Notice is given to the public that the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) is proposing a State Implementation Plan (SIP) to replace the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) for the allocation of 2016 emission allowances to power plants under the EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR). CSAPR limits the emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from electric generators with a nameplate capacity of 25 MWe and producing power for sale. The intent of the rule is to limit the effects of fine particulate matter and ozone pollution from Nebraska traveling downwind to neighboring states and affecting their ability to attain or maintain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Nebraska was included in the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule for downwind impacts related to maintenance of the fine particulate matter standard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The proposed SIP will divide Nebraska’s 2016 allotment of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide allowances among power plants in Nebraska based upon EPA’s CSAPR modeling and budgets. These proposed revisions are being offered for public notice on February 19, 2015. The comment period will close at 5:00 PM Central Time on March 23, 2015. Comments can be submitted electronically to ndeq.airquality@nebraska.gov or by mail to: Brian Kozisek, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, 1200 N Street, The Atrium, Suite 400, Lincoln, NE, 68509-8922. A public hearing is scheduled for March 25, 2015 at 10:00 AM in the NDEQ Office, but will only be held if requested. To request a public hearing, please send your request to ndeq.airquality@nebraska.gov by March 23, 2015. Any comments received during the 30-day public comment period and public hearing will be considered prior to the submission to EPA Region VII.
If no request for a public hearing is received by the deadline, the hearing will be cancelled. The NDEQ will provide notice that the hearing has been cancelled on the NDEQ website and send out a notice via the Air Quality e-mail listserv by 5:00 PM on March 24, 2015. Alternately, you may contact Brian Kozisek, Grants, Planning, and Outreach Supervisor, at the NDEQ to verify if the hearing will be held:
Phone: (402) 471-6624
E-mail: brian.kozisek@nebraska.gov
The proposed CSAPR allowances are available on the NDEQ website under “Public Notices”. Further inquiries may be made at (402) 471-2189 or at ndeq.airquality@nebraska.gov.
Attachments:
2016 SO2 Budgets
2016 Annual NOx Budgets
EPA’s 2016 Unit Level Allocations
(See attached file: 2016 SO2 Budgets.pdf) (See attached file: 2016 Annual NOx Budgets.pdf) (See attached file: EPA's 2016 Unit Level Allocations.pdf)