Method to Determine VOC Emisssoin From Chip Piles, 1996 Environmental Conference Proceedings

Title V operating permit applications that are currently being prepared and submitted to state agencies require quantification of emissions to the atmosphere from all potential sources in the mill One type of source thought to be significant for VOC emissions is chip piles. State agencies have been adamant in their requirement for emission information from this source. Mills and consultants have therefore been using turpentine loss studies conducted in the 1960’s in order to make a rough calculation of these emissions. Without direct measurement of VOC’s, it is difficult to ascertain a proper estimate of emissions, and emission estimates have varied from 9 to 400 TPY of VOC per pile. This paper presents a procedure on how to estimate emissions from chip piles. This procedure can be used as an interim method before more comprehensive studies can be completed. The determination that a chip pile is a potential major VOC emission source could have many regulatory ramifications, such as its inclusion in PSD reviews. If indeed chip piles are determined to be significant VOC emission sources, government agencies need to review whether these emissions are from manmade operations or are naturally occurring before they can be properly regulated.