EPA v. GREEN PLAINS BLUFFTON LLC

Case summary

Green Plains started operations in or around September 2008 and currently operates a 100 million gallons per year dry mill ethanol manufacturing facility (the facility) in Bluffton, Indiana. The facility also produces approximately 550 tons per hour of animal feed known as distiller grains. Ethanol manufacturing produces by-products such as Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) and Distillers Wet Grains (DWG). At the facility, the company uses the dry mill process, where the entire grain kernel is ground into flour. The starch in the flour is converted to ethanol during the fermentation process, creating carbon dioxide and DDGS. The facility includes: four natural gas-fired DDGS dryers (identified as EU029 through EU032), with emissions controlled by recuperative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) and a heat recovery steam generating (HRSG) system (identified as C10 and exhausting to stack S10). On March 13, 2007, IDEM issued a Federally Enforceable State Operating Permit (FESOP) No. F179-23641-00033 (with conditions) to the facility under the Indiana Enhanced NSR construction permit process. The FESOP limited the facility’s NOx emissions to less than 100 tons per year. This permit restricts the RTO/HRSG emissions to 21.20 lbs. NOX per hour. Under the permit, on and after the date of stack test results are available, Green Plains is required to operate the RTOs at or above the 3-hour average temperatures as observed during the latest compliance stack tests. The RTOs achieved the 3-hour average temperature of 15240F during the latest compliance stack test. On July 1, 2011, Region 5 issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) to Green Plains for exceeding its allowable NOx emissions limit (21.20 lbs/hour) at the RTO/HRSG unit. The NOV also alleged that Green Plains had operated the RTO system below the minimum temperature operating requirement of 1524 0F. The parties held a conference to discuss the NOV on July 27, 2011. As requested by Region 5, Green Plains submitted additional information to EPA on August 8, 2011. This information included RTO repair activities and post-repair NOx emissions, and “low temperature events” data from RTOs. Based on our review of this information, as well as information provided to EPA prior to and at the Section 113 conference, Region 5 believes that Green Plains currently complies with the cited permit conditions and Indiana SIP requirements. Green Plains investigated the NOx emissions increase with the RTO manufacturer. It determined that there was a plugged screen on the burners in the RTO’s flue gas recirculation chambers was causing elevated levels of NOx emissions. In November 2010, Green Plains shut down the facility and removed the plugged screen from the RTO. NOx emissions from the RTO are well below 21.20 lbs/hour since the removal of the screen. This CAFO requires Green Plains to pay a cash penalty of $60,000 in consideration of Green Plains’ cooperation in this matter and expeditious return to compliance.

Defendants (1)

• GREEN PLAINS BLUFFTON LLCNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• VALERO RENEWABLE FUELS COMPANY LLC DBA VALERO BLUFFTON PLANT

  1441 SOUTH ADAMS STREET, BLUFFTON, IN, 46714-9793

  Registry ID: 110058503132

Statutes cited

• CAA 110 — Implementation Plan for National Primary and Secondary Ambient Air Quality Standards

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• GREEN PLAINS BLUFFTON LLCentered 2012-05-03

  Primary law: CAA

  Federal penalty: $60,000

Timeline (3 milestones)

• 2012-05-03Complaint Filed/Proposed Order
• 2012-05-03Final Order Issued
• 2012-05-08Enforcement Action Data Entered