[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 160 (Thursday, August 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50202-50203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20971]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6853-1]


Notice of Availability for Draft Guidance on BACT for 
NOX Control at Combined Cycle Turbines

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The EPA is making available for public review and comment a 
preliminary draft of its pending guidance on BACT for NOX 
Control on Combined Cycle Turbines. Several issues have been brought to 
EPA's attention as a result of recent controversies involving State 
permitting agencies, utilities, and turbine manufacturers over 
appropriate best available control technology (BACT) controls for 
NOX at natural gas combined cycle turbines for electric 
power generation. Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) has been 
considered BACT for limiting NOX emissions on many natural 
gas combined cycle turbines in attainment areas. These issues have to 
do with the impact of requiring selective catalytic reduction on dry 
low NOX natural gas combined cycle turbines for electric 
generation.
    The BACT is required for new or modified major sources in order to 
prevent significant deterioration of air quality in attainment areas. 
The Clean Air Act allows permitting authorities to weigh environmental, 
energy, and economic concerns against the proven environmental benefits 
of technologies such as SCR in making BACT determinations in order to 
determine whether a less effective technology for NOX 
control is warranted in specific cases. In the case of dry low 
NOX natural gas combined cycle turbines, the NOX 
reduction that SCR achieves is sufficiently small that other 
considerations may become relatively important to consider in 
determining BACT. The guidance and supporting background information 
review those considerations.
    A draft of EPA's guidance is available for public review and 
comment. The EPA does not intend to respond to individual comments, but 
rather to consider the comments from the public in the preparation of 
the final guidance. It is important that the draft guidance being made 
available today for public review and comment does not represent 
official EPA policy or a formal position on the subject matter 
discussed and therefore is not to be relied on in interpreting EPA 
policy.

DATES: The comment period on the draft guidance will close on September 
18, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Pamela J. Smith, 
Information Transfer and Program Integration Division (MD-12), Office 
of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle 
Park, North Carolina 27711, telephone 919-541-0641, telefax 919-541-
5509 or E-mail [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown, Office of Policy Analysis 
and Review, U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC 20460, 
telephone 202-564-1669 or E-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A copy of the draft guidance document may be 
obtained by calling or E-mailing Pamela J. Smith. The draft guidance 
may also be downloaded from the NSR Web Site http://www.epa.gov/ttn/nsr 
under the topic ``What's New on NSR.''


[[Page 50203]]


    Dated: August 9, 2000.
John S. Seitz,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 00-20971 Filed 8-16-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P