ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

November 13, 1975

WESTERN ILLINOIS POWER

)

COOPERATIVE,

INC.,

Petitioner,

v.

)

PCB 75—364

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,

)

Respondent.

OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD

(by Mr.

Zeitlin):

This case involves a request for Variance submitted by

Western Illinois Power Cooperative,

Inc.

(WIPCO)

on May

6,

1975.

WIPCOTs petition seeks a Variance from Rules

203

(particulates)

and 204

(sulfur dioxide)

of the Air Pollution Regulations from

September 30, 1975

to November 30,

1975.

PCB Regs.,

Ch.

2,

Rules

203,

204.

No hearing was held in this matter.

A Recom-

mendation from the Environmental Protection Agency

(Agency) was

received on October

6,

1975.

The Board first granted WIPCO

a Variance from the corre-

sponding Rules and Regulations Governing the Control of Air

Pollution, promulgated by the old Air Pollution Control Board,

predecessor of this Board, on January 30,

1973.

PCB 72—441

(January 30, 1973).

Subsequent Variances were granted on

January

24, 1974, July 18,

1974,

and December 19, 1974.

PCB

73-471, PCB 74—150, PCB 74-394, respectively.

In PCB 74—394

the Board recognized that the old Rules and Regulations Governing

the Control

of Air Pollution would be superseded on May 31,

1975,

and granted a further variance from Rules 203 and 204 of the

Board’s Regulation until July 1,

1975.

The most recent variance

granted was from July

1,

1975 until September 30,

1975,

in

PCB 75—192

(August 14,

1975).

All of the Variances were

subject to the conditions contained

in the original Variance

grant,

as well as further conditions added in subsequent

Variances.

The original Variance and all subsequent ones have been

granted to allow the installation of

a wet scrubber control

system at WIPCO’s Pearl Station generating plant in Pike County,

Illinois.

The plant is a 22 megawatt coal—burning steam turbine

power plant, with one unit fired

by

four burners; it is presently

equipped with a mechanical multiple cyclone dust collector.

The

four burner single unit exhausts into a 203 foot stack.

19

—

306

---

—2—

WIPCO once again claims that factors beyond its control

have prevented completion of the wet scrubber system.

In this

instance,

a water sup~lypump for the wet scrubber developed

excessive vibration during testing, and had to be returned to

the manufacturer for repairs.

As a result, WIPCO has submitted

a new schedule calling for final completion of the project by

November 30,

1975.

The Board finds no reason to change its earlier approval

of the compliance plan approved in the original Variance,

PCB 72-441.

The requested period is short, the hardship found

in our earlier Opinions remains valid,

and no new evidence..of

hardship to the public has been found.

In both the original

Variance Opinion in PCB

72—441,

and the most recent Opinion

in PCB 75-192,

the Board found that the ambient air quality

in the area surrounding the WIPCO plant was well within

national standards for both particulates and sulfur dioxide;

we again find that to be the case.

Based on these factors,

and

WIPCO’s continuing good faith in attempting to install a wet

scrubber which will result

in full compliance with our Regulations,

this Variance will be granted.

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

Petitioner Western Illinois Power Cooperative,

Inc., is granted

a Variance from Rules 203 and 204 of Chapter

2:

Air Pollution,

from September 30, 1975 until November 30,

1975,

subject to all

applicable conditions imposed in the previous cases

in this

matter, PCB 72—441, PCB 73—471, PCB 74—150,

PCB 74—394, and

PCB 75—192.

I, Christan L. Moffett,

Clerk of the Illinois Pollution

Control Board,

hereby certify the a ove Opinion and Order wrre

adopted on the

j3~”

day of

___________

1975 by a vote of

q..~

C r~stanL.

0

e

er

Illinois Pollution

trol Board

19—307