ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

October

4,

1974

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PUBLIC SERVICE

)

)

v.

)

PCB 73-185

)

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

)

Mr. Thomas Cochran of Sorling, Catrone ~ Hardin, appeared for

Central Illinois Public Service;

Mr. Deibert

B. Haschemeyer, Assistant Attorney General, appeared

for Environmental Protection Agency.

OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD

(by Mr. Dume lie):

Central

Illinois Public Service

(CIPS) filed

a Petition

for Variance with the Environmental Protection Agency

(Agency)

on May

2,

1973.

The Agency filed

a recommendation on June 21,

1973,

approving

the variance subject

to certain

conditions.

A

hearing was held on July

23,

1973,

at which time

the parties

submitted

a stipulation.

CIPS operates

an electric power generating station known

as

the Meredosia Station located near Meredosia, Illinois.

CIPS

seeks

a variance from Chapter

2,

Part

II,

Rule

204(e)

of the

Pollution Control Board Rules

and Regulations

(Air Rules)

to

allow the continued use of high sulfur coal

in its boilers.

CIPS

is currently in compliance with the 6.0 lb/MBTU emission

standard

(Rule

204(c)(1)(B)(i)

of

the Air Rules).

However,

under an elevated temperature inversion,

emissions from CIPS

short stacks

could

result in

a violation of Rule

204(e)

of the

Air Rules

in that the site emissions

from the Meredosia Station

could violate the

1300 ug/m3 three-hour SO2 secondary standard.

In order to achieve compliance, CIPS would have

to spend

$2,000,000

to construct higher stacks for its boilers.

CIPS

is currently complying with the particulate emissions

requirements

of Rule

3-3.112

of the Rules

and Regulations

Governing th~Control of Air Pollution and has filed

a compliance

with Rule 203(g) (1) (c)

of the Air Rules, which shows

that

it

will meet the 1975 deadline on February

1,

1974.

Thus

the

synergistic effects of SO2 and particulates

should be

at

a

minimum.

The Agency has not received any public criticism con-

cerning the operation of the Meredosia Station.

9— 403

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-2-

While

the Petitioner has not come forth with

a definite plan

to bring the SO2 emission into compliance, the Board feels

that the

variance

should

be

granted.

The

forecasted

violation

of

the

secondary standard will only occur when the station is

at peak

load,

is

burning

3

sulfur

coal,

and

an

elevated

temperature

inversion

exists.

The

likelihood

of

all

three

occurring

simultaneously

is

small.

Moreover, both CIPS’

and the Agency’s dispersion models,

that predicted

a violation of Rule 204(e),

have not been calibrated

to observed air quality,

since no

data

is

available

at

the

Meredosia

site.

CIPS and the Agency have agreed to CIPS!

establishing a

sulfur dioxide monitoring program for its Meredosia Station, details

of which were set out in the stipulation

as follows:

115

CIPS will establish

a sulphur dioxide

(S02) monitoring

program for its Meredosia Power Station, Meredosia,

Illinois,

to

include

the

following

equipment

and

procedures:

a.

Three

continuous

S02

monitoring

stations

with

instruments

approved

by

the

Agency.

b.

One

meteorological station

to measure wind speed

arid direc-

tion with continuous

recording.

This station

is

in existence and its

equipment and location have been approved by the Agency.

c.

The equipment in a and h above will he maintained and cali-

brated in accordance with methods acceptable

to the Agency.

The

three S02 monitoring sites will be located in a northeasterly direction

from Meredosia Power Station

at approximately 1/4 mile,

I

to

1-1/4

miles and

2

to 2-1/2 miles from that station,

The exact

sites will

be approved by the Agency after permission by property owners

is

secured by CIPS

to allow utilization of their property for S02 monitoring.

d.

Necessary equipment,

including the necessary monitoring

devices, will be ordered within 10 working days

after receipt

of any

Order from the Pollution Control Board granting the variance.

e.

Equipment wilil

be installed and placed

in service within

10

working days of receipt of all equipment,

providing

an approved site

is available

as in

c above.

f.

Monitoring data from the stations mentioned in

a and b above

will be made available

to the Agency on

a monthly basis.’1

This monitoring system should allow the comparison

of the

predicted levels with those actually occurring.

This Opinion constitutes the findings

of fact and conclusions

of

law of the Board.

ORDER

The Pollution Control Board hereby grants CIPS

a variance from

Rule

204(e)

of the Air Rules until

October

4,

1974,

subject to:

9— 404

---

-3-

1.

CIPS shall

establish the agreed to SO2 monitoring

program

as

set out

above.

2.

CIPS

shall

post

a

$5,000

bond

with

the

Agency

by

November

1,

1973

to

guarantee

its

compliance

with

this Order.

IT

IS

SO ORDERED.

I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control Board,

certify that the abov

Opinion and Order was adopted b

the Board on

the

2/~

day of

______________,

1973, by

a vote

of

______

to

0

(~Jt~t~~f7)

9— 406

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.

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