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# OAR Box 1781 Prepped by Ollie Stewart



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# 130 ) IV-C-4

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. UNITE D STATE S ENVIRONMENTA L PROTECTIO N AGENC Y WASHINGTON , D.C . 2046 0

PF P - 3 OFFIC E O F AI R AN D RADIATIO N Honorable Ric k

Bouche r Hous e of Representative s Washington , D C 20515-480 9 Dea r Congressma

n Boucher : Thi s i s in respons e to you

r Augus t 13,199 9 letter , i n which you furthe r elaborate d you

r rational e fo

r supportin g a15-yea

r "baselin e period " fo

r establishin g acok

e plant' s historica

l norma l operations . W

e appreciat e you r concer n tha t ashorte r time frame migh

t caus e acok

e plan t tha t i s amajo r sourc e of ai r pollutio n emission s t o becom e subject t o ne w sourc e review (NSR ) if i t modifie s existin g emission s unit s o r i f i t expand s an d rebuild s plant capacit y previousl y shu t down an d dismantled . W e will giv e you

r comment s ful

l consideratio n a s w e develop th e final rulemaking . I n th e meantime , it

migh t b e usefu l fo r you r constituent s to consult

wit h th e Stat e and th e EP

A Regiona l Office i n Philadelphi ato determin e which emission s unit s migh t b e subject t o review an d t o examine way s i

n which th e permittin g proces s coul d b e expedited . A s i n m y las t letter , I recommen d tha t you contac t

Judit h Katz , Director

o f th e Ai r Protectio n Divisio n i n ou

r Region II I office . Th e telephon e numbe r ther e i s (215 ) 814-2654 . I kno w tha t sh e and her staf f would welcom e th e opportunit

y t o b e of assistance . 

# ^JS^ M CL-r K

L ^<$bert^rcias«p V ^ B W' " L Assistan t Administrator cc : Judit h Katz

Recycled/Recyclabl e • Printe d wit h Vegetabl e Oi l Base d Ink s o n 100 % Recycle d Pape r (20 % Postconsumer)Controlle d Correspondenc e Fo r OFFIC E O F AI R AN D RADIATIO N P. 3

CONTRO L N O STATUS : AL-990185 5

PENDIN G ORIG . DU E DATE : 09/02/9 9 CORRES . DATE : RECEIVE D DATE : ASSIGNE D DATE : CLOSE D DATE : 08/13/9 9 08/19/9 9 08/20/9 9 FROM : ORG : SALUTATION : CONSTITUENT : BOUCHE RFREDERICK-D/V

A U.S . HOUSE O

F REPRESENTATIVES DEA RCONGRESSMA

N BOUCHE

R TO : T O ORG : SUBJECT : CLEA N AI RACT S NE

W SOURC

E REVIE W PROGRAM/EP

A RECOGNIZ

E TH E NEE D TO CHANG

E TH E EMISSIONS CALCULATIO N ASSIGNED : Offic e of Ai r Qualit y Planning & Standard s - RT P COPIES O

F INCOMIN

G PROVIDE

D TO : OCIR/ELIZABET H CUMMINGS SIGNATURE : ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR OA RCOMMENTS : A L INSTRUCTIONS : MUS T B E RETURNE D TO OCI R(1304 ) 3R

D FLOO RWT , FORREVIE

W AN D DISPATCHING . INCLUD E "HARD " COP

Y O F SIGNE D REPL Y FO R CONGRESSIONA

L FILE S (AL) . D O NOT DAT E LETTER . OA RINSTRUCTIONS : PREPAR E REPL Y FO RTH E ASSISTAN

T ADMINISTRATOR' S SIGNATURE .

|Lea d Assigne d

OAQP S Date Assigne d 08/20/9 9 Code/Statu s ACTIO N Dat e Complete d by Assigne e • Date Returne d t o OAR :

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" RIC X BOUCHE R 9T H DISTRICT , VIRGINI A COMMITTEES : COMMERC E SUBCOMMITTEES : TELECOMMUNICATIONS . TRAD E AN D CONSUME R PROTECTIO N ENERG Y AN D POWE R JUDICIAR Y SUBCOMMITTEE : COURT S AN D INTELLECTUA L PROPERT V ASSISTAN T WHI P 

# Congres s o f tfje ©ntte b State s 2|ous( e o f ftepretfentattoeg Augus t 13 , 199 9 WASHINGTO N OFFICE : 232 9 RAYBUR N HOUS E OFFIC E BUILDIN G WASHINGTON . O C 20515-460 9

12021325-386 1 e-mail : NINTHNET@MAIL.HOUSE.GO V WWW : http://www.hou8e.gov/bouchot / CONSTITUEN T SERVIC E OFFICES :

18 8 EAS T MAI N STREE T ABINGDON . VIRGINI A 2421 0 (540 ) 628-IK S 31 1 SHAWNE E AVENU E EAST BI G STON E GAP . VIRGINI A 2421 9

15401523-545 0 10 6 NORT H WASHINGTO N AVENU E

P.O . BO X 126 8 PULASKI . VIRGINI A 2430 1 1540)980-431 0 Mr . Rober t Perciasep e Assistan t Administrato

r Unite d State s Environmenta l Protectio n Agenc

y Washington , DC . 2046 0 Dea r Mr . Perciasepe : 

### //H.996 ftS*} Than k yo u fo r you r Jul y 29 , 19994ette

r concerning th e Clea

n Ai r Act' s Ne w Sourc e Revie

w Program . I a

mencourage d tha

t th e U . S . Environmenta

l Protectio n Agenc y (EPA ) recognize s th e need t o chang e th e emission s increas e calculatio n by usin g potentia l emission s rather

tha n actua l emission s a s th e pre-chang e baseline . Further , i t appear s tha

t achang e i n th e regulation s t o permi

t expanding t o te n year s th e "baseline period " fo r determining asource' s norma l leve l o f operatio n i s amove i n th e right

direction . Allow m

e t o reiterate , however , m

y belief tha t th e "baseline period " shoul d no t b e limite d t o te n years . I strongl

y believe tha

t aminimu mfifteen- yea

r "baseline period " i s preferable fo r th e followin

g reasons : * Fiftee n year s compensate s mor

e thoroughl

y fo r histori c fluctuation s i

n produc t demand . * A fifteen-year

recoupmen

t perio d wil l restore th e permitte d capacit y o f companie s i

n m y Congressiona

l Distric t t o produc e cok

e tha t wa s los t i n th e "ratchet down " permitting process , thereby helpin g t o restore th e competitivenes s o f U.S . cok e manufacturer s i

n th e globa

l marketplace . A ten-yea

r recoupmen

t perio d would hav e afa

r les s significan

t effect . I n aone-yea

r period , U.S . cok

e import s mor

e tha n doubled from1,565,29 2 ton s i n 1997 t o 3,834,45 2 ton s i

n 1998 . Suc

h increase s com

e a t th e expens e o f

th e domesti c cok

e industry . Th

e strengt h o f oversea s competition i

n th e cok e industr y make s it imperativ e tha t stumblin g block s t o industr

y competitivenes s b e removed i n th e ne w regulation s an

d tha t step s b e take n t o restore productio n capacit y t o companie s penalized durin g th e previou s fiftee

n years .FL£ _

Pag e 2 Augus t 13 , 199 9 I t i s clea r tha t th e U.S . cok

e industr y ca n il l affor d furthe r productio n loss . Yet

I hav e bee n advised tha

t a n effor t i s underwa

y i n th e Peoples ' Republi c o f

Chinat o begin cok e productio n i

n October , 1999 , a

t aplan t wit h a300,00 0 to n capacity . A 300,00 0 to n additio n t o thi s plan

t i s scheduled i

n 2000 , an d a400,00 0 expansion i

n 2001 . Th e on e millio n ton s i s t o b e markete d i

n th e United ' State s and , i

n th e absenc e o f

regulator y change , ma

y replac e domesti c cok

e productio n los t

unde r th e Ne w Sourc e Review program' s "us e i

t o r loos e it " function . Than k you fo r you r attentio n t o thes e comments . I loo k forwar d t o receiving your response . Wit

h kin d regards , I a

m cerely ,

Ric k Bouche r Membe r o f Congres s RB/b c



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