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Environmental Code of Practice for integrated steel mills: summary

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Summary

Various substances that are released, produced, or used by the steel manufacturing sector have been declared toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) (For further information: CEPA, 1999). A multi-stakeholder Strategic Options Process (SOP) was launched in April 1995 to address the management of these substances. The SOP culminated in the development of a Strategic Options Report (SOR) in December 1997.

The SOR recommended among other things that Environmental Codes of Practice be developed for integrated steel mills. The integrated mills segment of the steel manufacturing sector includes all facilities that use coal and iron ore or agglomerated iron ore as raw materials to produce primary steel products. Primary steel production processes include iron sintering, cokemaking, iron and steelmaking, hot and cold forming, coating operations, and associated production processes and facilities. They do not include pipe or tube making or steel fabricating facilities. There are currently four integrated steel mills in Canada.

This Code of Practice outlines environmental concerns and alternative methods, technologies, designs, and procedures that will minimize the adverse environmental effects associated with integrated steel mills. Simplified flowsheets are presented in Figures S.1 and S.2 showing the major feeds to and environmental releases from integrated steel mills. Operational activities addressed in the Code include:

  • raw materials handling and storage;
  • cokemaking;
  • sintering;
  • ironmaking;
  • steelmaking;
  • continuous casting;
  • hot forming;
  • cold forming;
  • pickling and cleaning; and
  • coating.

Figure S.1 Coke and Iron Production Simplified Flowsheet


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Coke and Iron Production Simplified Flowsheet

Figure S.2 Integrated Plant Steelmaking Simplified Flowsheet


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Integrated Plant Steelmaking Simplified Flowsheet

The Code advances recommendations aimed at preserving and enhancing the quality of the environment that is affected by these mills. Environmental performance standards are included for atmospheric emissions, water and wastewater, waste management, and environmental management practices. These recommended practices may be used by the steel sector, regulatory agencies, and the general public as sources of technical and policy guidance in the development and implementation of site-specific environmental protection practices and requirements.

The overall objective of the Code is to identify minimum environmental performance standards for new integrated steel mills and to provide a set of environmental performance goals for existing mills to achieve through continual improvements over time. However, all municipal, provincial, and federal legal requirements must be met, and a commitment by companies to be consistent with Code recommendations does not remove obligations to comply with all regulatory requirements.

The Code was developed by Environment Canada in consultation with provincial environmental agencies, industry representatives, and other stakeholders. Federal, provincial, and international environmental guidelines and standards of relevance to the operation of integrated steel mills were considered in the development of Code recommendations, as were the environmental management practices recommended by various national and international organizations.

This Code of Practice will be adopted by Environment Canada and others as a guidance document that delineates appropriate environmental protection standards and practices for integrated steel mills. Some elements of the Code may be adopted under the Federal-Provincial/Territorial Environmental Harmonization Accord and associated sub-agreements such as Canada-Wide Standards. Some elements of the Code may be used in the development of initiatives or programs to achieve the objectives of cooperative agreements including the Canada-Ontario Agreement and St. Lawrence Vision 2000.

The Code may be adopted on a voluntary basis by individual steel sector corporations and facilities and by the Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) and its members. It may be included as commitment to Code recommendations in Environmental Performance Agreements among Environment Canada, provincial environment departments, and steel companies or facilities. It may also be adopted in whole or in part by regulatory agencies. CSPA members who operate integrated mills have initiated a program to monitor Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and benzene emissions consistent with Code standards and audited by an independent third party.

The Code may be used for benchmarking best practices to achieve continual improvement in the environmental performance of integrated steel mills in Canada and other countries. Code recommendations may also be used as benchmark criteria for the conduct of audits aimed at assessing the environmental performance of sector facilities or companies.

A summary of the recommendations is presented in Table S.1. The full text of the recommendations, presented in Section 4, should be consulted for details.

Table S.1 Summary of Recommendation
Number Subject Summary of Recommendation
Atmospheric Emission Management
RI101 Targets and Schedules for Release Reductions of PAHs and Benzene

PAH releases from coke ovens and coke by-product plants should be reduced in accordance with the following:

  1. to an industry production-based average of 13.2 g/tonne of coke produced in 2000;
  2. to a maximum for any coke oven battery of 9.8 g/tonne of coke produced in 2005;
  3. to a maximum for any coke oven battery of 8.2 g/tonne of coke produced in 2015 or later.

Benzene releases from coke ovens and coke by-product plants should be reduced in accordance with the following:

  1. to an industry production-based average of 120 g/tonne of coke produced in 2000;
  2. to a maximum of 71.7 g/tonne of coke produced in 2005;
  3. to a maximum of 62.7 g/tonne of coke produced in 2015 and later.
RI102 Release Guidelines for Particulate Matter

Each facility should target on achieving the following emission guidelines for particulate matter after the emission control device:

  1. sinter plants: 50 mg/Nm³;
  2. blast furnaces: 50 mg/Nm³;
  3. basic oxygen furnaces: 50 mg/Nm³;
  4. electric arc furnaces: 20 mg/Nm³;
RI103 Environmental Performance Indicators

Each facility should target on limiting particulate emissions in accordance with the following:

  1. sinter plants: less than 200 grams per tonne of sinter produced;
  2. blast furnaces: less than 100 grams per tonne of liquid iron produced;
  3. basic oxygen furnaces: less than 100 grams per tonne of raw steel produced;
  4. electric arc furnaces: less than 150 grams per tonne of raw steel produced.
RI104 Collection of Furnace Emissions Adequately sized facilities should be engineered and installed, and documented operating and maintenance procedures should be developed for the collection of emissions associated with: ironmaking, primary steelmaking, and secondary steelmaking.
RI105 Control of Fugitive Emissions Adequately sized facilities should be engineered and installed, and documented operating and maintenance procedures should be developed for the control of emissions associated with: ironmaking, primary steelmaking, and secondary steelmaking.
RI106 Solvent Degreasing Documented procedures for the control or elimination of chlorinated solvent emissions from degreasing operations should be developed and implemented in accordance with the multi-stakeholder Solvent Degreasing Strategic Options Report and the associated regulations that may be promulgated from time to time.
RI107 Ambient Air Quality Monitoring

An ambient air quality monitoring program should be developed and implemented by each facility in consultation with the appropriate regulatory authorities. This program should include monitoring of particulate matter (total, PM10, and PM2.5), benzene, and PAHs, taking into account:

  1. the location of emission sources under the control of the facility operator; and
  2. local meteorological conditions.
Cokemaking: Coke Ovens
RI108 Charging Operations Documented procedures should be developed and implemented for the control of coke oven charging operations.
RI109 Coke Oven Doors Documented procedures should be developed and implemented for the control of emissions from coke oven doors.
RI110 Topside Port Lids Documented procedures should be developed and implemented for the control of emissions from topside port lids.
RI111 Offtake Systems Documented procedures should be developed and implemented for the control of emissions from offtake system(s).
RI112 Coke Pushing Documented procedures should be developed and implemented for the control of emissions from coke pushing and coke transfer to the quench station.
RI113 Coke Wet Quenching Documented procedures should be developed and implemented for the control of atmospheric emissions and wastewater discharges from coke quenching.
RI114 Bypass/
Bleeder Stacks		 Documented procedures should be developed and implemented for the control of atmospheric emissions from coke oven gas flaring.
Cokemaking: Coke By-Product Plant
RI115 Storage Tanks The recommendations advanced in the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment’s (CCME’s) Environmental Guidelines for Controlling Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds from Aboveground Storage Tanks should be applied to light oil and wash oil storage tanks.
RI116 Fugitive Emissions The recommendations advanced in the CCME’s Environmental Code of Practice for the Measurement and Control of Fugitive VOC Emissions from Equipment Leaks should be followed.
RI117 Benzene Transfer Operations A vapour collection system should be used to contain benzene vapours during the transfer of benzene-containing liquids to tank trucks or rail cars.
RI118 Process Cooling Water All process cooling should be by the use of indirect cooling, with no water in contact with process liquids or gases unless properly treated prior to discharge.
RI119 Open Trenches and Sumps All process trenches and sumps should be enclosed and the vapours collected for treatment.
RI120 Containment of Process Pumps and Tanks All process pumps and tanks should be installed on impervious pads with containment dykes and drainage to wastewater treatment facilities to contain spills.
Water and Wastewater Management
RI121 Effluent Guidelines

All wastewater treatment facilities approved for construction and operation after the publication of this Code of Practice should be designed, constructed, and operated to achieve the following effluent quality prior to release to cooling water or to local receiving water body:

On a continuous basis:

pH
6.0-9.5

On a monthly average basis:

Total suspended solids (TSS)
30 mg/l
Chemical oxygen demand (COD)
200 mg/l
Oil and grease
10 mg/l
Cadmium
0.1 mg/l
Chromium (total)
0.5 mg/l
Lead
0.2 mg/l
Mercury
0.01 mg/l
Nickel (total)
0.5 mg/l
Zinc
0.5 mg/l
Toxicity
No more than 50% mortality in 100% effluent

Wastewater treatment facilities approved prior to the publication of this Code of Practice should be so operated that effluent quality is as close to satisfying the above-listed criteria as is practicably possible.
RI122 Environmental Performance Indicator Each facility should target on limiting total suspended solids discharges from wastewater to less than 100 grams per tonne of raw steel produced.
RI123 Wastewater Collection All wastewater streams that exceed the effluent criteria should be directed to an approved treatment facility prior to discharge.
RI124 Water Use/Reuse Water use should be minimized through the reuse or recycling of water and the cascading of cooling water and wastewater between production processes. Facilities should target on achieving 90% reuse of water.
RI125 Wastewater Containment Sizing

Wastewater collection and containment facilities constructed after the publication of this Code of Practice should be designed to contain the maximum volume of liquid that could reasonably be expected to be in storage prior to any of the following events, and:

  1. the maximum volume of wastewater that would be generated during the time required to shut down wastewater generating processes, plus 50%;
  2. 110% of the volume that could enter the containment facility in the event of a leak or spill; or
  3. the accumulated precipitation from a 50-year return period, 24-hour precipitation event that is collected in an outdoor containment (e.g. rain that falls on the open surface or inside the containment berm).
RI126 Environmental Effects Monitoring An environmental effects monitoring program should be developed and implemented where appropriate by each facility in consultation with the appropriate regulatory authorities.
Waste Management
RI127 Location and Construction of Waste Disposal Sites

Expansions to existing waste disposal sites and construction of new sites should be undertaken so as to ensure that:

  1. the site plan is updated to show clearly the location and dimensions of the new or expanded site;
  2. the perimeter of the disposal area is far enough away from all watercourses to prevent contamination by runoff, seepage, or fugitive emissions;
  3. the surface drainage from off-site areas is diverted around the disposal area;
  4. the expanded area is hidden from view by fences, berms, or buffer zones to the extent practicable; and
  5. the beneficial uses of the site after closure have been considered.
RI128 Development of Solid Waste Disposal Sites

Solid waste disposal sites should be developed in accordance with the following practices:

  1. the disposal area should be developed in modules or cells;
  2. all wastes should be so placed that they have physical and chemical stability suitable for land reuse;
  3. contouring, capping, and reclamation of cells should be undertaken throughout the operating life of the site; and
  4. all disposal sites should be reclaimed for beneficial uses before final closure.
RI129 Management of Waste Disposal Sites

All waste disposal sites should be managed in accordance with documented, site-specific waste management plans approved by the appropriate regulatory authority so that:

  1. solid, liquid, and hazardous wastes are disposed of only in facilities specifically designed, approved, and operated for that purpose;
  2. access to the site is controlled and disposal activities are supervised by trained personnel; and
  3. records are maintained of the types, approximate quantities, and point of origin of the wastes.
RI130 Monitoring of Waste Disposal Sites

A groundwater monitoring program should be developed, to the extent that is feasible, for all waste disposal sites in accordance with the following guidelines:

  1. a permanent system of appropriately located piezometers and wells should be provided;
  2. a program of pre-operational monitoring of groundwater regimes should be initiated;
  3. groundwater samples should be collected at least quarterly; and
  4. each groundwater sample should be analyzed for pH, total dissolved solids, and other appropriate (site-specific) parameters.
RI131 Liquid Storage and Containment Liquid storage and containment facilities should be designed and constructed to meet the requirements of the appropriate standards, regulations, and guidelines of the pertinent regulatory agency.
RI132 Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling Each corporate entity responsible for the operation of an integrated steel mill should develop, implement, and maintain a reduction, reuse, and recycling program.
Best Environmental Management Practices
RI133 Implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS) Each facility should develop, implement, and maintain an EMS that is consistent with the requirements of a recognized national standard such as ISO 14001.
RI134 Environmental Policy Statement Each facility should develop and implement an environmental policy statement.
RI135 Environmental Assessment The development of new facilities and changes to existing facilities that could significantly increase releases to the environment should be subjected to an internal environmental assessment process.
RI136 Emergency Planning Each facility should develop and implement an Emergency Plan aimed at ensuring that facility management meet all legal requirements in developing, maintaining, exercising, and reporting emergency preparedness and resource activities.
RI137 Pollution Prevention Planning Each facility should develop and implement a Pollution Prevention Plan aimed at avoiding or minimizing discharges to the environment.
RI138 Decommis-sioning Planning Planning for decommissioning should begin in the design stage for new facilities and as early as possible in the operating stage for existing facilities. All site closures should be undertaken in accordance with the CCME’s National Guidelines for the Decommissioning of Industrial Sites.
RI139 Environmental Training Each facility should establish and maintain procedures to identify its environmental training needs and ensure that all personnel whose work may create a significant impact upon the environment have received appropriate training.
RI140 Environmental Facility Inspection Each facility should develop and implement an Environmental Inspection Plan.
RI141 Monitoring and Reporting Documented procedures for the monitoring and reporting of environmental performance data should be developed and implemented.
RI142 Environmental Auditing Each facility should conduct periodic internal environmental audits throughout the operating life of the facility.
RI143 Environmental Performance Indicators Each facility should develop a set of environmental performance indicators that provides an overall measure of the facility’s environmental performance.
RI144 Life Cycle Management Each corporate entity should develop and implement a Life Cycle Management (LCM) Program aimed at minimizing the environmental burdens associated with the products used and produced by its steelmaking facilities over the product life cycle.
RI145 Community Advisory Panel Each facility should establish a Community Advisory Panel to provide a forum for the review and discussion of facility operations, environmental concerns, emergency preparedness, community involvement, and other issues that the Panel may decide are important.
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