[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 22 (Thursday, February 1, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 4653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-02049]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9973-33--Region 9]


Clean Air Act Operating Permit Program; Petitions for Objection 
to Proposed Permits for Linn Operating, Inc.--Fairfield Lease and Ethyl 
D Lease, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of final Order on petitions to object to air permit.

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SUMMARY: This document announces that the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) Administrator has responded to two citizen petitions 
asking the EPA to object to the proposed issuance of two Authority to 
Construct/Certificate of Conformity documents (Permits) issued by the 
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD). 
Specifically, the Administrator has denied the June 24, 2015 petitions 
(Petitions) submitted by the Climate Change Law Foundation to object to 
SJVUAPCD's proposed issuance of the Permits for the Linn Operating, 
Inc.--Fairfield and Ethyl D Leases located in Kern County, California.

ADDRESSES: You may review copies of the final Order, the Petitions, and 
other supporting information at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-3901.
    The EPA requests that you contact the individual listed in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to view copies of the final Order, 
Petitions, 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. Additionally, 
the final Order is available electronically at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-10/documents/linn_fairfield_and_ethyl_order_10-6-17.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Yannayon, EPA Region IX, (415) 
972-3534, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SJVUAPCD Rule 2201 affords the EPA a 45-day 
period to review and object to, as appropriate, a proposed permit. Rule 
2201 Sec.  5.9.1. If the EPA does not object, Rule 2201 allows any 
person to petition the EPA, within 60 days, to object to the proposed 
permit. Petitions must be based only on objections to the permit that 
were 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 the grounds for the 
issue arose after this period.
    The EPA received the Petitions dated June 24, 2015, requesting that 
the EPA object to the proposed issuance of the Permits to Linn 
Operating, Inc. for the addition of three new gas-fired steam 
generators on its Fairfield lease, and one new gas-fired steam 
generator on its Ethyl D lease, both located in Kern County, 
California. The substantive claims raised in the two Petitions were 
essentially identical. Therefore, the EPA responded to both Petitions 
in a single order. In summary, the Petitions claimed that certain 
emission reductions had not been included in an EPA-approved attainment 
plan and thus could not be used, and that certain emission reduction 
credits used in the permitting process were invalid.
    On October 6, 2017, the Administrator issued an order denying the 
Petitions. The EPA's rationale for denying the claims raised in the 
petitions are described in the Order.

    Dated: January 16, 2018.
Alexis Strauss,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 2018-02049 Filed 1-31-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P