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Home My WebLink AboutNC0000175_Diphenylhydrazine Email_19931217From: Date: Subject: To: Note for Farrell Keough Dianne Reid Dec, 17 1993 8:20 AM RE: 1,2- Diphenylhydrazine Farrell Keough tjoor" Tai Q,vea -- Page 1 Haven't forgotten you. Just didn't get to it yesterday. I'll see what I can come up with. In the meantime, I spoke with a Mr. Jim Tanner yesterday of NC State Mineral Research. He had a question regarding how the fluoride permit limits for some Feldspar dischargers were calculated - seems there are several in a stretch of (I didn't write down the river) - but the total poundage allowed per day for all dischargers is 707 lbs/day. He calculated that the instream standard would be 2.9 mg/1 instead of 1.8 mg/1 as in WQ standards and wants to know how the permit limits were calculated. Who should he talk with? His number is 704251 -6155. From: Farrell Keough on Thu, Dec 16, 1993 10:43 AM J �� 5;':ca.1 y M C. > Subject: 1,2- Diphenylhydrazine To: Dianne Reid y �' c( s I have info on hydrazines, but not on this particular one. What can you tell me? �IAN�G MoJEC� deGirvAl N� r �, (1 �� Page 1 / VVV i1 Note for Carla Sanderson / From: Greg Nizich Date: Thu, Nov 18, 1993 2:00 PM . Subject: French Broad River Basin To: Carla Sanderson I spoke with a guy in Denver today who was asking some questions about fluoride limits in the North Toe River. He is concerned about how it would effect a permit for a new mining facility. He said he had heard that the assimilative capacity for Fluoride in this river was 760 lbs/day and that it was already used up. He wanted to know if this was true, and if so did it mean that an existing permit holder would have to voluntarily give up some of their allotment in order for a new discharge of fluoride to be permitted. Could you give him a call or forward it to the appropriate person? His name is Mark Semenoff (seriously, careful pronunciation is the key), his # is 303 - 293 -6512. thanks . Greg, 4e S Li aJ- q. 'Wq MUD t z M�� 14. 3S �s + yS �5 �-�s (,03 �dQy I� vuteGt IU,- � a��occ�- f,clr., ►,,�uS— ►ne vii c�-fQ �.:.�� Ftvan IoF- i w _ II �7� 1 LMIA /N - Ch o� v�Rw Imo. 1O9 i3z -57 ,,.►r -.KicA is ►�of C�� "�'""i r'!va►z.a�c :�... � ow i+ hc. Prl � � (�.�•,.��_ �..,� now -�/� LI�dL r' /i��T7e�.- �CL..bi ��5� ✓h'l.ci� lix�e.r..« . v �1�.. ; it'd et ✓LeG� :5�,G� -. 744, AA AD Sl s�IL GGGi_'i� /�A2 Q YLQ�J G%� s Q t4 sue. Qu. P. ( Bak Spr (70 Fax: L-2 �1 zl( lac K►.C- SEuo S 1993 W� M _,,,,uttCLuC r finance center + Department of Commerce t I' 430 Salisbury Street NOV 4 1993 Raleigh, NC 27611 R Re: Industrial Revenue Bond Application WATER QUALITY of Feldspar Corp., Mitchell County SECTiQN Dear Mr. Strickland: I am writing concerning the pending request by The Feldspar Corporation, of Spruce Pine, NC, to issue $10,000,000 in Industrial Revenue Bonds in Mitchell County. If the bonds are approved, the ensuing plant expansion could affect adversely the UNIMIN Corporation's existing operations downstream of The Feldspar Corporation. The Quartz and Feldspar production operations of UNIMIN Corporation utilize the North Toe River as their makeup water source, as well as the effluent discharge locations from mineral processing. The main activities are governed by NPDES permit Number NC0000175. Two feldspar producers (The Feldspar Corporation and K. T. Feldspar Corporation) also discharge their mineral processing plant effluent into the North Toe River. All three mineral processors discharge effluent water containing fluorides which are utilized in the separation and purification of the mineral products. The State of North Carolina Department of Environment, Health and_ Natural Resources (NCDEHNR) has authorized the discharge of 574 pounds of dissolved fluoride ion (F -) as a daily average into the North Toe River basin at Spruce Pine. This quantity has been allocated in its entirety between the three mineral processing plants. Feldspar Corporation's plan to expand production would likely create additional fluoride- bearing effluent from their facility in the river basin. Barring a change in the allowable level by NCDEHNR in the river, the other two producers would likely be adversely impacted in terms of their fluoride discharging authorization. UNIMIN Corporation is authorized 218 pounds F- as Page 2 a daily average in the effluent. A review of recent NPDES Permit monthly reports made by UNIMIN shows that the actual average poundage discharged (195 pounds) is almost 90% of the 218 pound limit. Therefore, there is little, if any, room for adjustment. Since UNIMIN acquired these facilities starting in 1986, there has been approximately $20 million of investment in plant and facilities, a great deal of which has been devoted to environmental compliance. These steps have enabled the water treatment facilities at the plant to extract some 99% of the total fluoride used. This has been achieved, despite UNIMIN being located downstream of the other two facilities, and taking in as feed water the fluoride contained in the effluent discharged by the other two facilities. The fluoride already contained in the intake water complicates UNIMIN's treatment processes. Further, UNIMIN has been recognized by the NCDEHNR as a proactive company in environmental matters. UNIMIN has been so recognized with reclamation awards, and praise from the department for positive actions in water, sediment, and air quality areas. The UNIMIN facility has the highest employment of the three Spruce Pine mineral producers. The wages and benefits at UNIMIN are equal.to or exceed those at the other producers. The UNIMIN facility provides very high purity mineral products (quartz, feldspar, and mica) for a number of demanding applications. Among these are ultra high purity quartz products for lighting and semi - conductor manufacturing applications. In these areas, UNIMIN has a substantial national and international market, supplying these products to virtually all of the major lighting and semi- conductor glassware manufacturers world wide. In support of this high purity and high tech operation, UNIMIN boasts a substantial Quality Assurance and Research and Development staff of 20 persons in addition to another 112 production and maintenance staff involved in mining and mineral processing. The attached sheet shows employment and fluoride poundage allocations for the three mineral producers. Due to UNIMIN's extremely high quality products, plant updates and active sales efforts worldwide, the facilities have operated continuously at full employment, despite the poor economic conditions the last few years both in the United States and the industrialized countries worldwide. UNIMIN's concern is the possibility of loss of fluoride effluent poundage which might force greater employment losses at UNIMIN than would be gained at The Feldspar Corporation. As can be seen from the attached chart, UNIMIN has achieved a much higher employment level per pound of discharge than the other producers. Thus, if fluoride poundage levels and allocation become the Page 3 controlling factors, there is a threat that the Industrial Revenue Bond funded expansion of Feldspar Corp. could result in a Net Loss of jobs in Mitchell County. We would appreciate your careful review of this information, and consider it while acting on The Feldspar Corporation plant expansion Industrial Revenue Bonds issue. In addition, we would request that a copy of the application for these Bonds be sent to our attorney, Albert L. Sneed, Jr., Post Office Box 7376, Asheville, North Carolina 28802. If there are charges for copying, please send us a bill. Sn'erely, C. F. Stover Regional General Manager cc: Mr. Jonathan B. Howes, Secretary NC Department of Environment Health and Natural Resources 512 No. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27611 t Company Feldspar Corp. R -T Feldspar UNIMIN Corp. TOTALS FLUORIDE ALLOCATIONS FOR FELDSPAR PRODUCERS Daily Approx. Prod'n Fluoride Pounds Employees Allocation 66 224 29 132 132 218 245 574 Employees Per Pound Fluoride .29 .22 .69 .43 • t Company Feldspar Corp. R -T Feldspar UNIMIN Corp. TOTALS FLUORIDE ALLOCATIONS FOR FELDSPAR PRODUCERS Daily Approx. Prod'n Fluoride Pounds Employees Allocation 66 224 29 132 132 218 245 574 Employees Per Pound Fluoride .29 .22 .69 .43