Section 440.47. Grain elevators.

 

(1)   Applicability and designation of affected facility.

(a) The provisions of this section apply to each affected facility at any grain terminal elevator or any grain storage elevator, except as provided under sub. (5) (b) . The affected facilities are each truck unloading station, truck loading station, barge and ship unloading station, barge and ship loading station, railcar loading station, railcar unloading station, grain dryer and all grain handling operations.

(b) Any facility under par. (a) which commences construction, modification or reconstruction after August 3, 1978 is subject to the requirements of this section.

(2)   Definitions. As used in this section, terms not defined in this subsection have the meanings given in s. NR 440.02 .

(a) "Capture system" means the equipment such as sheds, hoods, ducts, fans, dampers, etc. used to collect particulate matter generated by an affected facility at a grain elevator.

(b) "Column dryer" means any equipment used to reduce the moisture content of grain in which the grain flows from the top to the bottom in one or more continuous packed columns between 2 perforated metal sheets.

(c) "Fugitive emission" means the particulate matter which is not collected by a capture system and is released directly into the atmosphere from an affected facility at a grain elevator.

(d) "Grain" means corn, wheat, sorghum, rice, rye, oats, barley and soybeans.

(e) "Grain elevator" means any plant or installation at which grain is unloaded, handled, cleaned, dried, stored or loaded.

(f) "Grain handling operations" include bucket elevators or legs (excluding legs used to unload barges or ships), scale hoppers and surge bins (garners), turn heads, scalpers, cleaners, trippers, and the headhouse and other such structures.

(g) "Grain loading station" means that portion of a grain elevator where the grain is transferred from the elevator to a truck, railcar, barge or ship.

(h) "Grain storage elevator" means any grain elevator located at any wheat flour mill, wet corn mill, dry corn mill (human consumption), rice mill or soybean oil extraction plant which has a permanent grain storage capacity of 35,200 m 3 (ca. 1 million bushels).

(i) "Grain terminal elevator" means any grain elevator which has a permanent storage capacity of more than 88,100 m 3 (ca. 2.5 million U.S. bushels), except those located at animal food manufacturers, pet food manufacturers, cereal manufacturers, breweries and livestock feedlots.

(j) "Grain unloading station" means that portion of a grain elevator where the grain is transferred from a truck, railcar, barge or ship to a receiving hopper.

(k) "Permanent storage capacity" means grain storage capacity which is inside a building, bin or silo.

(L) "Process emission" means the particulate matter which is collected by a capture system.

(m) "Rack dryer" means any equipment used to reduce the moisture content of grain in which the grain flows from the top to the bottom in a cascading flow around rows of baffles or racks.

(n) "Railcar" means railroad hopper car or boxcar.

(o) "Unloading leg" means a device which includes a bucket-type elevator which is used to remove grain from a barge or ship.

(3)   Standard for particulate matter.

(a) On and after the 60th day of achieving the maximum production rate at which the affected facility will be operated, but no later than 180 days after initial startup, no owner or operator subject to the provisions of this section may cause to be discharged into the atmosphere any gases which exhibit greater than zero percent opacity from any:

1. Column dryer with column plate perforation exceeding 2.4 mm diameter (ca. 0.094 inch).

2. Rack dryer in which exhaust gases pass through a screen filter coarser than 50 mesh.

(b) On and after the date on which the performance test required to be conducted by s. NR 440.08 is completed, no owner or operator subject to the provisions of this section may cause to be discharged into the atmosphere from any affected facility except a grain dryer any process emission which:

1. Contains particulate matter in excess of 0.023 g/dscm (ca. 0.010 gr/dscf).

2. Exhibits greater than zero percent opacity.

(c) On and after the 60th day of achieving the maximum production rate at which the affected facility will be operated, but no later than 180 days after initial startup, no owner or operator subject to the provisions of this section may cause to be discharged into the atmosphere any fugitive emission from:

1. Any individual truck unloading station, railcar unloading station, or railcar loading station, which exhibits greater than 5% opacity.

2. Any grain handling operation which exhibits greater than zero percent opacity.

3. Any truck loading station which exhibits greater than 10% opacity.

4. Any barge or ship loading station which exhibits greater than 20% opacity.

(d) The owner or operator of any barge or ship unloading station shall operate as follows:

1. The unloading leg shall be enclosed from the top (including the receiving hopper) to the center line of the bottom pulley and ventilation to a control device shall be maintained on both sides of the leg and the grain receiving hopper.

2. The total rate of air ventilated shall be at least 32.1 actual cubic meters per cubic meter of grain handling capacity (ca. 40 ft 3 /bushel).

3. Rather than meet the requirements of subds. 1. and 2. , the owner or operator may use other methods of emission control if it is demonstrated to the administrator's satisfaction that they would reduce emissions of particulate matter to the same level or less.

(4)   Test methods and procedures.

(a) In conducting the performance tests required in s. NR 440.08 , the owner or operator shall use as reference methods and procedures the test methods in Appendix A of 40 CFR part 60 , incorporated by reference in s. NR 440.17 , or other methods and procedures as specified in this subsection, except as provided in s. NR 440.08 (2) . Acceptable alternative methods and procedures are given in par. (c) .

(b) The owner or operator shall determine compliance with the particulate matter standards in sub. (3) as follows:

1. Method 5 shall be used to determine the particulate matter concentration and the volumetric flow rate of the effluent gas. The sampling time and sample volume for each run shall be at least 60 minutes and 1.70 dscm (60 dscf). The probe and filter holder shall be operated without heaters.

2. Method 2 shall be used to determine the ventilation volumetric flow rate.

3. Method 9 and the procedures in s. NR 440.11 shall be used to determine opacity.

(c) The owner or operator may use the following as alternatives to the reference methods and procedures specified in this subsection:

1. For Method 5, Method 17 may be used.

(5)   Modifications.

(a) The factor 6.5 shall be used in place of "annual asset guidelines repair allowance percentage," to determine whether a capital expenditure as defined by in s. NR 440.02 has been made to an existing facility.

(b) For purposes of this chapter, the following physical changes or changes in the method of operation may not by themselves be considered a modification of any existing facility described under sub. (1) (a) :

1. The addition of gravity loadout spouts to existing grain storage or grain transfer bins.

2. The installation of automatic grain weighing scales.

3. Replacement of motor and drive units driving existing grain handling equipment.

4. The installation of permanent storage capacity with no increase in hourly grain handling capacity.

History: Cr. Register, January, 1984, No. 337 , eff. 2-1-84; am (2) (intro.), (3) (b) 1. and (d) 3., Register, September, 1990, No. 417 , eff. 10-1-90; r. and recr. (4), Register, July, 1993, No. 451 , eff. 8-1-93.