Mact Compliance for SSIs: What To Do Now

Abstract

Sewage sludge incinerators (SSIs) located at Publicly Owned Wastewater Treatment Works (POTWs) are subject to the recently enacted US EPA 129 emission limits, often referred to as the MACT rule since Maximum Achievable Control Technology methods were used in their development by the EPA. These regulations set a time limit of March 21, 2016 or earlier if a state implementation plan (SIP) is in place, for compliance with emission limits for both multiple hearth incinerators (MHIs) and fluidized bed incinerators (FBIs). The rule also establishes new, more restrictive limits for "new" MHIs and "new" FBIs. As a result, owners of existing incinerators are formulating compliance strategies to continue incineration, or shutting down their incinerators and determining alternatives for the future processing of their sludge. This paper addresses the compliance strategy used by wastewater utilities, and testing results that will be of assistance to other POTWs in determining what they need to do now to determine the future of incineration at their plants.