Nearly 75 industry representatives from 45 Midwest ethanol plants, met with EPA Region 5 Administrator Tom Skinner and other EPA representatives to discuss recent concerns over ethanol plants that have recently been found to exceed emissions levels permitted by law.

The meeting was initially only to include representatives of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and ethanol producers in Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota), but after Region 7 (Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri) representatives expressed interest in attending, the meeting was extended to additional producers.

New testing procedure
According to the industry's leading environmental consultants, the recent emissions findings stem from a new testing procedure which shows emissions from ethanol dry stacks that were not detectable using older testing methods. As a result, EPA now believes that the plants were not properly permitted and controlled.

Whatever the reason, ethanol plants that exceed permitted levels must reach compliance by "whatever methods necessary," Skinner said. While several methods of control are available, thermal oxidizers are the most likely candidate for reducing volitile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with DDGS driers.

"We discussed several technologies that will help remedy the emissions problems," Skinner told the media after meeting with producers. "It is my understanding that thermal oxidizers go a long way toward resolving the VOC problems from driers."

No Politics Involved
The EPA went public with its concerns over ethanol plant emissions as Congress began debating a proposal to sharply increase ethanol use as part of energy legislation now before House-Senate conferees. Last month the U.S. Senate passed legislation that will require 5 billion gallons of ethanol to be mixed in the nation's fuel line by 2012. Skinner denied any link between the timing of the EPA's efforts with events and discussions in Washington D.C.

"I want to make one thing clear," Skinner said. "This issue has nothing to do with the national debate on ethanol and renewable fuels. . . It's something that we monitor and regulate every day. This is much like what we face every day with a number of other industries."

EPA's action "is about emissions, and is not about whether ethanol is good or bad," he said.

The EPA's findings were, in fact, made public "unusually early," Skinner said, in an effort to get ethanol producers "into compliance quicker" and stop "rumors" from spreading. He also said EPA wanted to bring producers into its probe early on to ensure that each company uses the right tests and that plants under construction install control technologies before going online.

The excess ethanol plant emissions were brought to the attention of the RFA and a handful of ethanol producers in an April 24 letter from EPA. The letter outlined concerns that many ethanol plants were emitting much more carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds than companies initially projected in the permitting process.

What was discussed at the meeting?
Among topics discussed at the Chicago meeting were emissions controls for driers, fermenters, and both gas and coal-fired boilers, as well as other sources. The group also discussed permitting for new construction and expansion.

Skinner asked the producers to evaluate the pollution controls in place at each of the following areas: driers, boilers, fermenters, cooling cyclones and loadout.

Specifically, Skinner said, discussions centered around five ethanol plants in Region 5 that were recently identified as plants exceeding legal levels of emissions. Of primary concern, are VOCs, which include: ethanol, acetaldehyde, methanol, acrolein, formaldehyde, lactic acid, acetic acid and approximately 25 more VOCs in small amounts. The agency has found no reported adverse health effects around the five ethanol facilities identified.

How will EPA handle these concerns?
The first step, Skinner said, is information gathering: the agency needs to identify producers that are exceeding permitted emissions levels.

The EPA is essentially asking the nation's ethanol producers to (1.) conduct testing to find out if they are in compliance, (2.) report those findings to the EPA as soon as possible, and (3.) take whatever steps necessary to resolve the problem before the EPA gets involved.

"We will contact producers on a case by case basis, or they can contact us," Skinner said. "The first stage of this process is being left up to them. They know what they have to do. They have to get into compliance."

Skinner described the settlement process as "not totally voluntary," but rather "cooperative" in nature. The EPA also suggested that producers work closely with local and state agencies throughout the process.

No blame, no fines
"We don't believe that any one did this intentionally. [Producers] appear to be as surprised as we are that this stuff exists," Skinner said. "There will be no penalties at this time. . . we don't believe it is productive to assign blame right now.

RFA responds to meeting
Following the meeting, RFA President Bob Dinneen made the following statement: "Ethanol facilities have an admirable history of working cooperatively with federal and state regulators to achieve a high level of environmental compliance. . . As was evidenced by the attendance at (the June 3) meeting, the ethanol industry is interested in learning about EPA's and the States' concerns, and exploring opportunities to resolve any concerns in a timely and environmentally sound manner. Today's preliminary meeting set the foundation for that process to continue.

"We will review the information provided by the EPA and State officials and determine how to best move forward."