ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    September 26, 1972
    IOWA-ILLINOIS GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY)
    )
    ~72—279
    v.
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    )
    OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (BY SAMUEL T. LAWTON, JR.,)
    Petition for variance was filed by Iowa-Illinois Gas and
    Electric Company requesting a variance to permit the burning of
    coal in Boilers ##16, 17 and 18 at the Moline Generating Station
    until June 1, 1974, only in the event of severe emergency caused
    by major equipment break-down of the company’s facilities, or the
    re-fueling of a nuclear unit at Quad-Cities Station and the inability
    to meet its load requirements from its operating facilities or by
    the purchase of electrical power from outside sources.
    Petitioner proposes that coal burning be defined as follows:
    “a. Coal is fired singly or in combination with gas
    fuel at a rate such that the equivalent steam
    generation rate for any boiler on coal is
    25,000 pounds per hour or greater; and
    b. The boiler is ‘on line’ generating steam.”
    On September 16,. 1971, we entered our Order, later modified
    by Order of October 12, 1971, which provided as follows (#71-165):
    “1. Prior to the time when Quad-Cities Station No. 1 is
    in commercial operation, Petitioner shall be permitted
    to burn coal in Units #16, #17, #18, #19, #20 and #21
    in order to meet its load requirements, providing it is
    unable to meet such load requirements by the use of its
    other facilities, is not capable of obtaining gas or
    oil to burn in said boilers and is incapable of purchasing
    additional electric power from outside sources;
    2. Subsequent to the commercial operation of Quad—Cities
    Unit #1, coal burning in Boilers #19, #20 and #21
    shall cease and coal burning in Boilers #16, #17 and
    #18 shall be permitted only in the event of severe
    emergency caused by major equipment breakdown of
    petitioner’s facilities, and the inability to meet
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    its load requirements from its operating facilities
    or by the purchase of electrical power from outside
    sources. “Coal burning” is defined as in the Agency
    recommendation quoted in this Opinion.
    3. Refueling of nuclear units shall take place when gas
    supply is available unless Petitioner can demonstrate to
    the Board within 30 days from the date hereof, that such
    refueling cannot be scheduled at a time when gas is
    available.
    4. Petitioner shall report to the Environmental Protection
    Agency and to the Board the circumstances under which it
    has been obliged to burn coal in any of the above-
    designated boilers including the reasons why such coal
    burning was necessary, the extent to which such boilers
    were used and the unavailability of the alternatives
    hereinabove set forth.
    5. This variance shall not be extended beyond the, date of
    its expiration except upon a petition being filed with
    the Board, hearing held thereon and further order of the
    Board.”
    Our order granted the variance for a period of one year, which
    terminated on September 15, 1972. The allowance was for interim
    operation of petitioner’s coal-burning units, pending commercial
    operation of Quad-Cities Station #1.
    The present petition is, in effect, a request for extension of
    the variance previously granted in #71-165. Petitioner anticipates
    that Quad-Cities Unit #1 will have gone through its first re—fueling
    by June, 1974, at which time coal-burning at petitioner’s Moline
    Generating Station will be completely eliminated. The present
    petition is consistent with the order previously entered, and is
    granted for a period of one year subject to extension upon the
    filing of a petition and a demonstration of compliance with all
    terms and conditions heretofore required in our previous variance
    order.
    This opinion constitutes the findings of fact and conclusions
    of law of the Board.
    IT IS THE ORDER of the Pollution Control Board that petitioner
    be granted an extension of the variance heretofore granted on
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    September 16,
    1971 as modified by Order of October 12, 1971
    in Case #71-165, subject to the same terms and conditions as
    therein provided. The Board expects that the Quad-Cities
    Units will have clearly demonstrated their reliability by the
    expiration of this variance as extended, and this grant does
    not necessarily anticipate a further extension beyond the date
    of expiration.
    I, Christan Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control Board,
    certify that the Opinion and Order was adopted on the 26th Day
    of September, A. D. 1972 by a vote of 5-0.
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