ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
September
4,
1975
B. FOX,
LTD.,
Petitioner,
v.
)
PCB 75—212
ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY,
Respondent.
OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
(by Mr.
Zeitlin):
Petitioner
B.
Fox,
Ltd.,
filed its original Petition
for Variance on May 21,
1975.
Petitioner sought a Variance
from Rule 204(c) (1) (a)
of Chapter
2:
Air Pollution,
to allow
the continued u3e of high—sulfur Illinois coal at its Belleville,
Illinois plant.
On May 22,
1975,
the Board entered an Order requiring
more information to support that Petition,
as follows:
1)
The Petition failed to address the requirements of
the United States Supreme Court Decision of Train v.
Natural Resources Defense Council,
43 U.S.L.W.
4467
(U.S.,
April
16,
1975)
2)
Petitioner’s claim of financial hardship was
unsupported.
3)
Petitioner’s claim that compliance
is not feasible
was unsupported.
4)
Petitioner failed to state the length of time for
which the Variance is sought.
B.
Fox,
Ltd.
submitted additional information to the
Board on June 18,
1975.
A Recommendation from the Environmental
Protection Agency
(Agency) was subsequently received on
July 23, 1975.
No hearing was held in this matter.
As is pointed out
in the Agency Recommendation, the
Amended Petition submitted June 18,
1975 has not corrected
Petitioner’s lack of an adequate compliance plan.
Petitioner
merely states that it desires a variance for the maximum
time,
“until coal with sulfur dioxide removal is available.”
(May 21,
1975 Petition,
p.3).
18
—
466
—2—
The original Petition in this matter discussed the
costs of conversion
to either low—sulfur coal or oil to
replace the Illinois coal presently used in connection with
Petitioner’s boilers.
The conclusion was reached that
neither of these methods of compliances are within the
financial means of Petitioner.
In its Amended Petition,
Petitioner in essence merely
restated that conclusion.
Costs for conversion
to low-sulfur
oil were added, and costs for conversion
to low—sulfur coal
were again treated.
While the Board sympathizes with Petitioner regarding
the cost of compliance,
the Board has often held that variances
will not be granted in the absence of some plan to achieve
compliance.
No such plan is offered by Petitioner.
That
being the case,
the other issues raised by Petitioner need
not be addressed;
the Petition shall be dismissed without
prejudice,
for lack of an adequate compliance plan.
Petitioner
is invited to resubmit a new Petition more fully addressing
the question of eventual compliance.
In addition, Petitioner
is referred to the other points raised in the Agency’s
Recommendation.
This Opinion constitutes the findings of fact and
conclusions of law of the Board in this matter.
ORDER
IT IS THE ORDER OF THE POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD THAT:
The Petition for Variance of
B. Fox,
Ltd.
in this
matter is dismissed without prejudice.
I, Christan
L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
Control Board, hereby ce~tifythe above Opinion and Order
was adopted on the
4’T~
day of
,
1975,
by a vote of
‘.1_p
Christan
L. MoffettJ
k
Illinois Pollution
ol Board
18
—
461