Secondary Lead Smelters: New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)

Rule Summary

The secondary lead smelting industry consists of facilities that recycle lead-bearing scrap material, typically lead acid batteries, into elemental lead or lead alloys.

The promulgated standards limit emissions of particulate matter (1) from blast- (cupola) and reverberatory furnaces to no more than 50 mg/dscm (10.022 gr/dscf) and to less than 20 percent opacity, and (2) from pot furnaces having charging capacities equal to or greater than 250 kilograms to less than 10 percent opacity.

On November 9th the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized amendments to the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for Secondary Lead Smelters (40 CFR part 60, subpart L) and finalized a new NSPS subpart La that applies to affected sources constructed, reconstructed, or modified after the publication date of the final rule in the Federal Register. Secondary lead smelting facilities recycle lead-bearing scrap material, mainly lead acid batteries, into elemental lead or lead alloys. The process of smelting separates lead from other metals and nonmetallic contaminants. The process occurs in blast, reverberatory, and rotary kiln furnaces. There are 11 secondary lead smelters in the U.S. that are subject to the NSPS. Following a review of the NSPS, EPA is finalizing:

Requirements for initial and periodic performance tests for particulate matter (PM) and opacity,
Other requirements include incorporating the monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements, including electronic reporting of performance tests, to be more consistent with the NESHAP for the current NSPS subpart L (which was promulgated in 1974) and a new NSPS subpart La,
Updated more stringent PM and opacity emissions limits under the new NSPS subpart La for blast, reverberatory, and pot furnaces that applies to secondary lead smelters constructed, reconstructed, or modified after December 1, 2022,
These PM and opacity emissions limits under the new subpart La will apply at all times, including during periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM).