ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

November 8, 1973

CITY OF FAIRFIELD,

Petitioner,

vs.

)

PCB 73—355

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,

Respondent.

OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by Mr. Seaman)

On August 17, 1973, Petitioner, the City of Fairfield,

filed two Petitions for Variance which have been consolidated.

Petitioner operates an electric power generating station

located in the City of Fairfield, Wayne County, Illinois.

Petitioner produces power with four coal—fired boilers,

four steam turbines, two diesel generators and one inter-

connection tie line. By this action, Petitioner seeks

permission to operate coal—fired boilers #1, #2 and #3 in

the event of the most unusual set of circumstances which

would shut down the primary generating machines and the

interconnection tie line.

Petitioner characterizes the sibject boilers as small

and obsolete and normally not operated, but which have

value for emergency stand—by purposes. Petitioner states

that Boilers #1 and #2 have a capacity of 35,000 lbs/hr

and are not equipped with control devises. Boiler #3 has

a capacity of 65,000 lbs/hr and is equipped with a low

efficiency cyclone type dust collector. Boilers #1 and #2

have a particulate emission rate of 1.03 #/MM Btu input.

Boiler #3 has a particulate emission rate of

0.752

~MM Btu

input. The allowable particulate emission rate is 0.2

#/MM Btu input.

With a maximum heat input of 63.4 Btu input per hour, the

maximum particulate emission rate for boilers #1 and #2

would be 109 lbs/hour. With a maximum heat input of 98 MM

Btu per hour, the maximum particulate emission rate for

boiler #3 would be 73.6 lbs/hour.

10

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Petitioner states that because ofthe obsolescence

and inefficiency of the subject boilers, the elec~trical

generating costs are very high, which precludes any

operation of

the

boilers except in emergencies. Petitioner

estimates

the cost of bringing the subject boilers into

compliance to be from $300,000 to $450,000. This

approximation is based upon installation of dust collectors,

ash handling systems and new fan and duct work.

We

are disposed to grant the variance as requested.

It would constitute an unreasonable hardship to renuire

Petitioner to invest from $300,000 to S450,000 in order

to bring into compliance boilers which would be used

infrequently, and possibly never.

We note, however, that an Agency investigatior

visited Petitioner’s facility on August 22, 1973, and

observed that boilers 41 and #2 were operating at normal

caDacit and boiler ~3 had been shut down for repairs.

Petitioner’s electrical

demand

amounts to approximately

14,000 KW per day, which

is capable of being produced without

boilers ~l, ~2

and ~3.

The Opinion constitutes

the

findings

of

fact hnd

conclusions of law of the Board.

ORDER

IT IS THE ORDER of tha Pollution Control Board that

Petitioner,

City of Fairfield,

be granted a variance for

a period of one year from the date o.~this Order, to operate

boilers ~l, ~2 and ~3 subject to the following conditions:

1. The subject boilers shall be operated only

in unusual, emergency situations wherein

the

primary generating machines and the

interconnection tie line are incapable of

producing the power demanded;

2. Petitioner shall file quarterly reports

with the Agency. Said reports shall indicate

all operations of boilers #1 and/or #2 and/or

~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 boilers #1 and/or

~2 and/or #3 and the reason for the forced

outage and the power demand to supply customers

on each day of operation of boilers

#1

and/or

~2 and/or #3.

10—54

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—3—

I,

Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois

Pollution Control Board, certify that ~he above

Opinion and Order was adopted this

3 ‘

day of

__________

1973 by a vote of

$

to ~

10—55