ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
September 7, 1978
CITY OF CHICAGO,
)
Petitioner,
v.
)
PCB 78—106
)
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY,
)
Respondent.
OPINION
AND
ORDER
OF
THE
BOARD
(by
Mr.
Goodman):
This matter is before the Board on a Petition for Variance
by the City of Chicago filed April 17,
1978, requesting a variance
from Rule 203(g) (1) (A) of the Board’s Air Pollution Regulations
for its Roseland Pumping Station in the City of Chicago.
No
hearing was held in this matter,
and the Board has received no
public comment.
The Roseland Pumping Station
(Roseland)
supplies potable
water and fire protection for certain areas of the City of Chicago,
utilizing both gas-fired steam generators and coal-burning boilers.
Roseland has
a normal complement of forty-six operating personnel
and is manned twenty—four hours per day for every day in the year.
The station lifts water from the tunnel supplied by the South
Water Filtration Plant to the pressures needed to provide
a safe
and continuous supply of water to all the users
in the distribution
system which it serves.
As a result of the extreme cold of the winter of 1976—1977
and a request from People’s Gas Company that the city reduce its
use of gas to conserve supplies,
the Department of Water and
Sewers of the City of Chicago decided to retain two of the coal-
fired boilers.
The Chicago Department of Environmental Control
was asked to measure the amount of particulate matter which was
produced by the remaining two coal-fired boilers.
The results
of these tests and examination of potential means of reducing
the pollutant resulted in the department’s selection of a baghouse
installation to meet the standards.
At
the present time sufficient
steam can be generated by the gas-fired boilers so that under
normal operating conditions the use of the coal fired boilers will
not
be
required
during
the
period
of
the
requested
variance.
Exceptions
to
the
above
will
occur
in
the
summer
of
1978
if
extremely
hot
weather
occurs
and
during
periods
when
the
gas-fired
boilers
must be taken out of service for cleaning and repairs.
31—381
—2—
In response to a Board order requesting an assessment of the
environmental impact of the requested variance on the air quality
at the Roseland Station, the city produced a report containing
data for the maximum particulate concentrations that occur during
the normal pumping period of July and August.
This report
indicated a maximum increase in particulate matter of about 5
during the worst case condition.
However, considering the fact that
the report concerned only a worst case condition
and
the
intermittent
nature of the utilization of the coal-fired boilers prior
to
installation of the baghouse collectors,
the Board finds the
potential harm to the environment to be of little consequence
notwithstanding the fact that the Roseland Station is in a
nonattainment area of the State with respect to particulate matter.
The cost of the compliance program is about one million
dollars and is scheduled for completion by October of 1979.
The
Agency is of the opinion that the installation will bring the
facility into compliance and that the specified time schedule
is
reasonable.
Considering the slight effect on the environment
and the good faith reasons for the delay and determination of a
compliance program,
the Board finds it would be an arbitrary
and unreasonable hardship on Petitioner for the Board to deny
the variance requested.
The Board will therefore grant a
variance from Rule 203(g) (1) (A)
of Chapter
2 until July
1,
1979
for the Roseland Pumping Station, subject to certain conditions.
This Opinion constitutes the finding of facts and conclusions
of law of the Board in this matter.
ORDER
It is the Order of the Pollution Control Board that the
City of Chicago be granted a variance from Rule 203(g) (1) (A)
of Chapter 2 of the Board’s Air Pollution Control Regulations
for its Roseland Pumping Station until July
1,
1979, subject to
the following conditions:
1.
The coal fired units shall be operated
only during periods of peak water usage or
during periods when the gas
fired units are
shut down for maintenance.
2.
Within
60
days
of
the
date
of
this
Order
the
City of Chicago shall apply to the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency for all
necessary construction permits
for the
baghouse installation and for all necessary
operating
permits.
31—382
—3—
3.
Within
45 days of the date of this Order
and
every three months thereafter the City
of Chicago shall submit written reports to
the
Agency
with
respect
to
the
progress
made
toward
compliance
with
the
Board’s
regulations,
said reports to be sent to:
Illinois
Environmental
Protection
Agency
Division of Air Pollution Control
Control Program Coordinator
2200 Churchill Road
Springfield,
IL
62706
4.
Within
45
days
of
the
adoption
of
this
Order,
the
City
of
Chicago
shall
execute
and forward to the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency, Division of Air
Pollution
Control,
Control
Program
Coordinator,
2200 Churchill Road, Springfield, Illinois
62706
a Certification of Acceptance and
Agreement to be bound to all terms and
conditions of this Order.
The
45 day
period shall be held in abeyance during any
period this matter is being appealed.
The form
of said certification shall be as follows:
CERTIFICATION
I, (We),__________________________________ having read and
fully understanding the Order of the Illinois Pollution Control
Board in PCB 78-106 hereby accept said Order and agree to be
bound by all of the terms and conditions thereof.
SIGNED_____________________________
TI
TLE_____________________________
DATE____________________________
Mr. Dumelle abstains.
I, Christan L. Moffett,
Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
Control Board,
herel?y certify the above
pinon and Order were
adopted on the
1~
day of
____________________,
1978 by
a vote of
~
~
Illinois Pollution C~~o1Board
31—383