2018-02333. Clean Air Act Operating Permit Program; Petition To Object to Title V Permit for Raven Power, Fort Smallwood Complex; Maryland

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice of final action.

SUMMARY:

Pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator signed an Order, dated January 17, 2018, denying a petition to object to a title V operating permit, issued by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), for the Raven Power Fort Smallwood Complex in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The Order responds to a February 3, 2017 petition. The petition was submitted jointly by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Environmental Integrity Project, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Chesapeake, Inc., and the Sierra Club (collectively, the Petitioners). This Order constitutes final action on that petition requesting that the Administrator object to the issuance of the proposed CAA title V permit.

ADDRESSES:

Copies of the final Order, the petition, and all pertinent information relating thereto are on file at the following location: EPA, Region III, Air Protection Division (APD), 1650 Arch St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. EPA requests that if at all possible, you contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to view copies of the final Order, petition, and other supporting information. You may view the hard copies Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., excluding Federal holidays. If you wish to examine these documents, you should make an appointment at least 24 hours before the visiting day. The final Order is also available electronically at the following website: https://www.epa.gov/​title-v-operating-permits/​title-v-petition-database.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

David Talley, APD, EPA Region III, telephone [phone], or by email at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The CAA affords EPA a 45-day period to review and object to, as appropriate, operating permits proposed by state permitting authorities. Section 505(b)(2) of the CAA authorizes any person to petition the EPA Administrator within 60 days after the expiration of this review period to object to a state operating permit if EPA has not done so. Petitions must be based only on objections raised with reasonable specificity during the public comment period, unless the petitioner demonstrates that it was impracticable to raise these issues during the comment period or that the grounds for objection or other issue arose after the comment period.

The February 3, 2017 petition requested that the Administrator object to the proposed title V operating permit issued by MDE (Permit no. 24-003-0468) on the grounds that the proposed permit and permit record did not contain adequate monitoring and testing requirements to demonstrate compliance with the opacity and particulate matter emission limits contained in the permit.

The Order denying the petition to object to the state operating permit to the Raven Power Fort Smallwood Complex explains the reasons behind EPA's decision to deny the petition for objection.

Dated: January 23, 2018.

Cosmo Servidio,

Regional Administrator, Region III.