[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 160 (Thursday, August 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50202-50203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20971]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6853-1]
Notice of Availability for Draft Guidance on BACT for
NOX Control at Combined Cycle Turbines
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The EPA is making available for public review and comment a
preliminary draft of its pending guidance on BACT for NOX
Control on Combined Cycle Turbines. Several issues have been brought to
EPA's attention as a result of recent controversies involving State
permitting agencies, utilities, and turbine manufacturers over
appropriate best available control technology (BACT) controls for
NOX at natural gas combined cycle turbines for electric
power generation. Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) has been
considered BACT for limiting NOX emissions on many natural
gas combined cycle turbines in attainment areas. These issues have to
do with the impact of requiring selective catalytic reduction on dry
low NOX natural gas combined cycle turbines for electric
generation.
The BACT is required for new or modified major sources in order to
prevent significant deterioration of air quality in attainment areas.
The Clean Air Act allows permitting authorities to weigh environmental,
energy, and economic concerns against the proven environmental benefits
of technologies such as SCR in making BACT determinations in order to
determine whether a less effective technology for NOX
control is warranted in specific cases. In the case of dry low
NOX natural gas combined cycle turbines, the NOX
reduction that SCR achieves is sufficiently small that other
considerations may become relatively important to consider in
determining BACT. The guidance and supporting background information
review those considerations.
A draft of EPA's guidance is available for public review and
comment. The EPA does not intend to respond to individual comments, but
rather to consider the comments from the public in the preparation of
the final guidance. It is important that the draft guidance being made
available today for public review and comment does not represent
official EPA policy or a formal position on the subject matter
discussed and therefore is not to be relied on in interpreting EPA
policy.
DATES: The comment period on the draft guidance will close on September
18, 2000.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Pamela J. Smith,
Information Transfer and Program Integration Division (MD-12), Office
of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle
Park, North Carolina 27711, telephone 919-541-0641, telefax 919-541-
5509 or E-mail [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown, Office of Policy Analysis
and Review, U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC 20460,
telephone 202-564-1669 or E-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A copy of the draft guidance document may be
obtained by calling or E-mailing Pamela J. Smith. The draft guidance
may also be downloaded from the NSR Web Site http://www.epa.gov/ttn/nsr
under the topic ``What's New on NSR.''
[[Page 50203]]
Dated: August 9, 2000.
John S. Seitz,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 00-20971 Filed 8-16-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P