Plating and Industrial Waste Treatment at the
Expanded Plant of Fisher Body, Elyria, Ohio
RAYMOND A. FISCO, Senior Process Engineer
Fisher Body Division
General Motors Corporation
Elyria, Ohio
INTRODUCTION
The Fisher Body, Elyria Plant is a major manufacturer of hardware and
electroplated parts for the automobile industry. This plant is located in a rural area
on the western edge of the city of Elyria. Cleveland is approximately 35 miles to the
northeast.
The treatment plant effluent now averages one and one half mil gal daily. This
discharges into a large storm sewer which in turn joins the Black River one mile east
of the plant. The point of confluence is approximately one-fourth mile upstream
from Cascade Park. The park is an attractive recreational area maintained by the city
of Elyria. Inasmuch as our effluent flows to a surface stream, we are required to
operate under the provisions of a permit from the Ohio Water Pollution Control
Board at Columbus.
The Black River is considered a major tributary of Lake Erie. The increasing
attention being given to the condition of the Great Lakes has in turn focused more
attention on those industries returning water to it.
This presentation will attempt to cover the more important aspects of the
pollution abatement program of the General Motors, Elyria Plant and to show also
the extent of our activity to prevent pollution of Lake Erie.
Fifteen years ago there simply weren't many industrial waste treatment plants
around that were designed to handle the wastes we were faced with.
Our treatment plant design then had to be based on the best available
information, the experience of our own engineers, and what we felt would do the
best possible job. Looking back, this installation has to be considered one of the
pioneer industrial waste treatment plants in the State of Ohio.
Fortunately, most of the basic ideas incorporated into the original design, were
good ones and continue to serve quite adequately. Shortly after the initial plant
start-up, however, certain very definite shortcomings became obvious. Modifications
were necessary to meet the requirements of good waste treatment practices.
This discussion will concern those factors leading to the design, development
and operation of our recently expanded treatment plant, with the hope that this
information may be beneficial to others faced with similar problems.
Fisher Body, Elyria, is basically a plating, anodizing and hardware manufacturing plant. The production of such items as automotive grilles, instrument panels,
anodized aluminum trim, plus various other interior and exterior trim items require
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