J.R. Simplot - Pocatello

Acid Plant Database February 26, 2009

Owner	J.R. Simplot Company Simplot Phosphates, LLC
Background	-
Location	1150 West Highway 30 Pocatello, Idaho 83201
Website	www.simplot.com
Plant	Don Plant
	300 Plant		400 Plant
Coordinates*	-		-
Type of Plant	Sulphur Burning		Sulphur Burning
Gas Source	Elemental Sulphur		Elemental Sulphur
Plant Capacity	1750 STPD		-
SA/DA	-		DA
Emissions	SO₂: 170 lb/h (3 h avg.), 750 ton/y, 4 lb/ton (100% H₂SO₄) Acid Mist: 3 lb/h (24 h avg.), 13 ton/y, 0.15 lb/ton (100% H₂SO₄) Opacity: 10% for more than 6 min. avg.		SO₂: 999 lb/h (3 h avg.), 1,458 ton/y, 4 lb/ton (100% H₂SO₄) Acid Mist: 12.5 lb/h (24 h avg.), 54.8 ton/y, 0.15 lb/ton (100% H₂SO₄) Opacity: 10% for more than 6 min. avg.
Status	Operating		Operating
Year Built	-		-
Technology	MECS		Chemetics
Contractor	-		-
Remarks	Tail Gas Ammonia Scrubber		-
Permits	State of Idaho - Department of Environmental Quality Facility ID: 077-00006 Air Quality Tier I Operating Permit
	Permit No.	Issue Date	Expiry Date	Date Modified
	077-0006	December 24, 2002	December 24, 2007	-
	TI-9507-114-1	April 5, 2004	December 24, 2007	-
	TI-040313	December 24, 2002	December 24, 2007	November 8, 2005
Pictures
General	-
News	February 9, 2009 - The Environmental Protection Agency has filed a notice of violaton against the J.R. Simplot Company. Specifically the Don Plant in Pocatello and some of those violations according to a notice by the EPA date back almost twenty years... Think of it like this...EPA enforcement rules state the government can fine a company by the day. In this case, Simplot may be forced to pay millions in fines since the violations began in 1991. According to the notice of violaton, the EPA alleges that the J.R. Simplot plant failed to acquire the necessary permits before making modifications to the 300 and 400 plants in Pocatello. On page eight of the violations, the EPA alleges the plant modifications to the #400 sulfuric acid plant began back in 1991. On page ten, it alleges that modifications to the #300 sulfuric acid plant began in 1996. At the #400 plant, modifications included a net increase of approximately 364 tons per year of sulfer dioxide..enough to require Simplot to apply for and obtain a permit. That amount of sulfer dioxide is considered a major modification. Simplot at the time said the modifications they made to the plant were intended to restore plant integrity for long term dependability. At the #300 plant, modifications in 1996 boosted sulfer dioxide emissions by 430 tons per year...again, enough to require the plant to apply and obtain a permit which the EPA says they did not do. Simplot says they made modifications to the plant for the purpose of increasing production capacity...and to increase steam generation by 17 percent. Then, in 2001 - the EPA alleges that Simplot replaced a bunch of aging equipment which ultimately resulted in an increase of sulfer dioxide by 85 tons per year. That too is considered a significant increase and according to the EPA Simplot did not apply for a permit. If the EPA seeks a full restitution...the law specifies Simplot may be ordered to pay $25,000 dollars a day since the violations began. If you take into account the first violations to the #400 plant...they could be ordered to pay hundreds of millions of dollars. Simplot told me today, they aren't prepared to respond to the notice by the EPA because they just received the complaint. But Rick Phillips says the EPA has a national inititive right now focusing on plants that make sulfuric acid. He says Simplot feels they are being singled out and have significantly reduced SO₂ or sulfer dioxide emissions significantly over the past twenty years.

MTPD - Metric Tonne per Day STPD - Short Ton per Day
MTPA - Metric Tonne per Annum STPA - Short Ton per Annum
SA - Single Absorption
DA - Double Absorption

* Coordinates can be used to locate plant on Google Earth


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