Permit 0229-02-C is a Covered Source Permit, issued by the Clean Air Branch, State Dept of Health, transferred from Hilo Coast Power Company to Pacific Rim Energy Partners LLC on 7/19/2005; again transferred on 11/30/2007 to Ethanol Research Hawaii, LLC; and again transferred on 10/17/08 to Hu Honua LLC. The "covered source" is the Babcock & Wilcox steam boiler and diesel generator. The fuel covered is coal and diesel.
Any modification to the fuel type, including wood chips, requires a modification process with the Clean Air Branch. The process is a technical review against the federal and state emission guidelines. It is not a review of the merits of the project.
Process requires a 30 day public notice period for public comment. Notices are published in Honolulu and east and west Hawaii papers. There is no modification in process at this time. This information was given to me by Nolan Harrari, engineer supervisor on 7/29/08.
Obtaining a copy of the existing permit is underway.
We are concerned citizens who endorse sustainable energy goals, but not at the expense of the health of our children, not at the expense of our agricultural industries, and not at the expense of more pollution to our island. Pepeekeo residents reside within 1.7 miles from the plant, and this poses a significant health risk from pollutants, creates a nuisance from noise, and a safety issue from excessive traffic.
Upcoming Meetings
- HuHonua, 8/13/08
- Jay Ignacio, Helco 8/14/08
- Tues 8/5/08 7pm Susan's
- Mayor Kim Thurs 7/31/2008 1:30 pm
- Wed 7/16/08 7pm Susan's
About Me
- Elaine
- Local environmental activist.
Honoring HCPC Workers
- 1889-1946 Plantation Archives
- 2000 Baptista, Former HCPC Employee
- 2001 De Coito, Retired Heavy-Equip Operator
- 2001 Hasegawa, Ret Service Truck Driver HCPC
- 2001 Hiramoto, Ret Laborer HCPC
- 2001 Salas, Cane Truck Driver HCPC
- 2002 Barlongo, Ret Tractor Operator HCPC
- 2002 Cambra - Former Heavy Equip Operator
- 2002 Carvalho, Retired HCPC Truck Driver
- 2002 Fujii, Ret Garage Supervisor HCPC
- 2002 Fujitake, Ret Land Containment Emp HCPC
- 2002 Matsuoka, Ret Mechanic HCPC
- 2002 Panem - Former Crane Operator
- 2002 Sakuda, Ret Cane Truck Driver HCPC
- 2002 Santiago, Ret Cane Truck Driver HCPC
- 2002 Tsujii - Ret Boiler Room Crew Chief HCPC
- 2002 Tsunoda, Former Harvesting Supervisor
- 2003 Alicuben - Former Power Mower Operator
- 2003 Deriza, Ret Heavy Equip Operator HCPC
- 2003 Inaba, Ret Electrician HCPC
- 2003 Jose, Ret HCPC Employee
- 2003 Kawakami, Ret Flume Foreman HCPC
- 2003 Lyons, Ret Harvesting Supervisor HCPC
- 2003 Namauu, Former Heavy Equip Operator HCPC
- 2003 Paiva, Ret Construction Supervisor HCPC
- 2003 Tavares, Former HCPC Employee
- 2004 Adviento, Retired HCPC Employee
- 2004 Cabasa, Ret HCPC Crane Operator
- 2004 Carvalho, Ret HCPC Truck Control Coordinator
- 2004 DeMello, Ret Scale Clerk HCPC
- 2004 Raymond, Former HCPC Shift Superintendent
- 2005 Acoba, Retired Plant Electrician
- 2005 Collins, Former HCPC Cane Truck Driver
- 2005 Company Hopes to Restart Plant
- 2005 Kubo, Ret HCPC Garage Warehouse Supervisor
- 2005 Lapenia - HCPC Former Whse Clerk
- 2005 Murai, Ret. Factory Supervisor
- 2005 Sakuma - Ret. Millworker HCPC
- 2005 Shin - Former HCPC Truck Driver
- 2005 Vierra - Forrmer HCPC Cane Truck Driver
- 2006 Amaral - Retired Heavy Equipment Operator
- 2006 Koyanagi, Ret Mill Worker HCPC
- 2006 Navidad, Ret HCPC Mill Crew Chief Operator
- 2006 Oyama, Ret HCPC Employee
- 2006 Shimasaki, Ret HCPC Truck Driver
- 2006 Shishido, Ret HCPC Employee
- 2006 Sison, Ret HCPC Mechanic
- 2007 Camero Ret HCPC Mechanic Supervisor
- 2007 Maja, Ret HCPC Employee
- 2007 Okaji, Ret Cane Truck Driver HCPC
- 2007 Quiocho, Retired HCPC Employee
- 2008 Austria - Former Heavy Equipment Operator
- 2008 Forbes, Ret Harvesting Superintendent HCPC
- 2008 Hiura, Ret HCPC Employee
- 2008 Pacheco - Former HCPC Welder
3 comments:
We all must keep a look out for that notice in the newspapers.
It is an excellent opportunity for all of us, individually, to comment to a State agency.--Ed Johnston
I looked into our files on Pepeekeo, and spoke yesteday with Nolan Hirai, the permitting manager at the Hawaii Department of Health Clean Air Branch, and learned a couple of interesting things. I'll start off with the permit chronology:
An Initial permit was issued in 1999, to burn coal, #2 fuel oil, with emissions exceeding 95 tpy for NOx, PM10, CO, and SO2, permit number 0229-01-C. This initial CSP (title V) permit is effective for 5 years (until 2004). Apparently (I have not confirmed this yet), this facility also has a PSD permit (which means it is a major source of air pollution).
In 2000, a modification was issued to allow the addition of diesel engines, permit number 0229-02-C.
In 2003, the facility submitted an application (as it must do per title V regulations) to renew its CSP (title V permit). By submitting its application in a timely manner, the facility can operate under the existing permit until the CAB issues its renewal permit (this is called an application shield).
HDOH has not issued a renewal permit for the facility. So the application shield is still valid.
In 2008, Pepeekeo, Ethanol Research Hawaii LLC, submitted a renewal application for 0229-02-C, saying that their existing CSP will expire on April 1, 2009. Since they do not have a renewal permit (and Nolan has confirmed this), the application submitted in 2008 should not be processed as a renewal - but as a modification. Nolan already has flagged this issue - his office will not process the Ethanol Research as a renewal, but requires the facility to submit an application for a permit modification. This is where it gets interesting and tricky. Modifications can either be major or minor, depending on the magnitude of emissions. Based on Ethanol Research's potential to emit PSD regulated pollutants (NOx, SO2, PM10, VOC, CO), this facility is a major source of air pollution (it should get a PSD permit if it doesn't already have one), and any changes (like adding biomass to its list of allowed fuels) should trigger major PSD review if the change in emissions resulting from the modification exceeds a certain threshold.
So, the facility cannot burn biomass without getting a permit revision (unfortunately, they can burn coal or fuel oil, legally, because they still have their application shield - of course, coal and fuel oil are not renewable, so to qualify for the renewable tax credits they will have to burn biomass).
It appears HDOH will not do anything to revise their permit until they submit a complete application for a modification. It seems likely the consultants working for the facility will try and call this a minor modification by saying their baseline emissions should be based on emissions from when they historically had operated (and trying to show that their change in emissions is not significant, i.e, it does not trigger a major modification). The change in emissions will determine whether it is classified as major or minor, and that status will determine what they need to do in order to get the permit change through. A major modification will be more stringent, and require, among other things, air quality modeling and a health risk assessment.
Bottom line, they can operate as long as they are in compliance with the terms of the 1999 permit (amended in 2000) because they have the application shield. They cannot operate they way they want to (burning biofuels or biomass) because it is not allowed in that permit. They will need to clear the permit modification hurdle with HDOH (and EPA as the oversight agency) before they can do so.
I sent an email out to a couple of people I've met in EPA's Waste and Water divisions - I haven't heard back yet on who would be good contacts for you there. I'll let you know when I find out.
Please feel free to give me a call if you have questions or just want to talk this through. I'll be in the office for another 2-3 hours. Otherwise, I won't be in again until Monday.
I hope this is helpful,
Anita
415-972-3958
5/28/09 11:10am: Nolan Harai, engineer at Clean Air Board, says Hu Honua has not submitted any application to modify permit.
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