Site Visit Report

Permit Number: AR0034550

AFIN: 34-00033

Site Visit Report

Facility Name: Arkansas Steel Associates (ASA)

Permit Number: AR0034550

Date of Site Visit: May 27, 2015

Permit Engineer: Shane Byrum

Names and Numbers of Personnel Present for Site Visit:

Name Company Phone # E-mail

Shane Byrum ADEQ 501-682-0618 byrum@adeq.state.ar.us

Bill Ferguson ASA 870-523-3693

ext 270

ferguson@arkansassteel.com

Tim Shelton ASA 870-523-3693

Front Gate Coordinates: 35° 38’ 46.03” N; 91° 14’ 40.20”W

Outfall Information

Outfall 001

Effluent Description

stormwater not covered under ARR00B774, treated domestic

wastewater, and industrial wastewater consisting of quench water from

rolling mill inspection department, backwash water from mold water

iron treatment and softening units, blowdown from mold water cooling

tower, backwash water from two spray water sand filters, backwash

water and strainer discharge from three electric arc furnace iron

treatment units, backwash water from direct contact water sand filter,

and bearing and pass water from breakdown mill and 18-inch mill.

Receiving Stream unnamed tributary of Village Creek

Monitoring Coordinates 35° 38’ 46.3”N; 91° 14’ 37.8”W

Final Current Outfall 001

Coordinates same as monitoring coordinates

Treatment Units Oil skimmers in final effluent ditch leading to outfall

Any changes requested

by permittee to limits,

terms, etc. for this

outfall?

Mr. Ferguson expressed concern on revised effluent mass limits

calculated for Lead.

Issues Discussed

Final effluent mass limits for Lead were discussed. The facility expressed concern on the lower

mass limits for Lead. Permit engineer stated that the mass limits for Lead were lower because of

significantly lower flow rates (-35%) reported in application. Permit engineer stated that the

determination of the flow rate would be re-evaluated using more recent flow data presented at the

site visit.

Process Description

All processes at the facility are classified either as melt shop operations or rolling mill operations.

The rolling mill was not operating at the time of site visit. The facility uses onsite deep wells as

the water source for the various processes. The facility uses city water from Newport Municipal

Water Company for the rolling mill inspection department quench water, potable and sanitary

uses.

Melt Shop

Steelmaking begins in the electric arc furnaces (EAF) where steel scrap is melted. Limestone is

added as a fluxing agent for removal impurities in the molten steel and this fluxing agent transfers

the impurities to slag, a by-product of steelmaking. Other additives include coke and manganese

which are added to achieve the desired metallurgical properties of the steel. At the EAF, re-

circulating non-contact cooling water is used to draw excess heat away from the furnace roof,

furnace shell, and the off-gas ductwork. Make-up water for the re-circulating non-contact cooling

water loop serving the EAF is drawn from onsite deep wells. Before raw water is added to this

water loop, it is treated for removal of naturally occurring iron in the ground water. Backwash

water from the 3 EAF iron treatment units (sand filters), discharge from the strainer, and

blowdown from the 3 furnace water cooling towers all contribute to the industrial wastewater

discharged at Outfall 001.

From the EAF, the molten steel is carried by a ladle to the ladle metallurgy station (LMS) for final

adjustment of the molten steel’s metallurgical properties. At the LMS, re-circulating non-contact

cooling water is used to draw heat away from the LMS roof. This re-circulating non-contact

cooling water is drawn from the same cooling water loop serving the EAF.

After the LMS, the molten steel goes through continuous casting. The steel is passed through

molds and casted into shape. In these caster molds, re-circulating non-contact cooling water is

used to cool the molds. Makeup water for the non-contact cooling water loop serving the caster

molds is drawn from deep water wells and pass through sand filters for removal of natural

occurring iron in the ground water. Backwash water from the iron treatment and softening units,

and blowdown from the mold water cooling tower contribute to the industrial wastewater

discharge at Outfall 001.

The caster produces long, continuous, rectangular pieces of steel which pass through the spray

water system. This is contact cooling water that makes direct contact with the steel. After cooling,

the solid steel is cut into long pieces known as billets. Makeup water for the spray water system is

drawn from deep water wells. Blowdown and sand filter backwash from the spray water system

contact cooling water loop is discharged through Outfall 001.

Rolling Mill Operations

The billets from the melt shop are either sold to others as outside billet sales or further process in

the rolling mill by a process known as hot forming. The first step in hot forming is the “re-

softening” of steel in a reheat furnace. In the reheat furnace, re-circulating non-contact cooling

water is used to cool the furnace structure itself. Makeup water for this water loop is drawn from

deep wells, iron removed by sand filters, and filter backwash and cooling tower blowdown from

this process is discharged to Outfall 001.

Following the reheat furnace, the softened billets are formed into desired shapes and sections by

passing through two separate mills, the breakdown mill and the 18-inch mill. In each mill, there is

a cascading series of devices known as mill stands. Each mill stand holds opposing pairs of large

rolls between which steel is passed multiple time until the final desired shape of the final product

is achieved. The final product at this facility is various shapes of railroad tie plates. Each railroad

company requires slightly different tie plate geometries.

All mill stands require cooling water know as bearing-and-pass water. The bearing-and-pass

water for the breakdown mill loops through the direct contact water cooling tower and the direct

contact water sand filter. The bearing-and-pass water for the 18-inch mill only loops through he

rolling mill cooling tower. Blowdown from this cooling tower and sand filter is discharge at

Outfall 001.

Conclusion of Site Visit

The more recent flow data over a two year period of record (June 2013 to May 2015) was

evaluated. Also, during this evaluation an error was found in the highest monthly average flow

calculated by the consultant who prepared application. After correcting this error and using more

recent data, the effluent flow used in calculating the effluent limits was determined to be 270,000

gallons per day (within 1.5% of the flow value used in previous permit effluent limit

calculations). Effluent limits were re-calculated for all parameters using updated flows and

production rates. Lead effluent limits remain unchanged from previous permit.

Pictures taken during the site visit are shown on the following pages of this report. Please note

that most pictures are of water treatment units which treat the intake water to be used within the

various processes at the facility. The only treatment associated with the final effluent effluent is

oil skimmers located along the final effluent ditch and the activated sludge package plant for the

domestic wastewater.

Section of ductwork above EAF furnace which leads to baghouse. Water is continuously

pumped through tubes to cool the ductwork to prevent it from melting (Non-contact cooling

water).

One of four onsite deep wellheads.

Sand filters remove Iron from deep well water to be used as non-contact cooling water in EAF and LMF process.

Mechanical draft cooling towers which cool the non-contact cooling water used in the EAF process.

Cooling tower basin underneath is referred to as the “furnace pond” by the facility.

This cooled water goes through strainers and sand filters in a recirculating water loop serving EAF and LMS.

Cooling tower basin receiving contact cooling water from the casting (spray water) process.

Molten slag staging area

Slag pile

These are “billets” produced from Melt Shop that are either sold or further processed in the Rolling Mill into railroad

tie plates.

Slag is processed into various different sizes by an onsite contractor. This is a pile of small slag. The slag is sold as

a product to outside customers.

Mechanical draft cooling tower serving the EAF/LMF process.

Mechanical draft cooling tower serving the Bearing/Pass (contact cooling) and Reheat Furnace (non-contact cooling).

Water softener tanks serving Bearing/Pass and Reheat Furnace processes.

Sand filters serving Bearing/Pass and Reheat Furnace processes.

Salt pellets used in water softening unit for Bearing/Pass and Reheat Furnace processes.

This is final product (railroad tie plates).

Steel scrap storage yard.

A magnetic crane loads steel scrap into these ladles or giant pots, then rolled on railcar to the melt shop.

Effluent ditch leading to Outfall 001. Looking in direction of flow.

Effluent ditch is equipped with oil skimmers as shown here which skim any floating oil off of water surface prior

to discharge. This is essentially the only treatment for the process wastewater effluent.

Aquatic life was seen in the effluent ditch at the site visit.

Outfall 001. Flow measurement device is 3 v-notch weirs equipped with depth transducer/totalizing meter. This is sample

location for all parameters.

Weir water depth transducer reading is converted to flow rate by using known geometry of v-notch.

Following V-notch weir, final effluent travels through this culvert under parking lot to the unnamed tributary of

Village Creek.

Continuous totalizing flow meter showed final effluent flow of 142.7 gpm (205,488 gpd) at time of site visit

Facility uses an ISCO composite sampler for the biomonitoring and metals testing.