DEP to hold hearings on pollution permitting for three Delco facilities Dec. 1 and 2
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is holding three hearings, one on Dec. 1 and two on Dec. 2, regarding permits for Monroe Energy, DELCORA and PQ LLC. All three hearings concern the issuance of continuing “Reasonably Available Control Technology” (RACT III) permits for the control of air pollution released from the facilities.
The Monroe Energy hearing will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 1st at the Trainer Municipal Building, 4300 Township line Rd., Trainer, PA. The DEP will take comments on whether to issue an RACT III permit for process drains and a water separator. The proposed changes for this permit are generally administrative and there are no new sources of air pollution or emission increases proposed, according to the DEP.
The DEP will hold a hearing on Dec. 2 from 6 to 7 p.m. at Chester City Hall, 1 4th St. Chester, PA, for an RACT III permit for the Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority (DELCORA).
The proposed changes for the DELCORA permit application include additional conditions regarding good combustion practices and proper sewage sludge incinerator operations. There are no new sources of air pollution or emission increases proposed, the DEP says.
That hearing will be immediately followed by a hearing from 7 to 8 p.m., also in Chester City Hall, for the proposed RACT III permit to address an emission limitation, monitoring, and record keeping requirements during non-operating days at PQ LLC’s plant at 1201 W. Front St., in Chester. PQ is a manufacturer of silicates and silica products for industrial applications.
The DEP says the emission sources of PQ include a sodium silicate furnace, 2 boilers, a spray dryer with scrubber and an emergency generator.
The DEP will accept official public comments for the record at the hearings and online. E-mail RA-EPOEJ@ pa.gov to register for any or all of the public hearings. Residents can register after the Monday, Nov. 24 deadline, regardless of what the public posting states, according to the Marcus Hook Area Neighbors for Public Health.
MHANPH, an organization of area residents concerned about the affects on public health of the numerous polluting industrial facilities in the Marcus Hook, Trainer and Chester area, is urging the public to come out and make themselves heard at The Monroe Energy hearing.
The hearing is focused on whether the aviation fuel refinery uses reasonable pollution control technologies at its facility, which the US Environmental Protection Agency currently considers to be in violation of the Clean Air Act, MHANPH said in a release.
Monroe also consistently receives Clean Water Act violations regarding high levels of water pollution released from the facility into the Delaware River, according to the organization.
Public hearings on RACT determinations are required because Delaware County and the entire five counties of southeast Pennsylvania area fail EPA standards for asthma-worsening ground level ozone pollution, MHANPH says.
When establishing RACT requirements, DEP must consider the technology available and the cost of using these controls. DEP will not require facilities to use control technology that are too costly or not technically practical, it says.
Dong Yoon Kim, the Southeast Coorindiator for the DEP Office of Environmental Justice is also encouraging the public to come out to the three hearings. He has included facebook links to share below. You can send him an email at dokim@pa.gov or call 484-250-5852.
For more information see he Clearinghouse events calendar or go to these DEP Facebook sites:
DEP Southeast Region: Monroe Energy, EJ Public Hearing | Facebook
DEP Southeast Region: DELCORA, EJ Public Hearing | Facebook
DEP Southeast Region: PQ LLC, EJ Hearing | Facebook
Photo: Monroe Energy/Clearinghouse
