The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission granted a conditional variance to PPG Industries'Natrium facility Oct.11.The commission voted unanimously to grant the variance regarding PPG's discharge of mercury.
The impact of the variance is to require PPG to work toward reducing its mercury discharges to the Ohio River at a rate of approximately one third of the discharges at the time PPG began evaluating discharge reduction.
This variance allows the company to continue a mixing zone for its mercury discharge for a five-year period beginning Oct.16,2013.Specifics of the variance are as follows:
-The commission's regulations must be met at all points in the river outside of a small area of mixing.
-PPG has developed a comprehensive mercury reduction plan which must be fully implemented.
-PPG is required to conduct monthly water quality monitoring and annual fish tissue monitoring to demonstrate compliance with the commission's regulations.
-PPG is required to submit annual progress reports to the commission to demonstrate full implementation of its mercury reduction plan and compliance with all requirement of this variance.
-The commission reserves the right to modify,renew,or revoke the variance at its discretion at any time.
