The study was undertaken to determine the significant operation and maintenance (O & M) considerations that bear directly on the day in/day out air pollution compliance status of municipal waste combustors (MWC's). Two independent tasks were performed to compile and document these O & M considerations. First, seven MWC sites were visited to interview equipment operators and management personnel to determine the nature of the problems they routinely encounter in operating MWC systems. The information gathered from their visits is reported herein through a description of O & M problems and solutions for each major subsystem in the MWC process. The subsystems discussed include: fuel preparation and handling; furnace operation; ash handling; air pollution control equipment; fans, ducts and stacks; and procedural considerations such as startup/shutdown, equipment inspection, and recordkeeping. Second, a field study was conducted to determine the effect of operating variables on visible emissions (opacity) at one facility. Ninety days of hourly readings of process and opacity data were collected by the MWC staff. An attempt was then made to statistically correlate the process and opacity data.

Distributed to depository libraries in microfiche. "June 1987." "EPA-340/1-87-002."