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An Assessment of Oil Shale Technologies

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An Assessment of Oil Shale Technologies CHAPTER 8 Environmental Considerations Page Page Introduction . ......255 Policy Options for Water Quality Management 314 Summary of Findings . ...................256 Safety and Health. ................315 Air Quality . 256 Introduction . ......315 Water Quality. ........................256 Safety and Health Hazards . ..............316 Occupational Health and Safety . ..........257 Summary of Hazards andTheir Severity. ....322 Land Reclamation. ..258 Federal Laws, Standards, and Regulations. ..324 Permitting. ........................259 Control and Mitigation Methods . ..........325 Summary of Issues and R&D Needs . 326 Air Quality . .. ... ... .+ ...259 Current R&D Programs. .................326 Introduction . ......259 Policy Considerations. ..................327 Pollutant Generation . ..................259 Air Quality Laws, Standards, and Regulations 263 Land Reclamation. .....................328 Air Pollution Control Technologies . ........269 Introduction . ......328 Pollutant Emissions. .278 Reasons for Reclamation . ................329 Dispersion Modeling. ...................279 Regulations Governing Land Reclamation. ...329 A Summary of Issues and Policy Options. ....288 Reclamation Approaches. ...............330 The Physical and Chemical Characteristics Water Quality. ........................291 of Processed Shale . .. ....332 Introduction . 29l Use of Topsoil as a Spent Shale Cover . ......335 Pollution Generation. 292 Species Selection and Plant Materials . 336 Summary of Pollutants Produced by Major Review of Selected Research to Date. .......339 Process Types. ......................294 Summary of Issues andR&D Needs . 341 Effects of Potential Pollutants on Water Policy Options for the Reclamation of Quality and Use. ...................295 Processed Oil Shales. .................342 Water Quality in the Oil Shale Region. .. ....296 Water Quality Regulations. ..............297 Permitting. ........................343 Technologies for Control of Oil Shale Water Introduction . ..............343 Pollution . ...........................304 Perceptions of the Permitting Procedure. ....344 Ultimate Disposition of Waste Water . .......308 Status of Permits Obtained by Oil Shale Monitoring Water Quality . ...............309 Developers . 0.,.. 345 Information Needs and R&D Programs .. ....311 The Length of the Permitting Procedure .,,.. 346 Findings on Water Quality Aspects of Oil Disputes Encountered in the Permitting Shale Development. ...............314 Procedure . 346 Page Page Unresolved Issues. .....................347 54. Effluent Limitations for Petroleum Attempts at Regulatory Simplification. .. ....348 Refineries Using BestPracticable Policy Options. ..............,.,....,.349 Pollution Control Technology. 299 Chapter8 References. ..................352 55. Effluent Limitations for Best Available Technology Achievable for Petroleum List of Tables Refinery Facilities . 299 56 New Source Performance Standards for TableNo, Page Petroleum Refineries . 300 34. Pollutants Generated bythe Colony 57 Colorado Water Quality Standards for Development Project . 262 Stream Classification B2 . 301 58. Utah Water Qualitv Standards for 350 PollutantsGenerated by the Rio Blanco Project on TractC-a. 263 Stream Classification CW . 301 36. Pollutants Generatedbythe Occidental 59 Proposed Water Quality Criteria for Operation on TractC-b . 263 Designated Uses. 302 37. The Federal and State Ambient Air 60 Primary Drinking WaterStandards . 303 Quality Standards and Prevention of 61 Proposed Secondary Drinking Water Significant Deterioration Standards Regulations. ,.. .. ~.. .., ..~.... 303 That Influence Oil Shale Development . 266 62. The Types of Contaminants in Oil Shale 38. National Standards for Prevention of Wastewater Streams and Some Potential Significant Deterioration of Ambient Processes for RemovingThem . 305 Air Quality, . 267 63. Relative Rankings of the Water 39. National New Source Performance Treatment Methods . 306 Standards for Several Types of Facilities 269 64. Estimated Costs of Water Pollution 40. EPA Standards for Best Available Air Control in Oil ShalePlants. 306 PollutionControl Technologies for Oil 65, Sampling Schedule Summary for Surface Shale Facilities. 269 and Ground Water Monitoring Program 41. Technological Readinessof Air Pollution at Tract C-b During Development Phase. 312 Control Technologies . 276 66. Animal Studies on the Carcinogenicity of 42. Costs of AirPollutionControl . 277 Oil Shale and ShaleOil . 320 43. Pollutants Emitted by theColony 67. Benzo(a)pyrene Content of 0il Shale and Development Project . 278 Its Products and of Other Energy 44. Pollutants Emitted by theRio Blanco Materials . 320 Project on Tract C-a. 278 68. The Chemical and Physical Properties of 45, Pollutants Emitted by the Occidental Processed Shales . 332 Operation on TractC-b . 279 69. Estimates of Reclamation Needs Under 46. ASummary of Emission Rates From Five Various Levels of Shale Oil Production. , 338 Proposed Oil Shale Projects. 279 70. Status of the Environmental Permits for 47. A Comparison of Atmospheric Emissions Five Oil Shale Projects, . 345 Used in Modeling Studies. 282 48. Modeling Results for Federal Oil Shale Lease TractC-a . 284 49. Models Used in SupportofPSD Applications for Oil Shale Projects . 285 List of Figures 50. Areas of Inadequate Information and Suggested R&D Responses . 288 59. Designated Class I Areas in Oil Shale Page 51. Generation Rates for Principal Water Region . 268 Pollutants for Production of 50,000 bbl/d 60, Computation Modules in Atmospheric of Shale Oil Syncrude. ..., . 294 Dispersion Models . 281 52. Quality of Some SurfaceStreams in the 61. An Aboveground Spent Shale Disposal Oil Shale Region . 297 Area . 307 53. Quality of GroundWaterAquifers in the 62. Summary of Occupational Hazards Piceance Basin. 297 Associated With Oil ShaleDevelopment. 323 CHAPTER 8 Environmental Considerations Introduction The region where oil shale development emissions and by the leaching of soluble con- will take place is, at present, relatively un- stituents into surface and ground water sys- disturbed. The construction and operation of tems. Water quality could thus be degraded plants would emit pollutants and produce by altered nutrient loading, changes in dis- large amounts of solid waste for disposal. As solved oxygen, and increased sediment and a consequence, air, water, and soil could be salinity. degraded and the topography of the land could be altered. The severity of these im- For these reasons, each potential environ- pacts will depend on the scale of the opera- mental effect along with its control technol- tions and the kinds of processing technologies ogy should be examined with respect to its net used, as well as the control strategies that impact on the total environmental system. To must be adopted to comply with environmen- do this requires full understanding of the tal regulations. separate impacts on air, water, and land, the interaction between the individual parts of Control strategies have been proposed for the ecosystem, and the efficacy of the control purifying water and airborne emissions strategies. Such an analysis needs a complete streams, for revegetation, for protecting wild- and accurate data base which is as yet un- life, and for other specific areas of envi- available because no commercial oil shale ronmental concern. However, control tech- plants have been built. OTA’s environmental nologies that are applied to one area could analysis, therefore, is limited to examining adversely affect another area. For example, the effects that an oil shale industry would to control air pollution, airborne streams are have on the separate areas of air, water, scrubbed to capture dust and gaseous con- land, and occupational health and safety. In taminants. This produces sludges and waste- order to provide a basis for policy analysis, water that have to be disposed of along with the effects are quantified wherever possible other wastes. All of these have the potential and related to a production of 50,000 bbl/d. to adversely affect the land and the water. For each of the areas examined: Airborne pollutants, such as trace metals, impacts of oil shale operations are de- might enter surface streams and ground scribed; water in fugitive dust and or rainfall and applicable laws and regulations are could alter the chemical and biological bal- summarized, and their significance to oil ances of the water systems. Plant and animal shale analyzed; life as well as human health could be harmed control strategies proposed for compli- both by an increase in water contamination ance with the laws and regulations are and by the entry of the contaminants into the described and evaluated; and food chain. Similarly, without adequate con- policies that could be focused on key is- trols, the piles of solid waste could contami- sues and uncertainties are identified nate the air and water through fugitive dust and discussed. 255 256 ● An Assessment of Oi/ Shale Technologies Summary of Findings Air Quality ● The costs of controlling air pollution will be par- ticularly sensitive to the strictness of the environ- Because of the oil shale region’s rural character, mental regulations and to the design characteris- its air is relatively clean and unpolluted. Occasional- tics and size of each project. Preliminary estimates ly, however, high concentrations of hydrocarbons indicate that air pollution control could cost from (possibly from vegetation) and particulate from $0.91 to $1.16/bbl of syncrude produced (rough-
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