ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL
    BOARD
    November
    8,
    1973
    THE CITY OF PERU,
    Petitioner,
    vs.
    )
    PCB 73—255
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
    Respondent.
    OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
    (by Mr.
    Seaman):
    On August
    16,
    1973,
    Petitioner, the City of Peru,
    located in La Salle County,
    Illinois, filed its Amended
    Petition for Variance.
    Petitioner operates an electric
    power generating facility which utilizes the following
    power sources:
    Electrical
    Power Source
    Date of Installation
    Generating Capacity
    Boiler
    3
    1937
    3,750 KW
    Boiler 4
    1951
    4,000 KW
    Boiler 5
    1960
    7,500 KW
    Gas Turbine
    1968
    11,500 KW
    7,800 KW
    Diesel
    1973
    6,250 KW
    Boiler #3, the operation of which is the subject of
    this Petition,
    is described by Petitioner
    as a “small,
    obsolete,
    low pressure,
    inefficient boiler that is normally
    not operated but which has value for emergency stand-by
    purposes to be operated one or more days in the event two or
    more of the other primary generating machines breaks down
    during a high electrical demand period.
    Boiler
    #3
    is
    coal powered but is not equipped with a dust collector.
    Because of the low steam pressure
    (185- PSIG) produced by
    this
    boiler,
    the
    generating cycle
    is highly inefficient
    10—25
    resulting in high operating costs.
    This precludes any
    operation of the boiler except in emergencies.~
    (Petition,
    p.2).
    Petitioner further alleges that Boiler
    #3 will
    probably never have to be used; however,
    in the event
    of
    a most unusual set of circumstances which would
    shut down two or more of the primary generating machines,
    Petitioner by this action seeks permission to operate
    Boiler #3 until the situation is corrected.
    Petitioner
    states that the emission rates of Boiler
    #3 are as
    follows:
    State Regulation
    Boiler #3
    Emission
    —
    Limit
    Emission Rate
    Particulates
    0.2 #/MM Btu input
    1.03 #/MM But imput
    Sulfur Dioxide
    6 #/MM But input
    3.8 #/MM Btu input
    Nitrogen Oxides
    No regulation
    Carbon Monoxide
    200 ppM
    0 ppM
    As can be seen above,
    the particulate
    emission
    exceeds the state limitation.
    With a maximum heat input
    of
    55 MM Btu per hour,
    the maximum particulate emission
    rate would be
    56.6 lbs. per hour.
    Petitioner estimates the cost of bringing Boiler
    #3
    into compliance to be from $150,000.00 to $200,000.00.
    This approximation is based upon installation of a dust
    collector, an ash handling system and a new fan and duct
    work.
    We are disposed to grant the variance as requested.
    The Agency,
    in its Recommendation,
    notes that
    Petitioner
    does not propose any compliance program for Boiler
    #3.
    Although the Agency recommends that a variance be granted
    herein,
    it recommends also that Petitioner be ordered to
    achieve compliance within
    the period of the variance.
    We cannot agree.
    Exclusive of the 3,750 NW of Boiler #3, and using
    the low 7,800 NW capacity for the gas turbine,
    Petitioner’s
    plant capacity is 25,550 NW.
    Petitioner’s record maximum
    electrical output of 17,100 NW was set on July 9,
    1973.
    Further, Boiler #3 has not been operated since April,
    1972.
    —2—
    10
    —
    We
    feel,
    therefore,
    that it would constitute an
    unreasonable hardship to require Petitioner
    to invest
    from $150,000.00 to $200,000.00 in order to bring into
    compliance
    a boiler which would be used infrequently, and
    possibly never.
    The Opinion constitutes the findings of fact and
    conclusions
    of law of the Board.
    ORDER
    IT
    IS
    THE
    ORDER of
    the Pollution Control Board
    that Petition, City of Peru,
    be granted
    a variance,
    for’ a period of one year from the date of this Order,
    to operate
    the subject Boiler
    #3 subject to the following
    conditions:
    1.
    Boiler #3
    shall be operated only when two
    or more
    of the primary generating machines
    are forced out of service and the power
    demand exceeds available capacity;
    2.
    Petitioner shall file quarterly reports
    with the Agency.
    Said reports shall indicate
    all operations of Boiler
    No.
    3, the date
    of
    said operation,
    kilowatts generated
    by each generator on each day of operation,
    generators
    forced
    out
    of
    service
    on
    each
    day
    of
    operation
    of
    Boiler
    No.
    3
    and
    the
    reason for the forced outage and the power
    demand to supply customers on each day
    of operation of Boiler No.
    3.
    3.
    Petitioner
    shall report to the Agency its
    progress in obtaining an interconnection
    with Illinois Power Company and,
    in particular,
    the disposition of its case currently pending
    before the Federal Power Commission
    (Docket
    No.
    E 7512)
    I,
    Christari L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois
    Pollution Control Board,
    certify that the above
    Opinion and Order was adopted this
    ~‘+‘1
    day of
    __________________
    1973 by a vote of
    ~
    to
    ~
    10
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