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TRANSCRIPT
A Major Expansion of a Texas Chemical Plant
Water Reuse, Approaching Minimal or
No Discharge, Water Conservation, and
Environmental Control
prepared by
Davis L. Ford, Ph.D., P.E., National Academy of Engineering
Davis L. Ford & Associates
November 16-17, 2015
AIChE-ISWS Workshop: Water Efficiency in Downstream Refinery,
Petrochemical and Chemical Processing
Acknowledgments:
• Operations & Management Staff, Formosa Plastics
• Plummer & Associates, Austin
• Jim Blackburn
Section I. Table of Contents
• Section I. Table of Contents
• Section II. Introduction, Background, and Expansion Scope
• Section III. Chronology of Permitting and Implementation
Process
• Section IV. Treatment Plant Description (2015)
• Section V. Proposed Flow Diagrams and Candidates for
Expansion Water Demands
• Section VI. Current NPDES (TPDES) Discharge Permit
Limitations
• Section VII. References
Appendix A: Formosa Plastics Corporation Texas
Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant (1992)
Section II. Introduction, Background,
and Expansion Scope
Formosa Plastics (Formosa Plastics Corporation, Texas)
has publicly announced a 5.5 billion dollar expansion to its Point
Comfort plant, following an increased demand for many of their
products (olefins, PVC, SPVC, LDPE, HDPE, caustic/chlorine, etc.).
The initial construction for this expansion commenced in late 2014
and is scheduled for completion in the next three to four years.
A primary focus of the company management planning
and utility support is directed toward the increase of freshwater
demand as well as associated infrastructure such as allocation
restrictions (Lavaca-Navidad River Authority, LNRA) combined
with new freshwater sources, such as proximate Formosa-owned
wells (Bell Wells), reuse of existing organic/inorganic wastewater
streams (current effluent from 101-organic streams currently
treated through the existing 3-train wastewater treatment system),
and combined with the inorganic wastewater stream (201),
resulting in the 001 permitted stream (001) discharged to Lavaca
Bay through an extended submerged pipeline with an end-of-pipe
disposal system and continual effluent monitoring program.
A total of approximately 12 to 13 million gallons per day
(MGD) of additional freshwater is required for this expansion.
Through the joint efforts of the FPCT management and technical
staff, the consulting firms of Plummer & Associates, Arcadis, the
author (Davis L. Ford & Assoc.), and advisor-attorney Jim
Blackburn, the engineering and planning is currently being
implemented. It is the intent of this technical paper to outline the
initial engineering reverse osmosis reuse possibilities and overall
planning to approach zero or reduction in plant effluent flow to
Lavaca Bay and production of high quality water to meet the
expansion water demands.
The Texas Department of Water Resources (TDWR) along
with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drew regulatory
attention from the public and private sectors. Environmental
protection, regulatory controls, economics, water quantity and
quality, and health concerns were the dominant issues in the
region.
Multiple lawsuits were filed by public and private interest
groups objecting to the plant expansion. In 1992, extensive public
hearings were held in Austin, in which the author participated
representing Formosa interests and commitments. A discharge
permit with strict guidelines and commitments was issued to
Formosa. An extensive treatment complex was constructed in the
early 1990s at a cost of approx. 80 million dollars. This was the
highest cost per MGD capacity of any wastewater treatment
known by the author at that time.
Table III-1
Chronology of Permitting process
A Case History: Olefins
Formosa Plastics, Pt. Comfort, TX
1983 Original plant constructed
1986 Preparation of preliminary drawings and specifications
for major expansion
1986-87 Preliminary draft of permit applications submitted.
Extensive discussions with State/EPA/stakeholders
1988 Announces major expansion (over 700% of original production
1987-92 Extensive environmentally related technical reports,
EIS, air emission/water quality, hazardous waste
disposal issues
1992 Permit hearings
1993 Litigation issues settled
1993-94 Plant becomes operational
1998 Second major expansion announced
2000 Expanded plant, valued in excess of 3.5 billion dollars
2000-
2014 Continues process upgrades, recycle enhancement, capacity upgrades
and selective pretreatment based on production unit discharges to the
treatment complex. Permit compliance is under continuous surveillance
and correction measures are implemented as required. An “Industrial
Water Quality Control Environmental Report Card” is shown in Figure III-1.
As the aforementioned 5.5 billion dollar expansion is
currently underway, there is a possibility based on current and
planned water reuse technologies, treatability studies and
extensive technical oversight, that total water reuse and
reconfiguration, zero or minimal wastewater discharge is a
technical reality.
Section VII. References
• Ford, Davis L., Current Environmental Engineering and
Science Technologies, Eckenfelder Lecture Series, Forty Acres
Press, Austin (2012)
• Eckenfelder, W.W., Ford, Davis L., Englande, A.J., Industrial
Water Quality, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, Water Environment
Federation (2009)
• Formosa Plastics Corporation, Texas, “Industrial Water
Treatment Plant, Water for Recreation and Industry---A Story of
Progress” (1992)
• Blackburn, Jim, The Book of Texas Bays, A&M Press (2004)