Air Plan Approval; Illinois; Sulfur Dioxide, 67191-67196 [2019-26295]
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appropriate, disproportionate human
health or environmental effects, using
practicable and legally permissible
methods, under Executive Order 12898
(59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
The SIP is not approved to apply on
any Indian reservation land or in any
other area where the EPA or an Indian
tribe has demonstrated that a tribe has
jurisdiction. In those areas of Indian
country, the rule does not have tribal
implications and will not impose
substantial direct costs on tribal
governments or preempt tribal law as
specified by Executive Order 13175 (65
FR 67249, November 9, 2000).
The Congressional Review Act, 5
U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act of 1996, generally provides
that before a rule may take effect, the
agency promulgating the rule must
submit a rule report, which includes a
copy of the rule, to each House of the
Congress and to the Comptroller General
of the United States. The EPA will
submit a report containing this action
and other required information to the
U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of
Representatives, and the Comptroller
General of the United States prior to
publication of the rule in the Federal
Register. A major rule cannot take effect
until 60 days after it is published in the
Federal Register. This action is not a
‘‘major rule’’ as defined by 5 U.S.C.
804(2).
Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA,
petitions for judicial review of this
action must be filed in the United States
Court of Appeals for the appropriate
circuit by February 7, 2020. Filing a
petition for reconsideration by the
Administrator of this final rule does not
affect the finality of this action for the
purposes of judicial review nor does it
extend the time within which a petition
for judicial review may be filed, and
shall not postpone the effectiveness of
such rule or action. This action may not
be challenged later in proceedings to
enforce its requirements. (See section
307(b)(2).)
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
PART 52—APPROVAL AND
PROMULGATION OF
IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
1. The authority citation for part 52
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart N—Idaho
2. Amend§ 52.670, in the table in
paragraph (c) by:
■ a. Revising entry for ‘‘620’’; and
■ b. Under the heading ‘‘State Statutes’’:
■ i. Removing the entry for ‘‘Section 3
of Senate Bill 1009, codified at Idaho
Code Section 39–114’’; and
■ ii. Adding an entry for ‘‘Section 4 of
Senate Bill 1024, codified at Idaho Code
Section 39–114’’.
The revisions and addition read as
follows:
■
§ 52.670
Dated: November 14, 2019.
Chris Hladick,
Regional Administrator, Region 10.
*
Identification of plan.
*
*
(c) * * *
*
*
For the reasons set forth in the
preamble, 40 CFR part 52 is amended as
follows:
EPA-APPROVED IDAHO REGULATIONS AND STATUTES
State citation
State effective
date
Title/subject
EPA approval date
Explanations
Idaho Administrative Procedures Act (IDAPA) 58.01.01—Rules for the Control of Air Pollution in Idaho
*
*
620 ......................................
*
*
Burn Fee
*
4/11/2019
*
*
*
*
12/09/2019, [Insert Federal Register citation].
*
*
*
*
*
State Statutes
Section 4 of Senate Bill
1024, codified at Idaho
Code Section 39–114.
*
*
*
*
Open Burning of
Crop Residue
*
[FR Doc. 2019–26397 Filed 12–6–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
2/26/2019
12/09/2019, [Insert Federal Register citation].
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R05–OAR–2018–0072; FRL–10002–
81-Region 5]
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Air Plan Approval; Illinois; Sulfur
Dioxide
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is approving a request
SUMMARY:
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submitted by the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency (IEPA) on February 6,
2018, to revise the Illinois State
Implementation Plan (SIP) under the
Clean Air Act (CAA) for the 2010 1-hour
sulfur dioxide (SO2) National Ambient
Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). IEPA
specifically requested EPA approval to
amend the Illinois SIP for the 2010 1hour SO2 NAAQS to account for two
variances granted by the Illinois
Pollution Control Board (IPCB) to
Calpine Corporation (Calpine) and
Exelon Generation, LLC (Exelon). EPA
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proposed to approve the state’s
submittal on June 12, 2019.
DATES: This final rule is effective on
January 8, 2020.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a
docket for this action under Docket ID
No. EPA–R05–OAR–2018–0072. All
documents in the docket are listed in
the https://www.regulations.gov website.
Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available,
e.g., Confidential Business Information
or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Certain other
material, such as copyrighted material,
is not placed on the internet and will be
publicly available only in hard copy
form. Publicly available docket
materials are available either through
https://www.regulations.gov, or please
contact the person identified in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section
for additional availability information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Francisco J. Acevedo, Mobile Source
Program Manager, Control Strategies
Section, Air Programs Branch (AR–18J),
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard,
Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 886–6061,
acevedo.francisco@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document, wherever
‘‘we’’, ‘‘us’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean
EPA.
I. What is being addressed by this
document?
In conjunction with Illinois’ adoption
of SO2 emission limits for major
sources, the state adopted rule revisions
(Sulfur Content Rule) to limit the sulfur
content of distillate and residual fuel oil
combusted at stationary sources
throughout the state. See 35 Ill. Adm.
Code 214.161(b)(2) and 214.305(a)(2).
The Sulfur Content Rule specifically
requires that the sulfur content of
distillate fuel oil combusted on or after
January 1, 2017, not exceed 15 parts per
million (ppm). The rule applies to
owners and operators of existing fuel
combustion emission and process
emission sources that burn liquid fuel.
Illinois’ Sulfur Content Rule,
containing 35 Ill. Adm. Code
214.161(b)(2) and 214.305(a)(2), was
submitted to EPA as a SIP revision on
March 2, 2016, and EPA issued an
approval in the Federal Register on
February 1, 2018 (83 FR 4591) and May
29, 2018 (83 FR 24406).
On May 18, 2016, pursuant to Section
35(a) of the Illinois Environmental
Protection Act, 415 ILCS 5/34(a), and
Part 104 of Title 35 of the Illinois
Administrative Code, 35 Ill. Adm. Code
104.100, Exelon filed a Petition for
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Variance with the IPCB regarding its
Byron (Ogle County), Clinton (DeWitt
County), Dresden (Grundy County), and
LaSalle (LaSalle County) nuclear
generation stations. See Exelon
Generation, LLC v. Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency, PCB
16–106. Section 35 of the Illinois
Environmental Protection Act provides
that the IPCB, under state law, ‘‘may
grant individual variances . . .
whenever it is found, upon presentation
of adequate proof, that compliance with
any rule or regulation . . . would
impose an arbitrary or unreasonable
hardship.’’ (IPCB’s granting of such a
variance under state law, however, does
not automatically revise what is
federally enforceable under the SIP;
only if Illinois submits and EPA
approves a SIP revision reflecting the
granting of the variance can the
federally enforceable SIP be revised.)
Exelon requested temporary relief from
the 15 ppm sulfur content limitation for
distillate fuel oil set forth in 35 Ill. Adm.
Code 214.161(b)(2). On September 8,
2016, the IPCB granted the variance
subject to a number of conditions.
On June 16, 2016, Calpine also filed
a Petition for Variance with the IPCB
regarding the Zion Energy Center. See
Calpine Corporation (Zion Energy
Center) v. Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency, PCB 16–112. On
August 8, 2016, Calpine filed an
Amended Petition for Variance with the
IPCB, requesting temporary relief from
the 15 ppm sulfur content limitation for
distillate fuel oil set forth in 35 Ill. Adm.
Code 214.161(b)(2). On November 17,
2016, the IPCB granted the variance
from January 1, 2017, to December 31,
2021, subject to several conditions. IPCB
also granted the motion on August 17,
2017, amending its order to correct the
errors.
The Petition for Variance sought relief
from provisions that were approved into
the Illinois SIP. Those SIP provisions
remain in effect and enforceable unless
and until EPA revises the SIP to
incorporate the variances. Thus,
following the decision by IEPA to
approve the variances, IEPA submitted
them to EPA for approval as SIP
revisions.
On February 6, 2018, IEPA formally
submitted a request for EPA approval to
amend the Illinois SIP for the 2010 1hour SO2 NAAQS to account for two
variances granted by the IPCB to
Calpine and Exelon. The submittal
included an analysis of the potential
impact of the variances on air quality,
specifically with respect to the 2010 1hour SO2 NAAQS. This analysis was
part of the variance applications
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submitted by Calpine and Exelon to the
IPCB.
On June 12, 2019, at 84 FR 27212,
EPA proposed to approve IEPA’s request
to amend the Illinois SIP to reflect the
variances granted by the IPCB for
Calpine and Exelon.
II. What comments did we receive on
the proposed SIP revision?
Our June 12, 2019 proposed rule
provided a 30-day comment period. The
comment period closed on July 12,
2019. EPA received comments from one
party during the public comment
period. In this section we are
responding to the comments received.
Comment. The commenter generally
states that EPA should not approve the
variances addressed in the proposal.
The commenter specifically notes that
the sources’ claim that they are
economically burdened by the
imposition of the state’s rule requiring
compliance with sulfur limits of no
greater than 15 ppm is factually
incorrect. In addition, the commenter
asserts that the facilities should not be
allowed to dilute the 15 ppm fuel with
any remaining high sulfur fuel and that
they should immediately sell any
remaining non-compliant fuel and stop
burning diluted fuel with noncompliant sulfur limits.
Response. As discussed in more detail
in the June 12, 2019 proposed approval,
both Exelon and Calpine considered
several potential options to comply with
the Sulfur Content Rule as of January 1,
2017. Such options included
combusting all the non-compliant fuel;
continuing to dilute the fuel’s sulfur
content concentrations with ultra-low
sulfur diesel (ULSD); draining all the
storage tanks and refilling them with
ULSD. According to the IPCB, both
companies demonstrated that none of
the compliance alternatives evaluated
were practicable for meeting the 15 ppm
sulfur limit by January 1, 2017 and
presented a substantial hardship to the
companies. EPA agrees with IPCB’s
evaluation that substantial hardship
exists based on review of support
documentation provided to the IPCB
and included as part of the SIP revision
submitted to EPA. Exelon’s plan for
complying with the Sulfur Content Rule
by the end of the variance period
outlined by the IPCB calls for
continuing to replenish the lower sulfur
tanks with ULSD; and, as part of a
coordinated program, emptying the
higher sulfur tanks and refilling them
with ULSD. Under Calpine’s
compliance plan, the facility would
comply with the Sulfur Content Rule by
January 1, 2022 by continuing to
purchase only fuel with sulfur content
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below 15 ppm. This ensures that the
sulfur content of the fuel used at the
facility will continue to decrease.
During the variance period, the sulfur
content of all distillate oil combusted by
Calpine must not exceed 115 ppm sulfur
content. EPA believes that both
compliance plans provide enough
flexibility to allow Exelon and Calpine
to address their hardship concerns
while also requiring full compliance
with the Sulfur Content Rule at the end
of the variance period. The commenter
did not submit any specific information
for EPA review to substantiate its claim
that the companies’ hardship concerns
were factually incorrect.
In addition, while hardship is a
prerequisite for state variance issuance
in this case, hardship is not a
prerequisite for Federal approval. The
state regulation under which it grants
variances is not part of the SIP.
Hardship is a defensible criterion for the
state to use in allocating air quality
resources, but it is not a criterion under
the CAA, nor is EPA obliged in this case
to judge whether it would have made
the same determination as the state.
EPA here needs only to judge whether
the approval of these variances into the
SIP interferes with attainment and
reasonable further progress or any other
applicable CAA requirement.
Comment. The commenter raises
concerns that the state did not perform
an appropriate CAA section 110(l)
analysis to determine what effect these
units would have on the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS. Further, the commenter
states that EPA should evaluate
situations when all the engines are
being used at the same time since they
appear to be emergency units that
would likely be turned on at the same
time.
Response. Both Exelon and Calpine
submitted an analysis of the potential
impact of their respective variances on
air quality, specifically with regard to
the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. These
analyses were part of the variance
applications submitted to the IPCB. In
addition, IEPA and EPA independently
evaluated the impact of both variances
and concluded that the facilities would
not contribute to current SO2
nonattainment areas, and that they
would not cause any current attainment
area to violate the SO2 NAAQS. In
addition, EPA concluded that the
impact of these variances with regards
to section 110(l) do not result in
emissions increases above the levels of
emissions that were in place when EPA
designated these counties as attainment/
unclassifiable for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS, but rather result in deferred
emission reductions during the variance
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period (unachieved emissions
reductions). While these variances delay
the emission reductions provided by the
approved state rule, these reductions are
not necessary to achieve attainment in
these areas, since EPA concluded that
these areas were attaining the standard
even before the reductions required by
Illinois’ rule were to commence.
Specifically, as discussed in more detail
in the June 12, 2019 proposed approval,
EPA designated all of these counties as
attainment/unclassifiable on January 9,
2018, based on monitoring data from
2014 to 2016 and emissions information
that predated the January 1, 2017
compliance date of Illinois’ fuel sulfur
regulation.
The information submitted by the
state was sufficient to assess whether
the requirements of section 110(l) were
met. For the Exelon variance, the
potentially affected geographic areas
include portions of the four counties in
which the Exelon facilities are located.
Each of these counties is designated as
attainment/unclassifiable for the 2010 1hour SO2 NAAQS. This includes Ogle
County for Byron Station, LaSalle
County for LaSalle Station, Grundy
County for Dresden Station and DeWitt
County for Clinton Station. The
combined backup diesel storage
capacity for the four Exelon stations
which are part of this variance is
782,668 gallons. Using the maximum
capacity of diesel fuel with a worst case
250 ppm sulfur content would result in
1.7 tons of combined unachieved
emissions reductions during the
variance period (0.443 tons at the Byron
station; 0.238 tons at the Clinton station;
0.343 tons at the Dresden station; and
0.342 tons at the LaSalle station). A
calculation of expected unachieved
emissions reductions based on a more
realistic projection, which uses a fiveyear average annual fuel usage at each
station and current sulfur
concentrations of the fuel in the
pertinent tanks (based on the highest
measure sulfur content fuel in the
largest tanks at the Byron, Clinton, and
Dresden stations and an average at the
LaSalle station), would result in
unachieved emissions reductions on a
yearly basis during the variance period
totaling less than one-tenth of one ton
for all the stations combined.
The 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS (or
standard) is 75 parts per billion (ppb)
based on the ‘‘design value’’ (the threeyear average of annual 99th percentile
daily maximum 1-hour average
concentrations). IEPA maintains fifteen
(15) SO2 air monitors throughout the
state. While these monitors are at a
substantial distance from the sources
that were granted variances, none of the
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monitors closest to the sources recorded
any exceedances of the 75 ppb standard
between 2014–2016, the design value
timeframe immediately before Illinois
implemented its statewide Sulfur
Content Rule requirement. The highest
1-hour design value (2014–2016) for the
nearest SO2 monitoring sites to the
Exelon sources ranged from 11 ppb to
44 ppb. Also, as stated above, EPA
concluded that the impact of this
variance with regards to section 110(l)
does not result in emissions increases
above the levels of emissions that were
in place when these counties were
designated as attainment/unclassifiable
for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS, but
rather result in unachieved emission
reductions that are deferred during the
variance period.
For the Calpine variance, the backup
distillate oil in the tank at the Zion
Energy Center would allow for
approximately 68.6 hours of turbine
operation or approximately 22.8 hours
for each of the three combustion
turbines at the facility. Using the
remaining distillate oil with 115 ppm
sulfur content would result in actual
unachieved emissions of 0.77 tons of
SO2 over the five-year term of the
variance, or 0.15 tons per year. The
modeling conducted for this variance to
demonstrate the environmental impact
of using distillate oil with 115 ppm
sulfur content shows that the air quality
in potentially impacted areas will
remain far below the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS, and the facility will not cause
a modeled NAAQS exceedance.
The nearest SO2 monitoring sites to
Calpine did not record any exceedances
in 2013 (IEPA 2013) when Calpine had
a permitted sulfur limit of 480 ppm. The
highest 1-hour monitored value in 2013
for those sites are 14 ppb and 10 ppb
(36.7 ug/m3 and 26.2 ug/m3). Calpine is
also approximately 90 kilometers from
the nearest nonattainment area for the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS, Lemont (AQS
ID 17–031–16010). Based on available
air quality modeling results, Calpine is
not contributing to these monitors.
The commenter is concerned about
the possibility that all of the backup
generators being granted variances
might operate simultaneously. Given the
distances between the different affected
facilities, air quality near any one of
these facilities would not reflect any
detectable impact from any level of
operation of pertinent SO2 sources at
any of the other affected facilities. The
more germane question is whether full
simultaneous usage of the variance by
the affected units at any one of these
facilities would cause air quality
concerns. The available information
demonstrates that these areas are
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attaining by sufficient margin and the
impact of these variances is sufficiently
small that these variances would not
interfere with attainment or any other
CAA requirement.
Comment. The commenter does not
believe the variances should be
approved because the Round 3 SO2
designations did not account for these
units burning non-compliant sulfur fuel.
The commenter believes that if these
units were to turn on all at the same
time near a Round 3 or Round 4 SO2
designation source, the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS could be violated. EPA must
affirmatively determine whether this is
a possibility and whether the sources
could contribute to a violation of a 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS.
Response. In fact, the Round 3 SO2
designations did account for these
emissions. These designations were
based on actual emissions in these
areas. While the variances authorize the
affected sources to defer any decrease in
emissions as soon as would otherwise
be required, the designation reflects
available evidence indicating that the
areas were attaining the standard even
before the emission reductions from
Illinois’ low sulfur fuel oil rule took
effect in these areas.
All the facilities that received these
variances from IPCB are located in
separate counties that were designated
by EPA as attainment/unclassifiable for
the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS during the
Round 3 SO2 designations process. As
part of its evaluation of the variances,
IEPA examined the locations of the
affected facilities in comparison to areas
that were investigated and modeled for
future area designation
recommendations (Round 2 and Round
3 SO2 designations process), and found
that there was no overlap; IEPA
determined, and EPA concurs, that it
did not believe that the facilities
associated with these variances would
impact potential future nonattainment
areas or change the designation for any
of the counties where the facilities are
located. Because of their relatively low
SO2 contribution levels, none of the
facilities were required by EPA’s SO2
Data Requirement Rule (DRR) to be
discretely modeled during the Round 3
SO2 designations process. However,
EPA designated the pertinent counties
as attainment unclassifiable on the basis
of 2014 to 2016 monitored air quality
data and emissions information,
reflecting air quality before the January
1, 2017 compliance date for Illinois’ fuel
sulfur regulation. The variances do not
change this assessment because their
impact does not result in emissions
increases above the levels of emissions
that were in place during the Round 3
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designations process, but rather result in
unachieved emission reductions that are
deferred during the variance period. As
outlined earlier, the design value for the
closest monitors to the facilities are
sufficiently below the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS and even assuming that the
combined deferred emissions reduction
of 2.47 tons were to be considered an
emission increase and were to occur at
one time, it would not trigger a violation
of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. In
addition, the impact of these variances
is minimized by the fact the all the
facilities are located outside of each
other facility’s reasonable modeling
domain and would not have the
potential to cause any significant
concentration gradients within an area
of analysis.
Regarding Round 4 SO2 designations,
Illinois installed and began operation of
a new monitoring network near a pair of
DRR sources in Macon County by
January 1, 2017. Under a court-ordered
designation schedule, EPA is required
by December 31, 2020, to designate this
area (Macon County) using three years
(2017–2019) of quality-assured data to
be collected from this network. None of
the Exelon and Calpine units that are
part of this variance request are in
Macon County or are within the
reasonable modeling domain and would
not have the potential to cause any
significant concentration gradients
within the area of analysis.
Comment. The commenter states that
even if EPA believes the variance is
appropriate, EPA should instead require
the affected facilities to utilize the noncompliant fuel first using a ‘‘first in, first
out’’ method, so that the non-compliant
fuel is used up faster, thereby reducing
the time it takes for the facilities to
come into compliance with the state
rule and the SIP. The commenter further
states that EPA should require the
facilities to use up any non-compliant
fuel first without dilution so that the
time in non-compliance is limited and
any violation of the SIP and state law is
limited to a short time period.
Response. Requiring the affected
facilities to utilize non-compliant fuel
using a ‘‘first in, first out’’ method is not
practicable in this situation because of
the number of tanks that are affected;
the location of these tanks in the
facilities; and because of the legal and
contractual restrictions that require both
companies to maintain a specified
volume of fuel on hand. In Exelon’s
case, the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission regulations require that the
facilities store and maintain on-site
enough fuel to power the emergency
equipment for up to seven days and
ensure nuclear safety. As the fuel is
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depleted, Exelon is obligated to
replenish the tanks to maintain the
required seven-day supply, which
would result in burning compliant fuel,
as well as non-compliant fuel. In
addition, Exelon indicates that the
Federally Enforceable State Operating
Permits for the facilities restrict the
usage of, and emissions from, the
emergency equipment. Similarly, some
of the equipment is subject to Federal
New Source Performance Standards for
‘‘Stationary Compression Ignition
Internal Combustion Engines’’ (40 CFR
part 60, subpart IIII) and the National
Emission Standards for Hazardous Air
Pollutants for ’’Stationary Reciprocating
Internal Combustion Engines’’ (40 CFR
part 63, subpart ZZZZ), which also
restrict the amount of time the
emergency equipment can be operated.
In Calpine’s case, the company is
contractually obligated to maintain 12
hours of backup fuel in case of
emergency, so draining the tanks would
violate this obligation and risk public
safety. In its hardship assessment,
Calpine argued that it cannot combust
all its distillate oil without violating its
Clean Air Act Permit Program permit
that was reissued on October 16, 2014
(ID NO. 097200ABB, Application No.
99110042). Under its permit, the facility
may only combust distillate oil for
limited purposes including when
natural gas is unavailable or for
shakedown, evaluation, and testing of
the turbines. Therefore, the facility’s
permit and economic conditions
prevented burning the entire supply of
the distillate oil supply before January
1, 2017. Additionally, Calpine argues
that draining the storage tanks would
impose a substantial hardship. Draining
the tanks would entail purchasing and
installing new equipment and revising
facility plans that safeguard fuel spills at
a substantial cost. As part of their
variance agreement, both Exelon and
Calpine are required to fully comply
with the Sulfur Content Rule and will
incur the costs necessary to achieve
compliance. The companies only seek
additional time to comply with the
requirements of the Sulfur Content Rule
within their current regulatory and
contractual framework.
III. What action is EPA taking?
EPA is approving the revision to the
Illinois SIP submitted by the IEPA on
February 6, 2018, because the variances
granted by the IPCB for Calpine and
Exelon meet all applicable requirements
and would not interfere with attainment
of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.
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IV. Incorporation by Reference
In this rule, EPA is finalizing
regulatory text that includes
incorporation by reference. In
accordance with requirements of 1 CFR
51.5, EPA is finalizing the incorporation
by reference of the IPCB Opinion and
Orders of the Board described in the
amendments to 40 CFR part 52 set forth
below. EPA has made, and will continue
to make, these documents generally
available through www.regulations.gov,
and/or at the EPA Region 5 Office
(please contact the person identified in
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section of this preamble for more
information). Therefore, these materials
have been approved by EPA for
inclusion in the SIP, have been
incorporated by reference by EPA into
that plan, are fully federally enforceable
under sections 110 and 113 of the CAA
as of the effective date of the final
rulemaking of EPA’s approval, and will
be incorporated by reference in the next
update to the SIP compilation.1
V. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is
required to approve a SIP submission
that complies with the provisions of the
CAA and applicable Federal regulations.
42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a).
Thus, in reviewing SIP submissions,
EPA’s role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of
the CAA. Accordingly, this action
merely approves state law as meeting
Federal requirements and does not
impose additional requirements beyond
those imposed by state law. For that
reason, this action:
• Is not a significant regulatory action
subject to review by the Office of
Management and Budget under
Executive Orders 12866 (58 FR 51735,
October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR 3821,
January 21, 2011);
• Is not an Executive Order 13771 (82
FR 9339, February 2, 2017) regulatory
action because SIP approvals are
exempted under Executive Order 12866;
• Does not impose an information
collection burden under the provisions
of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
• Is certified as not having a
significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities
under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5
U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
• Does not contain any unfunded
mandate or significantly or uniquely
affect small governments, as described
in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–4);
• Does not have Federalism
implications as specified in Executive
Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10,
1999);
• Is not an economically significant
regulatory action based on health or
safety risks subject to Executive Order
13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997);
• Is not a significant regulatory action
subject to Executive Order 13211 (66 FR
28355, May 22, 2001);
• Is not subject to requirements of
Section 12(d) of the National
Technology Transfer and Advancement
Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) because
application of those requirements would
be inconsistent with the CAA; and
• Does not provide EPA with the
discretionary authority to address, as
appropriate, disproportionate human
health or environmental effects, using
practicable and legally permissible
methods, under Executive Order 12898
(59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
In addition, the SIP is not approved
to apply on any Indian reservation land
or in any other area where EPA or an
Indian tribe has demonstrated that a
tribe has jurisdiction. In those areas of
Indian country, the rule does not have
tribal implications and will not impose
substantial direct costs on tribal
governments or preempt tribal law as
specified by Executive Order 13175 (65
FR 67249, November 9, 2000).
The Congressional Review Act, 5
U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act of 1996, generally provides
that before a rule may take effect, the
agency promulgating the rule must
submit a rule report, which includes a
copy of the rule, to each House of the
Congress and to the Comptroller General
67195
of the United States. EPA will submit a
report containing this action and other
required information to the U.S. Senate,
the U.S. House of Representatives, and
the Comptroller General of the United
States prior to publication of the rule in
the Federal Register. A major rule
cannot take effect until 60 days after it
is published in the Federal Register.
This action is not a ‘‘major rule’’ as
defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA,
petitions for judicial review of this
action must be filed in the United States
Court of Appeals for the appropriate
circuit by February 7, 2020. Filing a
petition for reconsideration by the
Administrator of this final rule does not
affect the finality of this action for the
purposes of judicial review nor does it
extend the time within which a petition
for judicial review may be filed, and
shall not postpone the effectiveness of
such rule or action. This action may not
be challenged later in proceedings to
enforce its requirements. (See section
307(b)(2) of the CAA.)
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Sulfur oxides.
Dated: November 20, 2019.
Cathy Stepp,
Regional Administrator, Region 5.
40 CFR part 52 is amended as follows:
PART 52—APPROVAL AND
PROMULGATION OF
IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
1. The authority citation for part 52
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
2. In § 52.720 the table in paragraph
(d) is amended by adding entries in
alphabetical order for ‘‘Calpine
Corporation (Zion Energy Center)’’ and
‘‘Exelon Generation, LLC’’ to read as
follows:
■
§ 52.720
*
Identification of plan.
*
*
(d) * * *
*
*
EPA-APPROVED ILLINOIS SOURCE-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
Order/permit
No.
tkelley on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with RULES
Name of source
*
Calpine Corporation (Zion
Energy Center).
1 62
*
State effective
date
*
PCB 16–112
12/19/2016
EPA approval date
Comments
*
*
*
12/09/2019, [insert Federal Register citation].
*
As amended on 8/17/2017.
FR 27968 (May 22, 1997).
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 236 / Monday, December 9, 2019 / Rules and Regulations
EPA-APPROVED ILLINOIS SOURCE-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS—Continued
Order/permit
No.
Name of source
*
*
Exelon Generation, LLC .....
*
*
*
*
PCB 16–106
*
*
*
9/13/2016
*
*
EPA approval date
*
*
*
*
section for
additional availability information.
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
INFORMATION CONTACT
Emlyn Ve´lez-Rosa, Planning &
Implementation Branch (3AD30), Air &
Radiation Division, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region III, 1650
Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
19103. The telephone number is (215)
814–2038. Ms. Ve´lez-Rosa can also be
reached via electronic mail at velezrosa.emlyn@epa.gov.
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R03–OAR–2019–0277; FRL–10002–
86–Region 3]
Approval and Promulgation of Air
Quality Implementation Plans; Virginia;
Source-Specific Reasonably Available
Control Technology Determinations for
2008 Ozone National Ambient Air
Quality Standard
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On August 1, 2019 (84 FR 37607),
EPA published a notice of proposed
rulemaking (NPRM) for the
AGENCY: Environmental Protection
Commonwealth of Virginia. In the
Agency (EPA).
NPRM, EPA proposed approval of three
separate SIP revisions from Virginia
ACTION: Final rule.
addressing RACT under the CAA for the
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection 2008 ozone NAAQS for three facilities
Agency (EPA) is approving three state
in Northern Virginia. The formal SIP
implementation plan (SIP) revisions
revisions were submitted by the Virginia
submitted by the Commonwealth of
Department of Environmental Quality
Virginia. These revisions address
(VADEQ) on February 1, 14, and 15,
reasonably available control technology 2019 and address the following
(RACT) requirements under the 2008
facilities: Possum Point Power Station,
ozone national ambient air quality
Covanta Fairfax, and Covanta
standard (NAAQS) for three facilities in Alexandria/Arlington.
Northern Virginia through sourceRACT is important for reducing
specific determinations. This action is
oxides of nitrogen (NOX) and volatile
being taken under the Clean Air Act
organic compounds (VOC) emissions
(CAA).
from major stationary sources within
DATES: This final rule is effective on
areas not meeting the ozone NAAQS.
January 8, 2020.
Since the 1970’s, EPA has consistently
defined ‘‘RACT’’ as the lowest emission
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a
limit that a particular source is capable
docket for this action under Docket ID
Number EPA–R03–OAR–2019–0277. All of meeting by the application of the
control technology that is reasonably
documents in the docket are listed on
available considering technological and
the https://www.regulations.gov
economic feasibility.1 RACT is
website. Although listed in the index,
applicable
to ozone nonattainment areas
some information is not publicly
which are classified as moderate or
available, e.g., confidential business
above, or any areas located within the
information (CBI) or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Ozone Transport Region (OTR). General
RACT requirements are set forth in
Certain other material, such as
section 172(c)(1) of the CAA, while
copyrighted material, is not placed on
the internet and will be publicly
1 See December 9, 1976 memorandum from Roger
available only in hard copy form.
Strelow, Assistant Administrator for Air and Waste
Publicly available docket materials are
Management, to Regional Administrators,
available through https://
‘‘Guidance for Determining Acceptability of SIP
www.regulations.gov, or please contact
Regulations in Non-Attainment Areas,’’ and also 44
the person identified in the FOR FURTHER FR 53762; September 17, 1979.
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Comments
*
*
*
12/09/2019, [insert Federal Register citation].
[FR Doc. 2019–26295 Filed 12–6–19; 8:45 am]
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
tkelley on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with RULES
State effective
date
Fmt 4700
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*
ozone specific requirements are found
in sections 182 and 184 of the CAA.
On March 12, 2008, EPA revised the
8-hour ozone standards, by lowering the
standard to 0.075 parts per million
(ppm) averaged over an 8-hour period
(2008 ozone NAAQS). See 73 FR 16436.
Under the 2008 ozone NAAQS, only the
Northern portion of Virginia is subject
to RACT due to its location in the OTR,
as there are no moderate nonattainment
areas in Virginia under the standard.
The OTR portion of Virginia consists of
the Arlington County, Fairfax County,
Loudoun County, Prince William
County, Alexandria City, Fairfax City,
Falls Church City, Manassas City,
Manassas Park City, and Strafford
County. The three facilities which are
the subject of this rulemaking action are
located in Northern Virginia.
II. Summary of SIP Revision and EPA
Analysis
Virginia’s February 1, 14, and 15,
2019 SIP revisions address NOX and/or
VOC RACT for the following facilities:
Virginia Electric and Power Company—
Possum Point Power Station, Covanta
Alexandria/Arlington, Inc., and Covanta
Fairfax, Inc. VADEQ is adopting as part
of these SIP revisions additional NOX
control requirements for these three
facilities to meet RACT under the 2008
ozone NAAQS, all of which are
implemented via federally enforceable
permits issued by VADEQ. These RACT
permits, as listed on Table 1, have been
submitted as part of each SIP revision
for EPA’s approval into the Virginia SIP
under 40 CFR 52.2420(d).
Virginia’s source specific RACT
determinations include an evaluation of
NOX and/or VOC controls that are
reasonably available for the affected
emissions units at each facility and its
determination of which control
requirements satisfy RACT. VADEQ
submitted federally enforceable permits
with the purpose of implementing the
requirements of 9VAC5, Chapter 40
(9VAC5–40), sections 7400, 7420, and
7430.
E:\FR\FM\09DER1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 236 (Monday, December 9, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 67191-67196]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26295]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R05-OAR-2018-0072; FRL-10002-81-Region 5]
Air Plan Approval; Illinois; Sulfur Dioxide
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a
request submitted by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
(IEPA) on February 6, 2018, to revise the Illinois State Implementation
Plan (SIP) under the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the 2010 1-hour sulfur
dioxide (SO2) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).
IEPA specifically requested EPA approval to amend the Illinois SIP for
the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS to account for two variances
granted by the Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) to Calpine
Corporation (Calpine) and Exelon Generation, LLC (Exelon). EPA
[[Page 67192]]
proposed to approve the state's submittal on June 12, 2019.
DATES: This final rule is effective on January 8, 2020.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID
No. EPA-R05-OAR-2018-0072. All documents in the docket are listed in
the https://www.regulations.gov website. Although listed in the index,
some information is not publicly available, e.g., Confidential Business
Information or other information whose disclosure is restricted by
statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not
placed on the internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy
form. Publicly available docket materials are available either through
https://www.regulations.gov, or please contact the person identified in
the For Further Information Contact section for additional availability
information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Francisco J. Acevedo, Mobile Source
Program Manager, Control Strategies Section, Air Programs Branch (AR-
18J), Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West Jackson
Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 886-6061,
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, wherever ``we'',
``us'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA.
I. What is being addressed by this document?
In conjunction with Illinois' adoption of SO2 emission
limits for major sources, the state adopted rule revisions (Sulfur
Content Rule) to limit the sulfur content of distillate and residual
fuel oil combusted at stationary sources throughout the state. See 35
Ill. Adm. Code 214.161(b)(2) and 214.305(a)(2). The Sulfur Content Rule
specifically requires that the sulfur content of distillate fuel oil
combusted on or after January 1, 2017, not exceed 15 parts per million
(ppm). The rule applies to owners and operators of existing fuel
combustion emission and process emission sources that burn liquid fuel.
Illinois' Sulfur Content Rule, containing 35 Ill. Adm. Code
214.161(b)(2) and 214.305(a)(2), was submitted to EPA as a SIP revision
on March 2, 2016, and EPA issued an approval in the Federal Register on
February 1, 2018 (83 FR 4591) and May 29, 2018 (83 FR 24406).
On May 18, 2016, pursuant to Section 35(a) of the Illinois
Environmental Protection Act, 415 ILCS 5/34(a), and Part 104 of Title
35 of the Illinois Administrative Code, 35 Ill. Adm. Code 104.100,
Exelon filed a Petition for Variance with the IPCB regarding its Byron
(Ogle County), Clinton (DeWitt County), Dresden (Grundy County), and
LaSalle (LaSalle County) nuclear generation stations. See Exelon
Generation, LLC v. Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, PCB 16-
106. Section 35 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act provides
that the IPCB, under state law, ``may grant individual variances . . .
whenever it is found, upon presentation of adequate proof, that
compliance with any rule or regulation . . . would impose an arbitrary
or unreasonable hardship.'' (IPCB's granting of such a variance under
state law, however, does not automatically revise what is federally
enforceable under the SIP; only if Illinois submits and EPA approves a
SIP revision reflecting the granting of the variance can the federally
enforceable SIP be revised.) Exelon requested temporary relief from the
15 ppm sulfur content limitation for distillate fuel oil set forth in
35 Ill. Adm. Code 214.161(b)(2). On September 8, 2016, the IPCB granted
the variance subject to a number of conditions.
On June 16, 2016, Calpine also filed a Petition for Variance with
the IPCB regarding the Zion Energy Center. See Calpine Corporation
(Zion Energy Center) v. Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, PCB
16-112. On August 8, 2016, Calpine filed an Amended Petition for
Variance with the IPCB, requesting temporary relief from the 15 ppm
sulfur content limitation for distillate fuel oil set forth in 35 Ill.
Adm. Code 214.161(b)(2). On November 17, 2016, the IPCB granted the
variance from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2021, subject to several
conditions. IPCB also granted the motion on August 17, 2017, amending
its order to correct the errors.
The Petition for Variance sought relief from provisions that were
approved into the Illinois SIP. Those SIP provisions remain in effect
and enforceable unless and until EPA revises the SIP to incorporate the
variances. Thus, following the decision by IEPA to approve the
variances, IEPA submitted them to EPA for approval as SIP revisions.
On February 6, 2018, IEPA formally submitted a request for EPA
approval to amend the Illinois SIP for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS to account for two variances granted by the IPCB to Calpine and
Exelon. The submittal included an analysis of the potential impact of
the variances on air quality, specifically with respect to the 2010 1-
hour SO2 NAAQS. This analysis was part of the variance
applications submitted by Calpine and Exelon to the IPCB.
On June 12, 2019, at 84 FR 27212, EPA proposed to approve IEPA's
request to amend the Illinois SIP to reflect the variances granted by
the IPCB for Calpine and Exelon.
II. What comments did we receive on the proposed SIP revision?
Our June 12, 2019 proposed rule provided a 30-day comment period.
The comment period closed on July 12, 2019. EPA received comments from
one party during the public comment period. In this section we are
responding to the comments received.
Comment. The commenter generally states that EPA should not approve
the variances addressed in the proposal. The commenter specifically
notes that the sources' claim that they are economically burdened by
the imposition of the state's rule requiring compliance with sulfur
limits of no greater than 15 ppm is factually incorrect. In addition,
the commenter asserts that the facilities should not be allowed to
dilute the 15 ppm fuel with any remaining high sulfur fuel and that
they should immediately sell any remaining non-compliant fuel and stop
burning diluted fuel with non-compliant sulfur limits.
Response. As discussed in more detail in the June 12, 2019 proposed
approval, both Exelon and Calpine considered several potential options
to comply with the Sulfur Content Rule as of January 1, 2017. Such
options included combusting all the non-compliant fuel; continuing to
dilute the fuel's sulfur content concentrations with ultra-low sulfur
diesel (ULSD); draining all the storage tanks and refilling them with
ULSD. According to the IPCB, both companies demonstrated that none of
the compliance alternatives evaluated were practicable for meeting the
15 ppm sulfur limit by January 1, 2017 and presented a substantial
hardship to the companies. EPA agrees with IPCB's evaluation that
substantial hardship exists based on review of support documentation
provided to the IPCB and included as part of the SIP revision submitted
to EPA. Exelon's plan for complying with the Sulfur Content Rule by the
end of the variance period outlined by the IPCB calls for continuing to
replenish the lower sulfur tanks with ULSD; and, as part of a
coordinated program, emptying the higher sulfur tanks and refilling
them with ULSD. Under Calpine's compliance plan, the facility would
comply with the Sulfur Content Rule by January 1, 2022 by continuing to
purchase only fuel with sulfur content
[[Page 67193]]
below 15 ppm. This ensures that the sulfur content of the fuel used at
the facility will continue to decrease. During the variance period, the
sulfur content of all distillate oil combusted by Calpine must not
exceed 115 ppm sulfur content. EPA believes that both compliance plans
provide enough flexibility to allow Exelon and Calpine to address their
hardship concerns while also requiring full compliance with the Sulfur
Content Rule at the end of the variance period. The commenter did not
submit any specific information for EPA review to substantiate its
claim that the companies' hardship concerns were factually incorrect.
In addition, while hardship is a prerequisite for state variance
issuance in this case, hardship is not a prerequisite for Federal
approval. The state regulation under which it grants variances is not
part of the SIP. Hardship is a defensible criterion for the state to
use in allocating air quality resources, but it is not a criterion
under the CAA, nor is EPA obliged in this case to judge whether it
would have made the same determination as the state. EPA here needs
only to judge whether the approval of these variances into the SIP
interferes with attainment and reasonable further progress or any other
applicable CAA requirement.
Comment. The commenter raises concerns that the state did not
perform an appropriate CAA section 110(l) analysis to determine what
effect these units would have on the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.
Further, the commenter states that EPA should evaluate situations when
all the engines are being used at the same time since they appear to be
emergency units that would likely be turned on at the same time.
Response. Both Exelon and Calpine submitted an analysis of the
potential impact of their respective variances on air quality,
specifically with regard to the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. These
analyses were part of the variance applications submitted to the IPCB.
In addition, IEPA and EPA independently evaluated the impact of both
variances and concluded that the facilities would not contribute to
current SO2 nonattainment areas, and that they would not
cause any current attainment area to violate the SO2 NAAQS.
In addition, EPA concluded that the impact of these variances with
regards to section 110(l) do not result in emissions increases above
the levels of emissions that were in place when EPA designated these
counties as attainment/unclassifiable for the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS, but rather result in deferred emission reductions
during the variance period (unachieved emissions reductions). While
these variances delay the emission reductions provided by the approved
state rule, these reductions are not necessary to achieve attainment in
these areas, since EPA concluded that these areas were attaining the
standard even before the reductions required by Illinois' rule were to
commence. Specifically, as discussed in more detail in the June 12,
2019 proposed approval, EPA designated all of these counties as
attainment/unclassifiable on January 9, 2018, based on monitoring data
from 2014 to 2016 and emissions information that predated the January
1, 2017 compliance date of Illinois' fuel sulfur regulation.
The information submitted by the state was sufficient to assess
whether the requirements of section 110(l) were met. For the Exelon
variance, the potentially affected geographic areas include portions of
the four counties in which the Exelon facilities are located. Each of
these counties is designated as attainment/unclassifiable for the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS. This includes Ogle County for Byron
Station, LaSalle County for LaSalle Station, Grundy County for Dresden
Station and DeWitt County for Clinton Station. The combined backup
diesel storage capacity for the four Exelon stations which are part of
this variance is 782,668 gallons. Using the maximum capacity of diesel
fuel with a worst case 250 ppm sulfur content would result in 1.7 tons
of combined unachieved emissions reductions during the variance period
(0.443 tons at the Byron station; 0.238 tons at the Clinton station;
0.343 tons at the Dresden station; and 0.342 tons at the LaSalle
station). A calculation of expected unachieved emissions reductions
based on a more realistic projection, which uses a five-year average
annual fuel usage at each station and current sulfur concentrations of
the fuel in the pertinent tanks (based on the highest measure sulfur
content fuel in the largest tanks at the Byron, Clinton, and Dresden
stations and an average at the LaSalle station), would result in
unachieved emissions reductions on a yearly basis during the variance
period totaling less than one-tenth of one ton for all the stations
combined.
The 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS (or standard) is 75 parts per
billion (ppb) based on the ``design value'' (the three-year average of
annual 99th percentile daily maximum 1-hour average concentrations).
IEPA maintains fifteen (15) SO2 air monitors throughout the
state. While these monitors are at a substantial distance from the
sources that were granted variances, none of the monitors closest to
the sources recorded any exceedances of the 75 ppb standard between
2014-2016, the design value timeframe immediately before Illinois
implemented its statewide Sulfur Content Rule requirement. The highest
1-hour design value (2014-2016) for the nearest SO2
monitoring sites to the Exelon sources ranged from 11 ppb to 44 ppb.
Also, as stated above, EPA concluded that the impact of this variance
with regards to section 110(l) does not result in emissions increases
above the levels of emissions that were in place when these counties
were designated as attainment/unclassifiable for the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS, but rather result in unachieved emission
reductions that are deferred during the variance period.
For the Calpine variance, the backup distillate oil in the tank at
the Zion Energy Center would allow for approximately 68.6 hours of
turbine operation or approximately 22.8 hours for each of the three
combustion turbines at the facility. Using the remaining distillate oil
with 115 ppm sulfur content would result in actual unachieved emissions
of 0.77 tons of SO2 over the five-year term of the variance,
or 0.15 tons per year. The modeling conducted for this variance to
demonstrate the environmental impact of using distillate oil with 115
ppm sulfur content shows that the air quality in potentially impacted
areas will remain far below the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS, and
the facility will not cause a modeled NAAQS exceedance.
The nearest SO2 monitoring sites to Calpine did not
record any exceedances in 2013 (IEPA 2013) when Calpine had a permitted
sulfur limit of 480 ppm. The highest 1-hour monitored value in 2013 for
those sites are 14 ppb and 10 ppb (36.7 ug/m\3\ and 26.2 ug/m\3\).
Calpine is also approximately 90 kilometers from the nearest
nonattainment area for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS, Lemont
(AQS ID 17-031-16010). Based on available air quality modeling results,
Calpine is not contributing to these monitors.
The commenter is concerned about the possibility that all of the
backup generators being granted variances might operate simultaneously.
Given the distances between the different affected facilities, air
quality near any one of these facilities would not reflect any
detectable impact from any level of operation of pertinent
SO2 sources at any of the other affected facilities. The
more germane question is whether full simultaneous usage of the
variance by the affected units at any one of these facilities would
cause air quality concerns. The available information demonstrates that
these areas are
[[Page 67194]]
attaining by sufficient margin and the impact of these variances is
sufficiently small that these variances would not interfere with
attainment or any other CAA requirement.
Comment. The commenter does not believe the variances should be
approved because the Round 3 SO2 designations did not
account for these units burning non-compliant sulfur fuel. The
commenter believes that if these units were to turn on all at the same
time near a Round 3 or Round 4 SO2 designation source, the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS could be violated. EPA must
affirmatively determine whether this is a possibility and whether the
sources could contribute to a violation of a 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS.
Response. In fact, the Round 3 SO2 designations did
account for these emissions. These designations were based on actual
emissions in these areas. While the variances authorize the affected
sources to defer any decrease in emissions as soon as would otherwise
be required, the designation reflects available evidence indicating
that the areas were attaining the standard even before the emission
reductions from Illinois' low sulfur fuel oil rule took effect in these
areas.
All the facilities that received these variances from IPCB are
located in separate counties that were designated by EPA as attainment/
unclassifiable for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS during the
Round 3 SO2 designations process. As part of its evaluation
of the variances, IEPA examined the locations of the affected
facilities in comparison to areas that were investigated and modeled
for future area designation recommendations (Round 2 and Round 3
SO2 designations process), and found that there was no
overlap; IEPA determined, and EPA concurs, that it did not believe that
the facilities associated with these variances would impact potential
future nonattainment areas or change the designation for any of the
counties where the facilities are located. Because of their relatively
low SO2 contribution levels, none of the facilities were
required by EPA's SO2 Data Requirement Rule (DRR) to be
discretely modeled during the Round 3 SO2 designations
process. However, EPA designated the pertinent counties as attainment
unclassifiable on the basis of 2014 to 2016 monitored air quality data
and emissions information, reflecting air quality before the January 1,
2017 compliance date for Illinois' fuel sulfur regulation. The
variances do not change this assessment because their impact does not
result in emissions increases above the levels of emissions that were
in place during the Round 3 designations process, but rather result in
unachieved emission reductions that are deferred during the variance
period. As outlined earlier, the design value for the closest monitors
to the facilities are sufficiently below the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS and even assuming that the combined deferred emissions reduction
of 2.47 tons were to be considered an emission increase and were to
occur at one time, it would not trigger a violation of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS. In addition, the impact of these variances is
minimized by the fact the all the facilities are located outside of
each other facility's reasonable modeling domain and would not have the
potential to cause any significant concentration gradients within an
area of analysis.
Regarding Round 4 SO2 designations, Illinois installed
and began operation of a new monitoring network near a pair of DRR
sources in Macon County by January 1, 2017. Under a court-ordered
designation schedule, EPA is required by December 31, 2020, to
designate this area (Macon County) using three years (2017-2019) of
quality-assured data to be collected from this network. None of the
Exelon and Calpine units that are part of this variance request are in
Macon County or are within the reasonable modeling domain and would not
have the potential to cause any significant concentration gradients
within the area of analysis.
Comment. The commenter states that even if EPA believes the
variance is appropriate, EPA should instead require the affected
facilities to utilize the non-compliant fuel first using a ``first in,
first out'' method, so that the non-compliant fuel is used up faster,
thereby reducing the time it takes for the facilities to come into
compliance with the state rule and the SIP. The commenter further
states that EPA should require the facilities to use up any non-
compliant fuel first without dilution so that the time in non-
compliance is limited and any violation of the SIP and state law is
limited to a short time period.
Response. Requiring the affected facilities to utilize non-
compliant fuel using a ``first in, first out'' method is not
practicable in this situation because of the number of tanks that are
affected; the location of these tanks in the facilities; and because of
the legal and contractual restrictions that require both companies to
maintain a specified volume of fuel on hand. In Exelon's case, the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations require that the facilities
store and maintain on-site enough fuel to power the emergency equipment
for up to seven days and ensure nuclear safety. As the fuel is
depleted, Exelon is obligated to replenish the tanks to maintain the
required seven-day supply, which would result in burning compliant
fuel, as well as non-compliant fuel. In addition, Exelon indicates that
the Federally Enforceable State Operating Permits for the facilities
restrict the usage of, and emissions from, the emergency equipment.
Similarly, some of the equipment is subject to Federal New Source
Performance Standards for ``Stationary Compression Ignition Internal
Combustion Engines'' (40 CFR part 60, subpart IIII) and the National
Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for ''Stationary
Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines'' (40 CFR part 63, subpart
ZZZZ), which also restrict the amount of time the emergency equipment
can be operated.
In Calpine's case, the company is contractually obligated to
maintain 12 hours of backup fuel in case of emergency, so draining the
tanks would violate this obligation and risk public safety. In its
hardship assessment, Calpine argued that it cannot combust all its
distillate oil without violating its Clean Air Act Permit Program
permit that was reissued on October 16, 2014 (ID NO. 097200ABB,
Application No. 99110042). Under its permit, the facility may only
combust distillate oil for limited purposes including when natural gas
is unavailable or for shakedown, evaluation, and testing of the
turbines. Therefore, the facility's permit and economic conditions
prevented burning the entire supply of the distillate oil supply before
January 1, 2017. Additionally, Calpine argues that draining the storage
tanks would impose a substantial hardship. Draining the tanks would
entail purchasing and installing new equipment and revising facility
plans that safeguard fuel spills at a substantial cost. As part of
their variance agreement, both Exelon and Calpine are required to fully
comply with the Sulfur Content Rule and will incur the costs necessary
to achieve compliance. The companies only seek additional time to
comply with the requirements of the Sulfur Content Rule within their
current regulatory and contractual framework.
III. What action is EPA taking?
EPA is approving the revision to the Illinois SIP submitted by the
IEPA on February 6, 2018, because the variances granted by the IPCB for
Calpine and Exelon meet all applicable requirements and would not
interfere with attainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.
[[Page 67195]]
IV. Incorporation by Reference
In this rule, EPA is finalizing regulatory text that includes
incorporation by reference. In accordance with requirements of 1 CFR
51.5, EPA is finalizing the incorporation by reference of the IPCB
Opinion and Orders of the Board described in the amendments to 40 CFR
part 52 set forth below. EPA has made, and will continue to make, these
documents generally available through www.regulations.gov, and/or at
the EPA Region 5 Office (please contact the person identified in the
For Further Information Contact section of this preamble for more
information). Therefore, these materials have been approved by EPA for
inclusion in the SIP, have been incorporated by reference by EPA into
that plan, are fully federally enforceable under sections 110 and 113
of the CAA as of the effective date of the final rulemaking of EPA's
approval, and will be incorporated by reference in the next update to
the SIP compilation.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 62 FR 27968 (May 22, 1997).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP
submission that complies with the provisions of the CAA and applicable
Federal regulations. 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a). Thus, in
reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of the CAA. Accordingly, this
action merely approves state law as meeting Federal requirements and
does not impose additional requirements beyond those imposed by state
law. For that reason, this action:
Is not a significant regulatory action subject to review
by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Orders 12866 (58
FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR 3821, January 21, 2011);
Is not an Executive Order 13771 (82 FR 9339, February 2,
2017) regulatory action because SIP approvals are exempted under
Executive Order 12866;
Does not impose an information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
Is certified as not having a significant economic impact
on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
Does not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or
uniquely affect small governments, as described in the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4);
Does not have Federalism implications as specified in
Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);
Is not an economically significant regulatory action based
on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR
19885, April 23, 1997);
Is not a significant regulatory action subject to
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
Is not subject to requirements of Section 12(d) of the
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272
note) because application of those requirements would be inconsistent
with the CAA; and
Does not provide EPA with the discretionary authority to
address, as appropriate, disproportionate human health or environmental
effects, using practicable and legally permissible methods, under
Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
In addition, the SIP is not approved to apply on any Indian
reservation land or in any other area where EPA or an Indian tribe has
demonstrated that a tribe has jurisdiction. In those areas of Indian
country, the rule does not have tribal implications and will not impose
substantial direct costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law as
specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000).
The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule,
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the
United States. EPA will submit a report containing this action and
other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of
Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior
to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. A major rule cannot
take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal
Register. This action is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C.
804(2).
Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA, petitions for judicial review
of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for
the appropriate circuit by February 7, 2020. Filing a petition for
reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule does not affect
the finality of this action for the purposes of judicial review nor
does it extend the time within which a petition for judicial review may
be filed, and shall not postpone the effectiveness of such rule or
action. This action may not be challenged later in proceedings to
enforce its requirements. (See section 307(b)(2) of the CAA.)
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Sulfur oxides.
Dated: November 20, 2019.
Cathy Stepp,
Regional Administrator, Region 5.
40 CFR part 52 is amended as follows:
PART 52--APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
0
1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
0
2. In Sec. 52.720 the table in paragraph (d) is amended by adding
entries in alphabetical order for ``Calpine Corporation (Zion Energy
Center)'' and ``Exelon Generation, LLC'' to read as follows:
Sec. 52.720 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(d) * * *
EPA-Approved Illinois Source-Specific Requirements
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State effective
Name of source Order/permit No. date EPA approval date Comments
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * * * *
Calpine Corporation (Zion Energy PCB 16-112 12/19/2016 12/09/2019, [insert As amended on 8/17/
Center). Federal Register 2017.
citation].
[[Page 67196]]
* * * * * * *
Exelon Generation, LLC.......... PCB 16-106 9/13/2016 12/09/2019, [insert
Federal Register
citation].
* * * * * * *
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* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2019-26295 Filed 12-6-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P