[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 234 (Thursday, December 7, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 57750]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26400]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9970-84-Region 6]


Clean Air Act Operating Permit Program; Petitions for Objection 
to State Operating Permit for Big River Steel, LLC, Osceola, Arkansas

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of final action.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA), the EPA Administrator 
signed an Order, dated October 31, 2017, denying a petition asking EPA 
to object to the operating permit issued by the Arkansas Department of 
Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to Big River Steel, LLC (Big River) for 
its Steel Mill. Title V operating permit number 2305-AOP-R0 was issued 
on September 18, 2013, by the ADEQ to Big River for a new steel mill in 
Osceola, Mississippi County, Arkansas. EPA's October 31, 2017, Order 
responds to a petition submitted on October 9, 2013 by the Nucor Steel-
Arkansas and Nucor-Yamato Steel Company (the Petitioners), pursuant to 
the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). The Act provides that a petitioner may 
ask for judicial review of those portions of the Orders that deny 
objections raised in the petitions in the appropriate United States 
Court of Appeals. Any petition for review shall be filed within 60 days 
from the date this notice appears in the Federal Register, pursuant to 
the Act.

ADDRESSES: You may review copies of the final Order, the petition, and 
other supporting information at EPA Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, 
Texas 75202-2733.
    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 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 
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. Additionally, the final October 31, 2017, Order is 
available electronically at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-10/documents/big_river_steel_response2013.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dinesh Senghani at (214) 665-7221, 
email address: [email protected] or the above EPA, Region 6 
address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CAA affords EPA a 45-day period to 
review, and object, as appropriate, to a title V operating permit 
proposed by a state permitting authority. Sections 307(b) and 505(b)(2) 
of the CAA, 42 U.S.C. 7661d(b)(2), and 40 CFR 70.8(d) authorizes any 
person to petition the EPA Administrator, within 60 days after the 
expiration of this review period, to object to a title V operating 
permit 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 unless the grounds for the issue arose 
after this period.
    EPA received the petition from the Petitioners on October 9, 2013, 
for the operating permit issued on September 18, 2013, to Big River 
Steel, LLC located in Osceola, Mississippi County, Arkansas.
    The Petitioner requests that the Administrator object to the 
proposed operating permit issued by the ADEQ to Big River based on 
twelve claims. The claims are described in detail in Section IV of the 
Order. In summary, the issues raised are that: (1) ADEQ conducted an 
inadequate review of background air quality data; (2) the 
PM2.5 modeling is deficient because it excluded certain 
areas from the analysis; (3) the PM2.5 modeling is deficient 
because ADEQ failed to include secondary formation of PM2.5, 
and instead only included PM2.5 directly emitted by the 
facility; (4) ADEQ'S air quality impacts analysis for PM2.5 
NAAQS was inadequate because there are discrepancies among different 
modeled PM2.5 annual impact values in or associated with the 
PM2.5 modeling.; (5) ADEQ and Big River failed to properly 
carry out an additional impacts analysis; (6) the emission factors for 
natural gas combustion used to issue the Draft Permit are conflicting; 
(7) Big River did not adequately demonstrate the basis for its proposed 
PM2.5 emission factors; (8) the Big River facility design 
was incomplete in critical ways that affected the validity of air 
quality modeling; (9) the permit does not contain enforceable permit 
conditions that lead to compliance; (10) the Permit does not contain 
adequate monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements to 
comply with the requirements of 40 CFR 70.6(a)(3)(i)(B) because it does 
not provide for a test method; (11) the Permit does not appropriately 
establish BACT requirements; and (12) ADEQ's Draft Permit does not 
comply with public notice and participation requirements. The Order 
issued on October 31, 2017, responds to the Petition and explains the 
basis for EPA's decision.

    Dated: December 1, 2017.
Samuel Coleman,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 6.
[FR Doc. 2017-26400 Filed 12-6-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P