Chapter 14. Control of Emissions from Kraft Pulp Mills
Regulation .01 Definitions.LinkCopy Citation
A.
In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.
B.
Terms Defined.
(1)
“Brown stock washer” means an installation that removes spent cooking liquor from raw pulp to maximize chemical recovery and minimize carry over of cooking liquor into the bleaching plant.
(2)
“Black liquor” means a combination of spent “cooking liquor” (water solution of sodium sulfate and sodium hydroxide) and pulp wash water containing dissolved wood compounds which is the byproduct of cooking wood chips at an elevated temperature and pressure.
(3)
“Clean condensates” means all condensates from the pulp mill and evaporators that are not specifically identified in the definition of “foul condensates,” including the condensates which have been processed through a condensate stripper to remove 90 percent or more of the VOC contaminants.
(4)
“Combusted” means burned in a boiler or thermal oxidizer with a minimal temperature of 1,200°F and a residence time not less than 0.5 seconds or in a flare.
(5)
“Condensate” means condensed process steam from the digester and evaporator areas that contain VOCs and other process chemicals, including both foul and clean condensates.
(6)
“Condensate steam stripper” means a multi-stage distillation unit that uses steam to remove organics and TRS compounds from process condensate streams.
(7)
“Digester” means an installation that uses cooking chemicals and heat to separate fiber from other organics in wood chips.
(8)
“Digester blow tank system” means all the process equipment, including accumulators and condensers, used to separate the cooked pulp and spent cooking liquor from non-condensable gases and condensates.
(8-1)
“Evaporator” means equipment that is used primarily to increase the solids content of spent cooking liquor from the pulp washing systems.
(9)
“Foul condensates” means condensed process steam from the digester blow tank systems and the primary and secondary condensates generated from the evaporator effect when liquor is introduced.
(10)
“Knotters” means a mechanical device used to separate uncooked knots from the pulp and spent cooking liquor mixture prior to brownstock washing.
(11)
“Kraft pulp mill” means a group of installations which use an alkaline sulfide solution containing sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide for a cooking liquor in its wood pulping process.
(12)
“Oven-dried pulp (ODP)” means oven-dried, unbleached kraft pulp.
(12-1)
“Recovery boiler” means an enclosed combustion device in which concentrated spent liquor is burned to:
(a)
Recover sodium and sulfides;
(b)
Dispose of unwanted dissolved wood components; and
(c)
Generate steam.
(13)
“Smelt dissolving tank” means an installation that processes the fluid discharge from a recovery boiler.
(14)
“Total reduced sulfur (TRS)” means any compound of sulfur in a reduced state discharged from a kraft pulp mill consisting primarily of hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulfide, and dimethyl disulfide.
Regulation .02 Applicability.LinkCopy Citation
A.
The requirements of this chapter apply to a person who owns or operates a kraft pulp mill.
B.
Any source which is subject to the provisions of this chapter is also subject to the provisions of any other chapter. However, when this chapter establishes an emissions standard for a specific installation which differs from the general emission standards in COMAR 26.11.06.01--.09, this chapter takes precedence.
Regulation .03 Control of Total Reduced Sulfur Emissions.LinkCopy Citation
A person may not cause or permit the discharge of TRS from a kraft pulp mill in excess of 0.6 pound/ton of ODP. This requirement includes the combined emissions from recovery boilers, digesters, evaporators, and smelt tanks.
Regulation .04 Determination of Compliance for TRS Emission.LinkCopy Citation
A.
General. A person who owns or operates a kraft pulp mill is in compliance with the emission standard in Regulation .03 of this chapter if the requirements in §B of this regulation are met.
B.
Equipment Requirements.
(1)
The TRS emissions from the digesters and evaporators are burned in the recovery boilers, power boilers, or a separate incinerator;
(2)
The recovery boilers have a 12-hour average TRS emission of not more than 20 ppm by volume corrected to 8 percent oxygen; and
(3)
The TRS emissions from the smelt tanks are not more than 8 ppm except when the mass emission is less than 0.03 pound/ton ODP.
Regulation .05 Monitoring and Reporting Requirements for Total Reduced Sulfur.LinkCopy Citation
A.
TRS emissions from kraft pulp mill recovery boilers shall be monitored continuously, using Method 16B of the Department's Technical Memorandum 91-01, “Test Methods and Equipment Specifications for Stationary Sources” (January 1991), which is incorporated by reference in COMAR 26.11.01.04C.
B.
TRS emissions from smelt tanks will be sampled once a month using grab samples collected and analyzed using Method 16B of the Department's Technical Memorandum 91-01, “Test Methods and Equipment Specifications for Stationary Sources” (January 1991), which is incorporated by reference in COMAR 26.11.01.04C.
C.
Quarterly reports shall be submitted to the Department summarizing the monitoring data.
Regulation .06 Control of Volatile Organic Compounds.LinkCopy Citation
A.
Applicability. This regulation applies to a person who owns or operates an installation that has actual VOC emissions of 20 pounds or more per day that is located at a kraft pulp mill that has a potential to emit total plantwide VOC emissions of 25 tons or more per year.
B.
Control of VOC Emissions from Specific Installations.
(1)
Condensate steam strippers. Off gases from condensate steam strippers shall be collected and combusted.
(2)
Digester Blow Tank Systems and Knotters.
(a)
Condensates from digester blow tank systems shall be collected and treated in a condensate steam stripper or other control system.
(b)
The non-condensable exhaust from a digester blow tank system shall be collected and combusted.
(3)
Evaporators.
(a)
All non-condensable gases from evaporators shall be collected and combusted.
(b)
Condensates from the evaporators shall be segregated so that the foul condensates are collected and treated in a condensate steam stripper or other control system.
(4)
Brown Stock Washers.
(a)
Wash water for brown stock washers shall consist of any combination of fresh or clean water and clean condensates.
(b)
Air emissions from the brown stock washers shall be collected and combusted.
(5)
Recovery Boilers.
(a)
A recovery boiler that burns black liquor as fuel shall be equipped with a black liquor oxidation unit.
(b)
At least 50 percent of the flue gas generated annually from recovery boilers shall be treated with a dry bottom precipitator with a salt cake mix tank.
(6)
Smelt Dissolving Tanks. Only clean water or clean condensates shall be used in the scrubbing solution makeup liquids.
(7)
The evaporators, digester blow tank systems, and brown stock washers shall be controlled by removing 90 percent or greater of the condensate VOC loading by demonstrating:
(a)
That the VOC removal or destruction efficiencies of the condensate stream stripper is 90 percent or greater; or
(b)
Through a system analysis of the condensate stripper, evaporators, digester blow system tanks, and brown stock washers that VOC removal or destruction efficiency is 90 percent or greater.
C.
Control of VOC Emissions from Miscellaneous Sources. VOC emissions from all other miscellaneous sources at a kraft pulp mill including screen rooms, black liquor oxidizer, black liquor storage tanks, pulp storage tanks, pulp mill sewer vents, bleach rooms, and paper machines, shall be reduced by processing pulp from the brown stock washers in conformance with §B(4) of this regulation.
D.
Testing and Record Keeping.
(1)
Tests shall be performed annually using EPA Test Method 25D found in 40 CFR Part 60 or other approved methods by the Department as part of a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision to demonstrate the collective VOC removal efficiency of the condensate steam stripper and other control systems as required.
(2)
All other VOC emissions tests shall be performed using EPA test methods 25, 25A, or 25B which are found in 40 CFR Part 60.
(3)
On or before March 1, 2001, a person who owns or operates a kraft pulp mill shall submit a test protocol to the Department for approval.
(4)
The test results of each test shall be submitted to the Department within 60 days following completion of each test.
(5)
Stack test reports and other records relating to compliance with the requirements in this chapter shall be maintained for not less than 5 years and made available to the Department upon request.
Regulation .07 Control of NOLinkCopy Citation
A.
Applicability and NOx Emission Standards.
(1)
This regulation applies to any fuel burning equipment with a maximum design heat input capacity of greater than 250 million Btu per hour located at any Kraft pulp mill.
(2)
The total combined NOx emissions of all fuel burning equipment at the Luke Kraft pulp mill to which this regulation applies may not exceed the following:
(a)
An emission rate of 0.70 pounds of NOx per million Btu during the period May 1 through September 30 of each year;
(b)
An emission rate of 0.99 pounds of NOx per million Btu during the period October 1 through April 30 of each year; and
(c)
The NOx ozone season emission cap in COMAR 26.11.40.03.
B.
Demonstrating Compliance.
(1)
Compliance with the NOx emission rates in §A(2)(a) and (b) of this regulation and the NOx ozone season emission cap in COMAR 26.11.40.03 shall be demonstrated with a continuous emission monitoring system that is installed, operated, and certified in accordance with 40 CFR Part 75.
(2)
Compliance with the emission rates in §A(2)(a) and (b) of this regulation shall be demonstrated as a 30-day rolling average.
C.
Monitoring and Reporting Requirements.
(1)
For boilers or combustion units at a Kraft pulp mill subject to this regulation, the owner or operator of the Kraft pulp mill shall:
(a)
Continuously monitor NOx emissions with a CEM system in accordance with 40 CFR Part 75, Subpart H and 40 CFR §51.121(i)(4); and
(b)
Maintain records and submit reports in accordance with 40 CFR Part 75.
(2)
The owner or operator of a Kraft pulp mill subject to this regulation shall include emissions data obtained from a CEM pursuant to §C(1) of this regulation in the CEM quarterly reports submitted to the Department pursuant to COMAR 26.11.01.11E(2).
Chapter annotations
Authority: Environment Article, §§1-101, 1-404, 2-101—2-103, 2-301—2-303, 10-102, and 10-103, Annotated Code of Maryland
History: Effective date: June 8, 1981 (8:9 Md. R. 800)
History: Chapter recodified from COMAR 10.18.14 to COMAR 26.11.14
History: Regulation .05A and B amended effective August 19, 1991 (18:16 Md. R. 1813); February 17, 1992 (19:3 Md. R. 306)
History: Regulation .01 amended effective January 8, 2001 (27:26 Md. R. 2359); October 15, 2001 (28:20 Md. R. 1783)
History: Regulation .02 amended effective January 8, 2001 (27:26 Md. R. 2359)
History: Regulation .03 amended effective January 8, 2001 (27:26 Md. R. 2359)
History: Regulation .04 amended effective January 8, 2001 (27:26 Md. R. 2359)
History: Regulation .05 amended effective January 8, 2001 (27:26 Md. R. 2359)
History: Regulation .06 adopted effective January 8, 2001 (27:26 Md. R. 2359)
History: Regulation .06 amended effective October 15, 2001 (28:20 Md. R. 1783)
History: Regulation .06B, D amended effective March 3, 2014 (41:4 Md. R. 306)
History: Regulation .07 adopted effective July 26, 2010 (37:15 Md. R. 1000)
History: Regulation .07 amended effective March 3, 2014 (41:4 Md. R. 306); April 23, 2018 (45:8 Md. R. 422)
History: Regulation .07C, D amended effective May 9, 2016 (43:9 Md. R. 531)