Based on our review, paste mixing operations have the highest potential for Pb emissions compared to all other processes at lead acid battery manufacturing facilities. 3. According to the Battery Council, an industry group, leadacid battery recycling is one of the most successful recycling programs in the world. Sulfuric acid has a higher density than water, which causes the acid formed at the plates during charging to flow downward and collect at the bottom of the battery. The mailed CBI material should be double wrapped and clearly marked. These systems typically include an instrument that is capable of monitoring particulate matter loadings in the exhaust of a baghouse in order to detect bag failures ( The Iron and Steel Foundries NESHAPs also require testing of once every 5 years. Nature Sustain. To examine the potential for any environmental justice issues that might be associated with the source category, we performed a demographic analysis which is an assessment of individual demographic groups of the populations living within 5 km and within 50 km of the facilities. These circumstances are (1) Outages of the EPA's CDX or CEDRI which preclude an owner or operator from accessing the system and submitting required reports and (2) fires and bag blinding) identified in the 1982 rulemaking. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the lead acid battery manufacturing industry is 335911. No applicable VCS were identified for EPA Methods 12 and 29 for lead. Such over-pressurized batteries should be carefully isolated and discarded. 7411(b)(1)(B). The capital costs are estimated to be $68,000 and annualized costs of $14,000 per baghouse. Detailed cost information and analyses for both sizes of facilities are shown in the Technology Review Memorandum available in the docket. You may also send your ICR-related comments to OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs via email to If you require the services of a translator or special accommodation such as audio description, please pre-register for the hearing with the public hearing team and describe your needs by March 2, 2022. Starting batteries are of lighter weight than deep-cycle batteries of the same size, because the thinner and lighter cell plates do not extend all the way to the bottom of the battery case. For facilities with capacity to process less than 150 tpd of Pb (referred to as small facilities for the remainder of this preamble), the EPA is proposing to retain the standard of 1 mg/dscm for paste mixing facilities and to retain the opacity limits for these operations (0 percent for grid casting and paste mixing and 5 percent for lead reclamation). Start Printed Page 10144 E-Reporting Policy Statement for EPA Regulations, https://www.epa.gov/dockets. and Several additional CAA sections are relevant to this action as they specifically address regulation of hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions from area sources. They further pointed out that the only grid casting facility that was controlled by a fabric filtration system at that time was plagued by fires and asserted that spark arrestors (a safety device used to prevent ignition of flammable emissions) would not solve the problem. Separators allow the flow of ions between the plates of an electrochemical cell to form a closed circuit. As mentioned above, we have identified improvements in compliance requirements related to the current performance standards for lead acid battery manufacturing facilities. This allows the plate stack to be compressed together in the battery shell, slightly increasing energy density compared to liquid or gel versions. Wood, rubber, glass fiber mat, cellulose, and PVC or polyethylene plastic have been used to make separators. In casting method, the lead alloy slabs are melted in melting pot and this molted lead is poured into the patterns of battery grids whereas stamping operation produces on battery grids based on stamping on lead sheets. offers a preview of documents scheduled to appear in the next day's Additionally the battery can be installed in any orientation, though if it is installed upside down then acid may be blown out through the overpressure vent. Capital costs for the model facility to purchase and install a fabric filter with 99 percent efficiency are estimated to be $167,000 for a small facility and $402,000 for a large facility. Some facilities are also using secondary control devices such as a wet scrubber or HEPA filter in addition to the primary fabric filters to achieve further emissions control. Section 112(c)(3), in turn, requires the EPA to list sufficient categories or subcategories of area sources to ensure that area sources representing 90 percent of the emissions of the 30 urban HAP are subject to regulation. With a secondary HEPA filter's capability to achieve additional reduction efficiency of at least 99.97 percent following the fabric filters compared to the 99 percent reduction efficiencies of the primary fabric filter, the BSER emissions control technology available when the NSPS KK was developed ( The OMB control numbers for the EPA's regulations in 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9. The EPA evaluated and considered this improvement in emissions reduction technology at grid casting, paste mixing, three-process operations, lead oxide manufacturing, and lead reclamation facilities. For the NESHAP area source GACT standard, our technology review primarily focuses on the identification and evaluation of developments in practices, processes, and control technologies that have occurred since the standards were promulgated. i.e., In a wet-formation method, a battery undergoes initial charging for several hours after plates are immersed in an electrolyte battery case. a secondary filter the EPA proposes to retain the requirement for semi-annual inspections. the proposed requirements in the new NSPS subpart KKa, would achieve an estimated 0.08 tpy reduction of allowable lead emissions for a small facility and an estimated 0.32 tpy reduction of allowable lead emissions for a large facility compared to that of the current NSPS subpart KK. As discussed above, the court in Sierra Club vacated the exemptions previously contained in this provision and held that the CAA requires that some section 112 standard apply continuously. The lead sulfate first forms in a finely divided, amorphous state and easily reverts to lead, lead dioxide, and sulfuric acid when the battery recharges. Pursuant to CAA section 111(a), the proposed standards included in this action apply to facilities that begin construction, reconstruction, or modification after February 23, 2022. Reducing the use of scarce metals and recycling them will be key to the world's transition to electric vehicles.. In addition, the EPA is proposing the following amendments for both the area source NESHAP (for new and existing sources) and under a new NSPS subpart (for lead acid battery facilities that begin construction, reconstruction or modification after February 23, 2022): Performance testing once every 5 years to demonstrate compliance; work practices to minimize emissions of fugitive lead dust; increased inspection on include documents scheduled for later issues, at the request APAC to become a lucrative hub for lead acid battery production. for this rulemaking. 2. As electrolyte is lost, VRLA cells "dry-out" and lose capacity. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. the standards that we are proposing in this rule apply at all times. For the revisions to the applicability provisions to include battery production processes at facilities that do not produce the final end product of batteries, available information indicates that these facilities can meet the emission limits with their current controls and compliance assurance measures required by the NESHAP. Clearly mark the part or all of the information that you claim to be CBI. Picture taken February 15, 2021. [7] Federal, state, local, and tribal government entities would not be affected by this proposed action. III. Any significant changes in the cost (including cost effectiveness) of applying controls (including controls the EPA considered during the development of the original GACT standards). Section 63.7(e) requires that the owner or operator make available to the Administrator such records as may be necessary to determine the condition of the performance test available to the Administrator upon request but does not specifically require the information to be recorded. EPA, Hand deliveries or couriers will be received by scheduled appointment only. About the Federal Register Therefore, the actual costs for new sources are expected to be zero since we do not expect any such sources. The source category definition is broad enough that the EPA determined it can encompass these facilities. Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector (IEA, 2021); available at https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050, Lithium-ion batteries need to be greener and more ethical, Recycling lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles, Transannular CH functionalization of cycloalkane carboxylic acids, India cuts periodic table and evolution from school textbooks experts are baffled, Almost magical: chemists can now move single atoms in and out of a molecules core, Electricity outages delay SDGs in sub-Saharan Africa, Better batteries built using existing technology, Arab world's first asteroid hopper will visit seven space rocks, Revealing vascular roadblocks in the brain. Consistent with Sierra Club, the EPA is proposing to revise standards in this rule to apply at all times. inspections and VE or pressure drop readings), but not a requirement to install bag leak detection systems. [29] As long as the charging voltage stays below the gassing voltage (about 14.4 volts in a normal leadacid battery), battery damage is unlikely, and in time the battery should return to a nominally charged state. 06/02/2023, 204 Gel cells also have lower freezing and higher boiling points than the liquid electrolytes used in conventional wet cells and AGMs, which makes them suitable for use in extreme conditions. Economic Impact and Small Business Analysis for the Lead Acid Battery Manufacturing NSPS Review and NESHAP Area Source Technology Review, However, to minimize the cost impacts of such testing, the EPA is proposing to allow facilities that have two or more processes and stacks that are very similar and have the same type of control devices to test just one stack as representative of the others as approved by the EPA or the delegated authority. Secondary standards provide public welfare protection including protection against decreased visibility and damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings. The hearing will convene at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) and will conclude at 5:00 p.m. Incremental annual costs for a small baseline facility to install fabric filters (BSER) compared to impingement scrubbers (baseline) are estimated to be $8,500. If you submit an electronic comment, the EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any digital storage media you submit. This process is known as "gassing". Where we identify such developments, we analyze their technical feasibility, estimated costs, energy implications, and non-air environmental impacts. Chemical additives have been used ever since the leadacid battery became a commercial item, to reduce lead sulfate build-up on plates and improve battery condition when added to the electrolyte of a vented leadacid battery. Work Practices to Minimize Fugitive Lead Dust: announcing updates. 4. Pursuant to the CAA 111 authority described above, performance standards were set in 40 CFR part 60, subpart KK for the Lead Acid Battery Manufacturing source category on April 16, 1982 (47 FR 16564). Traction (propulsion) batteries are used in golf carts and other battery electric vehicles. Three Phase Inverter : Circuit, Working, Types & Its Applications, Low Power Factor : Effects, Causes & Its Improvements, Turbo Generator : Construction, Working, Types, Specifications & Its Applications, Demand Factor : Factors, Load Calculation & Its Applications, Residual Current Device : Circuit, Working & Its Applications, Electron Flow : Working, Formula & Its Differences, Coefficient of Coupling : Derivation, Working & Its Example, Different Types of Resistors and Its Color Code Calculation, Eddy Current : Working, Advantages, Loss, Braking System & Its Applications, Voltage Follower : Circuit, Working, Purpose & Its Applications. A quantitative analysis would be technically complicated, resource intensive and infeasible to perform in the time available. In a dry-formation method, batteries are shipped as dry after the positive and negative elements are fully charged or formed and dried in tanks or as an individual plates and are connected to positive and negative terminals of the battery. We consider these more frequent performance testing requirements to be a development in operational procedures that will help ensure continued compliance with the Lead Acid Battery Manufacturing NSPS KKa by identifying emissions sources that are no longer meeting the relevant standards due to equipment deterioration or other issues. The regulatory text does not include the language in 40 CFR 63.7(e)(1) that restated the SSM exemption and language that precluded startup and shutdown periods from being considered representative for purposes of performance testing. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. If this loose debris rises enough it may touch the bottom of the plates and cause failure of a cell, resulting in loss of battery voltage and capacity. This action constitutes the 112(d)(6) technology review for the Lead Acid Battery Manufacturing area source NESHAP. The EPA is proposing revised lead (Pb) emission limits for grid casting, paste mixing, and lead reclamation operations for both the area source NESHAP (for new and existing sources) and under a new NSPS subpart (for lead acid battery facilities that begin construction, reconstruction, or modification after February 23, 2022). EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0619. feasible control technology for grid casting and that this technology is cost effective for new, reconstructed, and modified sources. Start Printed Page 10140 i.e., v. 2016). Proposal of NSPS Subpart KKa Without Startup, Shutdown, Malfunction Exemptions, a. Startup, Shutdown and Malfunction (SSM) Provisions, c. Lead Reclamation Definition Clarification, A. However, based on available information we determined that a broader category was appropriate to define all other facilities (with less than 150 tons per day capacity), which we refer to collectively as small facilities in this action. Thus, not all the lead is returned to the battery plates, and the amount of usable active material necessary for electricity generation declines over time. Sulfation prevention remains the best course of action, by periodically fully charging the leadacid batteries. Follow. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0619, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460. The CAA section 111(a)(1) (U.S.C. However, as described in section IV.B.d above, these facilities will not need to conduct daily pressure drop readings or VE observations and monthly inspections; therefore, we expect there ISSN 1476-4687 (online) Please note that any updates made to any aspect of the hearing will be posted online at The EPA then compared the data from this analysis to the national average for the demographic indicators. Casting and stamping methods are generally used for making battery grids. Counts are subject to sampling, reprocessing and revision (up or down) throughout the day. The current language in 40 CFR 63.6(e)(1)(i) characterizes what the general duty entails during periods of SSM. https://www.regulations.gov/. If requested, the virtual hearing will be held on March 10, 2022. 45 facilities for 40 CFR part 63, subpart PPPPPP and 0 facilities for 40 CFR part 60, subpart KKa. Additionally, the EPA has identified two specific circumstances in which electronic reporting extensions may be provided. documents in the last year, 39 Incremental capital costs for a small new, reconstructed, and modified source to install and operate a fabric filter (BSER) compared to an impingement scrubber (baseline) on grid casting operations are $53,000, with incremental annual costs estimated to be $23,600. While every effort has been made to ensure that The EPA conducted a screening analysis using the American Meteorological Society/Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Model (AERMOD) dispersion model for 17 lead acid battery facilities. We conclude these costs are reasonable given the importance of periodic testing to help ensure continuous compliance with the standards and to ensure the control devices continue to operate as designed. Aluminum connectors corrode to aluminum sulfate. In this refined modeling, other lead-emitting sources located within 10 km of one of the monitors were included. 06/02/2023, 40 Air permit limits and selected compliance options from permits that were available online. on the Web, cloud, or other file sharing system). We are also proposing to add a row to the General Provisions table (Table 3) for 40 CFR 63.6(e)(1)(iii) and including a yes for this entry in column 3. The lead-acid battery is a type of rechargeable battery first invented in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Plant.It is the first type of rechargeable battery ever created. 23, 47104715 (2021). and JavaScript. The EPA anticipates this phase could take 1 to 2 years, depending on the approved plan elements. 2013). This review requires significant method validation data which meets the requirements of the EPA Method 301 for accepting alternative methods or scientific, engineering and policy equivalence to procedures in the EPA reference methods. Search of the Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT)/Best Available Control Technology (BACT)/Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) Clearinghouse (RBLC). C. What data collection activities were conducted to support this action? [36][dubious discuss][bettersourceneeded] However, documents of the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration, since 1982, have indicated rates varying between 60% and 95%. While the provision at 40 CFR 63.6(f)(1) was revised in March 2021, this action proposes to add a row to the General Provisions table (Table 3) for 40 CFR 63.6(f)(1) and including a no for this entry in column 3. We estimate Pb emissions for a small and large uncontrolled grid casting facility are 0.5 tpy and 1.3 tpy, respectively. that may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare. used the estimated emissions from a 1989 EPA preliminary draft review of the NSPS KK as well as cost of controls from that 1989 document (scaled up to 2020 dollars). The average annual burden to the Agency over the 3 years after the amendments are final is estimated to be 66 hours (per year). Under CAA section 112, emissions standards for new sources must be no less stringent than the level achieved by the best controlled similar source and for existing sources generally must be no less stringent than the average emission limitation achieved by the best performing 12 percent of sources in the category. https://www.epa.gov/dockets. We estimate that there are approximately 13 large facilities in the source category, and that 8 of these large facilities will need to add bag leak detection systems. Therefore, we conclude that fabric filters are clearly feasible and well demonstrated as an appropriate control technology for grid casting operations. Given the configurations of existing facilities, we assume a typical new small facility would have 3-6 baghouses. Two compounds used for such purposes are Epsom salts and EDTA. i.e., . Sulfation can be avoided if the battery is fully recharged immediately after a discharge cycle. We are proposing recordkeeping and reporting requirements associated with the new 40 CFR part 60, subpart KKa, including notifications of construction/reconstruction, initial startup, conduct of performance tests, and physical or operational changes; reports of opacity results, performance test results and semiannual reports if excess emissions occur or continuous emissions monitoring systems are used; and keeping records of performance test results and pressure drop monitoring. Lead-acid battery is mainly composed of a battery tank, battery cover, and negative plate, dilute sulfuric acid electrolyte, separator and accessories. We are also proposing several revisions to Table 1 to 40 CFR part 63, subpart PPPPPP, as is explained in more detail below. The analyses and rationale for these proposed rule changes are explained below. documents in the last year, 286 Furthermore, we have not identified any non-air environmental impacts and energy requirements. 7922; Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area; Alaska, Safety Zone; Sausalito Fireworks Display; San Francisco Bay, Sausalito, CA, Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedure for Commercial Warm Air Furnaces, Agency Information Collection Activities; Migratory Bird Surveys, Migraine: Developing Drugs for Preventive Treatment, Moving Beyond COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Federal Workers, Imposing Sanctions on Certain Persons Destabilizing Sudan and Undermining the Goal of a Democratic Transition. Relevant information about this document from Regulations.gov provides additional context. permits that mention having lead reclamation equipment, and those two reclamation processes are controlled with fabric filters. We note that the EPA 1989 preliminary draft NSPS KK review document (cited above), indicated that facilities could achieve significant cost savings by recirculating air back into the plant and from recycling baghouse dust which would reduce annual cost estimates. Melin, H. E. et al. This table of contents is a navigational tool, processed from the About two-thirds of refined lead is produced through recycling. that agencies use to create their documents. Facilities must also demonstrate compliance with the revised numeric emissions limits for existing paste mixing, grid casting, and lead reclamation processes within this 3-year period. Periods of startup, normal operations, and shutdown are all predictable and routine aspects of a source's operations. All submissions received must include the Docket ID No. When a lead-acid battery is discharged, the positive plate is mainly lead dioxide, and the negative plate is lead. Most of the world's leadacid batteries are automobile starting, lighting, and ignition (SLI) batteries, with an estimated 320 million units shipped in 1999. Information not marked as CBI will be included in the public docket and the EPA's electronic public docket without prior notice. Apart from the problem of fires, commenters contended that contaminants present in the exhaust gases from grid casting and lead reclamation would cause frequent bag blinding. Only official editions of the Respondents/affected entities: However, we do expect that some existing facilities could undergo modifications or reconstruction. You must perform and record monthly inspections and maintenance to ensure proper performance of each fabric filter unless you have a secondary filter (see below). Under 40 CFR 63.7(f) and 40 CFR 68.3(f) of subpart A of the General Provisions, a source may apply to the EPA to use alternative test methods or alternative monitoring requirements in place of any required testing methods, performance specifications or procedures in the final rule or any amendments. . Prior to the hearing, the EPA will post a general agenda that will list pre-registered speakers in approximate order at: Based on our review, we only identified three facilities that have a scrubber system that is not followed by a fabric filter. While the EPA expects the hearing to go forward as set forth above, please monitor our website or contact the public hearing team at (888) 372-8699 or by email at Regulations.gov Estimated Cost Impacts of Best System of Emission Reduction Review of Subpart KK and Subpart PPPPPP Technology Review and Emissions and Ambient Monitoring Data Used for the Lead Acid Battery Manufacturing Rule Reviews, During the digital camera opacity technique (DCOT) certification procedure outlined in section 9.2 of ASTM D7520-16, you or the DCOT vendor must present the plumes in front of various backgrounds of color and contrast representing conditions anticipated during field use such as blue sky, trees, and mixed backgrounds (clouds and/or a sparse tree stand). v. The requirement previously applicable under 40 CFR 63.10(b)(2)(iv)(B) to record actions to minimize emissions and record corrective actions is now applicable by reference to 40 CFR 63.11424(a)(7). https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution// We estimated the costs of (1) a new grid casting and lead reclamation facility using fabric filters with 99 percent efficiency and (2) a theoretical baseline facility using a scrubber with 90 percent efficiency, consistent with the current standards in the NSPS subpart KK. SLI batteries (starting, lighting, ignition; e.g., car batteries) suffer the most deterioration because vehicles normally stand unused for relatively long periods of time. Section 63.6(e)(1)(ii) imposes requirements that are not necessary with the elimination of the SSM exemption or are redundant with the general duty requirement being added at 40 CFR 63.11423(a)(3). Between 2018 and 2030, global lead-acid battery demand would grow. The voluntary consensus standard ASTM D7520-16, Standard Test Method for Determining the Opacity of a Plume in the Outdoor Ambient Atmosphere is an acceptable alternative to EPA Method 9 with the following conditions: 1. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews, A. Proposed New Subpart KKa for 40 CFR part 60, subpart KKa: Standards of Performance for Lead Acid Battery Manufacturing Plants. Voluntary Consensus Standard Results for Review of Standards of Performance for Lead Acid Battery Manufacturing Plants and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Lead Acid Battery, provide legal notice to the public or judicial notice to the courts. V. Summary of Cost, Environmental, and Economic Impacts. During the search, if the title or abstract (if provided) of the VCS described technical sampling and analytical procedures that are similar to the EPA's reference method, the EPA considered it as a potential equivalent method. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION With reduction efficiency of 99.97 percent, we estimate Pb emissions reductions from baseline facility compared to model facility with secondary HEPA filter would be 0.026 and 0.1 tpy for small and large facilities, respectively. https://www.regulations.gov/, Therefore, we consider the use of a bag leak detection system to be a development in operational procedures that will ensure compliance with the NSPS KKa by identifying and correcting fabric filter failures earlier than would be indicated by the daily VE or pressure drop monitoring. EPA, See the final NSPS published on April 16, 1982 (47 FR 16564) and the Then finally these are recharged for certain backup hours and sent to the next level where additional connections, labeling and caps are inserted to battery with sealed-cotton packing. A widely discussed problem with the lithium-ion . Large leadacid batteries are also used to power the electric motors in diesel-electric (conventional) submarines when submerged, and are used as emergency power on nuclear submarines as well. China uses the Shimadzu method to produce lead powder, while Europe and the United States use the Barton method. Pasting of the electrodes and collecting them into batches. According to a 2003 report entitled "Getting the Lead Out", by Environmental Defense and the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, Michigan, the batteries of vehicles on the road contained an estimated 2,600,000 metric tons (2,600,000 long tons; 2,900,000 short tons) of lead. The EPA is not required to treat a malfunction in the same manner as the type of variation in performance that occurs during routine operations of a source. The Information Collection Request (ICR) documents that the EPA prepared have been assigned EPA ICR Bag Leak Detection Requirements: Most of these uses for lead continued to increase with the growth in population and the national economy. documents in the last year, 408