COST AND SITING IMPLICATIONS OF SITING POWER GENERATION FACILITIES NEAR CLASS I AREAS

摘要

The Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program includes provisions for assessing air quality impacts on visibility, terrestrial, aquatic, and historical resources in PSD Class I areas. Large pollutant emitting sources locating within 100 kilometers, and in some cases 200 kilometers from Class I areas, undergo an intense review by FLMs. The review for new sources includes using atmospheric dispersion models to determine whether the facility will comply with PSD Class I increments and AQRVs. The facility may need to limit emissions, construct taller stacks, or obtain emission offsets, especially if the Class I AQRVs are considered to be impaired. For existing sources that are demonstrated to significantly contribute to an exacerbation of Class I AQRVs, the FLM and the EPA may require retrofit control technologies to be installed. Although most recent cases involving intervention by a FLM have involved large coal fueled electric generating facilities, smaller combustion turbine facilities have also been impacted. It is possible that this intervention may decrease as air quality improves in the eastern US Class I areas as a result of the implementation of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. However, facilities locating near western US Class I areas will continue to undergo intense FLM scrutiny.