ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

September 6, 1972

ILLINOIS POWER COMPANY

(Wood River)

#72—239

v.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

ILLINOIS POWER COMPANY

(Vermilion)

#72—240

v.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (BY SAMUEL T. LAWTON, JR.)

#72-239 is a request by Illinois Power Company ~o reaffirm

and extend the variance Dreviously granted by Orders of the Board

to petitioner with respect to its electric generating units 1, 2

and 3 at its Wood River generating plant. The Original variance

allowance permitting petitioner to exceed relevant particulate

emission standards was granted until September 30, 1972. The

original order was subsequently modified by later orders of

November 11, 1971 and December 9, 1971.

Petitioner represents that it has complied with all conditions

of the orders, as amended and modified, and that it has submitted

to the Board its commitment to convert units 1, 2 and 3 to No. 2

Fuel Oil. By its present petition, it represents that it cannot

commence On—site work on units 1, 2 and 3 until completion of the

installation of the Cat-Ox system on unit #4, noting that the

precipitator which constitutes a. part of the Cat-Ox operation,

went into operation on January 28, 1972.

Petitioner represents that it has proceeded with the necessary

off—site work on conversion to oil of units 1, 2 and 3 in order to

permit commencement of on—site work immediately upon completion

of the Cat—Ox operation. Petitioner anticipates that conversion

to oil-burning of units 1, 2 and 3 of the Wood River Station can be

completed by June 30, 1973 and requests extension of the variance

with respect to these facilities until that date.

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No recommendation from the Environmental Protection ~\gency

has been received. We believe the petitioner to be proceeding with

its program in keeping with our earlier orders, and grant the

variance to June 30, 1973 accordingly.

#72-240 is a petition relating to the two units at petitioner’s

Vermilion electric generating station. Variance from the particulate

regulations was granted to this facility for Unit #1 until September 30,

1972, subject to extension to June 30, 1973, and for Unit *2 until

September 30, 1973, subject to extension to December 31, 1973.

Petitioner represents that it has complied with the conditions

of our order and that although work on precipitators for both units

is in progress, petitioner is .incapable of accelerating the June 30~1973

date for Unit #1 or accelerating the December 31, 1973 date for

Unit *2. However, work is continuing on schedule for both precipi-

tators. The order for Unit #1 precipitator has been placed, support

structural steel has been contracted for, most engineering has been

completed and contracts for flue gas duct work and final duct work

havebeen awarded. On-site construction for the unit *1 precipitator

commenced on May 1, 1972. A contract for precipitator on unit #2

has been awarded and final flue gas arrangement studies are in

progress. Petitioner anticipates that the unit #1 precipitator

will be installed by June 30, 1973 and the unit #2 precipitator by

December 31, 1973. Petitioner represents that the variances are

necessary in order to insure continuity of electric power supply to

the public. Here again, we believe the petitioner to be pursuing

the program contemplated in our original order and we extend the

variance for unit #1, Vermilion Station, to June 30, 1973 and to

unit #2, Vermilion station, until September 1, 1973, subject to

the possibility of extension until December 31, 1973.

No recommendation with respect to this petition has been

received from the

Environmental Protection Agency.

This opinion constitutes

the findings of fact and conclusions

of law of the Board.

IT IS THE ORDER of the Pollution Control Board, as follows:

1. Variance heretofore gi~anted to Illinois Power Company

with respect to Wood River units

#1, 2

and

3

is extended

to June 30, 1973.

2. Variance heretofore granted to Illinois Power Company

with respect to unit #1, Vermilion Station,

i~

extended

to June 30, 1973.

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3. Variance heretofore granted to unit #2, Vermilion

Station, is extended to September 1, 1973, with the

possibility of extension upon good cause shown to

December 31, 1973, subject to further Order of the

Board.

I, Christan Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control

Boarô,, certify that the above Opinion and Order was adopted on

the _____day of September, 1972, by a vote of ~/

toC~_______

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