Any new facility that comes in must be offset by some other facility that is going out of business or reducing its emissions beyond the requirements. The facility will be required to provide offsets for certain pollutants at a 1.15 to 1 ratio to ensure that there are more reductions than there are increases. Once public comment is incorporated, final DOC will be issued, a document that the CEC needs in order to issue certification. Mr. Mark Harrar, project manager for the Potrero Power Plant application to the CEC will invite the project's air consultant, Mark Strehlow to the next meeting. Mr. DeAndrade suggested that three members of the Task Force meet with Richard Lee to pursue air quality issues.
Legal authority comes from both federal Clean Water Act and state water quality laws.
When they issue a permit it is a federal permit and state permitting simultaneously. Enforcement is done under state law. The Board consists of nine political appointees, nominated by the governor and confirmed by the state senate. Re Potrero Plant, Board is regulating the cooling water that goes through the plant. It is currently running at 157,000 gallons per minute.