ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

March

31,

1971

183rd TACTICAL FIGHTER GROUP

ILLINOIS AIR

NATIONAL GUARD

)

PCB

#71-1

182nd TACTICAL AIR SUPPORT GROUP

ILLINOIS AIR NATIONAL GUARD

)

PCB

#71-12

Opinion and Order of the Board

(by Samuel

R. Aldrich).

PCB #71-1 and #71-12 are essentially

the

same

except

for location,

hence

a single opinion covers both cases.

The Board has decided to rule

on

the

petitions for variance

without hearings.

The 183rd Tactical Fighter Group,

Illinois Air National Guard,

Springfield,

and the 182nd Tactical Air Support Group,

Illinois

Air National Guard,

Peoria,

seek variances from section

49

of the

Act to openly burn

approximately 300 gallons

of jet

fuel twice

per month,

The purpose of the burning

is primarily

to conduct

realistic training for the fire fighting staff of the Air National

Guard which

is responsible for

fire and crash rescue protection

for commercial and private aircraft at the Capital Airport,

Springfield,

and the Greater Peoria Airport, Peoria,

A secondary

purpose accomplished along with

the training mission ig disposal

of contaminated aircraft engine fuel,

Total burning time

is usually only

five to

ten minutes during which

smoke

is discharged into

the atmosphere,

The Agency conducted on-site investigations with the following

results:

183rd,

Springfield,

The nearest residential home

is 1/4 mile;

next nearest is

a cluster of homes

1/2 mile from the burning

site,

Several residents were contacted and registered no

objection to the burning,

182nd,

Peoria.

The nearest neighbor

is

3/4 mile from the

site.

Four residents were contacted and none objected to the granting

of

the variance,

A letter was received objecting to

the

variance on the basis

that one reason for

the burning was to

dispose of contaminated aviation fuel

and suggesting that it

could be clarified

and reused,

The Agency concluded that

burning is necessary and is in

the public interest,

We

accept

the view of

the Agency.

The hardship imposed upon the communities from granting the variances

is minimal,

The additional hazard to which aircraft users and

operators would be subjected

if training

in fire fighting were

inadecuate

is substantial,

1

407

---

The Agency recommended that the variance petitions be granted

subject to conditions that would minimize the effects on the

community.

The Board has approved

a similar request,

see Deere

and Co.

v.

EPA,

#70—20,

December

22,

1970.

ORDER

The Board supports

the position of

the Agency and hereby grants

the petitions

for variance

for one year

to end March

31,

1972,

subject to the following conditions:

1.

That burning be confined

to the period noon to 4:00

pm, when

wind direction is away from the nearest residences,

and when wind

speed

is more than

5 miles

per hour.

2,

Petitioners shall file

a report with

the Board by October

30,

1971,

stating the number of training sessions conducted,

the number

of trainees,

and a brief description of the weather conditions under

which burning occurred in each instance.

I dissent

I, Regina

E.

Ryan, Clerk of the Pollution Control Board,

hereby certify that

the Board adopted the above opinion and

order this

31st day of March,

1971,

~

I concur

1

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