EQ to Comply with High VOC-Waste Rules

The Environmental Quality Company on July 20 announced its completing the installation of a thermal oxidation air system at its Michigan Disposal Waste Treatment Plant. The installation will allow the plant to comply with RCRA Subpart CC requirements. The company believes this plant to be the only stabilization facility in North America capable of legally treating benzene NESHAP and Subpart CC wastes.

(RCRA Subpart CC prohibits the use of open tanks to stabilize wastes with concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) above 500 ppm, without use of an enclosed combustion air-pollution-control system. )

System testing at the EQ Michigan Disposal Waste Treatment Plant is scheduled for early August. The plant expects to begin accepting Subpart CC wastes August 10. Targeted streams include hazardous wastes with a VOC content of up to 2%, non-hazardous wastes with a VOC content of less than 20%, and benzene NESHAP wastes.

The equipment, which uses regenerative thermal oxidation technology, was purchased from Adwest Technologies, Inc. (Anaheim, CA). EQ said that it did much of the major design work to customize the system to the specific needs of the plant. However, SSOE Design Engineers (Toledo, OH), was hired for additional support.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of the new system, the east side of the EQ plant was extended 20 feet to offer a fully enclosed, negative-pressure treatment environment. New high-speed doors will be opened and closed only as needed to allow trucks to enter and exit. A dehumidifier and make-up air unit also is included in the building to control interior humidity and improve system performance.