CITY OF PHILADELPHIA 

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH 

 AIR MANAGEMENT SERVICES 

RACT PLAN APPROVAL 

Effective Date: February 9, 2016 

Expiration Date: None 

Replaces Permit No. RACT Plan Approval issued on January 9, 2015 

In accordance with provisions of the Air Pollution Control Act, the Act of January 8, 1960, P.L. 2119, 

as amended, and after due consideration of a Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) 

proposal received under the Pennsylvania Code, Title 25, Chapter 129.91 thru 129.95, of the rules and 

regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), Air Management 

Services (AMS) approved the RACT proposal of the Facility below for the source(s) listed in section 

1.A. Emission Sources of the attached RACT Plan Approval. 

Facility: Veolia Energy Philadelphia – Schuylkill Station 

 

Permittee: Veolia Energy Philadelphia, Inc 

Location: 2600 Christian Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146 

Mailing Address: 2600 Christian Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146 

SIC Code(s): 4961 

Plant ID: 4942 

 

Facility Contact: Floyd Rupple 

Phone: (267) 350-5865 

 

Permit Contact: Floyd Rupple 

Phone: (267) 350-5865 

 

Responsible Official: Michael J Smedley 

Title: VP and GM 

 2/9/2016 

Edward Wiener, Chief of Source Registration Date 
RACT PLAN APPROVAL Veolia Schuylkill Station Page 2 

2/9/16 

The RACT plan approval is subject to the following conditions: 

1. The purpose of this Plan Approval is to establish Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Reasonably Available 

Control Technology (RACT) for Veolia – Schuylkill Station. This includes the following emission 

sources and control equipment: 

A. Emission Sources 

 (1) Boiler #23: Combustion Engineering boiler with a capacity of 795 MMBTU/hr. The boiler is 

tangential fired and burns #6 oil as its primary fuel and #2 oil as an ignition fuel. 

 (2) Boiler #26: Babcock and Wilcox boiler with a capacity of 761 MMBTU/hr. The boiler is 

front wall fired and burns #6 oil. 

B. Control Equipment 

(1) Boiler #26 shall be modified with low NOx burners. 

2. This approval requires and authorizes: 

A. Boiler #26 shall be modified with low NOx burners. 

 

3. Stack Emission Limitations 

 

A. The maximum air contaminant emissions from these sources shall be limited at stack outlet to: 

(1) Nitrogen Oxides (NOx): 

(a) Boiler #23: emissions shall not exceed andy of the following:

i. 0.34 lbs/MMBTU on an houlry basis

ii. 270.30 lbs/hr on an hourly basis

iii. 355.15 tons per rolling 12-month period 

(b) Boiler #26: emission rate shall not exceed any of the following: 

i. 0.36 lbs/MMBTU on a 30-day rolling average 

ii. 0.41 lbs/MMBTU on an hourly basis 

iii. 312.01 lbs/hr on an hourly basis 

4. RACT Implementation Schedule 

A. Upon issuance of this approval, Veolia shall begin immediate implementation of the measures 

necessary to comply with the approved RACT proposal. 

B. Veolia - Schuylkill Station shall begin installation of low NOx burners on Boiler #26 by May 31, 

1996. Once construction has commenced, Boiler #26 shall not be operated until the installation is 

complete. 
RACT PLAN APPROVAL Veolia Schuylkill Station Page 3 

2/9/16 

5. Testing and Monitoring Requirements 

A. Within 90 days of start-up and final construction acceptance of low NOx burners, Veolia - 

Schuylkill Station must conduct initial emissions performance tests of Boiler #26 to demonstrate 

compliance with the emission limit above. Veolia must conduct annual emission performance 

tests on Boiler #23and Boiler #26. 

B. Veolia - Schuylkill Station shall obtain approval of the test protocol prior to the test date. AMS 

must be notified at least 30 days prior to the actual testing in order that representatives from the 

agency may schedule to observe the conduct of the tests. 

C. Continuous nitrogen oxides and oxygen monitors and recorders shall be operated on Boiler #26 in 

order to measure and record the concentrations of these gases emitted from the boiler outlet/stack 

inlet. The continuous emission monitors must conform to USEPA performance specifications in 

40 CFR Part 60, Appendix B and Pa. DER Continuous Source Monitoring Manual Rev. No. 4, 

July 1987. 

6. Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements 

A. Compliance shall be monitored and recorded based on annual NOx stack tests for each boiler 

and NOx CEMS for Boiler#26. The facility shall monitor and record compliance with them based 

on daily hours of operation, fuel type, fuel usage, fuel sulfur contentfor each boiler, and NOX 

CEMs for boiler #26 and annual stack test for Boiler #23 compliance with them based on fuel 

usage and the annual NOx stack tests. 

B. Veolia - Schuylkill Station shall maintain a file containing all the records and other data that are 

required to be collected to demonstrate compliance with NOx RACT requirements of 25 PA 

Code §129.91-129.94. These records shall include fuel consumption, fuel sulfur content, and 

NOx emissions. 

C. The records shall provide sufficient data and calculations to clearly demonstrate that the 

requirements of §129.91-129.94 are met. 

D. Data or information required to determine compliance shall be recorded and maintained in a time 

frame consistent with the averaging period of the requirement. 

E. Records shall be retained for at least two years and shall be made available to AMS on request. 

7. The operation of the aforementioned sources shall not at any time result in the emission of visible 

air contaminants in excess of the limitations specified in Section 123.41, particulate matter in 

excess of the limitations specified in Section 123.11 or sulfur oxides in excess of the limitations 

specified in Section 123.22, all Sections of Chapter 123 of Article III of the Rules and Regulations 

of the Department of Environmental Resources, or in the emission of any of these or any other 

type of air contaminant in excess of the limitations specified in, or established pursuant to, any 

other applicable rule or regulation contained in Article III. 
RACT PLAN APPROVAL Veolia Schuylkill Station Page 4 

2/9/16 

8. The company shall not impose conditions upon or otherwise restrict AMS's access to the 

aforementioned source(s) and/or any associated air cleaning device(s) and shall allow AMS to 

have access at any time to said source(s) and associated air cleaning device(s) with such 

measuring and recording equipment, including equipment recording visual observations, as AMS 

deems necessary and proper for performing its duties and for the effective enforcement of the Air 

Pollution Control Act. 

9. Revisions to any emission limitations incorporated in this RACT Approval will require 

resubmission as revision to the PA State Implementation Plan. The applicant shall bear the cost of 

public hearing and notification required for EPA approval as stipulated in 25 PA Code §129.91(h).