The report gives results of an EPA/IERL-RTP Level 1 multimedia environmental assessment of the ferroalloy industry. It contains general industry statistics and results of sampling and analysis at three plants (six furnaces total). It indicates that the potential for serious environmental problems exists in some segments of the industry, but it does not prove that the pollution problems are occurring. Specifically, the pollution potential for covered (mix-sealed and sealed) furnaces is substantially higher than for open furnaces, primarily due to the high concentration of organics in gases generated by the former. Covered furnaces generate polycyclic organic material (POM) at the rate of about 1,230-11,080 kg/yr per MW of furnace capacity (or 208,800-1,878,800 kg/yr for all U.S. covered furnaces). Open furnaces generate POM at about 100-900 kg/yr per MW furnace capacity (or 134,500-1,210,500 kg/yr for all U.S. open furnaces). No growth is expected in the use of covered furnaces, comprising only 14% of the industry's production capacity. The estimated nationwide POM generation rates (before emission control devices) are in the same order of magnitude as those of slot-type coke ovens, which EPA considers to be major emitters; however, the control devices used on all U.S. ferroalloy furnaces remove most of this material from the gas stream.

Caption title. At head of title: Project summary. "July 1981." "EPA 600-S2-81-038." "EPA 600-2-81-038."