Overview
Since 1989, Geneva Steel has spent more than one-hundred-million dollars
for environmental modernization. Geneva's environmental modernization program
originally included four elements: First, the construction of a state-of-the-art
Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant. Second, implementation of a Benzene
Gas Blanketing System. Third, construction of two basic oxygen process furnaces.
Fourth, installation of a coke oven gas sulfur removal system. A fifth element,
construction of a baghouse for the sinter plant, has also been completed.
These five elements combined for a 55% PM10 emissions reduction.
When combined with existing emission control equipment and practices, these
new facilities control more than 95 percent of Geneva's emissions
Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant (Bug Plant)
Geneva's Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant is the first of its kind.
This eight-million-dollar plant uses actual microorganisms--or "bugs"--to
eat ammonia from Geneva's coke plant wastewater and convert it into harmless
nitrogen and water. Evidence of the success of this wastewater cleanup effort
is in the numbers.
The Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant was completed in the fall of 1990
and is now fully operational. (Chart)
Benzene Gas Blanket
Benzene gas is a by-product of the coking process. With our $8 million benzene
gas blanketing system, benzene emissions from Geneva's coke by-products
plant are recuced to below the detectable limit. Since its implementation,
this system has reduced benzene emissions by ninety-eight percent. (Chart)
This system closes the coke oven's by-products pipelines and tanks using
nitrogen gas to trap benzene in the system.
Q-BOP Furnaces
The third element in Geneva's environmental modernization program was the
installation of two basic oxygen process--or Q-BOP--furnaces. These state-of-the-art
furnaces replaced the open hearth furnaces and greatly reduce airborne emissions,
As this chart shows, nitrogen oxide emissions have been reduced by ninety-five
percent. (Chart)
The Q-BOP vessels are totally enclosed, using both baghouses and scrubbers
to remove particulate matter.
The Q-BOP process uses oxygen instead of ambient air to refine molten iron
into steel. Because there is no nitrogen used in the refining process, no
nitrogen oxides are created.
Coke Oven Gas Desulfurizaion Plant
The fourth element in Geneva's environmental program is a coke oven gas
sulfur removal system. When coal is converted into coke, sulfur dioxide
is produced. Sulfur dioxide contributes to the formation of particulate
emissions. Geneva's new sulfur removal system makes this coke oven gas essentially
like the natural gas used to heat homes throughout our community. With the
sulfur removal system in place, sulfur emissions are reduced by about ninety-five
percent. (Chart)
Approximately five tons of sulfur are removed each day from the coke oven
gas and turned into elemental sulfur, which is sold as a by-product.
Combined with the Q-BOP, this sulfur removal system removes the bulk of
PM10-related emissions from Geneva.
The coke oven gas sulfur removal system came on line in the fall of 1993.
Sinter Plant Baghouse
The fifth element of Geneva's environmental program is construction of a
sinter plant baghouse. This $5 million baghouse acts as a giant vacuum cleaner
reducing sinter plant emissions by 43%. (Chart) |