AQ_F_1900015_20180613_ST_STO-Rpt

NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OF Raleigh Regional Office
AIR QUALITY Arauco Panels USA,LLC
NC Facility ID 1900015
Stack Test Observation Report County/FIPS:Chatham/037
Date: 06/13/2018
Facility Data Compliance Data
Arauco Panels USA,LLC Observation Date 06/13/2018
985 Corinth Road Observer's Name Matthew Mahler
Moncure,NC 27559 Operating Status Operating
Lat: 35d 36.0910m Long: 79d 2.6020m Action Code
SIC: 2493/Reconstituted Wood Products
NAICS: 321219/Reconstituted Wood Product Manufacturing
Contact Data Permit Data
Facility Contact Authorized Contact Technical Contact Permit 03449/T49
Yvonne Couts Henry Scheller John Bird Issued 2/28/2018
Environmental Plant Manager Environmental Health& Expires 6/30/2021
Coordinator [phone] Safety Manager Classification Title V
[phone] [phone] Permit Status Active
Inspector's Signature: Comments:
Date of Signature:
I. DIRECTION TO SITE: Arauco Panels USA is located at 985 Corinth Road,Moncure,NC,
Chatham County. From Raleigh,take US 1 South toward Sanford. Just over the Chatham County
line, exit onto Old US-1 (SR-1011) and turn south(right). Travel approximately 3 miles,turn left
onto Corinth Road(SR-1916),and the plant will be approximately''/z mile on the left. Sign in at the
log cabin.
II. FACILITY DESCRIPTION: Arauco Panels USA LLC manufactures medium density fiberboard
(MDF)and particleboard(PB),both of which are primarily sold to the furniture and flooring industry.
The facility runs seven days a week using two 12-hour shifts and at the time of the inspection was
staffed by approximately 291 employees. Standard safety equipment is sufficient at this facility. Due
to truck traffic,be cautious when walking outside around the plant grounds.
The MDF plant was built from new and refurbished equipment. Some of the refurbished equipment
originated from a closed plant in Quebec. The MDF plant can also produce high density fiberboard
(HDF). When making MDF,the plant uses 100% southern pine chips according to the staff. HDF is
60%hardwood and the balance is pine. The HDF is mainly used for flooring. The MDF/HDF plants
utilize wood chips to form the boards. The first MDF board from the new plant was processed on
February 17, 2010.
The MDF/HDF and the particleboard plants have historically used urea formaldehyde resin to serve
as a bonding agent but during the past few years,the facility has been experimenting with using
diphenylmethane diisocyanate(MDI) as bonding agent. MDI,when used in this application, is
thought to generate less off-gassing emissions as compared to the urea formaldehyde resins. At this
point,neither plant has been able to utilize MDI in a way where the board quality is not
compromised.

The first MDF board from the new plant was processed on February 17,2010. The particleboard
products are composed of wood chips, shavings, and saw dust. Particleboard consists of three layers:
surface layer,core layer, and surface layer. The outside surface layer is comprised of sawdust that is
approximately 20%hardwood/80%pine. The core layer is comprised of chip flakes that are also
approximately 20%hardwood/80%pine. In both the MDF and PB plants,the boards are pressed to
varying thicknesses and widths. The continuous MDF press is able to form boards with thickness
ranging from 3.0 mm to 28 mm and widths from 2.45 to 3.15 meters (8 to 10.3 feet). The
particleboard plant produces sheets that are typically 5 feet wide by 9 feet long. A previous
inspection report indicated that this plant produces particleboard ranging in thickness from%2"to 1
1/4". The MDF and particleboard presses operate at 500'F and 350'F respectively.
III. STACK TEST SUMMARY: On June 13, 2018,1(Matthew Mahler)and Dawn Reddix of RRO
arrived mid-morning to the subject facility to observe inlet/outlet air emissions testing of the biofilter
(CD-18),which controls emissions for the Refiner(ES-0 1),the Energy System(ES-02-A), a Two-
Stage Dryer System(ES-02-B),two Back-up Dryers (ES-02-C&ES-02-D),the MDF Board Cooler
and Press Hall(ES-06-B) and the MDF Press(ES-16). The testing was performed in order to
demonstrate compliance with the emission limits of NCAC 2D A I I I MACT, 40 CFR Part 63
Subpart DDDD, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Plywood and
Composite Wood Products and to fulfill a portion of the requirements of Special Order By Consent
(SOC 2015-02). Initially, a protocol received at the RRO on February 12,2018 had the facility
testing for volumetric flow,PM,NOx,VOC,HAPs. A revised protocol dated June 8,2018 had the
facility testing for volumetric flow(EPA Method 1,2,4), and methanol and formaldehyde(NCASI
98.01).
The testing was conducted by Mr. Jim Lewis of Integrity Air Monitoring, Inc. Ms. Yvonne Couts of
Arauco Panels USA, LLC coordinated the testing activities and Mr. Rich Weber,EHS Director was
also onsite. The target processing rate was to operate at 26.5 bone dry metric tons per hour(bdmt/hr)
with a maximum process rate of 35 bdmt/hr. Ms. Couts indicated that the facility operated at 26
bdmt/hr during Run No. 1 and at 28.5 bdmt/hr during Run No. 2 at 12:13pm.
Run No. 1 had occurred early in the morning from 8:05am until 9:05am. After Run No. 1, operations
went down for a period of time. After operations were running again, I observed Run No. 2 (outlet)
from 12:1 Opm until 1:1 Opm including satisfactory leak checks before and after the run. Mr. Ed
Rodriguez was operating the meter box(#Hg-220-2092) of the outlet and Mr. Andrew Dickson,
Senior Scientist was tending to the sample probe. Inlet and outlet cyclonic flow checks had been
conducted earlier in the morning and were the results were 1.8 degrees and 14.33 degrees on the inlet
and outlet,respectively. For the inlet,the distance to the upstream and downstream disturbance was
60 in. and greater than 324 in.,which was noted as 1.8 and 3 diameters respectively. For the outlet,
the distance to the upstream and downstream disturbance was 60 in. and 274 in.,which was noted as
0.56 and 2.57 diameters respectively. The sampling train consisted of mini impingers; the first two
contained 15 ml of water,the third was empty and the fourth contained silica gel. During the test,the
filter and probe temperatures were noted as 242 degF and 241 degF,respectively. I observed a
sampling rate of 370 ml/min during the run. After the run, I inspected the pitot heads and they
appeared to be in good shape. The silica gel was mostly blue with very little pink noticed. I observed
the empty impinge being triple rinsed with deionized water during the sample collection activities.
During Run No. 3,Ms. Couts indicated that biofilter bed temperature was 144.8 degrees F. See the
attached Source Test Observers Checklist for further details concerning the observed stack test.

Arauco Panels USA, LLC—Biofilter(CD-18)Testing
June 13,2018
;a
G
r
c`
Photograph No. 1
View of the sampling train of the outlet stack.
Photo taken during Run no. 2.
Attachment
cc: Shannon Vogel, Stationary Source Compliance Branch
Central Files