p. 1



# OAR Box 1787 Prepped by Ollie Stewart



### Document

Number: 

# 32 ) II-B-1 7
Docket Number: 

# A-90-3 7

Printed 11/4/200810:22:19 AM

Sheet 32 of 147P. 2

UNITE D STATE S ENVIRONMENTA L PROTECTIO N AGENC Y Offic e o f Ai rQualityPlannin g an d Standard s Researc h Triangl e Park , Nort h Carolin a 2771 1



### JU L 2 8 198

3 ft

-</d'31

MEMORANDU

M
SUBJECT : Supplementa l Guidanc e o n Implementin g th e Nort hCount y Preventio no f Significan t Deterioration , (PSD ) R^ma^d,^- ; FROM : 1/ (1 Y K i'i

' i Joh n Calcagni , Directo r/u^J I^Jt'^^Ukiy

~ Ai rQualit yManagement Divisio n (MD-15 ) /) TO : I Addressee s O n Septembe r22 , 1987 , Geral d Emiso n issue d guidanc e on implementatio n o f th e Administrator' s reman d decisio n i n th e Nort h Count yPS D permi t appeal , PS D Appea l No

. 85-2

. Tha t documen t set s forth , i n genera l terms , th e essenc e o f th e remand--tha t al l pollutants , includin g thos e no t directl yregulate d b y th e Clea n Ai rAc t ar e t o b e considere d i n makin g th e bes t availabl e contro l technolog y(BACT

) determinatio n fo ra PS D applicant

. No

w tha t th e guidanc e i s out , variou s issue s beyon d th e scop e o f th e Septembe r22 , 1987 documen t have arisen

. I a

m addressin g tw o o f them

. Th e firs t deal s wit h th e flexibilit y tha t th e permittin g authorit yhas wit h respec t t o pollutant s considere d an d control s selected , whil e th e secon d involve s th e leve l o f detai l neede d i n th e PS D publi c notice

. Consideratio n o f Ai rToxic s i n th e BAC T Determinatio n Th e BAC T requiremen t i s implemente d throug h case-by-cas e decisionmaking

. Whil e thi s necessaril yinvolve s significan t us e o f judgmen t b yth e permittin g authority , certai n polic ypresumption s apply : tha t i t conside rth e ful l rang e o f pollutio n contro l option s availabl e an d choos e th e most effectiv e mean s o f limitin g emissions , subjec t onl yt o a showin g o f compellin g reason s o f economi c o renerg yimpracticality

. Thos e ar e th e importan t lesson s underscore d b yth e Nort h Countyan d H-Powe rremands

. Th e presumptio n o f employin g a top-dow n BAC T analysi s was furthe remphasize d i n Crai g Potter' s memorandu m o f Decembe r 1 , 1987 , entitle d "Improvin g Ne w Sourc e Revie

w (NSR ) Implementation, " t o th e Regiona l Administrators

. Othe rpolic ypresumption s wer e articulate d i n th e Septembe r22 , 198 7 guidanc e requirin g tha t th e BAC T determinatio n fo rregulate d pollutant s b e sensitize d t o th e contro l o f unregulate d ai rpollutant s (includin g ai rtoxics)

. Th e Septembe r22 , 1987 polic ydoe s no t identif ywhic h toxi c substances , requir e consideratio n i n th e BAC T analysis , an d a t wha t levels

. Amon g th e reason s fo rthi s i s tha t th e informatio n wit h respec t t o th e typ e an d magnitud e o f emission s o f noncriteri a pollutant s fo rman ysourc e categorie s i s limited

.* P. 3

- < 

### -2 -

Fo r example , a combustio nsourc e emit s hundred s o f substances , bu t knowledg e o f th e magnitud e o f some o f thes e emission s o r th e hazar dthe y produc e i s sparse . Whil e th e Environmenta l Protectio nAgenc y (EPA ) i s pursuin g a variet y o f project s tha t wil l hel ppermittin g authoritie s t o determin e pollutant s o f concern , EPA

believe s i t i s appropriat e fo r agencie s t o procee do na case-by-cas e basi s usin g th e bes t informatio navailable . Thus , th e determina tio no f whethe r th e pollutant s woul db e emitte di

namount s sufficien t t o b e o f concer ni s on e tha t th e permittin g authorit y ha s considerabl e discretio nin making . Reasonabl e effort s shoul dbe mad e t o addres s thes e issues . Th e EP A expect s thes e effort s t o includ e consultatio nwit hth e Regiona l Offic e an dwit h th e Contro l Technolog y Cente r (CTC) , Nationa l Ai r Toxic s Informatio nClearing house , an

dAi r Ris k Informatio nSuppor t Cente r i nth e Offic e o f Ai r Qualit y Plannin g andStandard s (OAQPS ) andreview o f th e literature , suc ha s EPA-prepare dcompilation s o f emissio nfactors . Source-specifi c informatio n supplie db

y th e permi t applican t i s ofte nth e bes t sourc e o f information , an d i t i s importan t tha t th e company be mad e awar e o f it s responsibilit y t o provid e fo r a reasonabl e accountin g o f ai r toxic s emissions . Similarly , onc e th e pollutant s o f concer nar e identified , th e permittin g authorit y

ha s flexibilit y

indeterminin g th e method s b y whic hi t factor s ai r toxic s consideration s int o th e BAC T determination , subjec t t o th e obligatio n t o mak e reasonabl e effort s t o conside r ai r toxics . Consultatio nb y th e review authorit y

wit hEPA' s implementatio ncenters , particularl y th e CTC , i s agai nadvised . On e exceptio nt o thi s approac hi s wher e a municipa l wast e combusto r i s involved . Here , th e OAQP S ha s provide drathe r detaile d guidanc e regardin g pollutant s o f concer nandthei r control . (Se e memorandum o f Jun e 22 , 1987 , fro m

Geral dEmiso nt o EP A Regiona l Ai r Divisio nDirectors. ) Simila r guidanc e o

nothe r sourc e categorie s wil l be develope da s appropriate . I t i s importan t t o not e tha t severa l acceptabl e methods , includin g ris k assessment , exis t t o incorporat e ai r toxic s concern s int o th e BAC T decision . Whateve r th e method s selected , thes e serv e onl y t o affec t th e selectio no f th e contro l strategy . Th e overal l approvabilit y o f a projec t onc e i t applie s BAC T depend s onothe r criteria , a s well , andi s outsid e th e scop e o f th e Nort hCount y

remandand thi s guidance . Leve l o f Detai l i nPubli c Notic e Th e Septembe r 22 , 198 7 guidanc e strongl y emphasize s publi c participation . Th e purpos e o f th e PS D publi c notic e i s t o provid e sufficien t informatio na s t o th e typ e o f sourc e involved , andit s projecte demission s an dpropose d controls , suc htha t potentiall y intereste dcitizen s wil l be apprise do f th e mai nissues . Individual s wishin g t o investigat e thos e issue s indept hca n tur nt o th e technica l suppor t document . Ou r inten t regardin g ai r toxic s i s t o provid e th e publi c wit hadequat e notic e o f potentia l issues . Th e identi ficatio no f specifi c toxi c substance s andth e degre e o f detai l inth e notic e shoul db

e consisten t wit hth e concer npose db y ai r toxics . Fo r example , i f ther e ar e n o ai r toxic s projecte dt o b e emitte di n amount s sufficien t t o be o f concer nt o th e permittin g authority , th e notic e

# v 

# w P. 4

• 3

-
canb e handle dvery

simply . On e way , bu t b y n o mean s th e onl y

way , o f doin g thi s woul db

e t o not e tha t "the [permittin g authority ] als o considere dth e impac t o f availabl e contro l alternative s o nemission s o f othe r pollutants , includin g thos e no t regulate db y th e Clea nAi r Act , i nmakin g th e BAC T determination , bu t foun dtha t n o suc hpollutant s woul db e emitte di

namount s sufficien t t o caus e concern. "
Whe nan y toxi c pollutant s o f concer nhav e beenidentified , i t i s appropriat e tha t th e publi c b e informe do f 'the

m mor e directly . A

variet y o f approache s i s acceptable . Publi c notic e requirement s woul db e me t i f al l thes e pollutant s ar e mentione dindividually , b y name , o r addresse db y referrin g t o the m b y group s (e.g. , "toxi c metals") . I t migh t b e reasonabl e t o not e th e mai n representativ e pollutant s (e.g. , "th e Stat e ha s examine dothe r pollutant s o f potentia l concern , includin g compound s A , B andC") . Inshort , th e permittin g authorit y

ca nprovid e adequat e notic e insevera l ways , includin g th e name s o f th e pollutant s a t issu e an da nindicatio ntha t th e compound s ar e toxic . Th e notic e ca nb e quit e brie f o nthi s subjec t (1- 2 sentences) , deferrin g an y detaile danalyse s an ddiscussio nt o th e technica l suppor t document . EP A Oversigh t
Th e EP A Regiona l Office s ar e no w supportin g Stat e an dloca l implementatio n o f PS D review

i nvirtuall y

al l case s andar e charge dwit htakin g enforcemen t action , a s necessary , t o ensur e prope r implementatio no f th e Septembe r 22 , 198 7 policy . Actio ni s contemplate donl y wher e basi c procedura l step s ar e missed , suc ha s appropriat e publi c notice , o r inclusio no f discussio no f relevan t contro l alternative s inth e technica l suppor t document , o r wher e th e substantiv e technica l analysi s i s clearl y inconsisten t wit hgenera l practice . Priorit y shoul db e give nt o thos e case s i nwhic hther e i s a practica l impac t t o an y followup—fo r example , mor e effectiv e an daffordabl e control s wer e no t considered . Th e OAQP S i s takin g step s t o facilitat e continuin g effectiv e implementatio n o f thi s policy . On e ste ptowar dthi s goa l i s th e recen t additio no f thi s polic y inreview s o f PS D permit s unde r th e Nationa l Ai r Audi t System . Than k yo ufo r you r progres s incarryin g ou t thi s significan t regulator y requirement . I f yo unee dfurthe r assistance , pleas e contac t Michae l Trutn a at FT S 629-534 5 o r Kir t Co xa t FT S 629-5399 . Addressees : Director , Ai r Managemen t Division , Region s I , III , andI X Director , Ai r andWast e Managemen t Division , Regio nI I Director , Air , Pesticides , an dToxic s Managemen t Division , Regio nI V Director , Ai r an dRadiatio nDivision , Regio nV Director , Air , Pesticides , andToxic s Division , Regio nV I Director , Ai r andToxic s Division , Region s VII , VIII , andX

cc : Ai r Branc hChief s Ne w Sourc e Review

Contact s Ai r Toxic s Coordinator s OAQP S Diviso nDirector s G . Emiso n J . O'Conno r E . Lilli s G . McCutche n M . Trutn a K . Co x