[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 86 (Thursday, May 4, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26364-26365]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-6772]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[Petitions IV-2002-4 and -6 FRL-8166-7]
Clean Air Act Operating Permit Program; Petitions for Objection
to State Operating Permit Amendments for Georgia Power Company--Bowen
Steam-Electric Generating Plant, Cartersville (Bartow County), GA;
Branch Steam-Electric Generating Plant, Milledgeville (Putnam County),
GA; Hammond Steam-Electric Generating Plant, Coosa (Floyd County), GA;
McDonough/Atkinson Steam-Electric Generating Plant, Smyrna (Cobb
County), GA; Scherer Steam-Electric Generating Plant, Juliette (Monroe
County), GA; Wansley Steam-Electric Generating Plant, Roopville (Heard
County), GA; and Yates Steam-Electric Generating Plant, Newnan (Coweta
County), GA
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of final order denying petitions to object to state
operating permit amendments.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Clean Air Act Section 505(b)(2) and 40 CFR
70.8(d), the EPA Administrator signed an order, dated March 15, 2006,
denying two (2) petitions to object to state operating permit
amendments issued by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division
(EPD) to Georgia Power Company for the following facilities: Bowen
Steam-Electric Generating Plant located in Cartersville, Bartow County,
Georgia; Branch Steam-Electric Generating Plant located in
Milledgeville, Putnam County, Georgia; Hammond Steam-Electric
Generating Plant located in Coosa, Floyd County, Georgia; McDonough/
Atkinson Steam-Electric Generating Plant located in Smyrna, Cobb
County, Georgia; Scherer Steam-Electric Generating Plant located in
Juliette, Monroe County, Georgia; Wansley Steam-Electric Generating
Plant located in Roopville, Heard County, Georgia; and Yates Steam-
Electric Generating Plant located in Newnan, Coweta County, Georgia.
This
[[Page 26365]]
order constitutes final action on two (2) petitions submitted by the
Georgia Center for Law in the Public Interest (GCLPI) on behalf of the
Sierra Club, Georgia Forest Watch, and Colleen Kiernan and the Sierra
Club and Georgia Public Interest Research Group, respectively. Pursuant
to section 505(b)(2) of the Clean Air Act (the Act) any person may seek
judicial review in the United States Court of Appeals for the
appropriate circuit within 60 days of this notice under section 307 of
the Act.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Order, the petitions, and all pertinent
information relating thereto are on file at the following location: EPA
Region 4, Air, Pesticides and Toxics Management Division, 61 Forsyth
Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960. The final order is also
available electronically at the following address: http://www.epa.gov/region7/programs/artd/air/title5/petitiondb/petitions/bowen-7plants_decision2002.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Art Hofmeister, Air Permits Section,
EPA Region 4, at (404) 562-9115 or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Act affords EPA a 45-day period to
review and, as appropriate, to object to operating permits proposed by
state permitting authorities under title V of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 7661-
7661f. Section 505(b)(2) of the Act and 40 CFR 70.8(d) authorize any
person to petition the EPA Administrator to object to a title V
operating permit within 60 days after the expiration of EPA's 45-day
review period if EPA has not objected on its own initiative. Petitions
must be based only on objections to the permit that were raised with
reasonable specificity during the public comment period provided by the
state, unless the petitioner demonstrates that it was impracticable to
raise these issues during the comment period or the grounds for the
issues arose after this period.
On July 9, 2002, EPA received a petition submitted by GCLPI on
behalf of the Sierra Club, Georgia Forest Watch, and Colleen Kiernan
(Petitioners), requesting that EPA object to a state title V operating
permit amendment issued by EPD to Georgia Power for Plant Bowen. On
November 20, 2002, EPA received another petition from GCLPI on behalf
of the Sierra Club and Georgia Public Interest Research Group
(Petitioners), requesting that EPA object to another state title V
operating permit amendment issued by EPD to Georgia Power for Plant
Bowen as well as six (6) other state title V operating permit
amendments issued for Plants Branch, Hammond, McDonough/Atkinson,
Scherer, Wansley, and Yates. The Petitioners maintain that the
respective permit amendments are inconsistent with the Act because the
emissions reductions required by the permit terms contained therein do
not qualify as offsets. Since the petitions have been determined by EPA
to be interrelated, they have been considered together.
On March 15, 2006, the Administrator issued an order denying the
petitions. The order explains the reasons behind EPA's conclusion that
the Petitioners failed to demonstrate that the respective permit
amendments are not in compliance with the requirements of the Act.
Dated: April 25, 2006.
A. Stanley Meiburg,
Deputy Regional Administrator, Region 4.
[FR Doc. E6-6772 Filed 5-3-06; 8:45 am]
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