A closer look at Spunstrand's need for an air quality permit
Courtesy photo Pipe like these are manufactured every day at the Spunstrand factory in Wallace. The company is currently waiting for a renewal of their Tier I air quality operating permit.
WALLACE — The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality recently announced that they had began seeking public comment on a draft Tier I air quality operating permit renewal for the Wallace-based company Spunstrand.
Spunstrand has been manufacturing fiberglass reinforced plastic components in Wallace since 1961.
The draft permit extends regulation of air pollutants emitted from the facility for another five years.
This process includes a review of the air quality impacts every five years and is a standard operating procedure for all FRP manufacturers to go through.
To minimize air quality impacts from the FRP operation, Spunstrand states that they use low styrene raw materials, control the styrene emissions and train fabricators on low-impact application methods.
According to PubChem, an open chemistry database, styrene (also known as ethenylbenzene, vinylbenzene and phenylethene) is an colorless, toxic liquid with a strong aromatic odor. It is used to make rubbers, polymers and copolymers, and polystyrene plastics.
A derivative of benzene and precursor to polystyrene, low levels of styrene occur naturally in plants, as well as a variety of foods.
It is regarded by many as a "known carcinogen," especially in cases of eye contact, but also in cases of skin contact, of ingestion and of inhalation.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has described styrene to be "a suspected toxin to the gastrointestinal tract, kidney, and respiratory system, among others".
Tim Cheeseman, the plant manager at Spunstrand explained the factory’s value to the local community as an employer and as a business, on top of what they do inside the factory.
“We manufacture fiberglass ductwork, dampers, and tanks for a variety of markets and industries,” Cheeseman said. “At any given time we employ 15-30 local fabricators and pride ourselves in being part of the community not just an employer. We operate under and in compliance with the conservative regulations from Idaho DEQ for FRP operations. In the end, we are proud of our products and the crew that works in Wallace and we hope to continue to be a part of the Silver Valley’s future.”
Spunstrand is the only business in Shoshone County that uses this type of permit, but there are several other companies in neighboring Kootenai County who operate under the same Tier I air quality operating regulations.
Written comments on the draft permit can be submitted electronically on DEQ’s website or by mail or email to: Tessa Stevens, Air Quality Division, DEQ State Office, 1410 N. Hilton, Boise, ID 83706. Email: tessa.stevens@deq.idaho.gov.
The deadline for submitting written comments addressing air quality considerations is by 4 p.m. Jan. 26.