Owens-Brockway

Current status:

In April and May 2023, DEQ held a public comment period and public hearing for Owens-Brockway's draft Title V air quality permit. Following comments from EPA, DEQ is in the process of revising this permit and will hold another public comment period in the first quarter of 2024.​​

Background: Owens-Brockway currently has a Title V air quality permit with DEQ. On May 10, 2021, EPA issued an order requiring DEQ to revise Owens-Brockway's Title V air quality permit and/or the permit record in 90 days. Specifically, the order requires DEQ to re-examine how the permit ensures compliance with particulate matter emission limits. DEQ also received a memorandum from EarthJustice on April 24, 2021 that summarized emissions modelling of the facility and raised concerns about the permit's ability to ensure Owens-Brockway did not exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, or NAAQS, for one-hour sulfur dioxide, one-hour nitrogen dioxide and 24-hour PM2.5.

On June 25, 2021, DEQ sent a letter to Owens-Brockway informing the facility of DEQ's intent to reopen its permit in response to EPA's order and to assure compliance with emission limits and NAAQS. In its letter, DEQ requested that the facility provide information that could inform DEQ's permit reopening.

Since then, Owens-Brockway has made a number of submittals. First, Owens-Brockway submitted a permit modification application on July 28, 2021 to remove Furnace A, one of its two remaining glass-making furnaces, from its air quality permit. This permit change would eliminate Owens-Brockway's authorization to operate Furnace A, and signaled the company's intention to keep the furnace permanently shut down. The facility has also requested an opportunity to perform its own NAAQS modelling analysis, and submitted a modelling protocol to DEQ on Sept. 20, 2021. The modelling protocol is currently under review.

Second, on Aug. 9, 2021, the company executed a Regional Haze Stipulated Agreement and Final Order with DEQ, see more information below.

DEQ has also made two visits to the Owens-Brockway plant since the EPA order to verify site conditions and evaluate compliance.

DEQ has asked EPA for an extension of the 90-day deadline to evaluate and incorporate new information into a revised permit and to see if the parties can arrive at a more comprehensive solution. DEQ expects to issue a revised permit later this year that will respond to EPA's order, incorporate the Regional Haze agreement and the final enforcement order, and impose conditions necessary to assure compliance with NAAQS and emission limits.

In January 2022 DEQ approved Owens-Brockway's modeling protocol for demonstrating the facility's level of compliance with short-term National Ambient Air Quality Standards, and Owens-Brockway submitted the results of this modelling. DEQ reviewed the modeling results and concluded that particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions from Owens-Brockway will not exceed federal standards. This will require Owens-Brockway to keep glass production below the limits tested in the model. More information about Regional Haze and Enforcement in the dropdown menus below.​

Current status: On March 10, 2022, DEQ approved the final risk assessment for Owens-Brockway. The results reflect uncontrolled operations at the facility and is not representative of risk after the facility completes installation of the combined ceramic filter unit discussed above. The risk assessment results trigger permit requirements and source risk limits. DEQ has incorporated source risk limits and associated permit conditions into the facility's Title V operating permit.​

For information on Owens-Brockway's Cleaner Air Oregon status, visit the facility's project page.​​

​​Regional Haze is a program that large stationary sources of air pollution in Oregon are required to go through in order to determine what reasonable controls are required to improve visibility in certain areas in Oregon and neighboring states. The rules applied to all sources with Title V air quality permits. For general information on Regional Haze, visit DEQ's Regional Haze page.

Current Status: DEQ entered a Stipulated Agreement and Final Order with Owens-Brockway to obtain compliance with Regional Haze on Aug. 9, 2021. Through the order, Owens-Brockway agreed not to operate Furnace A any longer; to accept tighter limits on sitewide emissions of nitrous oxide, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter by January 2022; and to make further reductions by July 2025. The requirements from this order has been incorporated into the air quality permit as described above.​

Background: On July 23, 2021, the Environmental Quality Commission adopted new and revised rules for Regional Haze emissions control analysis for stationary sources. These rules detail a process that large stationary sources of air pollution in Oregon are required to go through in order to determine what reasonable controls are required to improve visibility in Oregon and neighboring states. The rules applied to all sources with Title V air quality permits.

The rules allow the facility demonstrate compliance through one of the following:

1. Evaluate emission controls for effectiveness at reducing regional haze emissions and install controls deemed cost effective by DEQ;

2. Reduce permitted emissions below a specific threshold identified in the rule;

3. Work with DEQ to identify and install alternative control options that would reduce regional haze pollutants; and/or

4. Replace emission units with lower-emitting equipment.

On Aug. 9, 2021, DEQ entered a Stipulated Agreement and Final Order with Owens-Brockway to obtain compliance with Regional Haze. Through the order, Owens-Brockway agreed to no longer operate Furnace A, to reduce nitrous oxide, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter emissions from Furnace D by January 2022, and to make further reductions by July 2025. Owens-Brockway is working to identify potential methods to reduce emissions from Furnace D. The facility also agreed not to use, restart or rebuild Furnaces B and C without first going through future emissions control analysis.

DEQ incorporated this agreement into its proposed State Implementation Plan for Round II of Regional Haze.