* * * PUBLIC NOTICE * * *

OF A PROPOSED MODIFICATION TO THE 

PREVENTION OF SIGNIFICANT DETERIORATION PERMIT 

WHICH REGULATES THE EMISSION OF AIR POLLUTANTS FOR 

STOCKTON COGEN COMPANY

PERMIT NO. SJ 85-04

The Region 9 Office of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requests public 

comment on a Proposed Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Permit. The proposed permit 

would grant conditional approval, in accordance with the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) 

regulations (40 CFR 52.21), to the Stockton CoGen Company (Stockton CoGen), located in Stockton, 

California. Stockton CoGen operates two boilers at its cogeneration plant. The main boiler is a 730 

MMBtu/hour circulating fluidized bed boiler that combusts coal, and the second is a 178 MMBtu/hour 

auxiliary boiler that combusts natural gas.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency originally issued a Prevention of Significant Deterioration 

(PSD) permit to Stockton CoGen in 1985 to operate the cogeneration plant. Stockton CoGen has 

requested revisions to its PSD permit to allow for (1) removal of the annual firing rate limitation for the 

auxiliary boiler; (2) removal of the 90-day operating exemption for the auxiliary boiler; (3) elimination of 

the simultaneous operation provision for the circulating fluidized bed boiler and auxiliary boiler (except 

during startup, shutdown, and emissions testing); (4) elimination of fuel #2 as an optional fuel for the 

auxiliary boiler; and (5) revision of the auxiliary boiler NOx limit to 7 parts per million parts by volume 

at 3% oxygen or 0.0085 lb NOx/MMBtu to be consistent with SJVAPCD Rule 4320. The existing 

auxiliary boiler NOx limit is 9 ppm at 3% oxygen or 0.011 lb NOx/MMBtu.

The emissions of air pollutants from the project are regulated and limited by the San Joaquin Valley Air 

Pollution Control District (District). As proposed to be revised, air pollution emissions from Stockton 

CoGen would not cause or contribute to violations of any of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards 

(NAAQS).

All comments on the proposed permit must be received by email or postmarked by August 4, 2011. An 

extension of this comment period may be granted if a request for an extension adequately demonstrates 

that more time is required to give commenters a reasonable opportunity to prepare comments. Comments 

must be sent or delivered in writing to Manny Aquitania at the postal or email address shown below. 

All information submitted by the applicant is available as part of the administrative record. The proposed 

air permit, statement of basis and ambient air quality impact report, permit application and other 

supporting information are available on the EPA Region 9 website at 

http://www.epa.gov/region9/air/permit/r9-permits-issued.html. The administrative record may also be 

viewed in person, Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, at the EPA Region 9 address 

below. Due to building security procedures, please call to arrange a visit 24 hours in advance. Hard copies 

of the administrative record can be mailed to individuals upon request in accordance with Freedom of 

Information Act requirements. 

Any written comments must be received (if sent by e-mail) or postmarked (if sent by U.S. mail) on or 

before August 4, 2011 at the following addresses:

E-mail: R9airpermits@epa.gov
U.S. Mail: Manny Aquitania (AIR-3)

U.S. EPA Region 9

75 Hawthorne Street

San Francisco, CA 94105-3901

Phone: (415) 972-3977

All comments that are received will be included in the public docket without change and will be available 

to the public, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes Confidential 

Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Information 

that you consider CBI or otherwise protected should be clearly identified as such and should not be 

submitted through e-mail. If you send e-mail directly to the EPA, your e-mail address will be 

automatically captured and included as part of the public comment. Please note that an e-mail or postal 

address must be provided with your comments if you wish to receive direct notification of EPA’s final 

decision regarding the permit and responses to comments submitted during the public comment period.

EPA will consider all written comments submitted during the public comment period before taking final 

action on the PSD permit and will send notice of the final decision to each person who submitted 

comments and contact information during the public comment period or requested notice of the final 

permit decision. EPA will respond to all substantive comments in a document accompanying the final 

permit. 

The final decision will become effective 30 days from the date of issuance unless:

1. A later effective date is specified in the decision; or

2. The decision is appealed to the Environmental Appeals Board pursuant to 40 CFR 124.19 (any 

person who submits written comments on the proposed permit or who participates in the Public 

Hearing may petition the Environmental Appeals Board to review any part of the permit decision 

within 30 days after the decision has been issued. Any person who failed to file comments and 

failed to participate in the public hearing on the proposed permit may petition for review by the 

Environmental Appeals Board only those parts of the final permit decision which are different 

than the proposed permit); or

3. There are no comments requesting a change to the proposed permit, in which case the final 

decision shall become effective immediately upon issuance.

If the proposed permit becomes final, and there is no appeal, construction of the project may commence, 

subject to the conditions of the permit and other applicable permit and legal requirements.

If you have questions, please contact Manny Aquitania at (415) 972-3977 or email at 

R9airpermits@epa.gov. If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive future information 

about this permit or other PSD permits issued by EPA Region 9, please contact Manny Aquitania at (415) 

972-3977 or email at R9airpermits@epa.gov, or visit EPA Region 9's website at 

http://www.epa.gov/region09/air/permit/psd-public-guidelines.html.