80 FR 52752 - Clean Air Act Operating Permit Program; Petition To Object to the Title V Permit for Schiller Station; New Hampshire

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 169 (September 1, 2015)

Pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator signed an Order, dated July 28, 2015, partially granting and partially denying a petition to object to a state operating permit issued by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). The Order responds to a July 24, 2014 petition, relating to Public Service of New Hampshire's Schiller Station, a fossil fuel-fired power plant located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The petition was submitted by the Sierra Club. This Order constitutes final action on the petition requesting that the Administrator object to the issuance of the proposed CAA title V permit.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 52752]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21632]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[A-1-FRL-9933-37-Region 1]


Clean Air Act Operating Permit Program; Petition To Object to the 
Title V Permit for Schiller Station; New Hampshire

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of final action.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator signed an Order, dated July 28, 
2015, partially granting and partially denying a petition to object to 
a state operating permit issued by the New Hampshire Department of 
Environmental Services (NHDES). The Order responds to a July 24, 2014 
petition, relating to Public Service of New Hampshire's Schiller 
Station, a fossil fuel-fired power plant located in Portsmouth, New 
Hampshire. The petition was submitted by the Sierra Club. This Order 
constitutes final action on the petition requesting that the 
Administrator object to the issuance of the proposed CAA title V 
permit.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the final Order, the petition, and all pertinent 
information relating thereto are on file at the EPA Region 1's Boston 
office, John W. McCormack Post Office and Courthouse Building, 5 Post 
Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts. The EPA requests that if at all 
possible, you contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section to view copies of the final Order, 
petition, and other supporting information. You may view the hard 
copies Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding 
Federal holidays. If you wish to examine these documents, you should 
make an appointment at least 24 hours before the visiting day. The 
final Order is also available electronically at the following Web site: 
http://www.epa.gov/region07/air/title5/petitiondb/petitiondb.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Bird, Air Permits, Toxics and 
Indoor Programs Unit, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Region 1, 
(617) 918-1287, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CAA affords the EPA a 45-day period to 
review and object to, as appropriate, operating permits proposed by 
state permitting authorities. Section 505(b)(2) of the CAA authorizes 
any person to petition the EPA Administrator within 60 days after the 
expiration of this review period to object to a state operating permit 
if the EPA has not done so. Petitions must be based only on objections 
raised with reasonable specificity during the public comment period, 
unless the petitioner demonstrates that it was impracticable to raise 
these issues during the comment period or that the grounds for 
objection or other issues arose after the comment period. In the 
Schiller Station petition (numbered VI-2014-04), the Petitioner sought 
EPA objection on the following issues: (Claim A1) the SO2 
emission limits in the proposed permit fail to ensure that Schiller 
Station does not cause exceedences of the 2010 1-hour SO2 
National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) in New Hampshire; (Claim 
A2) the SO2 emission limits in the proposed permit are 
insufficient to protect air quality with respect to the 2010 1-hour 
SO2 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) in Maine; 
(Claim B) the proposed permit fails to include emission limits for 
particulate matter (PM) less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter; (Claim 
C) the proposed permit fails to require continuous emissions monitoring 
to assure adequate monitoring of PM emissions. NHDES issued the final 
Schiller Station operating permit (permit no. TV-0053) on June 6, 2014. 
The Order explains the reasons behind the EPA's decision to partially 
grant and partially deny the petition for objection. Pursuant to 
section 505(b)(2) of the CAA, the Petitioner may seek judicial review 
of those portions of the Schiller Station petition which the EPA denied 
in the United States Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit. Any 
petition for review shall be filed within 60 days of this notice in 
accordance with the requirements of section 307 of the CAA.

    Dated: August 19, 2015.
Debra A. Szaro,
Acting Regional Administrator, EPA Region 1.
[FR Doc. 2015-21632 Filed 8-31-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P