The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 5, is issuing an Administrative Consent Order (ACO) and Consent Agreement and Final Order (CAFO) and under the Clean Air Act (the Act) to SABIC Innovative Plastics US LLC (SABIC) for alleged violations of Section 112 of the Act, 42 United States Code ? 7412, and the implementing regulations at 40 Code of Federal Regulation Part 63, Subpart JJJ, the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs): Group IV Polymers and Resins; and Subpart A, General Provisions. SABIC also allegedly violated the Illinois State Implementation Plan. SABIC owns and operates an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene production facility in Ottawa, Illinois. SABIC utilizes a steam-assisted flare to control emissions from their synthetic latex process, which SABIC failed to properly operate. Specifically, SABIC a) failed to meet a minimum vent gas heating value; and b) exceeded allowable emissions of volatile organic material. EPA discovered these violations from SABIC?s responses to an information request dated July 5, 2011, and issued an NOV/FOV on January 10, 2012.
On February 8, 2012, EPA and SABIC met for a Section 113 conference regarding the violations. SABIC agreed to improve flare performance by better measuring and controlling the steam to vent gas ratio. SABIC then evaluated their flare system and determined it was inappropriate for continued, long term compliance. SABIC proposed to install a new flare system witho