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# OAR Box 1781 Prepped by Ollie Stewart



### Document

Number: 

# 55 ) ll-K-1 2 Docket Number: 

# A-90-3 7

Printed 10/29/200810:46:20AM Sheet 55of 142P. 2

BEFOR E TH E ADMINISTRATOR U.S . ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONAGENCY, ' % WASHINGTON , D.C .

I nth e Matte r of : St . Lawrenc e Count ySoli d Wast e Disposa l Authorit yApplican t DE C Nos . 60-87-0660 , 0661 , 088 9 PS D Appea l No . 90- 9 

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NOTIC E O F DECISIONT O REVIE WPERMI T O nJun e 25 , 1990 , th e Ne wYor k Stat e Departmen t o f Environ

menta l Conservatio n ("DEC" ) issue d a Preventio no f Significan t Deterioratio n("PSD" ) permi t that , upo nbecoming effective , woul d authoriz e th e St . Lawrenc e Count ySoli d Wast e Disposa l Authorit y ("St . Lawrenc e County" ) t o construc t a resourc e recoveryfacilit y i nOgdensburg , Ne wYork . DE C mad e it s determinatio npursuan t t o a delegatio no f authorit yfromth e U.S . Environmenta l Protectio n Agenc y("EPA") , Regio nII , Ne wYork , Ne wYork . Becaus e o f th e delegation , DEC' S authorit yt o issu e PS D permit s i s subjec t t o th e revie wprovision s o f 4 0 CFR §124.1 9 (1989) , ^and an ypermi t i- t issue s wil l b e a n EPAissue d permi t fo r th e purpose s o f federa l law . 4 0 CF R §124.41 ; 4 5 Fed . Reg . 3341 3 (Ma y19 , 1980) . Th e fina l permi t issue d b yDE C t o St . Lawrenc e Count yset s les s stringen t emissio nlevel s fo r NO x , S0 2 , an d C O tha n th e emissio nlevel s prescribe d fo r thes e pollutant s las t Decembe r i n

yAl l reference s t o th e Cod e o f Federa l Regulation s ("CFR" ) ar e t o th e 198 9 editio n unles s otherwis e noted .P. 3

2 EPA' s propose d Ne wSourc e Performanc e Standard s ("NSPS" ) fo r municipa l wast e combustors . Se e 5 4 Fed . Reg . 5229 7 (Decembe r 20 , 1989 ) (proposing th e additio no f a ne wSubpar t E a t o 4 0 CF RPar t 60) . I f thes e propose d NSP S becom e final , the ywil l b e applicabl e t o ne wsource s (sucha s th e St . Lawrenc e Count y resourc e recoveryfacility ) tha t commenc e constructio nafte r Decembe r 20 , 1989 , i.e. , th e dat e o f publicatio no f th e proposa l i nth e Federa l Register . Se e 4 0 CF R§60.1 . O f mor e immediat e concern , however , i s th e fac t tha t EPApropose d th e NSP S afte r determinin g preliminaril ytha t th e emissio nlimitation s i nth e proposa l ar e currentl yachievabl e b ymunicipa l wast e combustor s wit hexisting, ' availabl e technology . 2 / Tha t determinatio nmean s thes e limitation s ar e presumptivel yachievabl e usin g currentl y

, a . - i . availabl e contro l technologies . Consequently , thes e limitation s shoul d serv e a s th e starting poin t (unles s mor e efficien t emission s contro l technologie s ar e identified ) fo r makin g determination s o f "bes t availabl e contro l technology " (BACT ) fo r municipa l wast e combustor s unde r th e PS D provision s o f th e Clean Ai r Act , 4 2 U.S.C . §747 0 e t seq . Sectio n169(3 ) o f th e Clea nAi r Ac t define s BACT , i nrelevan t part , a s a n"emissio nlimitatio n reflectin g th e maximumdegre e o f reduction " tha t th e permittin g authorit ydetermine s i s "achievable " fo r th e facilit yafte r

2 7 Th e Agenc yi s als o awar e o f tw o propose d municipa l wast e com bustor s - (MontgomeryCount yResourc e RecoveryFacilit yand th e Glendo nResourc e RecoveryFacility , bot hi n EP ARegio n III ) tha t hav e include d emissio n limitation s i nthei r BAC T determination s tha t mee t th e propose d limitation s i nth e NSP S .P. 4

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"taking int o accoun t energy , environmental , an d economi c impact

an d othe r costs. " 4 2 U.S.C . §7479(3) . Base d o nth e informatio navailabl e t o me , i t appear s tha t DE C di d no t giv e appropriat e o r adequat e consideratio nt o th e determination s mad e i nth e propose d NSPS . Tha t informatio n wa s clearl yavailabl e t o DE C i nmaking th e BAC T determinatio nfo r thi s facility : DE C gav e notic e o f it s fina l permi t determinatio n fo r th e facilit yo nJun e 25 , 1990 , mor e tha nsi xmonth s afte r th e NSP S wer e publishe d i nth e Federa l Register . Thus , i t ha d sufficien t tim e t o asses s th e significanc e o f th e NSP S i n relatio nt o th e facility' s BAC T determination . I ngeneral , BAC T

. determination s shoul d b e mad e contemporaneousl ywit hth e issuanc e o f th e fina l permi t determination . ^ Accordingly , I conclud e tha t DEC' S permi t determinatio ni s clearl yerroneou s and shoul d b e reviewe d pursuan t t o 4 0 CFR§124.19(b) . See , e.g. . Virgini a Powe r (Chesterfiel d Generating Station) , PS D Appea l No . 88- 2 (Notic e o f Decisio nt o Revie wPermit , Feb . 1 , 1988 ) (reviewunde r §124.19(b ) i s availabl e unde r th e same circumstance s a s §124.19(a) , namely , whe nth e permi t determinatio nappear s t o b e

5 7 Th e clos e o f th e publi c commen t perio d i s a nappropriat e benchmar k fo r closing th e administrativ e record t o receip t o f new information . Se e Pennsauke nCount yResourc e RecoveryFacility , PS D Appea l No . 88-8 , pag e 7 , n . 1 1 (Reman d Order , Nov . 10 , 1988 ) . I n.case s o f unusua l delay , however , th e recor d ma yhav e t o b e reopene d following th e clos e o f th e publi c commen t period . Id . Thi s i s suc ha case . Th e publi c commen t perio d close d i n Marc h198 9 bu t th e fina l determinatio no nth e matter s a t issu e wa s no t mad e unti l issuanc e o f th e fina l permi t i nJun e 1990 . Th e NSP S fo r municipa l wast e combustor s wer e issue d durin g th e intervening period .P. 5

aft 4 clearl yerroneou s o r involve s a nexercis e o f discretio no r policy tha t i s important) . I intend t o establis ha briefing schedul e i nth e nea r futur e and t o identif ymor e specificall yth e issue s tha t DE C and th e permi t applican t shoul d address . Whe nthi s i s done , DE C shal l b e responsibl e fo r givin g publi c notic e o f today' s decisio na s directe d b

y4 0 CF R§124.10 . Unti l revie wi s complete , th e perai t applican t i s withou t a neffectiv e permi t an d constructio ncanno t lawfull ycommence . S o ordered .

Dated : 

## JU L27199 0'wlllia MK 

## : ^ ^ Administrato rP. 6 •4. ' CERTIFICAT E O F 8ERVTCB I hereb ycertif ytha t copie s o f th e foregoing Notic e o f Decisio nt o Revie wPermit , i nth e matte r o f St . Lawrenc e County Resourc e RecoveryFacility , PS D Appea l No . 90-9 , wer e sen t t o the following person s i nth e manne r indicated : B y1s t clas s mail , postag e prepaid : Pau l O'Conno r St . Lawrenc e Count ySoli d Wast e Disposa l Authorit y 12 7 Wate r Stree t Ogdenburg , NY1366 9 Thoma s C . Jorling , Commissione r Ne wYor k Stat e Departmen t o f Environmenta l Conservatio n 5 0 Wol f Roa d Albany , NY1223 3 C . Rand yVaa s Regiona l Permi t Administrato r Regio n6 Divisio no f RegulatoryAffair s Ne wYor k Stat e Departmen t o f Environmenta l Conservatio n 31 7 Washingto nStree t Watertown , N

Y- 1360 1 Constantin e Sidamon-Eristof f Regiona l Administrato r U.S. . EPA , Regio nI I Jaco bK . Javit z Federa l BIdg . 2 6 Federa l Plaz a Ne wYork , N

Y1027 8



### Dated : JU L2 7 1 Wf l Brenda H . Selden,(JSecretar y t o th e Chie f Judicia l Office r