Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Michigan; Regional Haze State Implementation Plan; Federal Implementation Plan for Regional Haze, 46911-46928 [2012-19039]
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Vol. 77
Monday,
No. 151
August 6, 2012
Part III
Environmental Protection Agency
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40 CFR Part 52
Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Michigan;
Regional Haze State Implementation Plan; Federal Implementation Plan for
Regional Haze; Proposed Rule
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 151 / Monday, August 6, 2012 / Proposed Rules
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R05–OAR–2010–0954; FRL–9709–1]
Approval and Promulgation of Air
Quality Implementation Plans;
Michigan; Regional Haze State
Implementation Plan; Federal
Implementation Plan for Regional Haze
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
EPA is proposing a limited
approval and a limited disapproval of a
revision to the Michigan State
Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by
the State of Michigan on November 5,
2010, that addresses regional haze for
the first implementation period ending
in 2018. EPA is proposing limited
approval of this submittal for meeting
requirements of the regional haze
program relating to setting reasonable
progress goals, providing reductions for
meeting those goals, and for mandating
best available retrofit technology
(BART) for most sources in the State.
EPA is proposing limited disapproval of
the State’s submittal for failing to satisfy
BART for two sources. EPA is proposing
a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP)
including nitrogen oxide (NOX)
emission limits on these two sources to
satisfy these requirements.
EPA has already published a separate
action in relation to Michigan’s plan to
address BART for electric generating
units. In a June 7, 2012, action, EPA
published a limited disapproval of the
regional haze plans for Michigan and
other states due to their reliance on the
Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), but
EPA also promulgated a FIP relying on
EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule
(CSAPR) to address these requirements.
EPA is also taking separate action on
BART requirements for one source, a
taconite plant owned by Tilden Mining,
in conjunction with action on several
taconite plants in Minnesota. These
three actions combined represent
complete action on Michigan’s regional
haze plan for the first implementation
period.
SUMMARY:
Comments must be received on
or before September 5, 2012. Upon
request, a public hearing for this
proposal will be held on September 19,
2012, at the Traverse Area District
Library at 610 Woodmere Avenue,
Traverse City, Michigan. Requests for a
public hearing must be submitted by
September 5, 2012 and shall be
submitted to Pamela Blakley at blakley.
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DATES:
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pamela@epa.gov or by any of the other
means for submitting comments given
in the addressee section below. The
public hearing, if requested, will be held
from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. or until all
parties present have had the
opportunity to speak. EPA shall
maintain a Web site at https://www.epa.
gov/region5/mihaze/ at
which EPA will report whether a
hearing has been requested and will be
held. Interested parties may also call
Charles Hatten, at 312–886–6031, to
inquire whether a hearing will be held.
The public hearing will provide
interested parties the opportunity to
present information and opinions to
EPA concerning our proposal. Interested
parties may also submit written
comments, as discussed in the proposal.
Written statements and supporting
information submitted during the
comment period will be considered
with the same weight as oral comments
and supporting information presented at
the public hearing. We will not respond
to comments during the public hearing.
When we publish our final action, we
will provide written responses to all
oral and written comments received on
our proposal.
At the public hearing, the hearing
officer may limit the time available for
each commenter to address the proposal
to 5 minutes or less if the hearing officer
determines it to be appropriate. We will
not be providing equipment for
commenters to show overhead slides or
make computerized slide presentations.
Any person may provide written or oral
comments and data pertaining to our
proposal at the Public Hearing.
Verbatim transcripts, in English, of the
hearing and written statements will be
included in the rulemaking docket.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R05–
OAR–2010–0954, by one of the
following methods:
1. www.regulations.gov: Follow the
on-line instructions for submitting
comments.
2. Email: blakley.pamela@epa.gov.
3. Fax: (312) 692–2450.
4. Mail: Pamela Blakley, Chief,
Control Strategies Section, Air Programs
Branch (AR–18J), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 77 West Jackson
Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604.
5. Hand Delivery: Pamela Blakley,
Chief, Control Strategies Section, Air
Programs Branch (AR–18J), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 77
West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago,
Illinois 60604. Such deliveries are only
accepted during the Regional Office
normal hours of operation, and special
arrangements should be made for
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deliveries of boxed information. The
Regional Office official hours of
business are Monday through Friday,
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding
Federal holidays.
Instructions: Direct your comments to
Docket ID No. EPA–R05–OAR–2010–
0954. EPA’s policy is that all comments
received will be included in the public
docket without change and may be
made available online at www.
regulations.gov, including any personal
information provided, unless the
comment includes information claimed
to be Confidential Business Information
(CBI) or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do
not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise
protected through www.regulations.gov
or email. The www.regulations.gov Web
site is an ‘‘anonymous access’’ system,
which means EPA will not know your
identity or contact information unless
you provide it in the body of your
comment. If you send an email
comment directly to EPA without going
through www.regulations.gov your email
address will be automatically captured
and included as part of the comment
that is placed in the public docket and
made available on the Internet. If you
submit an electronic comment, EPA
recommends that you include your
name and other contact information in
the body of your comment and with any
disk or CD–ROM you submit. If EPA
cannot read your comment due to
technical difficulties and cannot contact
you for clarification, EPA may not be
able to consider your comment.
Electronic files should avoid the use of
special characters, any form of
encryption, and be free of any defects or
viruses. For additional instructions on
submitting comments, go to Section I of
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
of this document.
Docket: All documents in the docket
are listed in the www.regulations.gov
index. Although listed in the index,
some information is not publicly
available, e.g., CBI or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Certain other material, such as
copyrighted material, will be publicly
available only in hard copy. Publicly
available docket materials are available
either electronically in www.regulations.
gov or in hard copy at the
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 5, Air and Radiation Division, 77
West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago,
Illinois 60604. This facility is open from
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding Federal holidays. We
recommend that you telephone Charles
Hatten at (312) 886–6031 before visiting
the Region 5 office.
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 151 / Monday, August 6, 2012 / Proposed Rules
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Charles Hatten, Environmental
Engineer, Control Strategies Section, at
312–886–6031, hatten.charles@epa.gov,
regarding all elements of the action, or
John Summerhays, Environmental
Scientist, Attainment Planning and
Maintenance Section, at 312–886–6067,
summerhays.john@epa.gov, regarding
issues relating to BART. Both contacts
may be reached by mail at Air Programs
Branch (AR–18J), Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West
Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois
60604.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
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I. What should I consider as I prepare my
comments for EPA?
II. What is the background for EPA’s
proposed action?
A. The Regional Haze Problem
B. Regional Haze Requirements
C. Roles of Agencies in Addressing
Regional Haze
III. What are the requirements for regional
haze SIPs?
A. Determination of Baseline, Natural, and
Current Visibilty Conditions
B. Determination of Reasonable Progress
Goals
C. BART
D. Long Term Strategy
E. Coordinating Regional Haze and RAVI
F. Monitoring Strategy and Other
Implementation Plan Requirements
G. Consultation With States and Federal
Land Managers
IV. What is EPA’s analysis of Michigan’s
regional haze plan?
A. Class I Areas
B. Baseline, Current, and Natural
Conditions
C. Reasonable Progress Goals
D. BART
E. Long Term Strategy
F. Monitoring Strategy
G. Comments
V. What are EPA’s proposed BART
determinations?
A. Saint Mary’s Cement
B. NewPage Paper
VI. What actions is EPA proposing?
VII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. What should I consider as I prepare
my comments for EPA?
When submitting comments,
remember to:
1. Identify the rulemaking by docket
number and other identifying
information (subject heading, Federal
Register date and page number).
2. Follow directions—EPA may ask
you to respond to specific questions or
organize comments by referencing a
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part
or section number.
3. Explain why you agree or disagree;
suggest alternatives and substitute
language for your requested changes.
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4. Describe any assumptions and
provide any technical information and/
or data that you used.
5. If you estimate potential costs or
burdens, explain how you arrived at
your estimate in sufficient detail to
allow for it to be reproduced.
6. Provide specific examples to
illustrate your concerns, and suggest
alternatives.
7. Explain your views as clearly as
possible, avoiding the use of profanity
or personal threats.
8. Make sure to submit your
comments by the comment period
deadline identified.
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United States is 100–150 kilometers.
That is about one-half to two-thirds of
the visual range that would exist
without anthropogenic air pollution. In
the eastern and midwestern Class I areas
of the United States, the average visual
range is generally less than 30
kilometers, or about one-fifth of the
visual range that would exist under
estimated natural conditions. See 64 FR
35715 (July 1, 1999).
B. Regional Haze Requirements
In section 169A of the Clean Air Act
as amended in 1977, Congress created a
program for protecting visibility in the
II. What is the background for EPA’s
nation’s national parks and wilderness
proposed action?
areas. This section of the Clean Air Act
establishes as a national goal the
A. The Regional Haze Problem
‘‘prevention of any future, and the
Regional haze is visibility impairment remedying of any existing, impairment
that is produced by a multitude of
of visibility in mandatory Class I
sources and activities which are located Federal areas which impairment results
across a broad geographic area and that
from manmade air pollution.’’ On
emit fine particles (PM2.5) (e.g., sulfates, December 2, 1980, EPA promulgated
nitrates, organic particles, elemental
regulations to address visibility
carbon, and soil dust) and their
impairment in Class I areas that is
precursors—sulfur dioxide (SO2), NOX,
‘‘reasonably attributable’’ to a single
and in some cases ammonia (NH3) and
source or small group of sources known
volatile organic compound (VOCs).
as, ‘‘reasonably attributable visibility
PM2.5 precursors react in the atmosphere
impairment’’ (RAVI). 45 FR 80084.
to form fine particulate matter. Aerosol
These regulations, codified at 40 CFR
PM2.5 impairs visibility by scattering
part 50, subpart P, represented the first
and absorbing light. Visibility
phase in addressing visibility
impairment reduces clarity and the
impairment. EPA deferred action on
distance one can see. PM2.5 can also
regional haze that emanates from a
cause serious health effects and
variety of sources until monitoring,
mortality in humans and contributes to
modeling, and scientific knowledge
environmental effects such as acid
about the relationships between
deposition and eutrophication.
pollutants and visibility impairment
Data from the existing visibility
were improved.
monitoring network, the ‘‘Interagency
Congress added section 169B to the
Monitoring of Protected Visual
Clean Air Act in 1990 to address
Environments’’ (IMPROVE) monitoring
regional haze issues, and EPA
network, show that visibility
impairment caused by air pollution
promulgated the regional haze rule on
occurs virtually all the time at most
July 1, 1999 (64 FR 35713). The regional
national park and wilderness areas. The haze rule, which amended 40 CFR part
average visual range, the distance at
50, subpart P, integrated provisions
which an object is barely discernable, in addressing regional haze impairment
many Class I areas 1 in the western
into the existing visibility regulations
and established a comprehensive
1 Areas designated as mandatory Class I Federal
visibility protection program for Class I
areas consist of national parks exceeding 6000
areas. The regional haze requirements,
acres, wilderness areas and national memorial parks
found at 40 CFR 51.308 and 51.309, are
exceeding 5000 acres, and all international parks
that were in existence on August 7, 1977. 42 U.S.C.
a part of EPA’s subpart P visibility
7472(a). In accordance with section 169A of the
protection regulations at 40 CFR
Clean Air Act, EPA, in consultation with the
51.300–309. Some of the main elements
Department of Interior, promulgated a list of 156
of the regional haze requirements are
areas where visibility is identified as an important
value. 44 FR 69122 (November 30, 1979). The
summarized in section III of this
extent of a mandatory Class I area includes
preamble. The requirement to submit a
subsequent changes in boundaries, such as park
regional haze plan applies to all 50
expansions. 42 U.S.C. 7472(a). Although states and
states, the District of Columbia, and the
tribes may designate as Class I additional areas
which they consider to have visibility as an
Virgin Islands. The first regional haze
important value, the requirements of the visibility
plans were due December 17, 2007.
program set forth in section 169A of the Clean Air
Act apply only to ‘‘mandatory Class I Federal
areas.’’ Each mandatory Class I Federal area is the
responsibility of a Federal Land Manager. 42 U.S.C.
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7602(i). The term ‘‘Class I area’’ means a
‘‘mandatory Class I Federal area.’’
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C. Roles of Agencies in Addressing
Regional Haze
Successful implementation of the
regional haze program will require long
term regional coordination among
states, tribal governments, and various
Federal agencies. Pollution affecting the
air quality in Class I areas can be
transported over long distances, even
hundreds of kilometers. Therefore,
effectively addressing the problem of
visibility impairment in Class I areas
means that states need to develop
coordinated strategies that take into
account the effect of emissions from one
jurisdiction on the air quality in
another.
EPA has encouraged the states and
tribes to address visibility impairment
from a regional perspective because the
pollutants that lead to regional haze can
originate from sources located across
broad geographic areas. Five regional
planning organizations (RPOs) were
developed to address regional haze and
related issues. The RPOs first evaluated
technical information to better
understand how their states and tribes
impact Class I areas across the country
and then pursued the development of
regional strategies to reduce emissions
of PM2.5 and other pollutants that lead
to regional haze.
The Midwest RPO (MRPO) is a
collaborative effort of state governments
and various federal agencies established
to initiate and coordinate activities
associated with the management of
regional haze, visibility and other air
quality issues in the Midwest. The
member states are Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
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III. What are the requirements for
regional haze SIPs?
Regional haze SIPs must assure
reasonable progress towards the
national goal of achieving natural
visibility conditions in Class I areas.
Section 169A of the Clean Air Act and
EPA’s implementing regulations require
states to establish long term strategies
for making reasonable progress toward
meeting this goal. States must also give
specific attention in their plans to
certain stationary sources that were in
existence on August 7, 1977, but were
not in operation before August 7, 1962,
and require those sources to install
BART for reducing visibility
impairment. The specific regional haze
SIP requirements are discussed in
further detail below.
A. Determination of Baseline, Natural,
and Current Visibility Conditions
The regional haze rule establishes the
deciview (dv) as the principal metric or
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unit for expressing visibility
impairment. The deciview is used in
expressing reasonable progress goals,
defining baseline, current, and natural
conditions, and tracking changes in
visibility. This visibility metric
expresses uniform proportional changes
in haziness in terms of common
increments across the entire range of
visibility conditions, from pristine to
extremely hazy. Visibility expressed in
deciviews is determined by using air
quality measurements to estimate light
extinction and then transforming the
value of light extinction using a
logarithm function. The deciview is a
more useful measure for tracking
progress in improving visibility than
light extinction itself because each
deciview change is an equal incremental
change in visibility perceived by the
human eye. Most people can detect a
change in visibility at one deciview. The
preamble to the regional haze rule
provides additional details about the
deciview. 64 FR 35714 (July 1, 1999).
To track changes in visibility over
time at each of the 156 Class I areas
covered by the visibility program (40
CFR 81.401–437) and as part of the
process for determining reasonable
progress, states must calculate the
degree of existing visibility impairment
at each Class I area at the time of each
regional haze SIP is submitted and at
the progress review every five years,
midway through each 10-year
implementation period. The regional
haze rule requires states with Class I
areas (Class I states) to determine the
degree of impairment in deciviews for
the average of the 20 percent least
impaired (best) and 20 percent most
impaired (worst) visibility days over a
specified time period at each of its Class
I areas. Each state must also develop an
estimate of natural visibility conditions
for the purpose of comparing progress
toward the national goal. Natural
visibility is determined by estimating
the natural concentrations of pollutants
that cause visibility impairment and
then calculating total light extinction
based on those estimates. EPA has
provided guidance to states regarding
how to calculate baseline, natural, and
current visibility conditions in
documents titled Guidance for
Estimating Natural Visibility Conditions
under the Regional Haze Rule,
September 2003, (EPA–454/B–03–005
located at https://www.epa.gov/ttncaaa1/
t1/memoranda/rh_envcurhr_gd.pdf)
(hereinafter referred to as ‘‘EPA’s 2003
Natural Visibility Guidance’’) and
Guidance for Tracking Progress Under
the Regional Haze Rule (EPA–454/B–
03–004 September 2003 located at
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https://www.epa.gov/ttncaaa1/t1/
memoranda/rh_tpurhr_gd.pdf))
(hereinafter referred to as ‘‘EPA’s 2003
Tracking Progress Guidance’’).
For the first regional haze plans, the
‘‘baseline visibility conditions’’ are the
starting points for assessing ‘‘current’’
visibility impairment. Baseline visibility
conditions represent the degree of
visibility impairment for the 20 percent
best days and 20 percent worst days for
each calendar year from 2000 to 2004.
Using monitoring data for 2000 through
2004, states are required to calculate the
average degree of visibility impairment
for each Class I area, based on the
average of annual values over the fiveyear period. The comparison of initial
baseline visibility conditions to natural
visibility conditions indicates the
amount of improvement necessary to
attain natural visibility, while
comparisons of subsequent conditions
against baseline conditions will indicate
the amount of progress made. In general,
the 2000 to 2004 baseline period is
considered the time from which
improvement in visibility is measured.
B. Determination of Reasonable Progress
Goals
The national goal of the regional haze
rule is a return to natural conditions
such that anthropogenic sources of air
pollution would no longer impair
visibility in Class I areas. The regional
haze plans must contain measures that
ensure ‘‘reasonable progress’’ toward the
national goal of preventing and
remedying visibility impairment in
Class I areas caused by anthropogenic
air pollution. The vehicle for ensuring
continuing progress towards achieving
the natural visibility goal is the
submission of a series of regional haze
plans that for each approximately 10year implementation period establish
two distinct reasonable progress goals:
one for the best days and one for the
worst days for every Class I area. The
regional haze rule does not mandate
specific milestones or rates of progress,
but instead calls for states to establish
goals that provide for ‘‘reasonable
progress’’ toward achieving natural
visibility conditions. In setting
reasonable progress goals, a state with a
mandatory Class I area (Class I state)
must provide for an improvement in
visibility for the worst days over the
approximately 10-year period of the SIP
and ensure no degradation in visibility
for the best days.
Class I states have significant
discretion in establishing reasonable
progress goals, but in establishing a
reasonable progress goal for any
mandatory Class I area are required to
consider the following factors
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established in section 169A of the Clean
Air Act and in EPA’s regional haze rule
at 40 CFR 51.308(d)(1)(i)(A): (1) The
costs of compliance; (2) the time
necessary for compliance; (3) the energy
and non-air quality environmental
impacts of compliance; and (4) the
remaining useful life of any potentially
affected sources. The Class I states must
demonstrate in their plans how they
considered these factors when selecting
the reasonable progress goals for the
best and worst days for each Class I
area. States have considerable flexibility
in how they take these factors into
consideration, as noted in EPA’s
Guidance for Setting Reasonable
Progress Goals under the Regional Haze
Program, (‘‘EPA’s Reasonable Progress
Guidance’’), July 1, 2007 memorandum
from William L. Wehrum, Acting
Assistant Administrator for Air and
Radiation, to EPA Regional
Administrators, Regions 1–10 (pp.4–2,
5–1). In setting the reasonable progress
goals, states must also consider the rate
of progress needed to reach natural
visibility conditions by 2064 (‘‘uniform
rate of progress’’ or ‘‘glide path’’) and
the emissions reduction needed to
achieve that rate of progress over the
approximately 10-year period of the
regional haze plan. In setting reasonable
progress goals, each Class I state must
also consult with potentially
contributing states, i.e. those states that
may affect visibility impairment at its
Class I state’s areas. 40 CFR
51.308(d)(1)(iv).
C. BART
Section 169A of the Clean Air Act
directs states to evaluate the use of
retrofit controls at certain types of major
stationary sources to address visibility
impacts from these sources.
Specifically, Clean Air Act section
169A(b)(2) and EPA’s implementing
regulations at 40 CFR 51.308(e) require
states to revise their SIPs to contain
such measures as may be necessary to
make reasonable progress towards the
natural visibility goal including a
requirement that certain categories of
existing major stationary sources built
between 1962 and 1977 procure, install,
and operate BART as determined by the
state. The set of ‘‘major stationary
sources’’ potentially subject to BART is
listed in Clean Air Act section
169A(g)(7).
On July 6, 2005, EPA published the
Guidelines for BART Determinations
Under the Regional Haze Rule at
Appendix Y to 40 CFR Part 51 (BART
Guidelines) to assist states in
determining which of their sources
should be subject to the BART
requirements and in determining
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appropriate emission limits for each
applicable source. Section IV(F)(1) of
the BART Guidelines provides that a
state must use the approach in the
BART Guidelines in making a BART
determination for a fossil fuel-fired
electric generating unit (EGU) with total
generating capacity in excess of 750
megawatts. States are encouraged, but
not required, to follow the BART
Guidelines in making BART
determinations for other sources.
States must address all visibilityimpairing pollutants emitted by a source
in the BART determination process. The
most significant visibility impairing
pollutants are SO2, NOx, and PM. EPA
has stated that states should use their
best judgment in determining whether
VOC or NH3 emissions impair visibility
in Class I areas.
States may select de minimis impact
levels under the BART Guidelines,
below which a BART-eligible source
may be considered to have a small
enough contribution to visibility
impairment in any Class I area to
warrant being exempted from the BART
requirement. The state must document
this exemption threshold value in the
SIP and must state the basis for its
selection of that value. The exemption
threshold set by the state should not be
higher than 0.5 dv. Any source with
emissions that model above the
threshold value would be subject to a
BART determination review. The BART
Guidelines acknowledge varying
circumstances affecting different Class I
areas. States should consider the
number of emission sources affecting
the Class I areas at issue and the
magnitude of each source’s impact.
The state must document its BART
control determination analyses. In
making BART determinations, section
169A(g)(2) of the Clean Air Act requires
the state to consider the following
factors: (1) The costs of compliance; (2)
the energy and non-air quality
environmental impacts of compliance;
(3) any existing pollution control
technology in use at the source; (4) the
remaining useful life of the source; and
(5) the degree of improvement in
visibility which may reasonably be
anticipated to result from the use of
such technology.
A regional haze SIP must include
source-specific BART emission limits
and compliance schedules for each
source subject to BART. The plan must
require that BART controls be installed
and placed in operation as
expeditiously as practicable, but no later
than five years after the date of EPA
approval of the state’s regional haze SIP.
Clean Air Act section 169A(g)(4); 40
CFR 51.308(e)(1)(iv). In addition to what
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is required by the regional haze rule,
general SIP requirements mandate that
the SIP must also include all regulatory
requirements related to monitoring,
recordkeeping, and reporting for the
BART controls on the source.
The regional haze rule also allows
states to implement an alternative
program in lieu of BART if a state can
demonstrate that the alternative
program will achieve greater progress
toward the national visibility goal than
implementing BART controls. EPA
made such a demonstration for CAIR in
regulations issued in 2005 which
revised the regional haze program. 70
FR 39104 (July 6, 2005). EPA’s
regulations provided that states
participating in the CAIR trading
program under 40 CFR part 96 pursuant
to an EPA-approved CAIR SIP or which
remain subject to the CAIR FIP in 40
CFR part 97 need not require affected
BART-eligible EGUs to install, operate,
and maintain BART for emissions of
SO2 and NOX. 40 CFR 51.308(e)(4).
CAIR is not applicable to emissions of
PM, so states were required to conduct
a BART analysis for PM emissions from
EGUs subject to BART for that pollutant.
However, in 2008, the United States
Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia Circuit held that CAIR was
inconsistent with the requirements of
the Clean Air Act and remanded the
rule to EPA. See North Carolina v. EPA,
550 F.3d 1176 (DC Cir. 2008). The Court
left CAIR in place until the Agency
replaced it. Id. EPA replaced CAIR with
CSAPR in August 2011.
On June 7, 2012, EPA found that the
trading programs in CSAPR would
achieve greater reasonable progress
towards the national goal than would be
obtained by implementing BART for
SO2 and NOX for BART-subject EGUs in
the area subject to the Transport Rule.
77 FR 33642. Based on this finding, EPA
revised the regional haze plans of
Michigan and other states to meet the
requirements of BART for SO2 and NOX
for EGUs by participation in the trading
programs under the Transport Rule.
D. Long Term Strategy
Consistent with the requirement in
section 169A(b) of the Clean Air Act
that states include in their regional haze
SIP a 10- to 15-year strategy for making
reasonable progress, 51.308(d)(3)
requires that states include a long term
strategy in their regional haze SIPs. The
long term strategy is the compilation of
all control measures a state will use
during the implementation period of the
specific SIP submission to meet
applicable reasonable progress goals.
The long term strategy must include
enforceable emissions limitations,
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compliance schedules, and other
measures as necessary to achieve the
reasonable progress goals for all Class I
areas within or affected by emissions
from the state. 40 CFR 51.308(d)(3).
The regional haze rule requires that,
when a state’s emissions are reasonably
anticipated to cause or contribute to
visibility impairment in a Class I area
located in another state, the impacted
state must coordinate with the
contributing states to develop
coordinated emissions management
strategies. 40 CFR 51.308(d)(3)(i). In
such cases, the contributing state must
demonstrate that it has included in its
SIP all measures necessary to obtain its
share of the emission reductions needed
to meet the reasonable progress goals for
the Class I area. The RPOs have
provided forums for significant
interstate consultation, but additional
consultations between states may be
required to address interstate visibility
issues sufficiently.
States should consider all types of
anthropogenic sources of visibility
impairment in developing their long
term strategies, including stationary,
minor, mobile, and area sources. At a
minimum, states must describe how
they have taken each of the seven
factors listed below into account in
developing their long term strategies.
The seven factors are: (1) Emission
reductions due to ongoing air pollution
control programs, including measures to
address RAVI; (2) measures to mitigate
the impacts of construction activities;
(3) emissions limitations and schedules
for compliance to achieve the
reasonable progress goal; (4) source
retirement and replacement schedules;
(5) smoke management techniques for
agricultural and forestry management
purposes including plans as currently
exist within the state for these purposes;
(6) enforceability of emissions
limitations and control measures; and
(7) the anticipated net effect on
visibility due to projected changes in
point, area, and mobile source
emissions over the period addressed by
the long term strategy. 40 CFR
51.308(d)(3)(v).
E. Coordinating Regional Haze and
RAVI
As part of the regional haze rule, EPA
revised 40 CFR 51.306(c), regarding the
long term strategy for RAVI, to require
that the RAVI plan must provide for a
periodic review and SIP revision not
less frequently than every three years
until the date of submission of the
state’s first plan addressing regional
haze visibility impairment in
accordance with 40 CFR 51.308(b) and
(c). The state must revise its plan to
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provide for review and revision of a
coordinated long term strategy for
addressing RAVI and regional haze on
or before this date. It must also submit
the first such coordinated long term
strategy with its first regional haze SIP.
Future coordinated long term strategies,
and periodic progress reports evaluating
progress towards reasonable progress
goals, must be submitted consistent
with the schedule for SIP submission
and periodic progress reports set forth
in 40 CFR 51.308(f) and 51.308(g),
respectively. The periodic review of a
state’s long term strategy must be
submitted to EPA as a SIP revision and
report on both regional haze and RAVI
impairment.
F. Monitoring Strategy and Other
Implementation Plan Requirements
The regional haze rule at 40 CFR
51.308(d)(4) includes the requirement
for a monitoring strategy for measuring,
characterizing, and reporting of regional
haze visibility impairment that is
representative of all mandatory Class I
Federal areas within the state. The
strategy must be coordinated with the
monitoring strategy required in 40 CFR
51.305 for RAVI. Compliance with this
requirement may be met through
participation in the IMPROVE network,
meaning that the state reviews and uses
monitoring data from the network. The
monitoring strategy must also provide
for additional monitoring sites if the
IMPROVE network is not sufficient to
determine whether reasonable progress
goals will be met. The monitoring
strategy is due with the first regional
haze SIP and it must be reviewed every
five years.
The SIP must also provide for the
following:
• Procedures for using monitoring
data and other information in a state
with mandatory Class I areas to
determine the contribution of emissions
from within the state to regional haze
visibility impairment at Class I areas
both within and outside the state;
• Procedures for using monitoring
data and other information in a state
with no mandatory Class I areas to
determine the contribution of emissions
from within that state to regional haze
visibility impairment at Class I areas in
other states;
• Reporting of all visibility
monitoring data to the Administrator at
least annually for each Class I area in
the state, and where possible in
electronic format;
• A statewide inventory of emissions
of pollutants that are reasonably
anticipated to cause or contribute to
visibility impairment in any Class I area.
The inventory must include emissions
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for a baseline year, emissions for the
most recent year with available data,
and future projected emissions. A state
must also make a commitment to update
the inventory periodically; and
• Other elements including reporting,
recordkeeping, and other measures
necessary to assess and report on
visibility.
The regional haze rule at 40 CFR
51.308(f) requires that states submit
control strategies to cover an initial
implementation period extending to the
year 2018, with a comprehensive
reassessment and revision addressing
the core requirements of section
51.308(d) (not including BART) every
10 years thereafter. The requirement to
evaluate sources for BART applies only
to the first regional haze SIP. Facilities
subject to BART must continue to
comply with the BART provisions of
section 51.308(e). Periodic SIP revisions
will assure that the statutory
requirement of reasonable progress will
continue to be met.
G. Consultation With States and Federal
Land Managers
The regional haze rule requires that
states consult with Federal Land
Managers (FLMs) before adopting and
submitting their SIPs. 40 CFR 51.308(i).
States must provide FLMs an
opportunity for consultation, in person
and at least 60 days prior to holding any
public hearing on the SIP. This
consultation must include the
opportunity for the FLMs to discuss
their assessment of impairment of
visibility in any Class I area and to offer
recommendations on the development
of the reasonable progress goals and on
the development and implementation of
strategies to address visibility
impairment. Further, a state must
include in its SIP a description of how
it addressed any comments provided by
the FLMs. Finally, a SIP must provide
procedures for continuing consultation
between the state and FLMs regarding
the state’s visibility protection program,
including development and review of
SIP revisions, five-year progress reports,
and the implementation of other
programs having the potential to
contribute to impairment of visibility in
Class I areas.
IV. What is EPA’s analysis of
Michigan’s regional haze plan?
Michigan submitted its regional haze
plan on November 5, 2010, which
included requested revisions to the
Michigan SIP to address regional haze.
A. Class I Areas
States are required to address regional
haze affecting Class I areas within a
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state and in Class I areas outside the
state that may be affected by that state’s
emissions. 40 CFR 51.308(d). Michigan
has two Class I areas, Isle Royal
National Park and the Seney Wilderness
Area, within the state. Michigan is
responsible for developing a regional
haze plan that addresses these Class I
areas and for consulting with states that
affect its areas as well as for addressing
its impact on Class I areas in other
states.
Michigan reviewed technical analyses
conducted by MRPO and other RPOs to
determine what Class I areas outside the
state are affected by Michigan emission
sources. MRPO conducted both a back
trajectory analysis and modeling to
determine the effects of its states’
emissions. Michigan also used
assessments by MANE–VU, the regional
planning organization for Northeastern
and Mid-Atlantic states. The conclusion
from these technical analyses is that
Michigan emissions affect five Class I
areas outside Michigan. These affected
Class I areas are: Acadia National Park
and Moosehorn Wilderness Area in
Maine; Great Gulf Wilderness Area in
New Hampshire; Brigantine Wilderness
Area in New Jersey; and the Lye Brook
Wilderness Area in Vermont. Michigan
has thereby satisfied the requirement to
identify the Class I areas it affects.
B. Baseline, Current, and Natural
Conditions
The regional haze rule requires Class
I states to determine the baseline,
current, and natural conditions for their
Class I areas. This information defines
the rate of visibility improvement that
would represent linear progress toward
elimination of anthropogenic visibility
impairment by 2064, also known as the
uniform rate of progress, and helps the
states define their reasonable progress
goals.
Natural background visibility is
estimated by calculating the expected
light extinction using estimates of
natural concentrations of pollutants
adjusted by an estimate of humidity.
EPA allows states to use either an
original IMPROVE algorithm or a
refined IMPROVE algorithm. Michigan
used the refined IMPROVE algorithm.
Data from 2000 to 2004 were used to
calculate the impairment on the 20
percent best and 20 percent worst
visibility days at Isle Royale National
Park and Seney Wilderness Area. The
goal of the regional haze program is to
achieve natural conditions by 2064.
Table 1 shows the baseline conditions
and natural conditions that Michigan
determined for both Isle Royale and
Seney for both the 20 percent most
impaired days and the 20 percent least
impaired days, as well as showing the
calculation of the visibility that would
be achieved by 2018 under the scenario
of achieving the targeted uniform rate of
progress.
TABLE 1—BASELINE, NATURAL, AND LINEAR PROGRESS VISIBILITY VALUES
20 percent most impaired visibility
Isle Royale
Baseline conditions ..................................................................................................................................................
Natural conditions ....................................................................................................................................................
Difference .................................................................................................................................................................
Annual difference with linear progress ....................................................................................................................
2018 value with linear progress ..............................................................................................................................
20 percent least impaired days
Baseline conditions ..................................................................................................................................................
Natural conditions ....................................................................................................................................................
Michigan does not expect degradation
of the visibility on 20 percent best days,
so no calculation is needed as the 2018
goals match the baseline. EPA’s
Reasonable Progress Guidance states
that the uniform rate of progress is not
a presumptive target for the reasonable
progress goal. Class I states can set the
reasonable progress goal at the uniform
rate of progress or it can set the
reasonable progress goal at greater or
lesser visibility impairment.
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C. Reasonable Progress Goals
Class I states must set reasonable
progress goals that achieve reasonable
progress toward achieving natural
visibility conditions. Michigan
consulted with Class I states on the
development of reasonable progress
goals through its participation in MRPO.
MRPO facilitated consultations with
other Midwest states and with states in
other regions through inter-RPO
process. By coordinating with the
MRPO and other RPOs, Michigan has
worked to ensure that it achieves its fair
share of overall emission reductions
necessary to achieve the reasonable
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progress goals of Class I areas that it
affects, including Isle Royale and Seney
Wilderness Area.
Michigan, the MRPO, and the
Northern Class I consultation group
worked together to establish reasonable
progress goals. These groups first
identified and prioritized sources that
contribute to the worst visibility days
and to establish the relative visibility
impairment affects. The group
determined that the priority emission
sources are SO2 point sources, NOX
from both point and mobiles sources,
and ammonia from agricultural
operations. EC/R, Incorporated (ECR), a
contractor for the MRPO, further
evaluated these sources on a three-state
and nine-state basis. Michigan
identified regional SO2 emissions from
EGUs as a key contributor to visibility
impairment for Isle Royale National
Park and Seney Wilderness Area.
Michigan’s regional haze plan identified
the top ten contributing in-state sources
to visibility impairment at Isle Royale
and at Seney based on modeling and on
the ratio of emissions to distance (‘‘Q/
d’’). (See Tables 10.3.2.a and 10.3.2.b in
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21.59
12.36
9.23
0.15
19.43
dv
dv
dv
dv
dv
6.77 dv
3.72 dv
Seney
23.37
12.65
11.50
0.19
21.64
dv.
dv.
dv.
dv.
dv.
7.14 dv.
3.73 dv.
Michigan’s submittal, addressing Isle
Royale and Seney, respectively.)
Michigan also provided list of the top 30
facilities, including facilities both
within and outside the state, ranked
according to their impacts on Isle
Royale and Seney. (See Tables 10.3.2.c
and 10.3.2.d in Michigan’s submittal,
addressing Isle Royale and Seney,
respectively.)
The second step of the process was to
identify control options for the priority
sources. Michigan, the MRPO, and the
Northern Class I consultation group
identified existing control measures
including CAIR, BART, Maximum
Achievable Control Technology (MACT)
standards, on-road mobile source
programs, and non-road mobile source
programs. MRPO examined different
potential control scenarios, including
two control levels for EGUs and two
control levels for industrial,
commercial, and institutional (ICI)
boilers.
The third step of the process was to
assess the effect of existing control
programs on priority sources. The
impact of existing programs is discussed
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in the ECR report. Table 2, below,
replicated from Table 10.3.2.e. of
Michigan’s haze plan, which in turn
used results from the ECR report,
indicates results of the four factors for
already existing controls.
TABLE 2—SUMMARY OF MICHIGAN’S FOUR-FACTOR ANALYSIS OF ON-THE-BOOKS CONTROLS
Factor 1
Control strategy
Cost effectiveness
($/ton)
CAIR and other cap-trade programs (e.g., acid rain, NOX
SIP call.
$720–$2,600 ..............
BART: Based on Company
BART analyses from MN
and ND for non-EGUs.
Combustion MACTs ................
Highway vehichle programs ....
$1,300–$2,300 ...........
Nonroad mobile sources .........
($1,000)–$1,000 ........
3-state SO2:
NOX:
9-state SO2:
NOX:
13%
75%
34%
79%
9-state
NOX:
3-state
9-state
3-state
3-state SO2:
NOX:
9-state SO2:
NOX:
47%
75%
48%
80%
NOX:
SO2:
NOX:
10% ...............
5% .................
83% ...............
80% ...............
39% ...............
9-state
NOX:
3-state
9-state
3-state
10%
5%.
83%.
80%.
39% ...............
9-state SO2:
27% ...............
9-state SO2:
Table 3, replicated from Table 10.3.2.f
of Michigan’s submittal, shows the
change in deciview predicted from
SO2:
...............
...............
...............
...............
Factor 3
Percent emission reductions
from 2002 baseline at full implementation
Factor 4
Solid waste
produced
(1000 tons/yr)
Energy
Remaining useful life
$248–$1,770.
$1,477–$7,611 ...........
Factor 2
Percent emission reductions
from 2002 baseline in 2018
SO2:
NOX:
SO2:
NOX:
4.5% of total
energy consumed.
2,383 ..............
The IPM model projects that
53 units will retire by 2018.
350 MM gallons of fuel
saved.
27%.
already existing controls, including
CAIR.
TABLE 3—COMPARISON OF THE UNIFORM RATE OF PROGRESS (URP) IN 2018 WITH PROJECTED IMPACTS FOR EXISTING
CONTROLS
Estimated visibility impairment on the 20% worst visibility days
(deciviews) a
Boundary
waters
Baseline conditions (2000–2004) ................................................................
Projected conditions in 2018 with on-the-books controls b ..........................
Net change ..................................................................................................
Glide path/URP ............................................................................................
19.86
18.94
0.92
17.7
Voyageurs
19.48
19.18
0.30
17.56
Isle Royale
Nat’l Park
21.62
20.04
1.58
19.21
Seney
Wilderness
24.48
22.38
2.1
21.35
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a The baseline condition values reflect the recent adjustments proposed by the Midwest RPO to include several missing days. The adjusted
values are, on average, less than 0.5 dv greater than those provided on the IMPROVE Web site.
b Based on CAMX modeling by the MRPO. These modeling analyses used preliminary estimates of the impacts of BART controls, which are
generally larger than the impacts estimated in industry BART analyses.
The fourth step of the process is to
evaluate which control options may be
reasonable for priority sources. Again,
many of the sources were evaluated in
the ECR report. The northern Class I
areas Consultation Group further
considered the MRPO EGU scenario
with limits on EGU emissions of 0.15
pounds per million British Thermal
Units (#/MMBTU) for SO2 and 0.10 #/
MMBTU for NOX by 2013 and the ICI
boiler option with a 40 percent
reduction in SO2 emissions and a 60
percent reduction in NOX emissions by
2013. In order to realize significant
visibility improvement at Michigan’s
two Class I areas, EGUs are clearly the
top priority source category for both
NOX and SO2 control. Since all EGUs
were subject to CAIR, Michigan
concluded that no further controls on
EGUs should be considered reasonable
for purposes of reasonable progress at
this time. By separate rulemaking,
published June 7, 2012, at 77 FR 33642,
EPA has promulgated a revision to
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Michigan’s plan to include the
reductions of CSAPR in the state’s long
term strategy, for reasonable progress as
well as for BART purposes.
A number of non-EGU facilities also
have significant impact on Michigan’s
two Class I areas, as identified in its
plan. These facilities are subject to
BART analysis, and Michigan has
evaluate them to determine if additional
controls represent BART. Those ICI
boilers not addressed by BART may
eventually be controlled further.
Michigan, in conjunction with other
MRPO states and a number of Northeast
states, evaluated reasonable control
levels for ICI boilers but concluded that
regulation of these sources by
individual states would be relatively
ineffective in the absence of a regional
program addressing the emissions of ICI
boilers across much of the eastern
United States. However, Michigan’s
plan takes into account the reductions
anticipated from other Federal control
measures such as Tier II mobile source
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standards, heavy-duty diesel engine
standards, low sulfur fuel, and non-road
mobile sources control programs.
The final step of the process to
determine the reasonable progress goals
was to compare the control strategies to
the uniform rate of progress. The
computation of visibility levels that
would be achieved by 2018 with linear
progress toward the goal of no
anthropogenic visibility impairment by
2064 is described above. Michigan
included all control measures believed
to be reasonable and compared the
resulting visibility improvement to the
uniform rate of progress. Michigan set
the reasonable progress goals for Isle
Royale at 20.86 dv for the worst 20
percent of days and 6.76 dv for the best
20 percent of days in 2018. This annual
0.05 dv improvement rate would lead to
achieving natural conditions on the
worst 20 percent of days by 2181. The
2018 reasonable progress goal for Isle
Royale provides less improvement than
the linear progress benchmark of 19.21
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dv. Michigan determined that the
reasonable progress goals for Seney
Wilderness Area are 23.58 dv for the
worst 20 percent of days and 7.78 dv for
the best 20 percent of days in 2018.
Projecting this 0.06 dv per year
improvement into the future yields
Voyageurs reaching natural conditions
on the worst 20 percent of days in 2209.
As was the case for Seney Wilderness
Area, the 2018 reasonable progress goal
for Voyageurs provides less
improvement than the linear progress
benchmark of 21.35 dv. Nevertheless,
Michigan considers the reasonable
progress goals to reflect an appropriate
visibility improvement based on
implementation of a reasonable set of
measures. Michigan detailed potential
controls in Chapter 10 of its regional
haze plan.
Michigan consulted with other states
to determine which other states’
emissions contribute to visibility
impairment in Michigan’s Class I areas.
The consultation also allowed Michigan
to determine that in addition to
contributions from its own sources,
emissions from sources in Wisconsin,
Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and North
Dakota contribute to visibility
impairment at Michigan’s Class I areas,
Isle Royale National Park and Seney
Wilderness Area. Michigan identified
the contributing states from MRPO’s
2018 modeling-based source
apportionment analysis. Other analyses
from CENRAP and MRPO support the
contribution determination. The
pollutants and sources affecting Isle
Royale National Park and Seney
Wilderness Area are detailed in Chapter
10 of the Michigan’s regional haze plan.
Michigan consulted with the FLMs
during the development of its regional
haze plan. Michigan sent several drafts
of its regional haze SIP for comments to
the FLMs between 2007 and May 2010,
prior to the public hearing held on June
29, 2010. In response to this solicitation,
Michigan received comments from the
FLMs and from EPA Region 5. A
summary of the comments and
Michigan’s responses are included in
Appendix 2A of its submittal. Michigan
has committed to continue to consult
with the FLMs as it develops future SIP
revisions and progress reports.
Michigan participated in meetings
and conference calls with affected Class
I states and RPOs. Michigan consulted
with Minnesota on their Class I areas.
Michigan also participated in MRPO’s
inter-RPO consultations and MANE–
VU. MANE–VU, the RPO for the
northeastern states, facilitated
consultation between Michigan and
Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
and Vermont.
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Michigan also participated in the
northern Class I area consultation
process as part of the process to
establish a long term strategy for
regional haze. This consultation process
included the states of Michigan,
Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin,
Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri
and representatives from other
governments, such as the Ontario
Ministry of Environment and tribes
including the Leech Lake Band of
Ojibwe, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe,
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa, Grand Portage Band of
Chippewa, Upper/Lower Sioux, and
Huron Potawatomi. The consultation
process also included representatives
from federal agencies, such as the U.S.
Department of the Interior National Park
Service and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture Forest Service, as well as
representatives from the EPA.
Michigan included the MRPO
regional haze technical support
document (TSD) in its submission. In
Section 5 of the TSD, MRPO assessed
the reasonable progress using the four
factors required by 40 CFR 51.308(d) the
regional haze rule, specifically, the cost
of compliance, time needed for
compliance, energy and non-air
impacts, and remaining useful life.
In analyzing the visibility benefits of
existing programs, MRPO considered
existing on-highway mobile source, offhighway mobile source, area source,
power plant, and other point source
programs. MRPO also included
reductions from the since vacated CAIR
in its analysis. Following the court
vacatur of CAIR, MRPO performed an
additional analysis intended to project
air quality in the absence of CAIR.
MRPO projected visibility in 2018 under
three scenarios in this analysis. The first
scenario reflected simple emissions
growth from a baseline that reflects
power plant emissions in 2007, prior to
most of the emission controls pursuant
to CAIR being installed. The second
scenario added reductions for power
plants controls that are enforceable
under federal or state consent decrees,
permits, or rules. The final scenario also
added power plant controls that the
utilities anticipated installing,
presumably under the expectation that
EPA would issue a rule to replace CAIR,
plus power plant controls representing
BART where applicable.
Michigan believes that
implementation of the existing control
measures listed in section 10 of its
regional haze plan is expected to
provide its fair share of emission
reductions that should allow affected
Class I areas to meet the reasonable
progress goals. However, CAIR is one of
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the existing control measures and the
MRPO analysis shows emission
reductions equivalent to the scale of
CAIR are needed to meet reasonable
progress goals. On the other hand, EPA
rulemaking published June 7, 2012, at
77 FR 33642, EPA promulgated
provisions incorporating CSAPR into
Michigan’s SIP. EPA believes that with
CSAPR providing the reductions that
Michigan expects to obtain from CAIR,
Michigan’s long term strategy can in fact
be expected to achieve the state-adopted
reasonable progress goals that Michigan
established. Furthermore, EPA proposes
to agree with Michigan’s conclusion,
based on a review of the four factors,
that the state’s plan includes a
reasonable set of measures that provide
its appropriate share of reductions
toward achieving reasonable progress
goals.
D. BART
Michigan developed rules that
describe the process for determining
BART and the applicability provisions.
See Appendix 9A of regional haze plan.
Michigan conducted a BART analysis
using the criteria in the BART Guidance
at 40 CFR 51.308(e) and 40 CFR 51
appendix Y to identify all of the BARTeligible sources, assess whether the
BART-eligible sources are subject to
BART and determine the BART
controls. These criteria to determine
BART eligibility are: (1) The emissions
unit fits within one of the 26 categories
listed in the BART Guidelines; (2) the
emissions unit was in existence prior to
August 7, 1962, but was not in operation
before August 7, 1962; and (3) the total
potential emissions of any visibilityimpairing pollutant from the subject
units at a stationary source are 250 tons
or more per year.
Michigan relied on CAIR to satisfy
BART requirements for EGUs for SO2
and NOX. Furthermore, a modeling
analysis demonstrated that particulate
matter impacts from EGUs at Class I
areas were insignificant and did not
warrant further control. Therefore,
Michigan’s assessment of sources
subject to BART focused on non-EGUs.
Using available source emissions and
construction date information, Michigan
identified 35 non-EGU facilities that
were potentially subject to BART.
Michigan worked with MRPO to
perform source-specific analyses with
CALPUFF model to determine the
sources subject to BART. MRPO
conferred with its states, EPA, and the
FLMs in developing its BART modeling
protocol. Consistent with EPA guidance,
the state used a 0.5 dv impact (98th
percentile) as the threshold for a source
to contribute to visibility impairment,
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concluding that such a threshold
provided an appropriate means of
identifying which sources cause
sufficient visibility impairment to
warrant being subject to BART. By this
means, Michigan identified the
following six non-EGU sources subject
to BART: Lafarge Midwest, Inc.; Smurfit
Stone Container Corp.; St. Mary’s
Cement; New Page Paper; Tilden Mining
Co.; and Empire Mining Company. More
detail on Michigan’s BART
determinations is provided in appendix
9 of Michigan’s regional haze plan.
Subsequent to Michigan’s
identification of sources subject to
BART requirements, Empire Mining
provided new information that it had
permanently shut down one furnace.
With the resulting lower emissions,
modeling for Empire Mining showed
that the facility does not exceed the 0.5
dv threshold BART level. Therefore,
Michigan concluded that this facility is
no longer subject to BART.
EPA’s review of Michigan’s analysis
concluded that Michigan applied
appropriate analyses based on
appropriate criteria for identifying
sources subject to BART.
The five non-EGU BART-eligible
sources include two Portland cement
plants, one taconite plant, and two
paper products plants. Table 9.2.d of
Michigan’s regional haze plan includes
a summary of the BART analysis
submitted by the sources and
Michigan’s evaluation of potential
BART options and proposed BART
control strategies. More detailed
information of BART controls and
analysis submitted by the sources can be
found in appendices 9C through 9J of
Michigan’s plan. The following
discussion reviews Michigan’s proposed
BART determinations for these five
sources.
(1) Lafarge Midwest, Inc.
Lafarge Midwest, Inc. is a cement
plant located in Alpena, Michigan. The
BART subject emission units include
five Portland cement manufacturing
kilns: EU–KILN 19, EU–KILN 20, and
EU–KILN 21 are part of Kiln Group 5
(KG 5); EU–KILN 22 and EU–KILN 23
are part of Kiln Group 6 (KG 6).
On March 18, 2010, Lafarge entered
into a Global Settlement/Consent Decree
(hereinafter Consent Decree) with the
EPA and Michigan to reduce NOX and
SO2 emissions at the Alpena facility
along with other Lafarge facilities in the
United States.
The emission controls required by the
Consent Decree include selective
noncatalytic reduction (SNCR) for Kiln
Groups KG 5 and KG 6 for NOX control.
For SO2 control, wet scrubbers for kiln
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group KG 6 and a Dry Absorption
Addition system for Kiln Group KG 5
are required. These controls are
consistent with the BART Guidelines to
control visibility impairing pollutants
(NOX and SO2) emissions. An additional
control not included in the BART
analysis but agreed to in the Consent
Decree is the Dry Absorption Addition
system for SO2 controls on KG 5.
Michigan includes all controls
contained in the Consent Decree,
including the Dry Absorption Addition
system, as part of the BART controls.
The Lafarge Alpena facility will
reduce NOX and SO2 according to the
schedule and conditions given in the
Consent Decree (see Appendix 9D).
Beginning January 1, 2011, Lafarge was
required to maintain an interim, facilitywide, 12-month rolling tonnage limit for
NOX of 8,650 tons per year and SO2 at
13,100 tons per year. The final emission
limits will be established according to
the Consent Decree ‘‘Control
Technology Demonstration
Requirements,’’ as given in the
Appendix of the Consent Decree. The
control technology demonstration
describes in detail a stepwise emission
control optimization program to
establish the 30-day rolling average
emission limits for NOX and SO2 at
individual affected kilns. Additional
requirements include a demonstration
phase, facility-wide, 12-month rolling
average NOX emission limit of 4.89
pounds of NOX per ton of clinker and
an SO2 emission limit of 3.68 pounds of
SO2 per ton of clinker. The
demonstration phase limit will be
followed by a period of testing of
control efficiency and subsequently
establish a 30-day rolling average limit
for both NOX and SO2 to be calculated
at the end of each 24-hour period.
In accordance with Regional Haze
Rule, BART for PM emission was
determined to be equivalent to the
Portland Cement MACT, which
regulates PM as a surrogate for
hazardous air pollutants. Lafarge has
emission controls (baghouses) in place
to control hazardous air pollutants and
thereby meets both the MACT
requirements and the BART
requirement for PM.
EPA is proposing to approve the
requirements established in the Consent
Decree, requiring reductions in NOX and
SO2 emissions at the Lafarge Midwest,
Inc. facility located in Alpena, as
satisfying BART requirements for these
pollutants. In addition, EPA is satisfied
that the PM MACT represents BART for
PM, and approves a PM limit of 0.03
pounds per ton of dry feed as BART at
kilns in KG5 and KG6.
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(2) Smurfit Stone Container Corporation
(SSCC)
SSCC was a paper products plant
located in Ontonagon, Michigan. The
only BART subject emission unit at the
facility was the Riley Boiler #1 (EUBR
1).
Subsequent to Michigan’s
determination of BART for this facility,
the facility has been demolished. Any
effort to reconstruct this facility would
require a new source permit. Therefore,
this facility cannot restart operation
without implementing BART.
Consequently, it is now moot whether
Michigan’s BART determination for this
facility would have satisfied the BART
requirement.
(3) St. Mary’s Cement
St. Mary’s Cement operates a Portland
cement kiln and associated material
handling equipment in Charlevoix,
Michigan. In addition to operating an
on-site quarry and stone crushing
operation, the company operates a kiln
system that includes a pre-heater and
pre-calciner. In 2006, the company
installed an indirect firing system to
reduce fuel requirements and to reduce
emissions of NOX and SO2.
A consultant prepared and submitted
to Michigan a report analyzing several
control alternatives for this facility.
Based on its review of this report,
provided in Appendix 9E of its
submittal to EPA, Michigan concluded
that BART reflected no further control
of this facility. Moreover, Michigan
concluded that existing limits suffice to
require this level of control.
As discussed above, a full analysis of
BART involves evaluation of five
factors. These factors include: (1) The
costs of compliance; (2) the energy and
non-air quality environmental impacts
of compliance; (3) any existing pollution
control technology in use at the source;
(4) the remaining useful life of the
source; and (5) the degree of
improvement in visibility which may
reasonably be anticipated to result from
the use of such technology.
EPA has identified several
deficiencies in the evaluation of BART
for St. Mary’s Cement in Michigan’s
plan, most notably with respect to the
evaluation of the costs and benefits of
installing equipment for SNCR. These
deficiencies include:
—Use of a 10-year projection of
equipment life, rather than 15 or 20
years, resulting in overly rapid
amortization of the cost of control
equipment;
—Inclusion of costs associated with
production losses from system
clogging that the company expects to
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result from introduction of urea,
based on a presumption that the
company will fail to solve this
problem;
—Underestimation of the emission
reductions that can be expected from
an improved SNCR;
—Overestimation of the costs of urea;
and
—Overestimation of the costs of
electricity.
These issues are discussed in greater
length in a May 24, 2012 letter from
Douglas Aburano, Chief of the
Attainment Planning and Maintenance
Section of EPA Region 5, to Vincent
Hellwig, Chief of the Air Quality
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Control Division of the Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality.
The following table summarizes values
that the consultant for St. Mary’s
Cement used in its cost-benefit analysis
and the corresponding values that EPA
used to assess whether SNCR is likely
to be cost-effective at this facility.
TABLE 4—PARAMETERS FOR EVALUATING COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF SNCR AT ST. MARY’S CEMENT-CHARLEVOIX
Parameter
Consultant value
EPA value
Comments
Clean-out costs .......
$968,000/yr. lost production .................
Urea ........................
$1,440,000 ...........................................
Capital: $685,815 .................................
Labor/materials $19,458
$458,167 ..............................................
EPA estimates 50% more capital,
twice labor/materials.
Assumes 0.31 moles urea/mole NOX,
$450/ton urea.
Capital amortization
10-year life, 7% interest (0.14) ............
Overhead ................
$883,264 (60% of material, labor) .......
Emission Reduction
524 tons/year (10% of baseline) ..........
Electricity .................
$45,990 (100kW for 6570 hrs/yr) .........
Maintenance (Labor,
materials).
$17,512 ................................................
15–20 year life, 7% interest (0.11 to
0.0944) .*
$0 .........................................................
1259 tons/year (50% of 2006 to 2008
emissions).
$28,000 (Average of 100 kW for 4000
hrs/yr).
$35,540 ................................................
EPA’s Control Cost Manual finds overhead minimal.
EPA assumes twice normal maintenance.
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* Letter to Michigan estimated cost effectiveness based on 15-year life of control equipment, but EPA believes that amortization over 15 to 20
years is appropriate.
In summary, the consultant for St.
Mary’s Cement assigned very high costs
for lost production resulting from
material buildup, very high costs for
overhead, and low efficiency of NOX
emission control. The consultant
estimated that the annualized cost of
NOX emission reduction would be
$7,568 per ton. Based on the revised
cost parameters summarized above, EPA
finds that the annualized cost per ton of
NOX emission reduction is likely to be
between $920 and $980. (This range
reflects a range of estimates of
equipment life, amortizing the capital
expense over between 15 and 20 years.)
Much of the consultant’s discussion
of SNCR that is included in Michigan’s
plan asserts that use of SNCR at this
facility would cause buildup of
ammonium bisulfite scale and would
cause various expenses that would make
operation of SNCR overly expensive.
Most notably, the consultant asserts that
use of SNCR would result in material
buildup that would require periodic
cleaning necessitating kiln downtime
and lost production. The consultant also
observes that ‘‘air cannons’’ currently in
use to remove buildup could be
supplemented, at considerable expense,
but the consultant asserts that this
approach would likely have limited
effectiveness in reducing the need for
full kiln shutdowns for cleaning
purposes.
EPA addressed these concerns in its
May 24, 2012, letter to Michigan. EPA
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noted that ‘‘SNCR has been successfully
demonstrated at many cement plants
across the country, which suggests that
solutions to this problem are readily
available.’’ EPA listed some of the
options for addressing this problem,
including redesign for improved
airflow, use of enhanced pneumatic
cleaning or other cleaning approaches,
and use of more concentrated urea (with
less water content), and concluded that
the success in operating SNCR at other
plants indicates that SNCR can be
successfully be operated at reasonable
cost at this plant. Indeed, EPA’s review
finds that SNCR can be installed and
operated at reasonable cost even if one
assumes additional expense in
installation and operation for addressing
material buildup issues beyond the
expenses currently incurred by the
company addressing these issues.
EPA has reassessed the above five
factors for evaluating whether SNCR
constitutes BART for the St. Mary’s
Cement Charlevoix facility. EPA finds
that the facility can install and operate
SNCR at reasonable cost. No energy or
non-air quality environmental impacts
influence this choice of control options.
The design of the kiln system, which
includes an indirect firing system that
reduces the NOX emissions from the
kiln, would be well complemented by
installation and operation of SNCR. The
facility is expected to have sufficient
remaining useful life to assume that the
cost of installing SNCR may be
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amortized over 15 to 20 years. While the
Michigan plan does not estimate the
visibility improvement that would
result from installation and operation of
SNCR, the plan estimates the overall
impact of the plant is 3.8 dv, from
which EPA conservatively estimates
that SNCR would improve visibility by
at least 0.4 dv. (This estimate reflects an
assumption that half of the overall plant
impact is due to NOX emissions. This
estimate also reflects an assumption that
baseline NOX emissions used in
estimating the plant’s impact were 5,741
tons per year, though the report in
Michigan’s SIP also suggests that the
impact analysis may reflect a
substantially lower NOX emission rate,
which would indicate that the benefits
of SNCR would be much greater.)
EPA also reviewed the determination
of BART for this facility with respect to
SO2. Based on CEMS data for 2006 to
2008, the average SO2 emission rate at
this facility is 3.02 pounds per ton of
clinker. The Michigan SIP does not
clearly limit SO2 emissions from this
facility, though a construction permit
limits annual emissions to 4,404 tons
per year and 550 tons per 30 days,
which, at 2006 to 2008 average
production rates are equivalent to 7.9
pounds and 12.0 pounds of SO2 per ton
of clinker, respectively. The company
states that a lower emission limit should
not be considered BART because the
BART limits should accommodate
higher sulfur-bearing raw materials in
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the company’s quarry than are presently
being used.
Michigan’s plan includes a
consultant’s analysis of both wet and
dry flue gas desulfurization. This
analysis fails to annualize equipment
costs, and instead computes cost
effectiveness by adding the entire
capital costs for equipment and
installation plus the costs of one year’s
operation, then dividing by one year’s
emission reduction. Using the
consultant’s cost estimates but
amortizing the capital costs over a 20year period (assuming an interest rate of
7 percent) suggests costs per ton of
$3,500 for dry flue gas desulfurization
and $4,500 per ton for wet flue gas
desulfurization.
EPA proposes to find that no
additional control equipment
constitutes BART for SO2 under current
conditions. However, if the company, as
it contemplates, uses raw materials with
higher sulfur content, then the costbenefit ratio for control would improve,
potentially to the point where
installation of emission control
equipment is warranted.
Based on review of these factors, EPA
concludes that BART at St. Mary’s
Cement’s Charlevoix facility includes
installation and operation of SNCR and
a more stringent tighter limit on
emissions of SO2. EPA concludes as a
result that Michigan’s plan fails to
require BART at this facility. Therefore,
EPA proposes to disapprove Michigan’s
plan with respect to BART.
In a notice published January 15,
2009, at 74 FR 2392, EPA notified
Michigan of a failure to submit a timely
plan for regional haze. Consequently,
under Clean Air Act section 110(c), in
the absence of a state plan meeting
pertinent requirements, EPA is to
promulgate FIP provisions meeting the
requirements. EPA is proposing Federal
limits in this action to address the
BART requirement for St. Mary’s
Cement’s Charlevoix facility. These
limits are discussed in a subsequent
section of this preamble.
(4) NewPage Paper
NewPage Paper owns and operates a
paper mill in Escanaba, Michigan, a
facility that is permitted by the State as
Escanaba Paper. The largest boiler at the
facility was not constructed during the
time period for BART eligibility, but
several other boilers and other
operations at the plant are subject to the
requirement for BART. Michigan’s plan
includes a review prepared by the
company’s consultant that concluded
that existing controls constitute BART
and that existing limits suffice to require
these controls.
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EPA’s review focused on the largest of
these sources, namely Boiler 8 and
Boiler 9. Boiler 8 has historically been
fired with both natural gas and residual
oil, but in the past few years the boiler
has only used natural gas. Boiler 9 is a
stoker boiler that predominantly fires
wood bark generated at the plant. Since
the fuels firing these boilers have
minimal sulfur content, the SO2
emissions from these boilers are
insignificant. State rules limit the NOX
emissions of boiler 8 during the ozone
season (defined as May 1 to September
30), with a limit of 0.2 #/MMBTU when
firing gas and 0.40 #/MMBTU when
firing residual oil. However, these rules
are not part of the Michigan SIP, and
Michigan did not submit these rules as
part of its regional haze plan submittal.
Boiler 8 has no state or Federal NOX
emission limits for the rest of the year,
and Boiler 9, being predominantly
wood-fired, has no state or Federal NOX
emission limits at any time.
The emission profiles of these two
boilers have changed significantly since
2002. Boiler 8, besides becoming
predominantly fired with natural gas,
has been used much less in recent years
than in prior years, which, in
combination with a modest reduction in
emissions per million BTU, resulted in
the boiler’s NOX emissions declining
from an average of 135 tons per year in
2002 to 2004 to an average of 40 tons
per year in 2010 to 2011. Boiler 9 had
relatively steady usage throughout this
period, but modifications to the boiler’s
overfire air system in 2006 resulted in
the boiler’s NOX emissions declining
from a 2002 to 2004 average of 836 tons
per year to a 2010 to 2011 average of 250
tons per year.
EPA identified several concerns with
the Michigan submittal’s analysis of
costs and benefits of emission controls
at these two boilers. The submittal,
reflecting the analysis by the company’s
contractor, appears to overestimate
likely costs of installing controls, fails to
evaluate design changes such as the
improved overfire air design
implemented at Boiler 9, and assumes
overly short control equipment life
(thereby amortizing control costs over
an inappropriately short period).
More importantly, as noted above,
Michigan’s plan includes no limits on
emissions from these two boilers;
indeed, the plan does not even include
the limits in state rules that apply to
Boiler 8 during the ozone season.
Therefore, notwithstanding the emission
reductions that have occurred at the key
BART units at NewPage Paper’s
Escanaba facility, Michigan’s plan does
not include any limits that mandate any
reductions at these boilers. Therefore,
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EPA believes that Michigan’s plan fails
to require BART for these two boilers.
Michigan identified several other
units at NewPage Paper that are subject
to a requirement for BART, including
the Number 10 recovery furnace, a lime
kiln, and the smelt dissolving tank. EPA
concurs with Michigan’s conclusion
that these other units do not require
limits to require BART controls.
However, EPA finds that Michigan has
failed to require BART for the facility
because the state has failed to submit
limits requiring appropriate control for
Boilers 8 and 9.
As discussed above for St. Mary’s
Cement, EPA is obligated here to
promulgate FIP provisions in cases
where state plan provisions are
inadequate. FIP provisions mandating
BART for NewPage Paper’s Escanaba
facility are discussed in a subsequent
section of this preamble.
(5) Tilden Mining
EPA is reviewing Michigan’s BART
determination for Tilden mining in
conjunction with a review of BART for
other taconite plants in Minnesota. By
this means, EPA intends to ensure that
the Tilden Mining taconite plant and
similar facilities in Minnesota are
subject to similar requirements. This
review is being addressed in a separate
rulemaking action that EPA plans to
conduct on the same timetable as this
Michigan rulemaking.
E. Long Term Strategy
Under section 169A(b)(2) of the Clean
Air Act and 40 CFR 51.308(d), states’
regional haze programs must include a
long term strategy for making reasonable
progress toward meeting the national
visibility goal. Michigan’s long term
strategy must address visibility
improvement for the Class I areas in and
out of Michigan that are affected by
Michigan sources. Section 51.308(d)(3)
requires that Michigan consult with the
affected states in order to develop a
coordinated emission management
strategy. Michigan must demonstrate
that its plan includes all measures
necessary to obtain its share of the
emissions reductions needed to meet
the reasonable progress goals for the
Class I areas affected by Michigan
sources. As described in section III.D of
this proposal, the long term strategy is
the compilation of all control measures
Michigan will use to meet applicable
reasonable progress goals. The long term
strategy must include enforceable
emissions limitations, compliance
schedules, and other measures as
necessary to achieve the reasonable
progress goals for all Class I areas
affected by Michigan emissions.
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At 40 CFR 51.308(d)(3)(v), the
regional haze rule identifies seven
factors that a state must consider in
developing its long term strategy: (A)
Emission reductions due to ongoing air
pollution control programs, (B)
measures to mitigate impacts from
construction, (C) emission limits and
schedules for compliance to achieve the
reasonable progress goal, (D)
replacement and retirement of sources,
(E) smoke management techniques, (F)
federally enforceable emission limits
and control measures, and (G) the
anticipated net effect on visibility due to
projected emission changes over the
long term strategy period.
Michigan relied on MRPO’s modeling
and analysis along with its emission
information in developing a long term
strategy. Michigan consulted with Class
I states through its participation in
MRPO. MRPO facilitated consultations
with other midwest states and with
states in other regions through interRPO processes. Michigan considered the
factors set out in 51.308(d)(3)(v) in
developing its long term strategy. Based
on these factors and the MRPO’s
technical analysis, in conjunction with
reasonable progress goals that were set
by the pertinent states in consultation
with Michigan and other states,
Michigan concludes that existing
control programs adequately address
Michigan’s impact on Class I areas and
suffice to meet their reasonable progress
goals by 2018 by implementing the
control programs already in place.
These existing control programs include
federal motor vehicle emission control
program, reformulated gasoline,
emission limits for area sources of
VOCs, Title IV, the NOX SIP Call, MACT
requirements, and Federal non-road
standards for construction equipment
and vehicles. These programs are fully
enforceable, provide for the mitigation
of new source impacts through new
source permitting programs, and reflect
appropriate consideration of current
programs and prospective changes in
emissions.
As noted in a separate EPA rule (June
7, 2012, at 77 FR 33642), a number of
states, including Michigan, fully
consistent with EPA’s regulations at the
time, relied on the trading programs of
CAIR to satisfy the BART requirement
and the requirement for a long term
strategy sufficient to achieve the stateadopted reasonable progress goals. In
that rulemaking, we promulgated a
limited disapproval of Michigan’s long
term strategy based on its reliance on
CAIR, and promulgated a FIP to replace
reliance on CAIR requirements with
reliance on the trading programs of
CSAPR to satisfy BART requirements for
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NOX and SO2 emissions from EGUs in
various states including Michigan. We
are now proposing to find that the
remaining elements of Michigan’s long
term strategy, amended further to
include the BART limitations that EPA
is proposing for St. Mary’s Cement and
for NewPage Paper in this action, meet
the requirements of the regional haze
rule.
F. Monitoring Strategy
Michigan’s monitoring strategy relies
on participation in the IMPROVE
network. There is an IMPROVE Protocol
monitoring site in Quaker City,
Michigan. Michigan also runs a network
of criteria pollutant monitors that
provides data to analyze air quality
problems including regional haze. Class
I states like Michigan are required under
40 CFR 51.308(d)(4) to have procedures
for using the monitoring data to
determine the contribution of emissions
from within the state to affected Class I
areas. Michigan developed procedures
in conjunction with the MRPO. The
procedures are detailed in the MRPO
TSD. EPA finds that Michigan’s regional
haze plan meets the monitoring
requirements for the regional haze rule
and that Michigan’s network of
monitoring sites is satisfactory to
measure air quality and assess its
contribution to regional haze.
G. Comments
Michigan provided a public comment
period on its proposed regional haze
plan. It held a public hearing on June
29, 2010, which concluded the public
comment period. Michigan received
comments from the FLMs as part of the
consultation process as well as from
EPA. Michigan submitted evidence of
the public notice and public hearing to
EPA.
Michigan provided the comments it
received and its responses in a
document within its regional haze plan.
Michigan revised portions of its
proposed plan in response to comments.
Michigan has satisfied the requirements
from 40 CFR 51 appendix V by
providing evidence that it gave public
notice, took comments, and that it
compiled and responded to comments.
V. What are EPA’s proposed BART
determinations?
As noted above, in absence of a state
submittal that satisfies BART
requirements for St. Mary’s Cement’s
Charlevoix facility and for NewPage
Paper’s Escanaba facility, EPA is under
obligation to promulgate Federal
provisions satisfying these
requirements. The following discussion
evaluates appropriate limits to satisfy
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the BART requirement for these
facilities. As noted above, EPA is
addressing Tilden Mining’s facility near
Ishpeming in a separate rulemaking.
A. St. Mary’s Cement
As discussed in section IV.E., EPA
proposes to find that SNCR represents
BART on the kiln at St. Mary’s Cement’s
Charlevoix facility. The following
discussion describes EPA’s assessment
of the appropriate emission limit for
mandating BART-level control at this
facility.
The most relevant information
concerning potential effectiveness of
SNCR at this facility is from testing at
St. Mary’s Cement’s facility in Dixon,
Illinois. A set of tests, lasting 1 to 3 days
each, injected urea at a rate equal to a
stoichiometric ratio of 0.6 of the rate of
uncontrolled NOX emissions. (That is,
the ratio of the moles of ammonia
produced by the injected urea to the
moles of uncontrolled NOX emissions
was 0.6.) These tests showed an average
of 46 percent NOX emission reduction.
Shorter term tests at the Dixon facility
showed that injection of urea at a
stoichiometric ratio of 1.2 achieved an
average of 83 percent reduction in NOX
emissions.
Several other reviews have also found
SNCR to be effective at controlling NOX
emissions from cement kilns, commonly
achieving 50 percent NOX control. EPA
has conducted a recent review of
options for controlling emissions for
Portland cement plants, in developing
new source performance standards for
these facilities. EPA proposed these new
source performance standards on June
16, 2008, at 73 FR 34072, and published
final standards on September 9, 2010, at
75 FR 54970. These standards included
a new standard for NOX emissions, set
at 1.5 pounds per ton of clinker on a 30day average basis.
Other reviews similar to EPA’s review
for its new source performance
standards have also found SNCR to be
an effective means of controlling NOX
emissions from existing cement kilns.
EPA made similar findings in an earlier
review, given in a report published in
2000 entitled, ‘‘NOX Control
Technologies in the Cement Industry:
Final Report’’ (EPA–457/R–00–002,
September 2000, available at https://
_www.epa.gov/_ttnnaaqs/_ozone/
ctg_act/200009_nox_epa457_r-00002_cement_industry.pdf). Although
application of NOX control technology
was relatively rare in the United States
at the time (i.e., before the NOX SIP Call
required control), EPA found SNCR to
be an effective means of reducing NOX
emissions, commonly achieving 50
percent or more reduction. Regional
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planning organizations evaluating
options for BART also made similar
findings. (See, for example,
‘‘Identification and Evaluation of
Candidate Control Measures—Phase II
Final Report,’’ June 2006, available at
https://www.ladco.org/reports/control/
final_reports/identification_and_
evaluation_of_candidate_control
_measures_ii_june_2006.pdf.)
EPA determined baseline emissions at
St. Mary’s Cement from continuous
emission monitoring data for 2006 to
2008 reported by the company. These
data indicated that NOX emissions from
the kiln average 4.52 pounds per ton of
clinker. This is quite similar to the
representative emission factors for
similar Portland cement manufacturing
facilities given in the EPA emission
factor guidance document known as
AP–42, which is 4.2 pounds of NOX per
ton of clinker for preheater/precalciner
kilns and 4.8 pounds of NOX per ton of
clinker for preheater process kilns. The
St. Mary’s Cement data for 2006 to 2008
also indicate that the 95th percentile
value among 30-day average NOX
emission rates was 5.78 pounds per ton
of clinker. For SO2, the St. Mary’s
Cement data indicate an average
emission rate of 3.02 pounds per ton of
clinker, and the 95th percentile value
among 30-day averages was 7.19 pounds
per ton of clinker.
EPA believes that the most
appropriate form for a limit on
emissions from St. Mary’s Cement is a
30-day rolling average of emissions per
ton of clinker. This reflects the form of
the standard used in the new source
performance standards for Portland
cement kilns.
EPA believes that the appropriate
limit for NOX emissions from the kiln at
St. Mary’s Cement would reflect a 50
percent reduction from the average
emissions. Thus, rounding to two
significant figures, EPA proposes to
establish a limit on NOX emissions from
the St. Mary’s Cement kiln at 2.30
pounds per ton of clinker, set as a 30day rolling average. According to 2006
to 2008 data from the facility, this limit
would require slightly under 60 percent
control from St. Mary’s Cement’s 95th
percentile 30-day average emission rate,
which the evidence from tests at St.
Mary’s Cement’s Dixon facility indicates
is readily achievable, particularly since
a limit of 2.30 pounds per ton of clinker
would only occasionally require this
level of control.
EPA is also proposing to establish a
limit on SO2 emissions per ton of
clinker. The purpose of this limit is not
to require emission controls to achieve
emissions below current levels. Instead,
EPA intends this limit to assure that
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emissions do not increase significantly
above current levels. While EPA has
concluded that installation and
operation of SO2 emission control
equipment is not cost effective at
current SO2 emission rates, such control
equipment would be cost effective at
higher SO2 emission rates. That is, EPA
is proposing to establish a limit
reflecting its view that BART reflects no
further control under current
circumstances with current raw material
sulfur contents but the BART reflects
achievement of an SO2 emission rate
that would involve emission control if
the raw material contained significantly
more sulfur.
As noted above, the average SO2
emission rate at St. Mary’s Cement from
2006 to 2008 was 3.02 pounds per ton
of clinker, and the 95th percentile 30day average over this period was 7.19
pounds per clinker. Since most
emission rates are well below 7.19
pounds per ton of clinker, EPA is
proposing to set a limit that reflects a 5
percent compliance margin relative to
this emission rate. That is, EPA is
proposing to set a limit of 7.5 pounds
of SO2 emissions per ton of clinker as
a 30-day rolling average.
This facility currently operates a
continuous emission monitoring system
that measures NOX and SO2 emissions
from the kiln, and EPA envisions using
data from this system to evaluate
compliance with the NOX and SO2
limits it is proposing.
Under 40 CFR 51.308(e)(1)(iv), BART
controls must be installed and operated
as expeditiously as practicable. EPA
believes that Saint Mary’s Cement may
reasonably be required to conduct the
engineering, design, installation, and
trial operation of the SNCR to be able to
meet this limit within about three years
from the expected effective date of final
promulgation of these limits. Therefore,
EPA is proposing a compliance date for
the NOX limit of January 1, 2016. That
is, under this proposal, the first 30-day
period that would be required to
achieve an average NOX emission rate of
2.3 #/MMBTU would be from January 1,
2016 to January 30, 2016. EPA is
proposing that the SO2 limit apply upon
the effective date of the final
promulgation of the limit, because the
company is already complying with the
limit.
B. NewPage Paper
The first step in determining BART
for boilers 8 and 9 at NewPage Paper’s
Escanaba facility is to review
information relevant to the five factors
used in evaluating BART
determinations. First, for Boiler 8, EPA
reevaluated costs based on the
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information provided in Michigan’s
submittal, but replaced the capital cost
estimate with an updated estimate that
NewPage provided in a June 20, 2012
email from Todd Schmidt to Douglas
Aburano, EPA Region 5. This
information suggests that NewPage
could install low NOX burners at a total
capital cost of $797,000, which,
amortized at 7 percent interest over 20
years, represents an annualized capital
cost of $75,200. With the additional
estimated annual operating cost of
$12,000, the total estimated annualized
cost is $87,200. EPA estimates baseline
emissions for this boiler to be 143.2 tons
per year, and EPA believes that low
NOX burners would achieve a 40
percent reduction of NOX emissions,
which, at baseline operating rates,
would reduce emissions by 57.3 tons
per year. This suggests that low NOX
burners would reduce NOX emissions
with a cost effectiveness of $1,500 per
ton.
There are no non-air quality-related
impacts have been identified that affect
the BART determination. The company
has installed flue gas recirculation to
help meet state limits that apply during
the ozone season, although the company
assumes significant costs for year-round
operation of this design feature and
argues that it achieves only a 12 percent
reduction relative to ‘‘current baseline
emissions.’’ The remaining useful life of
the facility is unknown, but EPA
assumed it to be sufficient to amortize
any capital costs of control equipment
over 15 to 20 years.
The Michigan plan includes the
results of modeling, conducted by the
consultant for NewPage Paper, that is
based on a worst-case NOX emission
rate of 1,300 tons per year, indicating an
impact on average visibility (from both
NOX and SO2 emissions) of 0.4 dv.
Thus, a reduction of NOX emissions
from 143.2 tons per year to 85.9 tons per
year would be estimated to reduce
average visibility by no more than about
0.02 dv.
An important consideration in
determining BART for Boiler 8 is the
fact that the company has already
reduced emissions from this boiler.
According to information provided to
the Michigan Air Emissions Reporting
System, the average emission factor has
declined somewhat, and usage has
declined sufficiently that emissions in
2010 and 2011 averaged 40 tons per year
of NOX. Furthermore, the boiler is
subject to a State rule that limits
emissions during the ozone season (May
to September) from this boiler to 0.20 #/
MMBTU while firing natural gas and
0.40 #/MMBTU while firing residual oil.
To meet this rule, the company has
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installed flue gas recirculation, although
usage of this system is limited.
Michigan did not submit this rule for
inclusion in the SIP, but EPA believes
that slightly higher limits can
reasonably be achieved on a year-round
basis. Given the decline in usage of this
boiler, EPA believes that imposition of
limits comparable to emissions rates
currently being achieved will suffice to
assure an appropriate level of protection
from visibility impacts from this boiler,
comparable to the reductions that would
be achieved if the boiler were operated
at previous usage rates and installed a
low NOX burner. Therefore, EPA
proposes to establish limits on pounds
of NOX emissions per million BTUs, to
be met as a 30-day rolling average. The
facility is not now burning residual oil,
but EPA proposes to identify limits for
NOX emissions from combustion of both
natural gas and residual oil. EPA
proposes to mandate that Boiler 8 meet
a limit, calculated as a 30-day rolling
average, that would be computed as a
weighted average based on the relative
quantities of heat input from burning
natural gas and from burning residual
oil. EPA is proposing fuel specific limits
of 0.26 #/MMBTU for combustion of
natural gas and 0.50 #/MMBTU for
combustion of residual oil, in each case
representing approximately 10 percent
above the upper end of the range of
emission rates under current operation.2
Compliance information will be
obtained from a continuous emission
monitoring system that the company
operates on this boiler. Since the boiler
is often not operating, EPA will
compute 30-day averages on the basis of
30 successive operating days, not
counting days in which the boiler does
not operate. EPA envisions that the
company will be able to meet these
limits by maintaining existing
operations (maintaining existing
combustion improvements), but finds
that the company also has the flexibility
to meet these limits by installing low
NOX burners or using its flue gas
recirculation equipment more
frequently. These limits reflect EPA’s
proposed judgment that the existing
emission reductions are warranted as
BART but that further emission
reductions are not warranted for the
limited benefits they would achieve.
For Boiler 9, usage rates have
remained relatively steady, but the
company modified its boiler design in
2006 to incorporate overfire air. Stack
2 Operation
in 2010 and 2011, during which the
boiler was gas-fired, yielded a 30-day average
emission factor of up to about 0.24 #/MMBTU.
Operation in 2008 and 2009, during which the
boiler was often oil-fired, yielded emission factors
up to about 0.45 #/MMBTU.
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tests for this boiler indicate that this
modification decreased NOX emissions
from about 0.69 #/MMBTU to about 0.20
to 0.22 #/MMBTU. The company has
not provided cost information regarding
this modification, but maintaining this
modification is clearly cost effective.
Modeling in Michigan’s submittal
indicates that 345 tons per year of NOX
emissions from this boiler, in
combination with about 50 tons per year
of SO2 emissions, have an average
visibility impact of 0.2 dv. Therefore,
the modification to incorporate overfire
air, with which Boiler 9 NOX emissions
have decreased from an estimated
average of 840 tons per year in 2002 to
2004 to an estimated average of 240 tons
per year in 2009 to 2011, is estimated
to have yielded a visibility improvement
of 0.4 dv. No non-air quality related
environmental impacts have been
identified to influence the choice of
BART, and remaining useful life of the
facility is also not a significant factor.
From its consideration of these factors,
EPA concludes that the overfire air
modifications that the company has
made are included in BART for this
boiler. At the same time, based on
information in Michigan’s submittal,
EPA agrees with the conclusion in
Michigan’s submittal that no further
control of this boiler constitutes BART.
Therefore, EPA is proposing limits to
mandate the continued operation of the
overfire air system that the company has
installed on Boiler 9. Since no system
for continuous emission monitoring is
operating on this boiler, EPA is
proposing a limit that would be
enforced by stack tests. As noted above,
the most recent stack tests for this boiler
indicated NOX emission rates of 0.22 #/
MMBTU and 0.20 #/MMBTU,
respectively. To accommodate a modest
degree of stack test variability, EPA is
proposing to set a limit with a 25
percent compliance margin. That is,
EPA is proposing a NOX emission limit
for Boiler 9 of 0.27 #/MMBTU. (This
emission rate also is about 10 percent
higher than the highest single run test
result reported by the company.)
NewPage Paper has already
implemented measures to meet these
limits on Boilers 8 and 9. Therefore,
EPA is proposing that these limits take
effect upon the effective date of the
rulemaking promulgating these limits.
VI. What actions is EPA proposing?
EPA is proposing limited approval of
revisions to the Michigan SIP, submitted
on November 5, 2010, addressing
regional haze for the first
implementation period. The revisions
seek to satisfy Clean Air Act and
regional haze rule requirements for
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states to remedy any existing
anthropogenic and prevent future
impairment of visibility at Class I areas.
EPA finds that Michigan’s submission
satisfies BART requirements for some of
the non-EGUs, most notably based on a
Federal consent decree requiring new
controls for SO2 and NOX emissions for
the Lafarge plant. On the other hand,
EPA proposes to conclude that
Michigan’s submittal does not require
BART at St. Mary’s Cement’s facility in
Charlevoix or at NewPage Paper’s
facility in Escanaba. Specifically, we are
proposing limited disapproval of the
NOX and SO2 BART determination for
the cement kiln and associated
equipment at the St. Mary’s Cement
facility and of the NOX BART
determination for Boiler 8 and 9 of the
NewPage Paper Company. Further, we
propose a FIP that specifically imposes
NOX and SO2 limits mandating BART
for the cement kiln and associated
equipment for the St. Mary’s Cement
facility, and NOX limits mandating
BART for Boilers 8 and 9 of the
NewPage Paper Company.
EPA is also reviewing Michigan’s
BART determination for Tilden Mining
taconite plant. EPA plans to take action
on this BART determination in a
separate action that includes similar
facilities in Minnesota.
Michigan’s submission provides an
approvable analysis of the emission
reductions needed to satisfy reasonable
progress and other regional haze
planning requirements, and Michigan’s
submission meets other regional haze
planning requirements such as
identification of affected Class I areas
and provision of a monitoring plan.
VI. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory
Planning and Review
This proposed action is not a
‘‘significant regulatory action’’ under
the terms of Executive Order 12866 (58
FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and is
therefore not subject to review under
Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 (76
FR 3821, January 21, 2011). The
proposed Virgin Islands Regional Haze
FIP requires implementation of existing
emissions controls and emission
reduction strategies on one facility and
is not a rule of general applicability.
B. Paperwork Reduction Act
This proposed action does not impose
an information collection burden under
the provisions of the Paperwork
Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, a
‘‘collection of information’’ is defined as
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a requirement for ‘‘answers to * * *
identical reporting or recordkeeping
requirements imposed on ten or more
persons * * *.’’ 44 U.S.C. 3502(3)(A).
Because the proposed FIP applies to just
one facility, the Paperwork Reduction
Act does not apply. See 5 CFR 1320(c).
Burden means the total time, effort, or
financial resources expended by persons
to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose
or provide information to or for a
Federal agency. This includes the time
needed to review instructions; develop,
acquire, install, and utilize technology
and systems for the purposes of
collecting, validating, and verifying
information, processing and
maintaining information, and disclosing
and providing information; adjust the
existing ways to comply with any
previously applicable instructions and
requirements; train personnel to be able
to respond to a collection of
information; search data sources;
complete and review the collection of
information; and transmit or otherwise
disclose the information. An agency
may not conduct or sponsor, and a
person is not required to respond to a
collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) control
number. The OMB control numbers for
our regulations in 40 CFR are listed in
40 CFR part 9.
C. Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
generally requires an agency to prepare
a regulatory flexibility analysis of any
rule subject to notice and comment
rulemaking requirements under the
Administrative Procedure Act or any
other statute unless the agency certifies
that the rule will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities. Small entities
include small businesses, small
organizations, and small governmental
jurisdictions.
For purposes of assessing the impacts
of today’s proposed rule on small
entities, small entity is defined as: (1) A
small business as defined by the Small
Business Administration’s (SBA)
regulations at 13 CFR 121.201; (2) a
small governmental jurisdiction that is a
government of a city, county, town,
school district or special district with a
population of less than 50,000; and (3)
a small organization that is any not-forprofit enterprise which is independently
owned and operated and is not
dominant in its field.
After considering the economic
impacts of this proposed action on small
entities, I certify that this proposed
action will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial
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number of small entities. The Regional
Haze FIP that EPA is proposing for
purposes of the regional haze program
consists of imposing existing Federal
controls to meet the BART requirement
for SO2, NOX, and PM emissions on
specific units at one facility in the
Virgin Islands. The net result of this FIP
action is that EPA is proposing existing
direct emission controls on selected
units at only one facility. The facility in
question is a large petroleum refinery
that is not owned by a small entity, and
therefore is not a small entity.
D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
(UMRA)
This rule does not contain a Federal
mandate that may result in expenditures
that exceed the inflation-adjusted
UMRA threshold of $100 million by
State, local, or Tribal governments or
the private sector in any 1 year. Thus,
this rule is not subject to the
requirements of sections 202 or 205 of
UMRA.
This rule is also not subject to the
requirements of section 203 of UMRA
because it contains no regulatory
requirements that might significantly or
uniquely affect small governments.
E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism
The proposed Virgin Islands Regional
Haze FIP does not have federalism
implications. This action will not have
substantial direct effects on the States,
on the relationship between the national
government and the States, or on the
distribution of power and
responsibilities among the various
levels of government, as specified in
Executive Order 13132. In this action,
EPA is fulfilling its statutory duty under
Clean Air Act section 110(c) to
promulgate a Regional Haze FIP
following its finding that the Virgin
Islands had failed to submit a regional
haze SIP. Thus, Executive Order 13132
does not apply to this action. In the
spirit of Executive Order 13132, and
consistent with EPA policy to promote
communications between EPA and State
and local governments, EPA specifically
solicits comment on this proposed rule
from State and local officials.
F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation
and Coordination With Indian Tribal
Governments
This proposed rule does not have
tribal implications, as specified in
Executive Order 13175. It will not have
substantial direct effects on tribal
governments. Thus, Executive Order
13175 does not apply to this rule.
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G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of
Children From Environmental Health
Risks and Safety Risks
EPA interprets EO 13045 as applying
only to those regulatory actions that
concern health or safety risks, such that
the analysis required under section 5–
501 of the EO has the potential to
influence the regulation. This action is
not subject to EO 13045 because it
implements specific standards
established by Congress in statutes.
However, to the extent this proposed
rule will limit emissions of SO2, NOX,
and PM the rule will have a beneficial
effect on children’s health by reducing
air pollution.
H. Executive Order 13211: Actions
Concerning Regulations That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use
This action is not subject to Executive
Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22,
2001), because it is not a significant
regulatory action under Executive Order
12866.
I. National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act
Section 12 of the National Technology
Transfer and Advancement Act
(NTTAA) of 1995 requires Federal
agencies to evaluate existing technical
standards when developing a new
regulation. To comply with NTTAA,
EPA must consider and use ‘‘voluntary
consensus standards’’ (VCS) if available
and applicable when developing
programs and policies unless doing so
would be inconsistent with applicable
law or otherwise impractical. EPA
believes that VCS are inapplicable to
this action. Today’s action does not
require the public to perform activities
conducive to the use of VCS.
J. Executive Order 12898: Federal
Actions To Address Environmental
Justice in Minority Populations and
Low-Income Populations
Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629,
February 16, 1994), establishes Federal
executive policy on environmental
justice. Its main provision directs
Federal agencies, to the greatest extent
practicable and permitted by law, to
make environmental justice part of their
mission by identifying and addressing,
as appropriate, disproportionately high
and adverse human health or
environmental effects of their programs,
policies, and activities on minority
populations and low-income
populations in the United States.
We have determined that this
proposed rule, if finalized, will not have
disproportionately high and adverse
human health or environmental effects
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on minority or low-income populations
because it limits increases the level of
environmental protection for all affected
populations without having any
disproportionately high and adverse
human health or environmental effects
on any population, including any
minority or low-income population.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations,
Nitrogen dioxide, Particulate matter,
Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Sulfur oxides, Volatile
organic compounds.
PART 52—[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for part 52
continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: July 13, 2012.
Susan Hedman,
Regional Administrator, Region 5.
2. Section 52.1170 is amended by
adding a new entry at the end of the
table in paragraph (e) for ‘‘Regional
Haze Plan’’ to read as follows:
Title 40, chapter I, of the Code of
Federal regulations is proposed to be
amended as follows:
§ 52.1170
*
Identification of plan.
*
*
(e) * * *
*
*
EPA-APPROVED MICHIGAN NONREGULATORY AND QUASI-REGULATORY PROVISIONS
Name of nonregulatory SIP
provision
Applicable geographic or nonattainment area
State submittal
date
EPA approved date
Comments
*
*
Regional Haze Plan .................
*
*
Statewide .............................................
11/5/2010
*
*
8/6/12, [Insert page number where the document begins].
*
Includes all regional haze
plan elements except
BART emission limitations for EGUs, St.
Mary’s Cement,
NewPage Paper, and
Tilden Mining.
3. Section 52.1183 is amended by
adding paragraphs (g), (h), and (i), to
read as follows:
§ 52.1183
Visibility protection.
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*
*
*
*
*
(g) The requirements of section 169A
of the Clean Air Act are not met because
the regional haze plan submitted on
November 5, 2010, does not meet the
best available retrofit technology
requirements of 40 CFR 51.308(e) with
respect to emissions of NOx and SO2
from Saint Mary’s Cement in Charlevoix
and NOX from NewPage Paper in
Escanaba. These requirements for these
two facilities are satisfied by 40 CFR
52.1183(h) and 40 CFR 52.1183(i),
respectively.
(h)(1) For the 30-day period beginning
January 1, 2016, and thereafter, Saint
Mary’s Cement, or any subsequent
owner or operator of the Saint Mary’s
Cement facility located in Charlevoix,
Michigan, shall not cause or permit the
emission of oxides of nitrogen
(expressed as NO2) to exceed 2.30
pounds per ton of clinker as a 30-day
rolling average.
(2) Saint Mary’s Cement, or any
subsequent owner or operator of the
Saint Mary’s Cement facility located in
Charlevoix, Michigan, shall not cause or
permit the emission of sulfur dioxide to
exceed 7.50 pounds per ton of clinker as
a 12-month average.
(3) Saint Mary’s Cement, or any
subsequent owner or operator of the
Saint Mary’s Cement facility located in
Charlevoix, Michigan, shall operate
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continuous emission monitoring
systems to measure NOX and SO2
emissions from its kiln system in
conformance with 40 CFR 60 appendix
B Performance Specification 2.
(4) The reference test method for
assessing compliance with the limit in
paragraph (h)(1) shall be use of a
continuous emission monitoring system
operated in conformance with 40 CFR
60 appendix B Performance
Specification 2. A new 30-day average
shall be computed at the end of each
calendar day.
(5) The reference test method for
assessing compliance with the limit in
paragraph (h)(2) shall be use of a
continuous emission monitoring system
operated in conformance with 40 CFR
60 appendix B Performance
Specification 2. A new 12-month
average shall be computed at the end of
each calendar month.
(6) Recordkeeping. Owner/operator
shall maintain the following records for
at least five years:
(i) All CEMS data, including the date,
place, and time of sampling or
measurement; parameters sampled or
measured; and results.
(ii) All records of clinker production,
monitored in accordance with 40 CFR
60.63.
(iii) Records of quality assurance and
quality control activities for emissions
measuring systems including, but not
limited to, any records required by 40
CFR part 60, appendix F, Procedure 1.
(iv) Records of all major maintenance
activities conducted on emission units,
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air pollution control equipment, CEMS
and clinker production measurement
devices.
(v) Any other records required by 40
CFR part 60, Subpart F, or 40 CFR part
60, Appendix F, Procedure 1.
(7) Reporting. All reports under this
section shall be submitted to Chief, Air
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
Branch, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Region 5, Mail Code AE–17J, 77
W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604–
3590.
(i) Owner/operator of each unit shall
submit quarterly excess emissions
reports for SO2 and NOX BART limits no
later than the 30th day following the
end of each calendar quarter. Excess
emissions means emissions that exceed
the emissions limits specified in
paragraph (c) of this section. The reports
shall include the magnitude, date(s),
and duration of each period of excess
emissions, specific identification of
each period of excess emissions that
occurs during startups, shutdowns, and
malfunctions of the unit, the nature and
cause of any malfunction (if known),
and the corrective action taken or
preventative measures adopted.
(ii) Owner/operator of each unit shall
submit quarterly CEMS performance
reports, to include dates and duration of
each period during which the CEMS
was inoperative (except for zero and
span adjustments and calibration
checks), reason(s) why the CEMS was
inoperative and steps taken to prevent
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recurrence, and any CEMS repairs or
adjustments.
(iii) Owner/operator shall also submit
results of any CEMS performance tests
required by 40 CFR part 60, appendix F,
Procedure 1 (Relative Accuracy Test
Audits, Relative Accuracy Audits, and
Cylinder Gas Audits).
(iv) When no excess emissions have
occurred or the CEMS has not been
inoperative, repaired, or adjusted during
the reporting period, such information
shall be stated in the quarterly reports
required by sections (7)(i) and (ii) of this
section.
(i) NewPage Paper, or any subsequent
owner or operator of the NewPage Paper
facility in Escanaba, Michigan, shall not
cause or permit the emission of oxides
of nitrogen (expressed as NO2) to exceed
the following limits:
(1) For Boiler 8, designated as
EU8B13, a 30-day weighted average
limit on emissions per million British
Thermal Units, based on a limit for
natural gas firing of 0.26 pounds per
million British Thermal Units (#/
MMBTU) and a limit for residual oil
firing of 0.50 #/MMBTU, weighted
according to the heat input for each fuel,
to be computed as follows:
Emission limit, in #/MMBTU = [0.26
* (heat input from firing natural gas) +
0.50 * (heat input from firing residual
oil)]/(total heat input).
(2) NewPage Paper, or any subsequent
owner or operator of the NewPage Paper
facility located in Escanaba, Michigan,
shall operate a continuous emission
monitoring system to measure NOX
emissions from Boiler 8 in conformance
with 40 CFR 60 appendix B
Performance Specification 2.
(3) The reference test method for
assessing compliance with the limit in
paragraph (i)(1) shall be a continuous
emission monitoring system operated in
conformance with 40 CFR 60 appendix
B Performance Specification 2. A new
30-day average shall be computed at the
VerDate Mar<15>2010
19:27 Aug 03, 2012
Jkt 226001
end of each calendar day in which the
boiler operated. Each average shall
include the most recent 30 days in
which the boiler operated, and shall
exclude days in which the boiler did not
operate.
(4) For Boiler 9, also identified as
EU9B03, a limit of 0.27 #/MMBTU.
(5) The reference test method for
assessing compliance with the limit in
paragraph (i)(4) shall be a test
conducted in accordance with 40 CFR
60 appendix A Method 7.
(6) Recordkeeping. Owner/operator
shall maintain the following records
regarding Boiler 8 and Boiler 9 for at
least five years:
(i) All CEMS data, including the date,
place, and time of sampling or
measurement; parameters sampled or
measured; and results.
(ii) All stack test results.
(iii) Daily records of fuel usage, heat
input, and data used to determine heat
content.
(iv) Records of quality assurance and
quality control activities for emissions
measuring systems including, but not
limited to, any records required by 40
CFR part 60, appendix F, Procedure 1.
(v) Records of all major maintenance
activities conducted on emission units,
air pollution control equipment, and
CEMS.
(vi) Any other records identified in 40
CFR 60.49b(g) or 40 CFR part 60,
Appendix F, Procedure 1.
(7) Reporting. All reports under this
section shall be submitted to the Chief,
Air Enforcement and Compliance
Assurance Branch, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 5, Mail Code
AE–17J, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago,
IL 60604–3590.
(i) Owner/operator of Boiler 8 shall
submit quarterly excess emissions
reports for the limit in paragraph (i)(1)
no later than the 30th day following the
end of each calendar quarter. Excess
emissions means emissions that exceed
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 4701
Sfmt 9990
the emissions limit specified in
paragraph (i)(1) of this section. The
reports shall include the magnitude,
date(s), and duration of each period of
excess emissions, specific identification
of each period of excess emissions that
occurs during startups, shutdowns, and
malfunctions of the unit, the nature and
cause of any malfunction (if known),
and the corrective action taken or
preventative measures adopted.
(ii) Owner/operator of Boiler 8 shall
submit quarterly CEMS performance
reports, to include dates and duration of
each period during which the CEMS
was inoperative (except for zero and
span adjustments and calibration
checks), reason(s) why the CEMS was
inoperative and steps taken to prevent
recurrence, and any CEMS repairs or
adjustments.
(iii) Owner/operator of Boiler 8 shall
also submit results of any CEMS
performance tests required by 40 CFR
part 60, appendix F, Procedure 1
(Relative Accuracy Test Audits, Relative
Accuracy Audits, and Cylinder Gas
Audits).
(iv) When no excess emissions have
occurred or the CEMS has not been
inoperative, repaired, or adjusted during
the reporting period, such information
shall be stated in the quarterly reports
required by sections (i)(7) of this
section.
(v) Owner/operator of Boiler 9 shall
submit reports of any test measuring
NOx emissions from Boiler 9 within 60
days of the last day of the test. If owner/
operator commences operation of a
continuous NOx emission monitoring
system for Boiler 9, owner/operator
shall submit reports for Boiler 9 as
specified for Boiler 8 in paragraphs
(i)(7)(i) to (i)(7)(iv).
[FR Doc. 2012–19039 Filed 8–3–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
E:\FR\FM\06AUP2.SGM
06AUP2
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 151 (Monday, August 6, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 46911-46928]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19039]
[[Page 46911]]
Vol. 77
Monday,
No. 151
August 6, 2012
Part III
Environmental Protection Agency
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
40 CFR Part 52
Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans;
Michigan; Regional Haze State Implementation Plan; Federal
Implementation Plan for Regional Haze; Proposed Rule
Federal Register / Vol. 77 , No. 151 / Monday, August 6, 2012 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 46912]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R05-OAR-2010-0954; FRL-9709-1]
Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans;
Michigan; Regional Haze State Implementation Plan; Federal
Implementation Plan for Regional Haze
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: EPA is proposing a limited approval and a limited disapproval
of a revision to the Michigan State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted
by the State of Michigan on November 5, 2010, that addresses regional
haze for the first implementation period ending in 2018. EPA is
proposing limited approval of this submittal for meeting requirements
of the regional haze program relating to setting reasonable progress
goals, providing reductions for meeting those goals, and for mandating
best available retrofit technology (BART) for most sources in the
State. EPA is proposing limited disapproval of the State's submittal
for failing to satisfy BART for two sources. EPA is proposing a Federal
Implementation Plan (FIP) including nitrogen oxide (NOX)
emission limits on these two sources to satisfy these requirements.
EPA has already published a separate action in relation to
Michigan's plan to address BART for electric generating units. In a
June 7, 2012, action, EPA published a limited disapproval of the
regional haze plans for Michigan and other states due to their reliance
on the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), but EPA also promulgated a FIP
relying on EPA's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) to address
these requirements. EPA is also taking separate action on BART
requirements for one source, a taconite plant owned by Tilden Mining,
in conjunction with action on several taconite plants in Minnesota.
These three actions combined represent complete action on Michigan's
regional haze plan for the first implementation period.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 5, 2012. Upon
request, a public hearing for this proposal will be held on September
19, 2012, at the Traverse Area District Library at 610 Woodmere Avenue,
Traverse City, Michigan. Requests for a public hearing must be
submitted by September 5, 2012 and shall be submitted to Pamela Blakley
at blakley.pamela@epa.gov or by any of the other means for submitting
comments given in the addressee section below. The public hearing, if
requested, will be held from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. or until all parties
present have had the opportunity to speak. EPA shall maintain a Web
site at https://www.epa.gov/region5/mihaze/ at which EPA will
report whether a hearing has been requested and will be held.
Interested parties may also call Charles Hatten, at 312-886-6031, to
inquire whether a hearing will be held.
The public hearing will provide interested parties the opportunity
to present information and opinions to EPA concerning our proposal.
Interested parties may also submit written comments, as discussed in
the proposal. Written statements and supporting information submitted
during the comment period will be considered with the same weight as
oral comments and supporting information presented at the public
hearing. We will not respond to comments during the public hearing.
When we publish our final action, we will provide written responses to
all oral and written comments received on our proposal.
At the public hearing, the hearing officer may limit the time
available for each commenter to address the proposal to 5 minutes or
less if the hearing officer determines it to be appropriate. We will
not be providing equipment for commenters to show overhead slides or
make computerized slide presentations. Any person may provide written
or oral comments and data pertaining to our proposal at the Public
Hearing. Verbatim transcripts, in English, of the hearing and written
statements will be included in the rulemaking docket.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R05-
OAR-2010-0954, by one of the following methods:
1. www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for
submitting comments.
2. Email: blakley.pamela@epa.gov.
3. Fax: (312) 692-2450.
4. Mail: Pamela Blakley, Chief, Control Strategies Section, Air
Programs Branch (AR-18J), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 77 West
Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604.
5. Hand Delivery: Pamela Blakley, Chief, Control Strategies
Section, Air Programs Branch (AR-18J), U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604. Such
deliveries are only accepted during the Regional Office normal hours of
operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of
boxed information. The Regional Office official hours of business are
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding Federal
holidays.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-R05-OAR-
2010-0954. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided,
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or email. The
www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which
means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you
provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an email comment
directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov your email
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you
include your name and other contact information in the body of your
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional
instructions on submitting comments, go to Section I of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.
Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such
as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy.
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically
in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Environmental Protection
Agency, Region 5, Air and Radiation Division, 77 West Jackson
Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604. This facility is open from 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays.
We recommend that you telephone Charles Hatten at (312) 886-6031 before
visiting the Region 5 office.
[[Page 46913]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Hatten, Environmental
Engineer, Control Strategies Section, at 312-886-6031,
hatten.charles@epa.gov, regarding all elements of the action, or John
Summerhays, Environmental Scientist, Attainment Planning and
Maintenance Section, at 312-886-6067, summerhays.john@epa.gov,
regarding issues relating to BART. Both contacts may be reached by mail
at Air Programs Branch (AR-18J), Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for EPA?
II. What is the background for EPA's proposed action?
A. The Regional Haze Problem
B. Regional Haze Requirements
C. Roles of Agencies in Addressing Regional Haze
III. What are the requirements for regional haze SIPs?
A. Determination of Baseline, Natural, and Current Visibilty
Conditions
B. Determination of Reasonable Progress Goals
C. BART
D. Long Term Strategy
E. Coordinating Regional Haze and RAVI
F. Monitoring Strategy and Other Implementation Plan
Requirements
G. Consultation With States and Federal Land Managers
IV. What is EPA's analysis of Michigan's regional haze plan?
A. Class I Areas
B. Baseline, Current, and Natural Conditions
C. Reasonable Progress Goals
D. BART
E. Long Term Strategy
F. Monitoring Strategy
G. Comments
V. What are EPA's proposed BART determinations?
A. Saint Mary's Cement
B. NewPage Paper
VI. What actions is EPA proposing?
VII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for EPA?
When submitting comments, remember to:
1. Identify the rulemaking by docket number and other identifying
information (subject heading, Federal Register date and page number).
2. Follow directions--EPA may ask you to respond to specific
questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) part or section number.
3. Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives and
substitute language for your requested changes.
4. Describe any assumptions and provide any technical information
and/or data that you used.
5. If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you
arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be
reproduced.
6. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns, and
suggest alternatives.
7. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use of
profanity or personal threats.
8. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period deadline
identified.
II. What is the background for EPA's proposed action?
A. The Regional Haze Problem
Regional haze is visibility impairment that is produced by a
multitude of sources and activities which are located across a broad
geographic area and that emit fine particles (PM2.5) (e.g.,
sulfates, nitrates, organic particles, elemental carbon, and soil dust)
and their precursors--sulfur dioxide (SO2), NOX,
and in some cases ammonia (NH3) and volatile organic
compound (VOCs). PM2.5 precursors react in the atmosphere to
form fine particulate matter. Aerosol PM2.5 impairs
visibility by scattering and absorbing light. Visibility impairment
reduces clarity and the distance one can see. PM2.5 can also
cause serious health effects and mortality in humans and contributes to
environmental effects such as acid deposition and eutrophication.
Data from the existing visibility monitoring network, the
``Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments'' (IMPROVE)
monitoring network, show that visibility impairment caused by air
pollution occurs virtually all the time at most national park and
wilderness areas. The average visual range, the distance at which an
object is barely discernable, in many Class I areas \1\ in the western
United States is 100-150 kilometers. That is about one-half to two-
thirds of the visual range that would exist without anthropogenic air
pollution. In the eastern and midwestern Class I areas of the United
States, the average visual range is generally less than 30 kilometers,
or about one-fifth of the visual range that would exist under estimated
natural conditions. See 64 FR 35715 (July 1, 1999).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Areas designated as mandatory Class I Federal areas consist
of national parks exceeding 6000 acres, wilderness areas and
national memorial parks exceeding 5000 acres, and all international
parks that were in existence on August 7, 1977. 42 U.S.C. 7472(a).
In accordance with section 169A of the Clean Air Act, EPA, in
consultation with the Department of Interior, promulgated a list of
156 areas where visibility is identified as an important value. 44
FR 69122 (November 30, 1979). The extent of a mandatory Class I area
includes subsequent changes in boundaries, such as park expansions.
42 U.S.C. 7472(a). Although states and tribes may designate as Class
I additional areas which they consider to have visibility as an
important value, the requirements of the visibility program set
forth in section 169A of the Clean Air Act apply only to ``mandatory
Class I Federal areas.'' Each mandatory Class I Federal area is the
responsibility of a Federal Land Manager. 42 U.S.C. 7602(i). The
term ``Class I area'' means a ``mandatory Class I Federal area.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Regional Haze Requirements
In section 169A of the Clean Air Act as amended in 1977, Congress
created a program for protecting visibility in the nation's national
parks and wilderness areas. This section of the Clean Air Act
establishes as a national goal the ``prevention of any future, and the
remedying of any existing, impairment of visibility in mandatory Class
I Federal areas which impairment results from manmade air pollution.''
On December 2, 1980, EPA promulgated regulations to address visibility
impairment in Class I areas that is ``reasonably attributable'' to a
single source or small group of sources known as, ``reasonably
attributable visibility impairment'' (RAVI). 45 FR 80084. These
regulations, codified at 40 CFR part 50, subpart P, represented the
first phase in addressing visibility impairment. EPA deferred action on
regional haze that emanates from a variety of sources until monitoring,
modeling, and scientific knowledge about the relationships between
pollutants and visibility impairment were improved.
Congress added section 169B to the Clean Air Act in 1990 to address
regional haze issues, and EPA promulgated the regional haze rule on
July 1, 1999 (64 FR 35713). The regional haze rule, which amended 40
CFR part 50, subpart P, integrated provisions addressing regional haze
impairment into the existing visibility regulations and established a
comprehensive visibility protection program for Class I areas. The
regional haze requirements, found at 40 CFR 51.308 and 51.309, are a
part of EPA's subpart P visibility protection regulations at 40 CFR
51.300-309. Some of the main elements of the regional haze requirements
are summarized in section III of this preamble. The requirement to
submit a regional haze plan applies to all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, and the Virgin Islands. The first regional haze plans were
due December 17, 2007.
[[Page 46914]]
C. Roles of Agencies in Addressing Regional Haze
Successful implementation of the regional haze program will require
long term regional coordination among states, tribal governments, and
various Federal agencies. Pollution affecting the air quality in Class
I areas can be transported over long distances, even hundreds of
kilometers. Therefore, effectively addressing the problem of visibility
impairment in Class I areas means that states need to develop
coordinated strategies that take into account the effect of emissions
from one jurisdiction on the air quality in another.
EPA has encouraged the states and tribes to address visibility
impairment from a regional perspective because the pollutants that lead
to regional haze can originate from sources located across broad
geographic areas. Five regional planning organizations (RPOs) were
developed to address regional haze and related issues. The RPOs first
evaluated technical information to better understand how their states
and tribes impact Class I areas across the country and then pursued the
development of regional strategies to reduce emissions of
PM2.5 and other pollutants that lead to regional haze.
The Midwest RPO (MRPO) is a collaborative effort of state
governments and various federal agencies established to initiate and
coordinate activities associated with the management of regional haze,
visibility and other air quality issues in the Midwest. The member
states are Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
III. What are the requirements for regional haze SIPs?
Regional haze SIPs must assure reasonable progress towards the
national goal of achieving natural visibility conditions in Class I
areas. Section 169A of the Clean Air Act and EPA's implementing
regulations require states to establish long term strategies for making
reasonable progress toward meeting this goal. States must also give
specific attention in their plans to certain stationary sources that
were in existence on August 7, 1977, but were not in operation before
August 7, 1962, and require those sources to install BART for reducing
visibility impairment. The specific regional haze SIP requirements are
discussed in further detail below.
A. Determination of Baseline, Natural, and Current Visibility
Conditions
The regional haze rule establishes the deciview (dv) as the
principal metric or unit for expressing visibility impairment. The
deciview is used in expressing reasonable progress goals, defining
baseline, current, and natural conditions, and tracking changes in
visibility. This visibility metric expresses uniform proportional
changes in haziness in terms of common increments across the entire
range of visibility conditions, from pristine to extremely hazy.
Visibility expressed in deciviews is determined by using air quality
measurements to estimate light extinction and then transforming the
value of light extinction using a logarithm function. The deciview is a
more useful measure for tracking progress in improving visibility than
light extinction itself because each deciview change is an equal
incremental change in visibility perceived by the human eye. Most
people can detect a change in visibility at one deciview. The preamble
to the regional haze rule provides additional details about the
deciview. 64 FR 35714 (July 1, 1999).
To track changes in visibility over time at each of the 156 Class I
areas covered by the visibility program (40 CFR 81.401-437) and as part
of the process for determining reasonable progress, states must
calculate the degree of existing visibility impairment at each Class I
area at the time of each regional haze SIP is submitted and at the
progress review every five years, midway through each 10-year
implementation period. The regional haze rule requires states with
Class I areas (Class I states) to determine the degree of impairment in
deciviews for the average of the 20 percent least impaired (best) and
20 percent most impaired (worst) visibility days over a specified time
period at each of its Class I areas. Each state must also develop an
estimate of natural visibility conditions for the purpose of comparing
progress toward the national goal. Natural visibility is determined by
estimating the natural concentrations of pollutants that cause
visibility impairment and then calculating total light extinction based
on those estimates. EPA has provided guidance to states regarding how
to calculate baseline, natural, and current visibility conditions in
documents titled Guidance for Estimating Natural Visibility Conditions
under the Regional Haze Rule, September 2003, (EPA-454/B-03-005 located
at https://www.epa.gov/ttncaaa1/t1/memoranda/rh_envcurhr_gd.pdf)
(hereinafter referred to as ``EPA's 2003 Natural Visibility Guidance'')
and Guidance for Tracking Progress Under the Regional Haze Rule (EPA-
454/B-03-004 September 2003 located at https://www.epa.gov/ttncaaa1/t1/memoranda/rh_tpurhr_gd.pdf)) (hereinafter referred to as ``EPA's 2003
Tracking Progress Guidance'').
For the first regional haze plans, the ``baseline visibility
conditions'' are the starting points for assessing ``current''
visibility impairment. Baseline visibility conditions represent the
degree of visibility impairment for the 20 percent best days and 20
percent worst days for each calendar year from 2000 to 2004. Using
monitoring data for 2000 through 2004, states are required to calculate
the average degree of visibility impairment for each Class I area,
based on the average of annual values over the five-year period. The
comparison of initial baseline visibility conditions to natural
visibility conditions indicates the amount of improvement necessary to
attain natural visibility, while comparisons of subsequent conditions
against baseline conditions will indicate the amount of progress made.
In general, the 2000 to 2004 baseline period is considered the time
from which improvement in visibility is measured.
B. Determination of Reasonable Progress Goals
The national goal of the regional haze rule is a return to natural
conditions such that anthropogenic sources of air pollution would no
longer impair visibility in Class I areas. The regional haze plans must
contain measures that ensure ``reasonable progress'' toward the
national goal of preventing and remedying visibility impairment in
Class I areas caused by anthropogenic air pollution. The vehicle for
ensuring continuing progress towards achieving the natural visibility
goal is the submission of a series of regional haze plans that for each
approximately 10-year implementation period establish two distinct
reasonable progress goals: one for the best days and one for the worst
days for every Class I area. The regional haze rule does not mandate
specific milestones or rates of progress, but instead calls for states
to establish goals that provide for ``reasonable progress'' toward
achieving natural visibility conditions. In setting reasonable progress
goals, a state with a mandatory Class I area (Class I state) must
provide for an improvement in visibility for the worst days over the
approximately 10-year period of the SIP and ensure no degradation in
visibility for the best days.
Class I states have significant discretion in establishing
reasonable progress goals, but in establishing a reasonable progress
goal for any mandatory Class I area are required to consider the
following factors
[[Page 46915]]
established in section 169A of the Clean Air Act and in EPA's regional
haze rule at 40 CFR 51.308(d)(1)(i)(A): (1) The costs of compliance;
(2) the time necessary for compliance; (3) the energy and non-air
quality environmental impacts of compliance; and (4) the remaining
useful life of any potentially affected sources. The Class I states
must demonstrate in their plans how they considered these factors when
selecting the reasonable progress goals for the best and worst days for
each Class I area. States have considerable flexibility in how they
take these factors into consideration, as noted in EPA's Guidance for
Setting Reasonable Progress Goals under the Regional Haze Program,
(``EPA's Reasonable Progress Guidance''), July 1, 2007 memorandum from
William L. Wehrum, Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and
Radiation, to EPA Regional Administrators, Regions 1-10 (pp.4-2, 5-1).
In setting the reasonable progress goals, states must also consider the
rate of progress needed to reach natural visibility conditions by 2064
(``uniform rate of progress'' or ``glide path'') and the emissions
reduction needed to achieve that rate of progress over the
approximately 10-year period of the regional haze plan. In setting
reasonable progress goals, each Class I state must also consult with
potentially contributing states, i.e. those states that may affect
visibility impairment at its Class I state's areas. 40 CFR
51.308(d)(1)(iv).
C. BART
Section 169A of the Clean Air Act directs states to evaluate the
use of retrofit controls at certain types of major stationary sources
to address visibility impacts from these sources. Specifically, Clean
Air Act section 169A(b)(2) and EPA's implementing regulations at 40 CFR
51.308(e) require states to revise their SIPs to contain such measures
as may be necessary to make reasonable progress towards the natural
visibility goal including a requirement that certain categories of
existing major stationary sources built between 1962 and 1977 procure,
install, and operate BART as determined by the state. The set of
``major stationary sources'' potentially subject to BART is listed in
Clean Air Act section 169A(g)(7).
On July 6, 2005, EPA published the Guidelines for BART
Determinations Under the Regional Haze Rule at Appendix Y to 40 CFR
Part 51 (BART Guidelines) to assist states in determining which of
their sources should be subject to the BART requirements and in
determining appropriate emission limits for each applicable source.
Section IV(F)(1) of the BART Guidelines provides that a state must use
the approach in the BART Guidelines in making a BART determination for
a fossil fuel-fired electric generating unit (EGU) with total
generating capacity in excess of 750 megawatts. States are encouraged,
but not required, to follow the BART Guidelines in making BART
determinations for other sources.
States must address all visibility-impairing pollutants emitted by
a source in the BART determination process. The most significant
visibility impairing pollutants are SO2, NOx, and PM. EPA
has stated that states should use their best judgment in determining
whether VOC or NH3 emissions impair visibility in Class I
areas.
States may select de minimis impact levels under the BART
Guidelines, below which a BART-eligible source may be considered to
have a small enough contribution to visibility impairment in any Class
I area to warrant being exempted from the BART requirement. The state
must document this exemption threshold value in the SIP and must state
the basis for its selection of that value. The exemption threshold set
by the state should not be higher than 0.5 dv. Any source with
emissions that model above the threshold value would be subject to a
BART determination review. The BART Guidelines acknowledge varying
circumstances affecting different Class I areas. States should consider
the number of emission sources affecting the Class I areas at issue and
the magnitude of each source's impact.
The state must document its BART control determination analyses. In
making BART determinations, section 169A(g)(2) of the Clean Air Act
requires the state to consider the following factors: (1) The costs of
compliance; (2) the energy and non-air quality environmental impacts of
compliance; (3) any existing pollution control technology in use at the
source; (4) the remaining useful life of the source; and (5) the degree
of improvement in visibility which may reasonably be anticipated to
result from the use of such technology.
A regional haze SIP must include source-specific BART emission
limits and compliance schedules for each source subject to BART. The
plan must require that BART controls be installed and placed in
operation as expeditiously as practicable, but no later than five years
after the date of EPA approval of the state's regional haze SIP. Clean
Air Act section 169A(g)(4); 40 CFR 51.308(e)(1)(iv). In addition to
what is required by the regional haze rule, general SIP requirements
mandate that the SIP must also include all regulatory requirements
related to monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting for the BART
controls on the source.
The regional haze rule also allows states to implement an
alternative program in lieu of BART if a state can demonstrate that the
alternative program will achieve greater progress toward the national
visibility goal than implementing BART controls. EPA made such a
demonstration for CAIR in regulations issued in 2005 which revised the
regional haze program. 70 FR 39104 (July 6, 2005). EPA's regulations
provided that states participating in the CAIR trading program under 40
CFR part 96 pursuant to an EPA-approved CAIR SIP or which remain
subject to the CAIR FIP in 40 CFR part 97 need not require affected
BART-eligible EGUs to install, operate, and maintain BART for emissions
of SO2 and NOX. 40 CFR 51.308(e)(4). CAIR is not
applicable to emissions of PM, so states were required to conduct a
BART analysis for PM emissions from EGUs subject to BART for that
pollutant.
However, in 2008, the United States Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia Circuit held that CAIR was inconsistent with the
requirements of the Clean Air Act and remanded the rule to EPA. See
North Carolina v. EPA, 550 F.3d 1176 (DC Cir. 2008). The Court left
CAIR in place until the Agency replaced it. Id. EPA replaced CAIR with
CSAPR in August 2011.
On June 7, 2012, EPA found that the trading programs in CSAPR would
achieve greater reasonable progress towards the national goal than
would be obtained by implementing BART for SO2 and
NOX for BART-subject EGUs in the area subject to the
Transport Rule. 77 FR 33642. Based on this finding, EPA revised the
regional haze plans of Michigan and other states to meet the
requirements of BART for SO2 and NOX for EGUs by
participation in the trading programs under the Transport Rule.
D. Long Term Strategy
Consistent with the requirement in section 169A(b) of the Clean Air
Act that states include in their regional haze SIP a 10- to 15-year
strategy for making reasonable progress, 51.308(d)(3) requires that
states include a long term strategy in their regional haze SIPs. The
long term strategy is the compilation of all control measures a state
will use during the implementation period of the specific SIP
submission to meet applicable reasonable progress goals. The long term
strategy must include enforceable emissions limitations,
[[Page 46916]]
compliance schedules, and other measures as necessary to achieve the
reasonable progress goals for all Class I areas within or affected by
emissions from the state. 40 CFR 51.308(d)(3).
The regional haze rule requires that, when a state's emissions are
reasonably anticipated to cause or contribute to visibility impairment
in a Class I area located in another state, the impacted state must
coordinate with the contributing states to develop coordinated
emissions management strategies. 40 CFR 51.308(d)(3)(i). In such cases,
the contributing state must demonstrate that it has included in its SIP
all measures necessary to obtain its share of the emission reductions
needed to meet the reasonable progress goals for the Class I area. The
RPOs have provided forums for significant interstate consultation, but
additional consultations between states may be required to address
interstate visibility issues sufficiently.
States should consider all types of anthropogenic sources of
visibility impairment in developing their long term strategies,
including stationary, minor, mobile, and area sources. At a minimum,
states must describe how they have taken each of the seven factors
listed below into account in developing their long term strategies. The
seven factors are: (1) Emission reductions due to ongoing air pollution
control programs, including measures to address RAVI; (2) measures to
mitigate the impacts of construction activities; (3) emissions
limitations and schedules for compliance to achieve the reasonable
progress goal; (4) source retirement and replacement schedules; (5)
smoke management techniques for agricultural and forestry management
purposes including plans as currently exist within the state for these
purposes; (6) enforceability of emissions limitations and control
measures; and (7) the anticipated net effect on visibility due to
projected changes in point, area, and mobile source emissions over the
period addressed by the long term strategy. 40 CFR 51.308(d)(3)(v).
E. Coordinating Regional Haze and RAVI
As part of the regional haze rule, EPA revised 40 CFR 51.306(c),
regarding the long term strategy for RAVI, to require that the RAVI
plan must provide for a periodic review and SIP revision not less
frequently than every three years until the date of submission of the
state's first plan addressing regional haze visibility impairment in
accordance with 40 CFR 51.308(b) and (c). The state must revise its
plan to provide for review and revision of a coordinated long term
strategy for addressing RAVI and regional haze on or before this date.
It must also submit the first such coordinated long term strategy with
its first regional haze SIP. Future coordinated long term strategies,
and periodic progress reports evaluating progress towards reasonable
progress goals, must be submitted consistent with the schedule for SIP
submission and periodic progress reports set forth in 40 CFR 51.308(f)
and 51.308(g), respectively. The periodic review of a state's long term
strategy must be submitted to EPA as a SIP revision and report on both
regional haze and RAVI impairment.
F. Monitoring Strategy and Other Implementation Plan Requirements
The regional haze rule at 40 CFR 51.308(d)(4) includes the
requirement for a monitoring strategy for measuring, characterizing,
and reporting of regional haze visibility impairment that is
representative of all mandatory Class I Federal areas within the state.
The strategy must be coordinated with the monitoring strategy required
in 40 CFR 51.305 for RAVI. Compliance with this requirement may be met
through participation in the IMPROVE network, meaning that the state
reviews and uses monitoring data from the network. The monitoring
strategy must also provide for additional monitoring sites if the
IMPROVE network is not sufficient to determine whether reasonable
progress goals will be met. The monitoring strategy is due with the
first regional haze SIP and it must be reviewed every five years.
The SIP must also provide for the following:
Procedures for using monitoring data and other information
in a state with mandatory Class I areas to determine the contribution
of emissions from within the state to regional haze visibility
impairment at Class I areas both within and outside the state;
Procedures for using monitoring data and other information
in a state with no mandatory Class I areas to determine the
contribution of emissions from within that state to regional haze
visibility impairment at Class I areas in other states;
Reporting of all visibility monitoring data to the
Administrator at least annually for each Class I area in the state, and
where possible in electronic format;
A statewide inventory of emissions of pollutants that are
reasonably anticipated to cause or contribute to visibility impairment
in any Class I area. The inventory must include emissions for a
baseline year, emissions for the most recent year with available data,
and future projected emissions. A state must also make a commitment to
update the inventory periodically; and
Other elements including reporting, recordkeeping, and
other measures necessary to assess and report on visibility.
The regional haze rule at 40 CFR 51.308(f) requires that states
submit control strategies to cover an initial implementation period
extending to the year 2018, with a comprehensive reassessment and
revision addressing the core requirements of section 51.308(d) (not
including BART) every 10 years thereafter. The requirement to evaluate
sources for BART applies only to the first regional haze SIP.
Facilities subject to BART must continue to comply with the BART
provisions of section 51.308(e). Periodic SIP revisions will assure
that the statutory requirement of reasonable progress will continue to
be met.
G. Consultation With States and Federal Land Managers
The regional haze rule requires that states consult with Federal
Land Managers (FLMs) before adopting and submitting their SIPs. 40 CFR
51.308(i). States must provide FLMs an opportunity for consultation, in
person and at least 60 days prior to holding any public hearing on the
SIP. This consultation must include the opportunity for the FLMs to
discuss their assessment of impairment of visibility in any Class I
area and to offer recommendations on the development of the reasonable
progress goals and on the development and implementation of strategies
to address visibility impairment. Further, a state must include in its
SIP a description of how it addressed any comments provided by the
FLMs. Finally, a SIP must provide procedures for continuing
consultation between the state and FLMs regarding the state's
visibility protection program, including development and review of SIP
revisions, five-year progress reports, and the implementation of other
programs having the potential to contribute to impairment of visibility
in Class I areas.
IV. What is EPA's analysis of Michigan's regional haze plan?
Michigan submitted its regional haze plan on November 5, 2010,
which included requested revisions to the Michigan SIP to address
regional haze.
A. Class I Areas
States are required to address regional haze affecting Class I
areas within a
[[Page 46917]]
state and in Class I areas outside the state that may be affected by
that state's emissions. 40 CFR 51.308(d). Michigan has two Class I
areas, Isle Royal National Park and the Seney Wilderness Area, within
the state. Michigan is responsible for developing a regional haze plan
that addresses these Class I areas and for consulting with states that
affect its areas as well as for addressing its impact on Class I areas
in other states.
Michigan reviewed technical analyses conducted by MRPO and other
RPOs to determine what Class I areas outside the state are affected by
Michigan emission sources. MRPO conducted both a back trajectory
analysis and modeling to determine the effects of its states'
emissions. Michigan also used assessments by MANE-VU, the regional
planning organization for Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. The
conclusion from these technical analyses is that Michigan emissions
affect five Class I areas outside Michigan. These affected Class I
areas are: Acadia National Park and Moosehorn Wilderness Area in Maine;
Great Gulf Wilderness Area in New Hampshire; Brigantine Wilderness Area
in New Jersey; and the Lye Brook Wilderness Area in Vermont. Michigan
has thereby satisfied the requirement to identify the Class I areas it
affects.
B. Baseline, Current, and Natural Conditions
The regional haze rule requires Class I states to determine the
baseline, current, and natural conditions for their Class I areas. This
information defines the rate of visibility improvement that would
represent linear progress toward elimination of anthropogenic
visibility impairment by 2064, also known as the uniform rate of
progress, and helps the states define their reasonable progress goals.
Natural background visibility is estimated by calculating the
expected light extinction using estimates of natural concentrations of
pollutants adjusted by an estimate of humidity. EPA allows states to
use either an original IMPROVE algorithm or a refined IMPROVE
algorithm. Michigan used the refined IMPROVE algorithm.
Data from 2000 to 2004 were used to calculate the impairment on the
20 percent best and 20 percent worst visibility days at Isle Royale
National Park and Seney Wilderness Area. The goal of the regional haze
program is to achieve natural conditions by 2064. Table 1 shows the
baseline conditions and natural conditions that Michigan determined for
both Isle Royale and Seney for both the 20 percent most impaired days
and the 20 percent least impaired days, as well as showing the
calculation of the visibility that would be achieved by 2018 under the
scenario of achieving the targeted uniform rate of progress.
Table 1--Baseline, Natural, and Linear Progress Visibility Values
------------------------------------------------------------------------
20 percent most impaired visibility Isle Royale Seney
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseline conditions..................... 21.59 dv 23.37 dv.
Natural conditions...................... 12.36 dv 12.65 dv.
Difference.............................. 9.23 dv 11.50 dv.
Annual difference with linear progress.. 0.15 dv 0.19 dv.
2018 value with linear progress......... 19.43 dv 21.64 dv.
20 percent least impaired days .............. ..............
Baseline conditions..................... 6.77 dv 7.14 dv.
Natural conditions...................... 3.72 dv 3.73 dv.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michigan does not expect degradation of the visibility on 20
percent best days, so no calculation is needed as the 2018 goals match
the baseline. EPA's Reasonable Progress Guidance states that the
uniform rate of progress is not a presumptive target for the reasonable
progress goal. Class I states can set the reasonable progress goal at
the uniform rate of progress or it can set the reasonable progress goal
at greater or lesser visibility impairment.
C. Reasonable Progress Goals
Class I states must set reasonable progress goals that achieve
reasonable progress toward achieving natural visibility conditions.
Michigan consulted with Class I states on the development of reasonable
progress goals through its participation in MRPO. MRPO facilitated
consultations with other Midwest states and with states in other
regions through inter-RPO process. By coordinating with the MRPO and
other RPOs, Michigan has worked to ensure that it achieves its fair
share of overall emission reductions necessary to achieve the
reasonable progress goals of Class I areas that it affects, including
Isle Royale and Seney Wilderness Area.
Michigan, the MRPO, and the Northern Class I consultation group
worked together to establish reasonable progress goals. These groups
first identified and prioritized sources that contribute to the worst
visibility days and to establish the relative visibility impairment
affects. The group determined that the priority emission sources are
SO2 point sources, NOX from both point and
mobiles sources, and ammonia from agricultural operations. EC/R,
Incorporated (ECR), a contractor for the MRPO, further evaluated these
sources on a three-state and nine-state basis. Michigan identified
regional SO2 emissions from EGUs as a key contributor to
visibility impairment for Isle Royale National Park and Seney
Wilderness Area. Michigan's regional haze plan identified the top ten
contributing in-state sources to visibility impairment at Isle Royale
and at Seney based on modeling and on the ratio of emissions to
distance (``Q/d''). (See Tables 10.3.2.a and 10.3.2.b in Michigan's
submittal, addressing Isle Royale and Seney, respectively.) Michigan
also provided list of the top 30 facilities, including facilities both
within and outside the state, ranked according to their impacts on Isle
Royale and Seney. (See Tables 10.3.2.c and 10.3.2.d in Michigan's
submittal, addressing Isle Royale and Seney, respectively.)
The second step of the process was to identify control options for
the priority sources. Michigan, the MRPO, and the Northern Class I
consultation group identified existing control measures including CAIR,
BART, Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards, on-road
mobile source programs, and non-road mobile source programs. MRPO
examined different potential control scenarios, including two control
levels for EGUs and two control levels for industrial, commercial, and
institutional (ICI) boilers.
The third step of the process was to assess the effect of existing
control programs on priority sources. The impact of existing programs
is discussed
[[Page 46918]]
in the ECR report. Table 2, below, replicated from Table 10.3.2.e. of
Michigan's haze plan, which in turn used results from the ECR report,
indicates results of the four factors for already existing controls.
Table 2--Summary of Michigan's Four-Factor Analysis of On-the-Books Controls
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Factor 1 Factor 2
Factor 3 Factor 4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cost effectiveness Percent emission reductions from
Control strategy................ ($/ton)................. 2002 baseline in 2018
Percent emission reductions from 2002 ................. Solid waste .................
baseline at full implementation Energy........... produced (1000 Remaining useful
tons/yr) life.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAIR and other cap-trade $720-$2,600............. 3-state SO2: 13%.............. 3-state SO2: 47% 4.5% of total 2,383............ The IPM model
programs (e.g., acid rain, NOX NOX: 75%.............. NOX: 75%.............. energy consumed. projects that 53
SIP call. 9-state SO2: 34%.............. 9-state SO2: 48%.............. units will retire
NOX: 79%.............. NOX: 80%.............. by 2018.
BART: Based on Company BART $248-$1,770.............
analyses from MN and ND for non-
EGUs.
Combustion MACTs................ $1,477-$7,611........... 9-state SO2: 10%.............. 9-state SO2: 10%
NOX: 5%............... NOX: 5%...............
Highway vehichle programs....... $1,300-$2,300........... 3-state NOX: 83%.............. 3-state NOX: 83%..............
9-state SO2: 80%.............. 9-state SO2: 80%..............
Nonroad mobile sources.......... ($1,000)-$1,000......... 3-state NOX: 39%.............. 3-state NOX: 39%.............. 350 MM gallons of
fuel saved.
9-state SO2: 27%.............. 9-state SO2: 27%..............
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 3, replicated from Table 10.3.2.f of Michigan's submittal,
shows the change in deciview predicted from already existing controls,
including CAIR.
Table 3--Comparison of the Uniform Rate of Progress (URP) in 2018 With Projected Impacts for Existing Controls
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated visibility impairment on the 20% worst visibility
days (deciviews) \a\
---------------------------------------------------------------
Boundary Isle Royale Seney
waters Voyageurs Nat'l Park Wilderness
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseline conditions (2000-2004)................. 19.86 19.48 21.62 24.48
Projected conditions in 2018 with on-the-books 18.94 19.18 20.04 22.38
controls \b\...................................
Net change...................................... 0.92 0.30 1.58 2.1
Glide path/URP.................................. 17.7 17.56 19.21 21.35
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a\ The baseline condition values reflect the recent adjustments proposed by the Midwest RPO to include several
missing days. The adjusted values are, on average, less than 0.5 dv greater than those provided on the IMPROVE
Web site.
\b\ Based on CAMX modeling by the MRPO. These modeling analyses used preliminary estimates of the impacts of
BART controls, which are generally larger than the impacts estimated in industry BART analyses.
The fourth step of the process is to evaluate which control options
may be reasonable for priority sources. Again, many of the sources were
evaluated in the ECR report. The northern Class I areas Consultation
Group further considered the MRPO EGU scenario with limits on EGU
emissions of 0.15 pounds per million British Thermal Units (/
MMBTU) for SO2 and 0.10 /MMBTU for NOX
by 2013 and the ICI boiler option with a 40 percent reduction in
SO2 emissions and a 60 percent reduction in NOX
emissions by 2013. In order to realize significant visibility
improvement at Michigan's two Class I areas, EGUs are clearly the top
priority source category for both NOX and SO2
control. Since all EGUs were subject to CAIR, Michigan concluded that
no further controls on EGUs should be considered reasonable for
purposes of reasonable progress at this time. By separate rulemaking,
published June 7, 2012, at 77 FR 33642, EPA has promulgated a revision
to Michigan's plan to include the reductions of CSAPR in the state's
long term strategy, for reasonable progress as well as for BART
purposes.
A number of non-EGU facilities also have significant impact on
Michigan's two Class I areas, as identified in its plan. These
facilities are subject to BART analysis, and Michigan has evaluate them
to determine if additional controls represent BART. Those ICI boilers
not addressed by BART may eventually be controlled further. Michigan,
in conjunction with other MRPO states and a number of Northeast states,
evaluated reasonable control levels for ICI boilers but concluded that
regulation of these sources by individual states would be relatively
ineffective in the absence of a regional program addressing the
emissions of ICI boilers across much of the eastern United States.
However, Michigan's plan takes into account the reductions anticipated
from other Federal control measures such as Tier II mobile source
standards, heavy-duty diesel engine standards, low sulfur fuel, and
non-road mobile sources control programs.
The final step of the process to determine the reasonable progress
goals was to compare the control strategies to the uniform rate of
progress. The computation of visibility levels that would be achieved
by 2018 with linear progress toward the goal of no anthropogenic
visibility impairment by 2064 is described above. Michigan included all
control measures believed to be reasonable and compared the resulting
visibility improvement to the uniform rate of progress. Michigan set
the reasonable progress goals for Isle Royale at 20.86 dv for the worst
20 percent of days and 6.76 dv for the best 20 percent of days in 2018.
This annual 0.05 dv improvement rate would lead to achieving natural
conditions on the worst 20 percent of days by 2181. The 2018 reasonable
progress goal for Isle Royale provides less improvement than the linear
progress benchmark of 19.21
[[Page 46919]]
dv. Michigan determined that the reasonable progress goals for Seney
Wilderness Area are 23.58 dv for the worst 20 percent of days and 7.78
dv for the best 20 percent of days in 2018. Projecting this 0.06 dv per
year improvement into the future yields Voyageurs reaching natural
conditions on the worst 20 percent of days in 2209. As was the case for
Seney Wilderness Area, the 2018 reasonable progress goal for Voyageurs
provides less improvement than the linear progress benchmark of 21.35
dv. Nevertheless, Michigan considers the reasonable progress goals to
reflect an appropriate visibility improvement based on implementation
of a reasonable set of measures. Michigan detailed potential controls
in Chapter 10 of its regional haze plan.
Michigan consulted with other states to determine which other
states' emissions contribute to visibility impairment in Michigan's
Class I areas. The consultation also allowed Michigan to determine that
in addition to contributions from its own sources, emissions from
sources in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and North Dakota
contribute to visibility impairment at Michigan's Class I areas, Isle
Royale National Park and Seney Wilderness Area. Michigan identified the
contributing states from MRPO's 2018 modeling-based source
apportionment analysis. Other analyses from CENRAP and MRPO support the
contribution determination. The pollutants and sources affecting Isle
Royale National Park and Seney Wilderness Area are detailed in Chapter
10 of the Michigan's regional haze plan.
Michigan consulted with the FLMs during the development of its
regional haze plan. Michigan sent several drafts of its regional haze
SIP for comments to the FLMs between 2007 and May 2010, prior to the
public hearing held on June 29, 2010. In response to this solicitation,
Michigan received comments from the FLMs and from EPA Region 5. A
summary of the comments and Michigan's responses are included in
Appendix 2A of its submittal. Michigan has committed to continue to
consult with the FLMs as it develops future SIP revisions and progress
reports.
Michigan participated in meetings and conference calls with
affected Class I states and RPOs. Michigan consulted with Minnesota on
their Class I areas. Michigan also participated in MRPO's inter-RPO
consultations and MANE-VU. MANE-VU, the RPO for the northeastern
states, facilitated consultation between Michigan and Maine, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, and Vermont.
Michigan also participated in the northern Class I area
consultation process as part of the process to establish a long term
strategy for regional haze. This consultation process included the
states of Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois,
Indiana, and Missouri and representatives from other governments, such
as the Ontario Ministry of Environment and tribes including the Leech
Lake Band of Ojibwe, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Fond du Lac Band of
Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage Band of Chippewa, Upper/Lower
Sioux, and Huron Potawatomi. The consultation process also included
representatives from federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of
the Interior National Park Service and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture Forest Service, as well as representatives from the EPA.
Michigan included the MRPO regional haze technical support document
(TSD) in its submission. In Section 5 of the TSD, MRPO assessed the
reasonable progress using the four factors required by 40 CFR 51.308(d)
the regional haze rule, specifically, the cost of compliance, time
needed for compliance, energy and non-air impacts, and remaining useful
life.
In analyzing the visibility benefits of existing programs, MRPO
considered existing on-highway mobile source, off-highway mobile
source, area source, power plant, and other point source programs. MRPO
also included reductions from the since vacated CAIR in its analysis.
Following the court vacatur of CAIR, MRPO performed an additional
analysis intended to project air quality in the absence of CAIR. MRPO
projected visibility in 2018 under three scenarios in this analysis.
The first scenario reflected simple emissions growth from a baseline
that reflects power plant emissions in 2007, prior to most of the
emission controls pursuant to CAIR being installed. The second scenario
added reductions for power plants controls that are enforceable under
federal or state consent decrees, permits, or rules. The final scenario
also added power plant controls that the utilities anticipated
installing, presumably under the expectation that EPA would issue a
rule to replace CAIR, plus power plant controls representing BART where
applicable.
Michigan believes that implementation of the existing control
measures listed in section 10 of its regional haze plan is expected to
provide its fair share of emission reductions that should allow
affected Class I areas to meet the reasonable progress goals. However,
CAIR is one of the existing control measures and the MRPO analysis
shows emission reductions equivalent to the scale of CAIR are needed to
meet reasonable progress goals. On the other hand, EPA rulemaking
published June 7, 2012, at 77 FR 33642, EPA promulgated provisions
incorporating CSAPR into Michigan's SIP. EPA believes that with CSAPR
providing the reductions that Michigan expects to obtain from CAIR,
Michigan's long term strategy can in fact be expected to achieve the
state-adopted reasonable progress goals that Michigan established.
Furthermore, EPA proposes to agree with Michigan's conclusion, based on
a review of the four factors, that the state's plan includes a
reasonable set of measures that provide its appropriate share of
reductions toward achieving reasonable progress goals.
D. BART
Michigan developed rules that describe the process for determining
BART and the applicability provisions. See Appendix 9A of regional haze
plan. Michigan conducted a BART analysis using the criteria in the BART
Guidance at 40 CFR 51.308(e) and 40 CFR 51 appendix Y to identify all
of the BART-eligible sources, assess whether the BART-eligible sources
are subject to BART and determine the BART controls. These criteria to
determine BART eligibility are: (1) The emissions unit fits within one
of the 26 categories listed in the BART Guidelines; (2) the emissions
unit was in existence prior to August 7, 1962, but was not in operation
before August 7, 1962; and (3) the total potential emissions of any
visibility-impairing pollutant from the subject units at a stationary
source are 250 tons or more per year.
Michigan relied on CAIR to satisfy BART requirements for EGUs for
SO2 and NOX. Furthermore, a modeling analysis
demonstrated that particulate matter impacts from EGUs at Class I areas
were insignificant and did not warrant further control. Therefore,
Michigan's assessment of sources subject to BART focused on non-EGUs.
Using available source emissions and construction date information,
Michigan identified 35 non-EGU facilities that were potentially subject
to BART.
Michigan worked with MRPO to perform source-specific analyses with
CALPUFF model to determine the sources subject to BART. MRPO conferred
with its states, EPA, and the FLMs in developing its BART modeling
protocol. Consistent with EPA guidance, the state used a 0.5 dv impact
(98th percentile) as the threshold for a source to contribute to
visibility impairment,
[[Page 46920]]
concluding that such a threshold provided an appropriate means of
identifying which sources cause sufficient visibility impairment to
warrant being subject to BART. By this means, Michigan identified the
following six non-EGU sources subject to BART: Lafarge Midwest, Inc.;
Smurfit Stone Container Corp.; St. Mary's Cement; New Page Paper;
Tilden Mining Co.; and Empire Mining Company. More detail on Michigan's
BART determinations is provided in appendix 9 of Michigan's regional
haze plan.
Subsequent to Michigan's identification of sources subject to BART
requirements, Empire Mining provided new information that it had
permanently shut down one furnace. With the resulting lower emissions,
modeling for Empire Mining showed that the facility does not exceed the
0.5 dv threshold BART level. Therefore, Michigan concluded that this
facility is no longer subject to BART.
EPA's review of Michigan's analysis concluded that Michigan applied
appropriate analyses based on appropriate criteria for identifying
sources subject to BART.
The five non-EGU BART-eligible sources include two Portland cement
plants, one taconite plant, and two paper products plants. Table 9.2.d
of Michigan's regional haze plan includes a summary of the BART
analysis submitted by the sources and Michigan's evaluation of
potential BART options and proposed BART control strategies. More
detailed information of BART controls and analysis submitted by the
sources can be found in appendices 9C through 9J of Michigan's plan.
The following discussion reviews Michigan's proposed BART
determinations for these five sources.
(1) Lafarge Midwest, Inc.
Lafarge Midwest, Inc. is a cement plant located in Alpena,
Michigan. The BART subject emission units include five Portland cement
manufacturing kilns: EU-KILN 19, EU-KILN 20, and EU-KILN 21 are part of
Kiln Group 5 (KG 5); EU-KILN 22 and EU-KILN 23 are part of Kiln Group 6
(KG 6).
On March 18, 2010, Lafarge entered into a Global Settlement/Consent
Decree (hereinafter Consent Decree) with the EPA and Michigan to reduce
NOX and SO2 emissions at the Alpena facility
along with other Lafarge facilities in the United States.
The emission controls required by the Consent Decree include
selective noncatalytic reduction (SNCR) for Kiln Groups KG 5 and KG 6
for NOX control. For SO2 control, wet scrubbers
for kiln group KG 6 and a Dry Absorption Addition system for Kiln Group
KG 5 are required. These controls are consistent with the BART
Guidelines to control visibility impairing pollutants (NOX
and SO2) emissions. An additional control not included in
the BART analysis but agreed to in the Consent Decree is the Dry
Absorption Addition system for SO2 controls on KG 5.
Michigan includes all controls contained in the Consent Decree,
including the Dry Absorption Addition system, as part of the BART
controls.
The Lafarge Alpena facility will reduce NOX and
SO2 according to the schedule and conditions given in the
Consent Decree (see Appendix 9D). Beginning January 1, 2011, Lafarge
was required to maintain an interim, facility-wide, 12-month rolling
tonnage limit for NOX of 8,650 tons per year and
SO2 at 13,100 tons per year. The final emission limits will
be established according to the Consent Decree ``Control Technology
Demonstration Requirements,'' as given in the Appendix of the Consent
Decree. The control technology demonstration describes in detail a
stepwise emission control optimization program to establish the 30-day
rolling average emission limits for NOX and SO2
at individual affected kilns. Additional requirements include a
demonstration phase, facility-wide, 12-month rolling average
NOX emission limit of 4.89 pounds of NOX per ton
of clinker and an SO2 emission limit of 3.68 pounds of
SO2 per ton of clinker. The demonstration phase limit will
be followed by a period of testing of control efficiency and
subsequently establish a 30-day rolling average limit for both
NOX and SO2 to be calculated at the end of each
24-hour period.
In accordance with Regional Haze Rule, BART for PM emission was
determined to be equivalent to the Portland Cement MACT, which
regulates PM as a surrogate for hazardous air pollutants. Lafarge has
emission controls (baghouses) in place to control hazardous air
pollutants and thereby meets both the MACT requirements and the BART
requirement for PM.
EPA is proposing to approve the requirements established in the
Consent Decree, requiring reductions in NOX and
SO2 emissions at the Lafarge Midwest, Inc. facility located
in Alpena, as satisfying BART requirements for these pollutants. In
addition, EPA is satisfied that the PM MACT represents BART for PM, and
approves a PM limit of 0.03 pounds per ton of dry feed as BART at kilns
in KG5 and KG6.
(2) Smurfit Stone Container Corporation (SSCC)
SSCC was a paper products plant located in Ontonagon, Michigan. The
only BART subject emission unit at the facility was the Riley Boiler
1 (EUBR 1).
Subsequent to Michigan's determination of BART for this facility,
the facility has been demolished. Any effort to reconstruct this
facility would require a new source permit. Therefore, this facility
cannot restart operation without implementing BART. Consequently, it is
now moot whether Michigan's BART determination for this facility would
have satisfied the BART requirement.
(3) St. Mary's Cement
St. Mary's Cement operates a Portland cement kiln and associated
material handling equipment in Charlevoix, Michigan. In addition to
operating an on-site quarry and stone crushing operation, the company
operates a kiln system that includes a pre-heater and pre-calciner. In
2006, the company installed an indirect firing system to reduce fuel
requirements and to reduce emissions of NOX and
SO2.
A consultant prepared and submitted to Michigan a report analyzing
several control alternatives for this facility. Based on its review of
this report, provided in Appendix 9E of its submittal to EPA, Michigan
concluded that BART reflected no further control of this facility.
Moreover, Michigan concluded that existing limits suffice to require
this level of control.
As discussed above, a full analysis of BART involves evaluation of
five factors. These factors include: (1) The costs of compliance; (2)
the energy and non-air quality environmental impacts of compliance; (3)
any existing pollution control technology in use at the source; (4) the
remaining useful life of the source; and (5) the degree of improvement
in visibility which may reasonably be anticipated to result from the
use of such technology.
EPA has identified several deficiencies in the evaluation of BART
for St. Mary's Cement in Michigan's plan, most notably with respect to
the evaluation of the costs and benefits of installing equipment for
SNCR. These deficiencies include:
--Use of a 10-year projection of equipment life, rather than 15 or 20
years, resulting in overly rapid amortization of the cost of control
equipment;
--Inclusion of costs associated with production losses from system
clogging that the company expects to
[[Page 46921]]
result from introduction of urea, based on a presumption that the
company will fail to solve this problem;
--Underestimation of the emission reductions that can be expected from
an improved SNCR;
--Overestimation of the costs of urea; and
--Overestimation of the costs of electricity.
These issues are discussed in greater length in a May 24, 2012
letter from Douglas Aburano, Chief of the Attainment Planning and
Maintenance Section of EPA Region 5, to Vincent Hellwig, Chief of the
Air Quality Control Division of the Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality. The following table summarizes values that the
consultant for St. Mary's Cement used in its cost-benefit analysis and
the corresponding values that EPA used to assess whether SNCR is likely
to be cost-effective at this facility.
Table 4--Parameters for Evaluating Cost-Effectiveness of SNCR at St. Mary's Cement-Charlevoix
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parameter Consultant value EPA value Comments
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clean-out costs.................. $968,000/yr. lost Capital: $685,815....... EPA estimates 50% more
production. Labor/materials $19,458. capital, twice labor/
materials.
Urea............................. $1,440,000............... $458,167................ Assumes 0.31 moles urea/
mole NOX, $450/ton
urea.
Capital amortization............. 10-year life, 7% interest 15-20 year life, 7%
(0.14). interest (0.11 to
0.0944) .*
Overhead......................... $883,264 (60% of $0...................... EPA's Control Cost
material, labor). Manual finds overhead
minimal.
Emission Reduction............... 524 tons/year (10% of 1259 tons/year (50% of
baseline). 2006 to 2008
emissions).
Electricity...................... $45,990 (100kW for 6570 $28,000 (Average of 100
hrs/yr). kW for 4000 hrs/yr).
Maintenance (Labor, materials)... $17,512.................. $35,540................. EPA assumes twice normal
maintenance.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Letter to Michigan estimated cost effectiveness based on 15-year life of control equipment, but EPA believes
that amortization over 15 to 20 years is appropriate.
In summary, the consultant for St. Mary's Cement assigned very high
costs for lost production resulting from material buildup, very high
costs for overhead, and low efficiency of NOX emission
control. The consultant estimated that the annualized cost of
NOX emission reduction would be $7,568 per ton. Based on the
revised cost parameters summarized above, EPA finds that the annualized
cost per ton of NOX emission reduction is likely to be
between $920 and $980. (This range reflects a range of estimates of
equipment life, amortizing the capital expense over between 15 and 20
years.)
Much of the consultant's discussion of SNCR that is included in
Michigan's plan asserts that use of SNCR at this facility would cause
buildup of ammonium bisulfite scale and would cause various expenses
that would make operation of SNCR overly expensive. Most notably, the
consultant asserts that use of SNCR would result in material buildup
that would require periodic cleaning necessitating kiln downtime and
lost production. The consultant also observes that ``air cannons''
currently in use to remove buildup could be supplemented, at
considerable expense, but the consultant asserts that this approach
would likely have limited effectiveness in reducing the need for full
kiln shutdowns for cleaning purposes.
EPA addressed these concerns in its May 24, 2012, letter to
Michigan. EPA noted that ``SNCR has been successfully demonstrated at
many cement plants across the country, which suggests that solutions to
this problem are readily available.'' EPA listed some of the options
for addressing this problem, including redesign for improved airflow,
use of enhanced pneumatic cleaning or other cleaning approaches, and
use of more concentrated urea (with less water content), and concluded
that the success in operating SNCR at other plants indicates that SNCR
can be successfully be operated at reasonable cost at this plant.
Indeed, EPA's review finds that SNCR can be installed and operated at
reasonable cost even if one assumes additional expense in installation
and operation for addressing material buildup issues beyond the
expenses currently incurred by the company addressing these issues.
EPA has reassessed the above five factors for evaluating whether
SNCR constitutes BART for the St. Mary's Cement Charlevoix facility.
EPA finds that the facility can install and operate SNCR at reasonable
cost. No energy or non-air quality environmental impacts influence this
choice of control options. The design of the kiln system, which
includes an indirect firing system that reduces the NOX
emissions from the kiln, would be well complemented by installation and
operation of SNCR. The facility is expected to have sufficient
remaining useful life to assume that the cost of installing SNCR may be
amortized over 15 to 20 years. While the Michigan plan does not
estimate the visibility improvement that would result from installation
and operation of SNCR, the plan estimates the overall impact of the
plant is 3.8 dv, from which EPA conservatively estimates that SNCR
would improve visibility by at least 0.4 dv. (This estimate reflects an
assumption that half of the overall plant impact is due to
NOX emissions. This estimate also reflects an assumption
that baseline NOX emissions used in estimating the plant's
impact were 5,741 tons per year, though the report in Michigan's SIP
also suggests that the impact analysis may reflect a substantially
lower NOX emission rate, which would indicate that the
benefits of SNCR would be much greater.)
EPA also reviewed the determination of BART for this facility with
respect to SO2. Based on CEMS data for 2006 to 2008, the
average SO2 emission rate at this facility is 3.02 pounds
per ton of clinker. The Michigan SIP does not clearly limit
SO2 emissions from this facility, though a construction
permit limits annual emissions to 4,404 tons per year and 550 tons per
30 days, which, at 2006 to 2008 average production rates are equivalent
to 7.9 pounds and 12.0 pounds of SO2 per ton of clinker,
respectively. The company states that a lower emission limit should not
be considered BART because the BART limits should accommodate higher
sulfur-bearing raw materials in
[[Page 46922]]
the company's quarry than are presently being used.
Michigan's plan includes a consultant's analysis of both wet and
dry flue gas desulfurization. This analysis fails to annualize
equipment costs, and instead computes cost effectiveness by adding the
entire capital costs for equipment and installation plus the costs of
one year's operation, then dividing by one year's emission reduction.
Using the consultant's cost estimates but amortizing the capital costs
over a 20-year period (assuming an interest rate of 7 percent) suggests
costs per ton of $3,500 for dry flue gas desulfurization and $4,500 per
ton for wet flue gas desulfurization.
EPA proposes to find that no additional control equipment
constitutes BART for SO2 under current conditions. However,
if the company, as it contemplates, uses raw materials with higher
sulfur content, then the cost-benefit ratio for control would improve,
potentially to the point where installation of emission control
equipment is warranted.
Based on review of these factors, EPA concludes that BART at St.
Mary's Cement's Charlevoix facility includes installation and operation
of SNCR and a more stringent tighter limit on emissions of
SO2. EPA concludes as a result that Michigan's plan fails to
require BART at this facility. Therefore, EPA proposes to disapprove
Michigan's plan with respect to BART.
In a notice published January 15, 2009, at 74 FR 2392, EPA notified
Michigan of a failure to submit a timely plan for regional haze.
Consequently, under Clean Air Act section 110(c), in the absence of a
state plan meeting pertinent requirements, EPA is to promulgate FIP
provisions meeting the requirements. EPA is proposing Federal limits in
this action to address the BART requirement for St. Mary's Cement's
Charlevoix facility. These limits are discussed in a subsequent section
of this preamble.
(4) NewPage Paper
NewPage Paper owns and operates a paper mill in Escanaba, Michigan,
a facility that is permitted by the State as Escanaba Paper. The
largest boiler at the facility was not constructed during the time
period for BART eligibility, but several other boilers and other
operations at the plant are subject to the requirement for BART.
Michigan's plan includes a review prepared by the company's consultant
that concluded that existing controls constitute BART and that existing
limits suffice to require these controls.
EPA's review focused on the largest of these sources, namely Boiler
8 and Boiler 9. Boiler 8 has historically been fired with both natural
gas and residual oil, but in the past few years the boiler has only
used natural gas. Boiler 9 is a stoker boiler that predominantly fires
wood bark generated at the plant. Since the fuels firing these boilers
have minimal sulfur content, the SO2 emissions from these
boilers are insignificant. State rules limit the NOX
emissions of boiler 8 during the ozone season (defined as May 1 to
September 30), with a limit of 0.2 /MMBTU when firing gas and
0.40 /MMBTU when firing residual oil. However, these rules are
not part of the Michigan SIP, and Michigan did not submit these rules
as part of its regional haze plan submittal. Boiler 8 has no state or
Federal NOX emission limits for the rest of the year, and
Boiler 9, being predominantly wood-fired, has no state or Federal
NOX emission limits at any time.
The emission profiles of these two boilers have changed
significantly since 2002. Boiler 8, besides becoming predominantly
fired with natural gas, has been used much less in recent years than in
prior years, which, in combination with a modest reduction in emissions
per million BTU, resulted in the boiler's NOX emissions
declining from an average of 135 tons per year in 2002 to 2004 to an
average of 40 tons per year in 2010 to 2011. Boiler 9 had relatively
steady usage throughout this period, but modifications to the boiler's
overfire air system in 2006 resulted in the boiler's NOX
emissions declining from a 2002 to 2004 average of 836 tons per year to
a 2010 to 2011 average of 250 tons per year.
EPA identified several concerns with the Michigan submittal's
analysis of costs and benefits of emission controls at these two
boilers. The submittal, reflecting the analysis by the company's
contractor, appears to overestimate likely costs of installing
controls, fails to evaluate design changes such as the improved
overfire air design implemented at Boiler 9, and assumes overly short
control equipment life (thereby amortizing control costs over an
inappropriately short period).
More importantly, as noted above, Michigan's plan includes no
limits on emissions from these two boilers; indeed, the plan does not
even include the limits in state rules that apply to Boiler 8 during
the ozone season. Therefore, notwithstanding the emission reductions
that have occurred at the key BART units at NewPage Paper's Escanaba
facility, Michigan's plan does not include any limits that mandate any
reductions at these boilers. Therefore, EPA believes that Michigan's
plan fails to require BART for these two boilers.
Michigan identified several other units at NewPage Paper that are
subject to a requirement for BART, including the Number 10 recovery
furnace, a lime kiln, and the smelt dissolving tank. EPA concurs with
Michigan's conclusion that these other units do not require limits to
require BART controls. However, EPA finds that Michigan has failed to
require BART for the facility because the state has failed to submit
limits requiring appropriate control for Boilers 8 and 9.
As discussed above for St. Mary's Cement, EPA is obligated here to
promulgate FIP provisions in cases where state plan provisions are
inadequate. FIP provisions mandating BART for NewPage Paper's Escanaba
facility are discussed in a subsequent section of this preamble.
(5) Tilden Mining
EPA is reviewing Michigan's BART determination for Tilden mining in
conjunction with a review of BART for other taconite plants in
Minnesota. By this means, EPA intends to ensure that the Tilden Mining
taconite plant and similar facilities in Minnesota are subject to
similar requirements. This review is being addressed in a separate
rulemaking action that EPA plans to conduct on the same timetable as
this Michigan rulemaking.
E. Long Term Strategy
Under section 169A(b)(2) of the Clean Air Act and 40 CFR 51.308(d),
states' regional haze programs must include a long term strategy for
making reasonable progress toward meeting the national visibility goal.
Michigan's long term strategy must address visibility improvement for
the Class I areas in and out of Michigan that are affected by Michigan
sources. Section 51.308(d)(3) requires that Michigan consult with the
affected states in order to develop a coordinated emission management
strategy. Michigan must demonstrate that its plan includes all measures
necessary to obtain its share of the emissions reductions needed to
meet the reasonable progress goals for the Class I areas affected by
Michigan sources. As described in section III.D of this proposal, the
long term strategy is the compilation of all control measures Michigan
will use to meet applicable reasonable progress goals. The long term
strategy must include enforceable emissions limitations, compliance
schedules, and other measures as necessary to achieve the reasonable
progress goals for all Class I areas affected by Michigan emissions.
[[Page 46923]]
At 40 CFR 51.308(d)(3)(v), the regional haze rule identifies seven
factors that a state must consider in developing its long term
strategy: (A) Emission reductions due to ongoing air pollution control
programs, (B) measures to mitigate impacts from construction, (C)
emission limits and schedules for compliance to achieve the reasonable
progress goal, (D) replacement and retirement of sources, (E) smoke
management techniques, (F) federally enforceable emission limits and
control measures, and (G) the anticipated net effect on visibility due
to projected emission changes over the long term strategy period.
Michigan relied on MRPO's modeling and analysis along with its
emission information in developing a long term strategy. Michigan
consulted with Class I states through its participation in MRPO. MRPO
facilitated consultations with other midwest states and with states in
other regions through inter-RPO processes. Michigan considered the
factors set out in 51.308(d)(3)(v) in developing its long term
strategy. Based on these factors and the MRPO's technical analysis, in
conjunction with reasonable progress goals that were set by the
pertinent states in consultation with Michigan and other states,
Michigan concludes that existing control programs adequately address
Michigan's impact on Class I areas and suffice to meet their reasonable
progress goals by 2018 by implementing the control programs already in
place. These existing control programs include federal motor vehicle
emission control program, reformulated gasoline, emission limits for
area sources of VOCs, Title IV, the NOX SIP Call, MACT
requirements, and Federal non-road standards for construction equipment
and vehicles. These programs are fully enforceable, provide for the
mitigation of new source impacts through new source permitting
programs, and reflect appropriate consideration of current programs and
prospective changes in emissions.
As noted in a separate EPA rule (June 7, 2012, at 77 FR 33642), a
number of states, including Michigan, fully consistent with EPA's
regulations at the time, relied on the trading programs of CAIR to
satisfy the BART requirement and the requirement for a long term
strategy sufficient to achieve the state-adopted reasonable progress
goals. In that rulemaking, we promulgated a limited disapproval of
Michigan's long term strategy based on its reliance on CAIR, and
promulgated a FIP to replace reliance on CAIR requirements with
reliance on the trading programs of CSAPR to satisfy BART requirements
for NOX and SO2 emissions from EGUs in various
states including Michigan. We are now proposing to find that the
remaining elements of Michigan's long term strategy, amended further to
include the BART limitations that EPA is proposing for St. Mary's
Cement and for NewPage Paper in this action, meet the requirements of
the regional haze rule.
F. Monitoring Strategy
Michigan's monitoring strategy relies on participation in the
IMPROVE network. There is an IMPROVE Protocol monitoring site in Quaker
City, Michigan. Michigan also runs a network of criteria pollutant
monitors that provides data to analyze air quality problems including
regional haze. Class I states like Michigan are required under 40 CFR
51.308(d)(4) to have procedures for using the monitoring data to
determine the contribution of emissions from within the state to
affected Class I areas. Michigan developed procedures in conjunction
with the MRPO. The procedures are detailed in the MRPO TSD. EPA finds
that Michigan's regional haze plan meets the monitoring requirements
for the regional haze rule and that Michigan's network of monitoring
sites is satisfactory to measure air quality and assess its
contribution to regional haze.
G. Comments
Michigan provided a public comment period on its proposed regional
haze plan. It held a public hearing on June 29, 2010, which concluded
the public comment period. Michigan received comments from the FLMs as
part of the consultation process as well as from EPA. Michigan
submitted evidence of the public notice and public hearing to EPA.
Michigan provided the comments it received and its responses in a
document within its regional haze plan. Michigan revised portions of
its proposed plan in response to comments. Michigan has satisfied the
requirements from 40 CFR 51 appendix V by providing evidence that it
gave public notice, took comments, and that it compiled and responded
to comments.
V. What are EPA's proposed BART determinations?
As noted above, in absence of a state submittal that satisfies BART
requirements for St. Mary's Cement's Charlevoix facility and for
NewPage Paper's Escanaba facility, EPA is under obligation to
promulgate Federal provisions satisfying these requirements. The
following discussion evaluates appropriate limits to satisfy the BART
requirement for these facilities. As noted above, EPA is addressing
Tilden Mining's facility near Ishpeming in a separate rulemaking.
A. St. Mary's Cement
As discussed in section IV.E., EPA proposes to find that SNCR
represents BART on the kiln at St. Mary's Cement's Charlevoix facility.
The following discussion describes EPA's assessment of the appropriate
emission limit for mandating BART-level control at this facility.
The most relevant information concerning potential effectiveness of
SNCR at this facility is from testing at St. Mary's Cement's facility
in Dixon, Illinois. A set of tests, lasting 1 to 3 days each, injected
urea at a rate equal to a stoichiometric ratio of 0.6 of the rate of
uncontrolled NOX emissions. (That is, the ratio of the moles
of ammonia produced by the injected urea to the moles of uncontrolled
NOX emissions was 0.6.) These tests showed an average of 46
percent NOX emission reduction. Shorter term tests at the
Dixon facility showed that injection of urea at a stoichiometric ratio
of 1.2 achieved an average of 83 percent reduction in NOX
emissions.
Several other reviews have also found SNCR to be effective at
controlling NOX emissions from cement kilns, commonly
achieving 50 percent NOX control. EPA has conducted a recent
review of options for controlling emissions for Portland cement plants,
in developing new source performance standards for these facilities.
EPA proposed these new source performance standards on June 16, 2008,
at 73 FR 34072, and published final standards on September 9, 2010, at
75 FR 54970. These standards included a new standard for NOX
emissions, set at 1.5 pounds per ton of clinker on a 30-day average
basis.
Other reviews similar to EPA's review for its new source
performance standards have also found SNCR to be an effective means of
controlling NOX emissions from existing cement kilns. EPA
made similar findings in an earlier review, given in a report published
in 2000 entitled, ``NOX Control Technologies in the Cement
Industry: Final Report'' (EPA-457/R-00-002, September 2000, available
at https://_www.epa.gov/_ttnnaaqs/_ozone/ctg_act/200009_nox_epa457_r-00-002_cement_industry.pdf). Although application of
NOX control technology was relatively rare in the United
States at the time (i.e., before the NOX SIP Call required
control), EPA found SNCR to be an effective means of reducing
NOX emissions, commonly achieving 50 percent or more
reduction. Regional
[[Page 46924]]
planning organizations evaluating options for BART also made similar
findings. (See, for example, ``Identification and Evaluation of
Candidate Control Measures--Phase II Final Report,'' June 2006,
available at https://www.ladco.org/reports/control/final_reports/identification_and_evaluation_of_candidate_control_measures_ii_june_2006.pdf.)
EPA determined baseline emissions at St. Mary's Cement from
continuous emission monitoring data for 2006 to 2008 reported by the
company. These data indicated that NOX emissions from the
kiln average 4.52 pounds per ton of clinker. This is quite similar to
the representative emission factors for similar Portland cement
manufacturing facilities given in the EPA emission factor guidance
document known as AP-42, which is 4.2 pounds of NOX per ton
of clinker for preheater/precalciner kilns and 4.8 pounds of
NOX per ton of clinker for preheater process kilns. The St.
Mary's Cement data for 2006 to 2008 also indicate that the 95th
percentile value among 30-day average NOX emission rates was
5.78 pounds per ton of clinker. For SO2, the St. Mary's
Cement data indicate an average emission rate of 3.02 pounds per ton of
clinker, and the 95th percentile value among 30-day averages was 7.19
pounds per ton of clinker.
EPA believes that the most appropriate form for a limit on
emissions from St. Mary's Cement is a 30-day rolling average of
emissions per ton of clinker. This reflects the form of the standard
used in the new source performance standards for Portland cement kilns.
EPA believes that the appropriate limit for NOX
emissions from the kiln at St. Mary's Cement would reflect a 50 percent
reduction from the average emissions. Thus, rounding to two significant
figures, EPA proposes to establish a limit on NOX emissions
from the St. Mary's Cement kiln at 2.30 pounds per ton of clinker, set
as a 30-day rolling average. According to 2006 to 2008 data from the
facility, this limit would require slightly under 60 percent control
from St. Mary's Cement's 95th percentile 30-day average emission rate,
which the evidence from tests at St. Mary's Cement's Dixon facility
indicates is readily achievable, particularly since a limit of 2.30
pounds per ton of clinker would only occasionally require this level of
control.
EPA is also proposing to establish a limit on SO2
emissions per ton of clinker. The purpose of this limit is not to
require emission controls to achieve emissions below current levels.
Instead, EPA intends this limit to assure that emissions do not
increase significantly above current levels. While EPA has concluded
that installation and operation of SO2 emission control
equipment is not cost effective at current SO2 emission
rates, such control equipment would be cost effective at higher
SO2 emission rates. That is, EPA is proposing to establish a
limit reflecting its view that BART reflects no further control under
current circumstances with current raw material sulfur contents but the
BART reflects achievement of an SO2 emission rate that would
involve emission control if the raw material contained significantly
more sulfur.
As noted above, the average SO2 emission rate at St.
Mary's Cement from 2006 to 2008 was 3.02 pounds per ton of clinker, and
the 95th percentile 30-day average over this period was 7.19 pounds per
clinker. Since most emission rates are well below 7.19 pounds per ton
of clinker, EPA is proposing to set a limit that reflects a 5 percent
compliance margin relative to this emission rate. That is, EPA is
proposing to set a limit of 7.5 pounds of SO2 emissions per
ton of clinker as a 30-day rolling average.
This facility currently operates a continuous emission monitoring
system that measures NOX and SO2 emissions from
the kiln, and EPA envisions using data from this system to evaluate
compliance with the NOX and SO2 limits it is
proposing.
Under 40 CFR 51.308(e)(1)(iv), BART controls must be installed and
operated as expeditiously as practicable. EPA believes that Saint
Mary's Cement may reasonably be required to conduct the engineering,
design, installation, and trial operation of the SNCR to be able to
meet this limit within about three years from the expected effective
date of final promulgation of these limits. Therefore, EPA is proposing
a compliance date for the NOX limit of January 1, 2016. That
is, under this proposal, the first 30-day period that would be required
to achieve an average NOX emission rate of 2.3 /
MMBTU would be from January 1, 2016 to January 30, 2016. EPA is
proposing that the SO2 limit apply upon the effective date
of the final promulgation of the limit, because the company is already
complying with the limit.
B. NewPage Paper
The first step in determining BART for boilers 8 and 9 at NewPage
Paper's Escanaba facility is to review information relevant to the five
factors used in evaluating BART determinations. First, for Boiler 8,
EPA reevaluated costs based on the information provided in Michigan's
submittal, but replaced the capital cost estimate with an updated
estimate that NewPage provided in a June 20, 2012 email from Todd
Schmidt to Douglas Aburano, EPA Region 5. This information suggests
that NewPage could install low NOX burners at a total
capital cost of $797,000, which, amortized at 7 percent interest over
20 years, represents an annualized capital cost of $75,200. With the
additional estimated annual operating cost of $12,000, the total
estimated annualized cost is $87,200. EPA estimates baseline emissions
for this boiler to be 143.2 tons per year, and EPA believes that low
NOX burners would achieve a 40 percent reduction of
NOX emissions, which, at baseline operating rates, would
reduce emissions by 57.3 tons per year. This suggests that low
NOX burners would reduce NOX emissions with a
cost effectiveness of $1,500 per ton.
There are no non-air quality-related impacts have been identified
that affect the BART determination. The company has installed flue gas
recirculation to help meet state limits that apply during the ozone
season, although the company assumes significant costs for year-round
operation of this design feature and argues that it achieves only a 12
percent reduction relative to ``current baseline emissions.'' The
remaining useful life of the facility is unknown, but EPA assumed it to
be sufficient to amortize any capital costs of control equipment over
15 to 20 years.
The Michigan plan includes the results of modeling, conducted by
the consultant for NewPage Paper, that is based on a worst-case
NOX emission rate of 1,300 tons per year, indicating an
impact on average visibility (from both NOX and
SO2 emissions) of 0.4 dv. Thus, a reduction of
NOX emissions from 143.2 tons per year to 85.9 tons per year
would be estimated to reduce average visibility by no more than about
0.02 dv.
An important consideration in determining BART for Boiler 8 is the
fact that the company has already reduced emissions from this boiler.
According to information provided to the Michigan Air Emissions
Reporting System, the average emission factor has declined somewhat,
and usage has declined sufficiently that emissions in 2010 and 2011
averaged 40 tons per year of NOX. Furthermore, the boiler is
subject to a State rule that limits emissions during the ozone season
(May to September) from this boiler to 0.20 /MMBTU while
firing natural gas and 0.40 /MMBTU while firing residual oil.
To meet this rule, the company has
[[Page 46925]]
installed flue gas recirculation, although usage of this system is
limited. Michigan did not submit this rule for inclusion in the SIP,
but EPA believes that slightly higher limits can reasonably be achieved
on a year-round basis. Given the decline in usage of this boiler, EPA
believes that imposition of limits comparable to emissions rates
currently being achieved will suffice to assure an appropriate level of
protection from visibility impacts from this boiler, comparable to the
reductions that would be achieved if the boiler were operated at
previous usage rates and installed a low NOX burner.
Therefore, EPA proposes to establish limits on pounds of NOX
emissions per million BTUs, to be met as a 30-day rolling average. The
facility is not now burning residual oil, but EPA proposes to identify
limits for NOX emissions from combustion of both natural gas
and residual oil. EPA proposes to mandate that Boiler 8 meet a limit,
calculated as a 30-day rolling average, that would be computed as a
weighted average based on the relative quantities of heat input from
burning natural gas and from burning residual oil. EPA is proposing
fuel specific limits of 0.26 /MMBTU for combustion of natural
gas and 0.50 /MMBTU for combustion of residual oil, in each
case representing approximately 10 percent above the upper end of the
range of emission rates under current operation.\2\ Compliance
information will be obtained from a continuous emission monitoring
system that the company operates on this boiler. Since the boiler is
often not operating, EPA will compute 30-day averages on the basis of
30 successive operating days, not counting days in which the boiler
does not operate. EPA envisions that the company will be able to meet
these limits by maintaining existing operations (maintaining existing
combustion improvements), but finds that the company also has the
flexibility to meet these limits by installing low NOX
burners or using its flue gas recirculation equipment more frequently.
These limits reflect EPA's proposed judgment that the existing emission
reductions are warranted as BART but that further emission reductions
are not warranted for the limited benefits they would achieve.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Operation in 2010 and 2011, during which the boiler was gas-
fired, yielded a 30-day average emission factor of up to about 0.24
/MMBTU. Operation in 2008 and 2009, during which the boiler
was often oil-fired, yielded emission factors up to about 0.45
/MMBTU.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Boiler 9, usage rates have remained relatively steady, but the
company modified its boiler design in 2006 to incorporate overfire air.
Stack tests for this boiler indicate that this modification decreased
NOX emissions from about 0.69 /MMBTU to about 0.20
to 0.22 /MMBTU. The company has not provided cost information
regarding this modification, but maintaining this modification is
clearly cost effective. Modeling in Michigan's submittal indicates that
345 tons per year of NOX emissions from this boiler, in
combination with about 50 tons per year of SO2 emissions,
have an average visibility impact of 0.2 dv. Therefore, the
modification to incorporate overfire air, with which Boiler 9
NOX emissions have decreased from an estimated average of
840 tons per year in 2002 to 2004 to an estimated average of 240 tons
per year in 2009 to 2011, is estimated to have yielded a visibility
improvement of 0.4 dv. No non-air quality related environmental impacts
have been identified to influence the choice of BART, and remaining
useful life of the facility is also not a significant factor. From its
consideration of these factors, EPA concludes that the overfire air
modifications that the company has made are included in BART for this
boiler. At the same time, based on information in Michigan's submittal,
EPA agrees with the conclusion in Michigan's submittal that no further
control of this boiler constitutes BART.
Therefore, EPA is proposing limits to mandate the continued
operation of the overfire air system that the company has installed on
Boiler 9. Since no system for continuous emission monitoring is
operating on this boiler, EPA is proposing a limit that would be
enforced by stack tests. As noted above, the most recent stack tests
for this boiler indicated NOX emission rates of 0.22
/MMBTU and 0.20 /MMBTU, respectively. To accommodate
a modest degree of stack test variability, EPA is proposing to set a
limit with a 25 percent compliance margin. That is, EPA is proposing a
NOX emission limit for Boiler 9 of 0.27 /MMBTU.
(This emission rate also is about 10 percent higher than the highest
single run test result reported by the company.)
NewPage Paper has already implemented measures to meet these limits
on Boilers 8 and 9. Therefore, EPA is proposing that these limits take
effect upon the effective date of the rulemaking promulgating these
limits.
VI. What actions is EPA proposing?
EPA is proposing limited approval of revisions to the Michigan SIP,
submitted on November 5, 2010, addressing regional haze for the first
implementation period. The revisions seek to satisfy Clean Air Act and
regional haze rule requirements for states to remedy any existing
anthropogenic and prevent future impairment of visibility at Class I
areas.
EPA finds that Michigan's submission satisfies BART requirements
for some of the non-EGUs, most notably based on a Federal consent
decree requiring new controls for SO2 and NOX
emissions for the Lafarge plant. On the other hand, EPA proposes to
conclude that Michigan's submittal does not require BART at St. Mary's
Cement's facility in Charlevoix or at NewPage Paper's facility in
Escanaba. Specifically, we are proposing limited disapproval of the
NOX and SO2 BART determination for the cement
kiln and associated equipment at the St. Mary's Cement facility and of
the NOX BART determination for Boiler 8 and 9 of the NewPage
Paper Company. Further, we propose a FIP that specifically imposes
NOX and SO2 limits mandating BART for the cement
kiln and associated equipment for the St. Mary's Cement facility, and
NOX limits mandating BART for Boilers 8 and 9 of the NewPage
Paper Company.
EPA is also reviewing Michigan's BART determination for Tilden
Mining taconite plant. EPA plans to take action on this BART
determination in a separate action that includes similar facilities in
Minnesota.
Michigan's submission provides an approvable analysis of the
emission reductions needed to satisfy reasonable progress and other
regional haze planning requirements, and Michigan's submission meets
other regional haze planning requirements such as identification of
affected Class I areas and provision of a monitoring plan.
VI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review
This proposed action is not a ``significant regulatory action''
under the terms of Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993)
and is therefore not subject to review under Executive Orders 12866 and
13563 (76 FR 3821, January 21, 2011). The proposed Virgin Islands
Regional Haze FIP requires implementation of existing emissions
controls and emission reduction strategies on one facility and is not a
rule of general applicability.
B. Paperwork Reduction Act
This proposed action does not impose an information collection
burden under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, a ``collection of
information'' is defined as
[[Page 46926]]
a requirement for ``answers to * * * identical reporting or
recordkeeping requirements imposed on ten or more persons * * *.'' 44
U.S.C. 3502(3)(A). Because the proposed FIP applies to just one
facility, the Paperwork Reduction Act does not apply. See 5 CFR
1320(c).
Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or
provide information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time
needed to review instructions; develop, acquire, install, and utilize
technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and
disclosing and providing information; adjust the existing ways to
comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements;
train personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information;
search data sources; complete and review the collection of information;
and transmit or otherwise disclose the information. An agency may not
conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OMB control numbers
for our regulations in 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9.
C. Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) generally requires an agency
to prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis of any rule subject to
notice and comment rulemaking requirements under the Administrative
Procedure Act or any other statute unless the agency certifies that the
rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities. Small entities include small businesses,
small organizations, and small governmental jurisdictions.
For purposes of assessing the impacts of today's proposed rule on
small entities, small entity is defined as: (1) A small business as
defined by the Small Business Administration's (SBA) regulations at 13
CFR 121.201; (2) a small governmental jurisdiction that is a government
of a city, county, town, school district or special district with a
population of less than 50,000; and (3) a small organization that is
any not-for-profit enterprise which is independently owned and operated
and is not dominant in its field.
After considering the economic impacts of this proposed action on
small entities, I certify that this proposed action will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
The Regional Haze FIP that EPA is proposing for purposes of the
regional haze program consists of imposing existing Federal controls to
meet the BART requirement for SO2, NOX, and PM
emissions on specific units at one facility in the Virgin Islands. The
net result of this FIP action is that EPA is proposing existing direct
emission controls on selected units at only one facility. The facility
in question is a large petroleum refinery that is not owned by a small
entity, and therefore is not a small entity.
D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
This rule does not contain a Federal mandate that may result in
expenditures that exceed the inflation-adjusted UMRA threshold of $100
million by State, local, or Tribal governments or the private sector in
any 1 year. Thus, this rule is not subject to the requirements of
sections 202 or 205 of UMRA.
This rule is also not subject to the requirements of section 203 of
UMRA because it contains no regulatory requirements that might
significantly or uniquely affect small governments.
E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism
The proposed Virgin Islands Regional Haze FIP does not have
federalism implications. This action will not have substantial direct
effects on the States, on the relationship between the national
government and the States, or on the distribution of power and
responsibilities among the various levels of government, as specified
in Executive Order 13132. In this action, EPA is fulfilling its
statutory duty under Clean Air Act section 110(c) to promulgate a
Regional Haze FIP following its finding that the Virgin Islands had
failed to submit a regional haze SIP. Thus, Executive Order 13132 does
not apply to this action. In the spirit of Executive Order 13132, and
consistent with EPA policy to promote communications between EPA and
State and local governments, EPA specifically solicits comment on this
proposed rule from State and local officials.
F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian
Tribal Governments
This proposed rule does not have tribal implications, as specified
in Executive Order 13175. It will not have substantial direct effects
on tribal governments. Thus, Executive Order 13175 does not apply to
this rule.
G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental
Health Risks and Safety Risks
EPA interprets EO 13045 as applying only to those regulatory
actions that concern health or safety risks, such that the analysis
required under section 5-501 of the EO has the potential to influence
the regulation. This action is not subject to EO 13045 because it
implements specific standards established by Congress in statutes.
However, to the extent this proposed rule will limit emissions of
SO2, NOX, and PM the rule will have a beneficial
effect on children's health by reducing air pollution.
H. Executive Order 13211: Actions Concerning Regulations That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use
This action is not subject to Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355,
May 22, 2001), because it is not a significant regulatory action under
Executive Order 12866.
I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act
Section 12 of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act
(NTTAA) of 1995 requires Federal agencies to evaluate existing
technical standards when developing a new regulation. To comply with
NTTAA, EPA must consider and use ``voluntary consensus standards''
(VCS) if available and applicable when developing programs and policies
unless doing so would be inconsistent with applicable law or otherwise
impractical. EPA believes that VCS are inapplicable to this action.
Today's action does not require the public to perform activities
conducive to the use of VCS.
J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address Environmental
Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations
Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994), establishes
Federal executive policy on environmental justice. Its main provision
directs Federal agencies, to the greatest extent practicable and
permitted by law, to make environmental justice part of their mission
by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high
and adverse human health or environmental effects of their programs,
policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income
populations in the United States.
We have determined that this proposed rule, if finalized, will not
have disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental
effects
[[Page 46927]]
on minority or low-income populations because it limits increases the
level of environmental protection for all affected populations without
having any disproportionately high and adverse human health or
environmental effects on any population, including any minority or low-
income population.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Particulate
matter, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur oxides,
Volatile organic compounds.
Dated: July 13, 2012.
Susan Hedman,
Regional Administrator, Region 5.
Title 40, chapter I, of the Code of Federal regulations is proposed
to be amended as follows:
PART 52--[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
2. Section 52.1170 is amended by adding a new entry at the end of
the table in paragraph (e) for ``Regional Haze Plan'' to read as
follows:
Sec. 52.1170 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(e) * * *
EPA-Approved Michigan Nonregulatory and Quasi-Regulatory Provisions
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applicable
Name of nonregulatory SIP geographic or State submittal EPA approved date Comments
provision nonattainment area date
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * * * *
Regional Haze Plan.............. Statewide.......... 11/5/2010 8/6/12, [Insert Includes all
page number where regional haze plan
the document elements except
begins]. BART emission
limitations for
EGUs, St. Mary's
Cement, NewPage
Paper, and Tilden
Mining.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Section 52.1183 is amended by adding paragraphs (g), (h), and
(i), to read as follows:
Sec. 52.1183 Visibility protection.
* * * * *
(g) The requirements of section 169A of the Clean Air Act are not
met because the regional haze plan submitted on November 5, 2010, does
not meet the best available retrofit technology requirements of 40 CFR
51.308(e) with respect to emissions of NOx and SO2 from
Saint Mary's Cement in Charlevoix and NOX from NewPage Paper
in Escanaba. These requirements for these two facilities are satisfied
by 40 CFR 52.1183(h) and 40 CFR 52.1183(i), respectively.
(h)(1) For the 30-day period beginning January 1, 2016, and
thereafter, Saint Mary's Cement, or any subsequent owner or operator of
the Saint Mary's Cement facility located in Charlevoix, Michigan, shall
not cause or permit the emission of oxides of nitrogen (expressed as
NO2) to exceed 2.30 pounds per ton of clinker as a 30-day
rolling average.
(2) Saint Mary's Cement, or any subsequent owner or operator of the
Saint Mary's Cement facility located in Charlevoix, Michigan, shall not
cause or permit the emission of sulfur dioxide to exceed 7.50 pounds
per ton of clinker as a 12-month average.
(3) Saint Mary's Cement, or any subsequent owner or operator of the
Saint Mary's Cement facility located in Charlevoix, Michigan, shall
operate continuous emission monitoring systems to measure
NOX and SO2 emissions from its kiln system in
conformance with 40 CFR 60 appendix B Performance Specification 2.
(4) The reference test method for assessing compliance with the
limit in paragraph (h)(1) shall be use of a continuous emission
monitoring system operated in conformance with 40 CFR 60 appendix B
Performance Specification 2. A new 30-day average shall be computed at
the end of each calendar day.
(5) The reference test method for assessing compliance with the
limit in paragraph (h)(2) shall be use of a continuous emission
monitoring system operated in conformance with 40 CFR 60 appendix B
Performance Specification 2. A new 12-month average shall be computed
at the end of each calendar month.
(6) Recordkeeping. Owner/operator shall maintain the following
records for at least five years:
(i) All CEMS data, including the date, place, and time of sampling
or measurement; parameters sampled or measured; and results.
(ii) All records of clinker production, monitored in accordance
with 40 CFR 60.63.
(iii) Records of quality assurance and quality control activities
for emissions measuring systems including, but not limited to, any
records required by 40 CFR part 60, appendix F, Procedure 1.
(iv) Records of all major maintenance activities conducted on
emission units, air pollution control equipment, CEMS and clinker
production measurement devices.
(v) Any other records required by 40 CFR part 60, Subpart F, or 40
CFR part 60, Appendix F, Procedure 1.
(7) Reporting. All reports under this section shall be submitted to
Chief, Air Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Branch, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, Mail Code AE-17J, 77 W.
Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604-3590.
(i) Owner/operator of each unit shall submit quarterly excess
emissions reports for SO2 and NOX BART limits no
later than the 30th day following the end of each calendar quarter.
Excess emissions means emissions that exceed the emissions limits
specified in paragraph (c) of this section. The reports shall include
the magnitude, date(s), and duration of each period of excess
emissions, specific identification of each period of excess emissions
that occurs during startups, shutdowns, and malfunctions of the unit,
the nature and cause of any malfunction (if known), and the corrective
action taken or preventative measures adopted.
(ii) Owner/operator of each unit shall submit quarterly CEMS
performance reports, to include dates and duration of each period
during which the CEMS was inoperative (except for zero and span
adjustments and calibration checks), reason(s) why the CEMS was
inoperative and steps taken to prevent
[[Page 46928]]
recurrence, and any CEMS repairs or adjustments.
(iii) Owner/operator shall also submit results of any CEMS
performance tests required by 40 CFR part 60, appendix F, Procedure 1
(Relative Accuracy Test Audits, Relative Accuracy Audits, and Cylinder
Gas Audits).
(iv) When no excess emissions have occurred or the CEMS has not
been inoperative, repaired, or adjusted during the reporting period,
such information shall be stated in the quarterly reports required by
sections (7)(i) and (ii) of this section.
(i) NewPage Paper, or any subsequent owner or operator of the
NewPage Paper facility in Escanaba, Michigan, shall not cause or permit
the emission of oxides of nitrogen (expressed as NO2) to
exceed the following limits:
(1) For Boiler 8, designated as EU8B13, a 30-day weighted average
limit on emissions per million British Thermal Units, based on a limit
for natural gas firing of 0.26 pounds per million British Thermal Units
(/MMBTU) and a limit for residual oil firing of 0.50
/MMBTU, weighted according to the heat input for each fuel, to
be computed as follows:
Emission limit, in /MMBTU = [0.26 * (heat input from
firing natural gas) + 0.50 * (heat input from firing residual oil)]/
(total heat input).
(2) NewPage Paper, or any subsequent owner or operator of the
NewPage Paper facility located in Escanaba, Michigan, shall operate a
continuous emission monitoring system to measure NOX
emissions from Boiler 8 in conformance with 40 CFR 60 appendix B
Performance Specification 2.
(3) The reference test method for assessing compliance with the
limit in paragraph (i)(1) shall be a continuous emission monitoring
system operated in conformance with 40 CFR 60 appendix B Performance
Specification 2. A new 30-day average shall be computed at the end of
each calendar day in which the boiler operated. Each average shall
include the most recent 30 days in which the boiler operated, and shall
exclude days in which the boiler did not operate.
(4) For Boiler 9, also identified as EU9B03, a limit of 0.27
/MMBTU.
(5) The reference test method for assessing compliance with the
limit in paragraph (i)(4) shall be a test conducted in accordance with
40 CFR 60 appendix A Method 7.
(6) Recordkeeping. Owner/operator shall maintain the following
records regarding Boiler 8 and Boiler 9 for at least five years:
(i) All CEMS data, including the date, place, and time of sampling
or measurement; parameters sampled or measured; and results.
(ii) All stack test results.
(iii) Daily records of fuel usage, heat input, and data used to
determine heat content.
(iv) Records of quality assurance and quality control activities
for emissions measuring systems including, but not limited to, any
records required by 40 CFR part 60, appendix F, Procedure 1.
(v) Records of all major maintenance activities conducted on
emission units, air pollution control equipment, and CEMS.
(vi) Any other records identified in 40 CFR 60.49b(g) or 40 CFR
part 60, Appendix F, Procedure 1.
(7) Reporting. All reports under this section shall be submitted to
the Chief, Air Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Branch, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, Mail Code AE-17J, 77 W.
Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604-3590.
(i) Owner/operator of Boiler 8 shall submit quarterly excess
emissions reports for the limit in paragraph (i)(1) no later than the
30th day following the end of each calendar quarter. Excess emissions
means emissions that exceed the emissions limit specified in paragraph
(i)(1) of this section. The reports shall include the magnitude,
date(s), and duration of each period of excess emissions, specific
identification of each period of excess emissions that occurs during
startups, shutdowns, and malfunctions of the unit, the nature and cause
of any malfunction (if known), and the corrective action taken or
preventative measures adopted.
(ii) Owner/operator of Boiler 8 shall submit quarterly CEMS
performance reports, to include dates and duration of each period
during which the CEMS was inoperative (except for zero and span
adjustments and calibration checks), reason(s) why the CEMS was
inoperative and steps taken to prevent recurrence, and any CEMS repairs
or adjustments.
(iii) Owner/operator of Boiler 8 shall also submit results of any
CEMS performance tests required by 40 CFR part 60, appendix F,
Procedure 1 (Relative Accuracy Test Audits, Relative Accuracy Audits,
and Cylinder Gas Audits).
(iv) When no excess emissions have occurred or the CEMS has not
been inoperative, repaired, or adjusted during the reporting period,
such information shall be stated in the quarterly reports required by
sections (i)(7) of this section.
(v) Owner/operator of Boiler 9 shall submit reports of any test
measuring NOx emissions from Boiler 9 within 60 days of the last day of
the test. If owner/operator commences operation of a continuous NOx
emission monitoring system for Boiler 9, owner/operator shall submit
reports for Boiler 9 as specified for Boiler 8 in paragraphs (i)(7)(i)
to (i)(7)(iv).
[FR Doc. 2012-19039 Filed 8-3-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P