STATE OF
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BEFORE THE
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COUNTY OF
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ENVIRONMENTAL
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COMMISSIONER
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OF
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Complainant, |
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Case Nos. 2019-26099-A,
2019-26490-A
and 2020-26917-A |
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CLEVELAND-CLIFFS
BURNS
HARBOR, LLC, |
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Respondent. |
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AGREED ORDER
Complainant and Respondent desire to
settle and compromise this action without hearing or adjudication of any issue
of fact or law, and consent to the entry of the following Findings of Fact and
Order. Pursuant to Indiana Code (�IC�) 13-30-3-3, entry into the terms of this
Agreed Order does not constitute an admission of any violation contained
herein. Respondent�s entry into this Agreed Order shall not constitute a waiver
of any defense, legal or equitable, which Respondent may have in any future
administrative or judicial proceeding, except a proceeding to enforce this
order.
I. FINDINGS OF
FACT
1.
Complainant
is the Commissioner (�Complainant�) of the Indiana Department of Environmental
Management (�IDEM�), a department of the State of Indiana created by IC
13-13-1-1.
2.
Respondent
is
Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor, LLC,
which owns and operates the stationary steel works plant for
the production of coke, limited coal chemical, molten iron, molten
steel, steel slab, hot rolled steel, steel coils, steel plates, cold rolled
and/or coated steel sheet and plate
with Plant ID No. 127-00001,
located at 250 West US Highway 12, in Burns Harbor, Porter County, Indiana (�Site�).
3.
IDEM
has jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter of this action.
4.
Pursuant to IC 13-30-3-3, IDEM issued a Notice
of Violation (�NOV�) via Electronic Mail to:
Cleveland-Cliffs
Steel,
LLC Attn: Clifford Smith, President |
CT Corporation Systems, Registered Agent |
200
Public Square Suite 3300 |
334 North Senate Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46204 |
Cleveland,
OH 44114-2544 Clifford.Smith@ClevelandCliffs.com |
CTSOPReceipt@wolterskluwer.com |
5.
During
an investigation including a record review conducted by a representative of
IDEM, the following violations were found:
a.
Pursuant to 40 CFR 63 Subpart CCCCC, except for
monitor malfunctions, associated repairs, and required quality assurance or
control activities (including as applicable, calibration checks and required
zero and span adjustments), Respondent must monitor continuously (or collect
data at all required intervals) at all times the affected source is operating.
Respondent reported in its 3rd and 4th quarter 2018 and 2nd
semi-annual report for the reporting period July 1 through December 31, 2018,
numerous occurrences where monitoring data was not continuously collected, in
violation of 40 CFR 63 CFR CCCCC.
b.
Pursuant to 40 CFR 63.1162(a)(5), each
monitoring device shall be certified by the manufacturer to be accurate to
within five (5) percent and shall be calibrated in accordance with the
manufacturer�s instructions but not less frequently than once per year.
Respondent reported in its semi-annual report for the reporting period July 1
through December 31, 2018, it had failed to calibrate the two (2) Pickle Line
Fume Scrubbers� differential pressure and water flow meters within 1 year of
their previous calibrations, in violation of 40 CFR 63.1162(a)(5).
c.
Pursuant to 40 CFR 63 Subpart FFFFF, Respondent
shall meet emission limits and maintain operation and maintenance requirements.
Respondent reported in its 3rd and 4th quarter 2018 and 2nd
semi-annual report for the reporting period July 1 through December 31, 2018,
numerous deviations of continuous compliance emission limits and/or deviations
from the continuous compliance operations and maintenance requirements, in
violation of 40 CFR 63 Subpart FFFFF.
Based on the
Enforcement Action Letter issued to Respondent on September 6, 2019, case
number 2019-26490-A contains the following violations:
d.
Pursuant to 40 CFR 63 Subpart CCCCC, except for
monitor malfunctions, associated repairs, and required quality assurance or
control activities (including as applicable, calibration checks and required
zero and span adjustments), Respondent must monitor continuously (or collect
data at all required intervals) at all times the affected source is operating.
Respondent reported in its 1st and 2nd quarter 2019 and 1st
semi-annual report for the reporting period January 1 through June 30, 2019,
numerous occurrences where monitoring data was not continuously collected, in
violation of 40 CFR 63 Subpart CCCCC.
e.
Pursuant
to 40 CFR 63 Subpart FFFFF, Respondent shall be in compliance with the emission
limitations and operation and maintenance requirements in this subpart at all
times, except during periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction as defined
in � 63.2.
Respondent reported in its 1st and 2nd quarter 2019
and 1st semi-annual report for the reporting
period January 1 through June 30, 2019, numerous deviations of continuous
compliance emission limits and/or deviations from the continuous compliance
operations and maintenance requirements, in violation of 40 CFR 63 CFR FFFFF.
Based on the
Enforcement Action Letter issued to Respondent on February 24, 2020, case
number 2020-26917-A contains the following violations:
f.
Pursuant to 40 CFR 63 Subpart CCCCC, except for
monitor malfunctions, associated repairs, and required quality assurance or
control activities (including as applicable, calibration checks and required
zero and span adjustments), Respondent must monitor continuously (or collect
data at all required intervals) at all times the affected source is operating.
Respondent reported in its 3rd and 4th quarter 2019 and 2nd
semi-annual report for the reporting period July 1
through December 31, 2019, several occurrences where monitoring data was
not continuously collected, in violation of 40 CFR 63 Subpart CCCCC.
g.
Pursuant to 40 CFR 63.7295(b)(1), each quench
tower at a new or existing coke oven battery and each backup quench station at
a new coke oven battery shall be equipped with baffles such that no more than 5
percent of the cross sectional area of the tower may be uncovered or open to
the sky.
Respondent operated #2 quench station with less than 95% coverage on October 22
and 23, 2019, in violation of 40 CFR 63.7295(b)(1).
h.
Pursuant
to 40 CFR 63 CFR FFFFF, Respondent shall be in compliance with the emission limitations
and operation and maintenance requirements in this subpart at all times, except
during periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction as defined in � 63.2.
Respondent reported in its 3rd and 4th quarter 2019
and 2nd semi-annual report for the reporting
period July 1 through
December 31, 2019, numerous deviations of continuous
compliance emission limits of the subpart and/or deviations from the continuous
compliance operations and maintenance requirements of the subpart, in violation
of 40 CFR 63 Subpart FFFFF.
i.
Pursuant to Part 70 Permit 127-40675-00001
condition B.10, Respondent is required to develop and implement a Preventative
Maintenance Plan (�PMP�).
Respondent failed to conduct the semi-annual inspection on the Roll Blaster
Baghouse as specified in the PMP, in violation of Part 70 Permit
127-40675-00001 condition B.10.
6.
This
Agreed Order covers all deviations submitted in the noted reports, except the
40 CFR 63 Subpart FFFFF deviations occurring on: July 21, 2018, November 18,
2018, November 23, 2018, November 25-26, 2018, March 29, 2019, June 30, 2019 �
July 8, 2019, August 26, 2019, August 27, 2019, and August 30, 2019.� The dates listed are being pursued by U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (�U.S. EPA�) as referenced it the Finding of Violation
issued by U.S. EPA on January 21, 2021.
7.
Orders
of the Commissioner are subject to administrative review by the Office of
Environmental Adjudication under IC 4-21.5; however, in recognition of the settlement
reached, Respondent acknowledges notice
of this right and waives any right to administrative and judicial review of
this Agreed Order.
II. ORDER
1.
This Agreed Order shall be effective
(�Effective Date�) when it is approved by Complainant or Complainant�s delegate, and has been received by Respondent. This Agreed
Order shall have no force or effect until the Effective Date.
2.
Respondent shall comply with the applicable
federal rules and Part 70 Permit 127-44000-00001 unless superseded by a permit
modification or renewal.
3.
Respondent shall comply with all applicable
federal rules.
4.
All submittals required by this Agreed Order,
unless IDEM notifies the Respondent otherwise in writing, shall be sent to:
Matthew
Chaifetz, Senior Enforcement Case Manager
Office of Air Quality
Indiana
Department of Environmental Management
100 North
Senate Avenue
Indianapolis,
IN 46204-2251
mchaifet@idem.IN.gov
5.
Pursuant to IC 13-30-4-1, Respondent is
assessed and agrees to pay a civil penalty of One Hundred Thousand Eight
Hundred Dollars ($100,800.00).� Said
penalty amount shall be due and payable to the Environmental Management Special
Fund within thirty (30) days of the Effective Date; the thirtieth day being the
�Due Date.�
6.
Civil penalties are payable by check to the
�Environmental Management Special Fund.� Checks shall include the Case Number
of this action and shall be mailed to:
Indiana
Department of Environmental Management
Accounts
Receivable
IGCN, Room
1340
100 North
Senate Avenue
Indianapolis,
IN 46204
7.
In the event that the monies
due to IDEM pursuant to this Agreed Order are not paid on or before their Due
Date, Respondent shall pay interest on the unpaid balance at the rate
established by IC 24-4.6-1. The interest shall be computed as having accrued
from the Due Date until the date that Respondent pays any unpaid balance. Such
interest shall be payable to the Environmental Management Special Fund, and shall be payable to IDEM in the manner specified
in Paragraph 6, above.
8.
Signatories to this Agreed Order certify that they
are fully authorized to execute this Agreed Order and legally bind the party
they represent.
9.
This Agreed Order shall apply to and be binding
upon Respondent and all successors and assigns. Respondent shall provide a copy
of this Agreed Order, if in force, to any subsequent owners, successors, or
assigns before ownership rights are transferred.
10.
No change in ownership, corporate, or
partnership status of Respondent shall in any way alter the Respondent�s status or responsibilities under this Agreed
Order.
11.
Respondent shall ensure that all contractors,
firms, and other persons performing work under this Agreed Order comply with
the terms of this Agreed Order.
12.
In the event that any terms of
this Agreed Order are found to be invalid, the remaining terms shall remain in
full force and effect and shall be construed and enforced as if this Agreed
Order did not contain the invalid terms.
13.
This Agreed Order is not and shall not be interpreted
to be a permit or a modification of an existing permit. This Agreed Order, and
IDEM�s review or approval of any submittal made by Respondent pursuant to this
Agreed Order, shall not in any way relieve Respondent of the obligation to
comply with the requirements of any applicable permits or any applicable
Federal or State laws or regulations.
14.
Complainant does not, by its approval of this
Agreed Order, warrant or aver in any manner that Respondent�s compliance with
any aspect of this Agreed Order will result in compliance with the provisions
of any permit, order, or any applicable Federal or State law or regulation.
Additionally, IDEM or anyone acting on its behalf shall not be held liable for
any costs or penalties Respondent may incur as a result of
Respondent�s efforts to comply with this Agreed Order.
15.
Nothing in this Agreed Order shall prevent or
limit IDEM�s rights to obtain penalties or injunctive relief under any
applicable Federal or State law or regulation, except that IDEM may not, and
hereby waives its right to, seek additional civil
penalties for the violations specified in the NOV.
16.
Nothing in this Agreed Order shall prevent IDEM
or anyone acting on its behalf from communicating with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (�U.S. EPA�) or any other agency or entity about any matters
relating to this enforcement action. IDEM or anyone acting on its behalf shall
not be held liable for any costs or penalties Respondent may incur as a result of such communications with the U.S. EPA or any
other agency or entity.
17.
This Agreed Order shall remain in effect until
Respondent has complied with all terms and conditions of this Agreed Order and
IDEM has issued a Resolution of Case letter to Respondent.
TECHNICAL
RECOMMENDATION: |
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RESPONDENT: |
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Department
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Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor, LLC |
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David
P. McIver, Chief |
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Printed: |
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Enforcement
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Office
of Air Quality |
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COUNSEL
FOR COMPLAINANT: |
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COUNSEL
FOR RESPONDENT: |
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For
the Department of Environmental Management |
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By: |
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By: |
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Date: |
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APPROVED
AND ADOPTED BY THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL |
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MANAGEMENT THIS |
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DAY OF |
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2022. |
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For
the Commissioner: |
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Signed
on January 21, 2022 |
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Matthew
Stuckey |
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Assistant
Commissioner |
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Office
of Air Quality Indiana
Department of Environmental Management |
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