Site Visit Report
Site Visited:
| Northstar Glassworks |
Site Address:
| 8228 SE 26th Place, Building A, Portland, OR 97202 |
Date of site visit:
| 2/23/16 |
Site visit conducted by:
| Chris Swab (DEQ) accompanied by Katie McClintock (EPA) and John Keenan (EPA) |
Person(s) contacted and contact information:
| James Knox, Production Manager (866-684-6896): jamesk@northstarglass.com Abe Fleishman, Owner: abef@northstarglass.com |
The facility produces colored glass by melting cullet (crushed glass or glass tubes) with powdered raw materials.
The cullet is generally clear glass, with some colored glass used. The powdered raw materials are added to color the glass.
Cullet and raw materials are mixed and placed in a crucible, which is an open-topped container, and the crucible is placed in a kiln to melt the cullet and raw materials to form molten glass.
Molten glass is then removed from the crucible to form the final product, which is colored glass rods.
The facility has 60 kilns. 75% of the kilns operate at any one time. The kilns are grouped together under exhaust hoods, and the hoods are equipped with fans to draw air into the hoods, and heavy plastic curtains to ensure that all emissions from the kilns are captured and drawn into the exhaust hoods.
The exhaust hoods vent outside, on the roof of the building.
This facility groups approximately 30 kilns under each exhaust hood.
Annual glass production is 120,000 pounds per year (60 tons per year).
The facility uses the following metals (others may be used as well): cadmium, chromium III and selenium.
The facility does not use the following metals: nickel, chromium VI, arsenic and lead.