ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
March 19, 1981
GETTY SYNTHETIC FUELS, INC.,
)
Petitioner,
v.
)
PCB 80—171
ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY,
)
Respondent.
CONCURRING OPINION (by D. Satchell):
The purpose of this Opinion is to call attention to an Agency
decision where apparently form ruled over substance.
In southeast Cook County the approximately 105 acre CID
landfill emits about 5,000,000 cubic feet of landfill gas in a
twenty—four hour period. This is a usual natural consequence
of microbial decomposition of putrescible materials under anaer-
obic conditions.
Getty Synthetic Fuels, Inc., on May 29, 1980, was denied a
construction permit to build a methane recovery plant at the above
site because the plant would be a major source of hydrocarbon
emissions in a non—attainment area for ozone.
The five million cubic feet (about 400,000 lbs.) of landfill
gas to be recovered daily contain about 5300 pounds of hydrocar-
bons with molecular weights greater than methane. Emission of
these hydrocarbons is regulated because they react with other
atmospheric gases to form ozone. The original plant would have
used “air stripping” which would have reduced the approximately
220 lbs/hr of “heavy” hydrocarbons to about 20 lbs/hr.
In addition to approximately a ninety percent reduction in
“heavy” h~tdrocarbon.exrtissions and more than 900 million cubic feet
of high Btu pipeline quality gas recovered each year, the con-
struction and operation of this facility was contemplated as a
portion of the odor prevention program at the CID landfill mandated
by the Board in its Order of January 4, 1979 (People, et al. v.
Waste Management, Inc., et al., PCB 76—184).
While appreciating the precedent setting possibilities of
decisions regarding this unique facility, it is very difficult
41—103
—2—
for me to see why such innovative technology should not be
enthusiastically encouraged.
Donal P. Satchell
Board Member
I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
Control Board, hereby certify that the above Concurring Opinion
was filed with the Board on the ~1~’ day of
________,
1981.
C~iLLc~
Christari L. Moff~~,
r\ ~
Clerk
Illinois Pollutiorf Control Board
41—104