DOE/ORO/2327 Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental ...

Oak Ridge Reservation
Table 3.2. Regulatory oversight, assessments, inspections, site visits
at East Tennessee Technology Park, 2009
Date Reviewer Subject Issues
February 9–1 TDEC Annual RCRA Storage Area 0
February 13 TDEC-Nashville
NPDES Permitting—new permit
discussions
0
April 16–7 TDEC-Nashville
NPDES Permitting—new permit
discussions
0
May 14 TDEC-Nashville
NPDES Permitting—new permit
discussions
0
August 6 TDEC-Nashville
NPDES Permitting—new permit
discussions
0
September 24 TDEC-Knoxville
NPDES Compliance Evaluation
Inspection
0
October 7 TDEC TSCA Incinerator - RCRA 0
October 8 EPA/TDEC TSCA Incinerator - PCB Inspection 0
Monthly
(Jan–Dec)
TDEC—Division of
Solid Waste
Active Y-12 Landfill inspection 0
Semiannual
Abbreviations
TDEC—Division of
Solid Waste
Inactive Y-12 Landfill inspection 0
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
PCB polychlorinated biphenyl
RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
TDEC Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
UST underground storage tank
3.3.5 Clean Air Act Compliance Status
The Clean Air Act (CAA), passed in 1970 and amended in 1977 and 1990, forms the basis for the
national air pollution control effort. This legislation establishes comprehensive federal and state
regulations to limit air emissions and includes four major regulatory programs: the National Ambient Air
Quality Standards, State Implementation Plans (SIPs), New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), and
National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP). Airborne discharges from DOE
Oak Ridge facilities, both radioactive and nonradioactive, are subject to regulation by EPA and the
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Division of Air Pollution Control.
In 2009, there was one source requiring continuous monitoring of criteria pollutants, two major
radionuclide sources with continuous sampling systems, five minor radionuclide sources, and numerous
demonstrations of compliance with generally applicable air quality protection requirements (asbestos,
stratospheric ozone, etc.). In 2009, TDEC personnel did not perform an inspection of ETTP. In summary,
there were no ETTP CAA violations or exceedances in 2009. Section 3.4 provides detailed information
on 2009 ETTP activities conducted in support of the CAA.
3.3.6 Clean Water Act Compliance Status
The objective of the Clean Water Act (CWA) is to restore, maintain, and protect the integrity of the
nation‘s waters. This act serves as the basis for comprehensive federal and state programs to protect the
nation‘s waters from pollutants. (See Appendix D for water reference standards). One of the strategies
developed to achieve the goals of the CWA was EPA‘s establishment of limits on specific pollutants
allowed to be discharged to U.S. waters by municipal sewage treatment plants and industrial facilities.
The EPA established the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permitting Program
to regulate compliance with pollutant limitations. The program was designed to protect surface waters by
limiting effluent discharges into streams, reservoirs, wetlands, and other surface waters. EPA has
delegated authority for implementation and enforcement of the NPDES program to the state of Tennessee.
3-12 East Tennessee Technology Park