Columbia Steel

The Emissions Inventory provides information on all the Toxic Air Contaminant emissions from a facility, and includes information on a facility’s operations and activities, as well as fuel and material usage rates. This is often the longest step in the CAO risk assessment process as DEQ needs to verify that all activities have been accounted for, and that the most representative emissions data available are used. In some cases, DEQ will require a facility to perform source testing at this stage if insufficient data is available to estimate emissions. ​

​​​​For an introduction to emissions inventories and why they matter, please see EPA’s Fact Sheet. DEQ is currently finalizing a fact sheet specific to our Cleaner Air Oregon program. A facility-specific emissions inventory timeline and associated documents are linked below.

• DEQ call in letter to Columbia Steel

• July Source Testing Extension Request

• DEQ Response to Source Testing Extension Request

• Source Test Protocol

• September Source Testing Extension Request

Oct. 30, 2019: DEQ met with facility to discuss source testing and submittal timelines.

Nov. 13, 2019: DEQ responds to Columbia Steel’s extension request with a timeline for deliverables

• DEQ Response to Extension Request

Nov. 22, 2019: Columbia Steel completed initial engineering testing that will inform final source testing for the CAO emissions inventory submittal.

Jan. 10, 2020: DEQ holds a conference call with Columbia Steel to discuss the status of Cleaner Air Oregon Implementation

• Jan. 17 memo from January 10 conference call with Columbia Steel

Feb. 7, 2020: DEQ holds a conference call with Columbia Steel to discuss the status of Cleaner Air Oregon Implementation

• Feb. 13 memo from February 7 conference call with Columbia Steel

March 4, 2020: DEQ holds a conference call with Columbia Steel to discuss the status of Cleaner Air Oregon Implementation

• March 16 memo from March 4 conference call with Columbia Steel

April 10, 2020: DEQ holds a conference call with Columbia Steel to discuss the status of Cleaner Air Oregon Implementation

• April 16 memo from April 10 conference call with Columbia Steel

May 7, 2020: DEQ holds a conference call with Columbia Steel to discuss the status of Cleaner Air Oregon Implementation

• May 15 memo from May 7 conference call with Columbia Steel

June 4, 2020: DEQ holds a conference call with Columbia Steel to discuss the status of Cleaner Air Oregon Implementation

• June 11 memo from June 4 conference call with Columbia Steel

July 9, 2020: DEQ holds a conference call with Columbia Steel to discuss the status of Cleaner Air Oregon Implementation

• July 13 memo from July 9 conference call with Columbia Steel

Aug. 5, 2020: DEQ holds a conference call with Columbia Steel to discuss the status of Cleaner Air Oregon Implementation

• August 13 memo from August 5 conference call with Columbia Steel

The Modeling Protocol provides information on how the facility plans to accurately model the concentrations of Toxic Air Contaminants (TACs) that community members may be exposed to based on the TAC emissions data from the approved Emissions Inventory. A Risk Assessment Work Plan is required for more complex Risk Assessments (Level 3 or Level 4) and provides more detailed information about locations where people live or normally congregate around the facility and how risk to these community members will be evaluated.

​​May 26, 2021: Columbia Steel submits Modeling Protocol and Risk Assessment Work Plan for DEQ review

July 30, 2021: Columbia Steel submits extension request

• Extension request​

Aug. 4, 2021: DEQ responds to extension request

• DEQ response letter 

Aug. 17, 2021: Columbia Steel submits supporting information

• Cover Letter
• Attachment 1
• Attachment 2
  
• Attachment 3
• Attachment 4

Sept.16, 2021: Columbia Steel submits revised Emissions Inventory

• Revised Modeling Protocol and Risk Assessment Work Plan 

Oct. 27, 2021: DEQ requests revisions to the Modeling Protocol and Risk Assessment Work Plan Inventory​

• DEQ response letter​​
  

Nov. 30, 2021: Columbia Steel submits revised Combined Modeling Protocol and Risk Assessment Work Plan

• Combined Modeling Protocol and Risk Assessment Work Plan​
  

Nov. 4, 2022: DEQ approved Emissions Inventory and Combined Modeling Protocol and Risk Assessment Work Plan

• DEQ approval letter​​

Dec. 29, 2022: Columbia Steel notifies DEQ that they are ending production activities at this facility and will begin winding down operations.

Jan. 5, 2023: DEQ and Columbia Steel meet to discuss next steps for CAO regarding submittal of the Risk Assessment.

Feb. 8, 2023: DEQ and Columbia Steel have a follow-up meeting and determine that an extension request will be submitted for submitting the Risk Assessment.

• Columbia Steel extension request
  

Feb. 15, 2023: DEQ approves extension request for submitting Risk Assessment.

• DEQ extension request approval​