| File Note: |
Proceedings of personal hearing held before the Chairman of the Board on 09/01/2014, given to the industry with show cause notice for refusal of ‘Consent to Operate’ under the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981- M/s Aarti Steels Ltd. (Arc Furnace Division), Focal Point, Ludhiana.
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The Following were present:-
On behalf of Punjab Pollution Control Board
Sh. Gulshan Rai, CEE, Ludhiana
On behalf of the industry:-
1. Sh. Ashok Parkash, President &
2. Sh. Desh Bandhu Gupta, General Manager.
Sh. Gulshan Rai, Chief Environmental Engineer, Ludhiana has brought out as under that:-
The industry is a large scale red category unit and engaged in the process of manufacturing Carbon Steel & Alloy Steel @ 300 TPD or 90000 Mt/annuam by using scrap iron & steel @ 374 T/day as raw material.
The industry granted 'Consent to Operate' under the Air Act, 1981, valid upto 31.12.2013 with special condition that the industry will complete installation of Air Pollution Control Device to contain secondary emissions from Arc furnace, within 3-months and will submit fortnightly progress in this regard to the Board.
The industry has now applied for extension in the validity of 'Consent to Operate' under Air Act, 1981.
The industry was visited by officer of the Board 19.11.2013 and again on 11.12.2013 & following observations were made :-
1. The industry has provided 4 nos. hoods provided by M/s Sweetech Enviro Pvt. Ltd., on the top of Arc furnace inside the shed for suction of fumes from arc furnace. The system not worked and found not in operation during visit 11.12.2013.
2. The industry has also provided two separate canopies on top of Arc furnace and on laddle furnace to control the secondary emissions. The emissions collected through these canopies are connected to existing APCDs provided for primary emissions. The system provided by the industry is not effective to control secondary emissions generated during the steel melting/ladle refining/Vacuum degassing/casting process. During visit, it was observed secondary emissions are being generated during whole of the process but very small percentage of emissions was passing through the canopies provided. Thick black emissions are observed at the time of primary charging & secondary charging of raw material, oxidation, reduction & tapping process, vacuum degassing process, addition of fluxes and during addition of calcium silicate wire.
As such, the industry has violated the various provisions of the Air Act, 1981 and has failed to provide a suitable system to control the secondary emission from arc furnaces & allied furnaces/processes despite being persuaded for more than 10 years, accordingly, show cause notice for refusal of ‘Consent to Operate’ under the Air Act, 1981 was issued to it with an opportunity of personal hearing before the worthy Chairman of the Board.
Sh. Ashok Parkash, Director of the industry stated that the industry has provided 4 no. hoods designed by M/s "Sweetech". Earlier, the secondary emissions were recorded @ 40 Kg/Ton of production but now with the technology of "Sweetech" around 30% of secondary emission are being trapped & expected to reach at 60% of the total secondary emission generated.
After hearing the officer of the Board, the representative of industry and material facts on record, it was decided by the Hon'ble Chairman of the Board as follows:-
1. A review meeting will be held in the Ist week of April, 2014 and the industry will explore the possibility of trapping maximum quantity of secondary emission techniques adopted by M/s Aarti Steel Ltd. and shall bring feasibility for further control of secondary emissions generated from the arc furnace.
Submitted for confirmation of decisions of the hearing and for conveying to the industry & Regional Office for compliance of above decisions, please.
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