ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    July 31, 1975
    GALESBURG STATE RESEARCH HOSPITAL,
    Department of Meital Health,
    )
    Petitioner,
    v.
    )
    PCB 75—198
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROT7~CTION AGENCY,
    Respondent.
    OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by Mr. Goodman):
    This matter comes before the Pollution Control Board
    (Board) upon Galesburg State Research Hospital’s (Galesburg)
    May 9, 1975, petition for a one—year variance from Rule
    203(g) (1) (B) of the Air Pollution Regulations, as it applies
    to Petitioner’s No. 1 and No. 2 boilers. A more information
    order was issued by the Board on May 15, 1975. Galesburg’s
    amended petition w&s filed June 4, 1975.
    Galesburg i~ a state—owned medical facility for persons
    in need of menta. treatment. It is located on the north
    side of the city of Galesburg, Illinois, and consists of 98
    buildings. The complex employs 1,066 persons and treats
    1,017 patients.
    Galesburg has three coal-fired boilers all of which are
    controlled by multiclone collectors and numbered 1, 2, and
    3, respectively. Only boiler No. 3 has an operating permit.
    The boilers supply steam and hot water for the hospital
    complex.
    Petitioner seeks the variance in order to install new
    and larger multiclone precipitators on its boilers so as to
    come into compliance with the Board’s rules on particulate
    emissions. According to the Agency recommendation the
    boilers’ “worst c~tse” emission rate would be 0.513 pounds of
    particulate per mil.~ionBTU of actual input. Rule 203(g) (1) (B)
    allows an emission rate of 0.35 pounds of particulate per
    million BTU.
    During the summer months, Galesburg steam and hot water
    needs are adequately supplied through the use of one boiler.
    Petitioner is using boiler No. 3 for this purpose. Accord-
    ing to Galesburg’c3 compliance plan (Ex. E) boiler No. l’s
    fly ash collectioi-i will be installed no later than Septem-
    ber 29, 1975. Boiler No. 2 will be in compliance by Novem-
    ber 11, 1975. A new multiclone will also be installed
    between November ~l and December 29, 1975, on boiler No. 3.
    Galesburg would only use boilers No. 1 or 2 if an emergency
    breakdown of boiler ~o. 3 occurred.
    18
    —
    268
    —2—
    During the winter months, two boilers must be in use.
    According to Petitioner’s compliance plan, there will always
    be two complying bciilers available for use unless an emer-
    gency occurs.
    The Board does not grant variances for use in emergency
    situations as the variance procedure was not intended to
    excuse remote possibilities of violations of the regula-
    tions. Here it is very likely that Galesburg would not need
    to use either bciler No. 1 or 2 before the new multiclones
    are installed. Therefore, the Board has no alternative but
    to dismiss Galesburg’s petition without prejudice. State of
    Illinois, Department of Mental Health, Manteno State Hospital
    v. EPA PCB 74-352 (1974); Stein Hall and Company v. EPA PCB
    73—561.
    This Opinior’. constitutes the Board’s findings of fact
    and conclusions ~f law in this matter.
    ORDER
    It is the Order of the Board that Galesburg State
    Research Hospital’s petition for variance from Rule 203(g) (1) (B)
    be and is hereby dismissed without prejudice.
    I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
    Control Board, hereby certify the above 0p ion and Order
    were adopt~edon the
    3I~
    day of
    ________,
    1975 by a
    vote of
    s~—O
    Chris an L. Moffett C •k
    Illinois Pollution Co ol Board
    18—269

    Back to top