one of the inspection objectives next year.
10. Other work items
(1)10 articles regarding environmental protection were posted in newspapers.
(2)To cooperate with polices and attorneys for comprehensive inspection for 4 times and checking the gravel trucks for cover net pulling compliance policy for 4 times.
(3)To help determining if plumes meet the 8D/2D requirements when applying permits as well as if they should apply for permits.
(4)To submit and summarize the work results as the Environmental Protection Administration (Taiwan) and the State Implement Plan required.
