The report gives data compiled from available literature identifying plants that manufactured town gas from fossil fuels (e.g., coal, oil) and which existed in the U.S. from 1889 to 1950. The results are the first step of a preliminary study to investigate the fate and potential environmental impact of by-products (e.g., tar) from the manufactured gas industry. A list of gas manufacturing sites and company names was compiled by reviewing published gas statistics. It is estimated that more than 1,500 manufactured gas facilities existed from 1889 to 1950. In addition, available gasifier/process information and gas and by-product production data are reported. Based on these data, a rough (order of magnitude) estimate for the total production of tar by the U.S. manufactured gas industry was developed. It is estimated that about 15 trillion cu ft of gas was manufactured in the U.S. from 1880 to 1950, resulting in the production of 11 billion gal. of tar as a by-product. Of this estimated tar production, some tars were consumed at the plant site or sold and any excess discarded. Excess quantities of other by-products, such as coke and ammonia, may have been disposed of also. However, this study focused on tar because it is considered the more potentially significant waste disposal problem. The explanations and assumptions used in compiling the data are also discussed.

Caption title. At head of title: Project summary. Distributed to depository libraries in microfiche. "May 1985." "EPA/600-S7-85-004."

This report presents data compiled from available literature identifying plants that manufactured town gas from fossil fuels (e.g., coal, oil) and which existed in the U.S. from 1889 to 1950. The results are the first step of a preliminary study to investigate the fate and potential environmental impact of by-products (such as tar) from the manufactured gas industry. A list of gas manufacturing sites and company names was compiled by reviewing published gas statistics. It is estimated that more than 1,500 manufactured gas facilities existed between 1889 and 1950. In addition, available gasifier/process information and gas and by-product production data are reported. Based on these data, a rough (order of magnitude) estimate for the total production of tar by the U.S. manufactured gas industry was developed. It is estimated that about 15 x 10p12s cu ft (425 x 10p12s L) of gas was manufactured in the U.S. from 1880 to 1950, producing about 11 x 10p9s gal. (42 x 10p9s L) of tar as a by-product. Of this estimated tar production, some tars were consumed at the plant site or sold and any excess discarded. Excess quantities of other by-products, such as coke and ammonia, may have been disposed of also. However, this study focused on tar because it is considered the more potentially significant waste disposal problem. The explanations and assumptions used in compiling the data, as well as those used in developing the tar estimates, are also discussed in this report.