[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 155 (Thursday, August 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 44009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20868]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6419-3]


Clean Air Act Operating Permit Program; Petition for Objection to 
Proposed State Operating Permit for Monroe Electrical Generating Plant 
Entergy Louisiana, Inc.; Monroe, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of final order on petition to object to State operating 
permit.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This document announces that the EPA Administrator has 
partially granted and partially denied a petition to object to a 
proposed State operating permit issued by the Louisiana Department of 
Environmental Quality (LDEQ) to the Monroe Electrical Generating Plant, 
Entergy Louisiana, Inc., Monroe, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. Pursuant 
to section 505(b)(2) of the Clean Air Act (Act), petitioner may seek 
judicial review of those portions of the petition which EPA denied in 
the United States Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit within 
60 days of this decision under section 307 of the Act.

ADDRESSES: You may review copies of the final order, the petition, and 
other supporting information at the EPA, Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue, 
Dallas, Texas 75202-2733. If you wish to examine these documents, you 
should make an appointment at least 24 hours before visiting day. The 
final order is also available electronically at the following address: 
http:www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/ramain.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jole Luehrs, Chief, Air Permitting 
Section, Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division, EPA, Region 6, 
1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202-2733, telephone (214) 665-7250, 
or electronic mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Act 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 Act authorizes 
any person to petition the EPA Administrator within 60 days after the 
expiration of this review period to object to State operating permits 
if EPA has not done so. Petitions must be based only on objections to 
the permit that were raised with reasonable specificity during the 
public comment period provided by the State, unless the petitioner 
demonstrates that it was impracticable to raise these issues during the 
comment period or the grounds for the issues arose after this period.
    Ms. Merrijane Yerger, Managing Director of the Citizens for Clean 
Air and Water (Petitioner), submitted a petition to the Administrator 
on February 9, 1999, seeking EPA's objection to the proposed title V 
operating permit to be issued to the Monroe Electrical Generating Plant 
(Monroe plant) owned and operated by Entergy Louisiana, Inc. (Entergy) 
and located in the city of Monroe, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. The 
petition objects to issuance of the proposed permit on five grounds: 
(1) LDEQ failed to subject the Monroe plant to prevention of 
significant deterioration (PSD) review, (2) the maximum capacity of the 
Monroe plant may have been increased by some unknown method at some 
time between 1976 and the time of the title V application without being 
subject to PSD review and New Source Performance Standards, (3) the 
proposed permit fails to incorporate enforceable one-hour maximum 
emission rate limitations for sulfur dioxide and other criteria 
pollutants, (4) the proposed permit includes apparent annual emissions 
increases that suggest PSD review should be conducted for the sulfur 
dioxide emissions, and (5) sufficient information has not been provided 
in Entergy's permit application to ensure compliance with the Resource 
Conservation and Recovery Act disposal requirements.
    In addition, the Petitioner requested the following: (1) that EPA 
issue an information request letter to Entergy and the City of Monroe 
under section 114 of the Act, requiring them to disclose all matters 
raised by this petition; and (2) that EPA conduct an on-site inspection 
of the Monroe plant to determine whether PSD and NSPS have been 
triggered.
    On June 11, 1999, the Administrator issued an order partially 
granting and partially denying the petition. The order explains the 
reasons behind EPA's conclusion that the proposed title V operating 
permit fails to assure compliance with applicable PSD requirements as 
set forth in the Louisiana State Implementation Plan. The order also 
explains the reasons for denying Petitioner's remaining claims.

    Dated: July 30, 1999.
W. B. Hathaway,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 6.
[FR Doc. 99-20868 Filed 8-11-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P