Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor LLC (Arcelormittal Burns Harbor
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STATE OF INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PUBLIC NOTICE NO. 2021-08-IN000175-RD/PH DATE OF NOTICE: AUGUST 2, 2021 DATE OF PUBLIC HEARING: SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 DATE RESPONSE DUE: SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 The Office of Water Quality proposes the following NPDES DRAFT PERMIT RENEWAL and announces a PUBLIC HEARING: MAJOR– RENEWAL CLEVELAND-CLIFFS BURNS HARBOR LLC, Permit No. IN0000175, PORTER COUNTY, 250 West U.S. Highway 12, Burns Harbor, IN. This industrial facility is a steel mill that discharges to the East Branch of the Little Calumet River, Burns Waterway Harbor, and Lake Michigan via existing permitted outfalls. The discharges consist of non-contact cooling water, treated process wastewaters, and storm water. The facility withdraws its water from Lake Michigan. On December 28, 2020, the permittee submitted a permit renewal application and requested renewal of its variance from technology based effluent limitations and alternate thermal effluent limitations in accordance with 327 IAC 5-7. The draft permit and related documents are posted online at https://www.in.gov/idem/public- notices/public-notices-northwest-indiana/. This site includes a more detailed public notice about the draft permit renewal, the variance from technology-based limitations, and the alternate thermal effluent limitations, which are proposed to be the same as in the current permit. The proposed decision to issue a permit is tentative. Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on the Draft Permit. All comments must be postmarked no later than the Response Date noted to be considered in the decision to issue a Final Permit. Deliver or mail all requests or comments to the attention of the Permit Manager at the address below. I. Variance from Technology Based Effluent Limitations (301(g)): In November 1983, the owner and operator of the ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor facility, Bethlehem Steel, applied for “waiver” under Section 301(g) of the Clean Water Act from the BAT limitations for ammonia (as N) contained in the ironmaking and sintering subcategories of 40 CFR 420. That application supplemented previous applications submitted in September 1978 and July 1982. On February 4, 1988, the U.S. EPA granted a variance from the best available technology economically achievable requirements provided for by the federal NPDES permit requirements of the Clean Water Act pursuant to section 301(g). Based upon this authorization, modified limitations for ammonia and phenols were granted. For this permit renewal, IDEM determined that the previously approved variance limits for ammonia and phenols will comply with the Indiana water quality standards and that all the above 301(g) conditions listed above will be met. The WQBELs for ammonia based on the current applicable water quality criteria would be 0.75 mg/l as the monthly average and 1.7 mg/l as the daily maximum. All the modified limitations are more stringent than the WQBELs for ammonia. I. Alternate Thermal Effluent Limitations: The thermal component of the permittee’s discharge (non- contact cooling water) is subject to effluent limitations under Section 301 of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Section 316(a) of the CWA authorizes the NPDES permitting authority to impose alternative effluent thermal limitations for the control of the thermal component of a discharge in lieu of the effluent limits that would otherwise be required under Section 301 of the CWA. IDEM is proposing the following alternate thermal effluent limits in this permit at Outfall 001 in the East Branch of the Little Calumet River and Outfall 002 in the East Arm of Burns Harbor: Maximum Water Temperature Outfall 001 Unit Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec oF 60 60 65 71 81 86 86 86 85 80 75 65 Maximum Water Temperature Outfall 002 Unit Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec oF 55 57 63 69 77 82 88 90 88 81 72 63 For Outfall 001, in the absence of a 316(a) thermal variance, the water quality criteria for temperature under 327 IAC 2-1.5-8(c)(4)(D) would apply to the discharge to the East Branch of the Little Calumet River. In part, these criteria are as follows: A. Temperature criteria for warmwater fish (327 IAC 2-1.5-8(c)(4)(A)-(C)) Outside of the mixing zone: (1) There shall be no abnormal temperature changes that may adversely affect aquatic life unless caused by natural conditions. (2) The normal daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations that existed before the addition of heat due to other than natural causes shall be maintained. (3) Water temperatures shall not exceed the maximum limits in the following table during more than one percent (1%) of the hours in the twelve (12) month period ending with any month. At no time shall the water temperature at such locations exceed the maximum limits in the following table by more than three (3) degrees Fahrenheit (one and seven-tenths (1.7) degrees Celsius): Unit Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec oF 50 50 60 70 80 90 90 90 90 78 70 57 oC 10 10 15.6 21.1 26.7 32.2 32.2 32.2 32.2 25.5 21.1 14.0 B. Temperature criteria for cold water fish (327 IAC 2-1.5-8(d)(2)) Outside of the mixing zone: The maximum temperature rise above natural shall not exceed two (2) degrees Fahrenheit (one and one-tenth (1.1) degrees Celsius) at any time or place and, unless due to natural causes, the temperature shall not exceed the following: (1) Seventy (70) degrees Fahrenheit (twenty-one and one-tenth (21.1) degrees Celsius) at any time. (2) Sixty-five (65) degrees Fahrenheit (eighteen and three-tenths (18.3) degrees Celsius) during spawning or imprinting periods. C. Combined warmwater and cold water and temperature requirements When the warmwater and cold water thermal requirements are combined, it results in the following thermal requirements which would be applicable at Outfall 001 if the permittee did not have a 316(a) variance: Outside of the mixing zone: (1) There shall be no abnormal temperature changes that may adversely affect aquatic life unless caused by natural conditions. (2) The normal daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations that existed before the addition of heat due to other than natural causes shall be maintained. (3) The maximum temperature rise above natural shall not exceed two (2) degrees Fahrenheit (one and one-tenth (1.1) degrees Celsius) at any time or place. (4) Water temperatures shall not exceed the maximum limits in the following table during more than one percent (1%) of the hours in the twelve (12) month period ending with any month. At no time shall the water temperature at such locations exceed the maximum limits in the following table by more than three (3) degrees Fahrenheit (one and seven-tenths (1.7) degrees Celsius): Unit Jan Feb Mar Dec oF 50 50 60 57 oC 10 10 15.6 14.0 (5) Unless due to natural causes, the temperature shall not exceed the following: Unit Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov oF 65 65 70 70 70 65 65 65 oC 18.3 18.3 21.1 21.1 21.1 18.3 18.3 18.3 For Outfall 002, in the absence of a 316(a) thermal variance, the water quality criteria for temperature under 327 IAC 2-1.5-8(c)(4)(D) would apply to the discharge to Lake Michigan. In part, these criteria are as follows: (1) In all receiving waters, the points of measurement normally shall be in the first meter below the surface at such depths necessary to avoid thin layer surface warming due to extreme ambient air temperatures, but, where required to determine the true distribution of heated wastes and natural variations in water temperatures, measurements shall be at a greater depth and at several depths as a thermal profile. (2) There shall be no abnormal temperature changes so as to be injurious to fish, wildlife, or other aquatic life, or the growth or propagation thereof. In addition, plume interaction with the bottom shall: (a) be minimized; and (b) not injuriously affect fish, shellfish, and wildlife spawning or nursery areas. (3) The normal daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations that existed before the addition of heat shall be maintained. (4) At any time and at a maximum distance of a one thousand (1,000) foot arc inscribed from a fixed point adjacent to the discharge or as agreed upon by the commissioner and federal regulatory agencies, the following shall apply: (a) The receiving water temperature shall not be more than three (3) degrees Fahrenheit (one and seven-tenths (1.7) degrees Celsius) above the existing natural water temperature. (b) Thermal discharges to Lake Michigan shall comply with the following maximum temperature requirements: (i) Thermal discharges to Lake Michigan shall not raise the maximum temperature in the receiving water above those listed in the following table, except to the extent the permittee adequately demonstrates that the exceedance is caused by the water temperature of the intake water: Unit Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec oF 45 45 45 55 60 70 80 80 80 65 60 50 oC 7 7 7 13 16 21 27 27 27 18 16 10 (ii) If the permittee demonstrates that the intake water temperature is within three (3) degrees Fahrenheit below an applicable maximum temperature under subitem (aa), Table 8-6, then not more than a three (3) degree Fahrenheit exceedance of the maximum water temperature shall be permitted.