ENB Region 1 Completed Applications 02/05/2003

Pursuant to 6 NYCRR Part 621 (Uniform Procedures) the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (Department) is providing notice that it intends to modify the existing Title V air pollution control permit for the Village of Freeport Power Plant #2.   The facility is a municipally-owned electric power generating plant consisting of two diesel engines, one combustion turbine and one package boiler.  The capacity of the facility is approximately 34 MW of electric power during normal business operation.

The initial Title V permit for this facility was issued on November 12, 1998.  An opportunity for public comment was provided at the time of initial permit issuance.  The Department initiated a modification of the Title V permit in July 2001.  A combined notice of public comment period, draft permit and legislative hearing appeared in the Environmental Notice Bulletin on August 6, 2001 and Newsday on August 1, 2001.  A legislative hearing was held on October 22, 2001, where unsworn statements regarding the proposed modification were received.   The Department received numerous comments from the permittee, the public and interested parties which necessitates the Department’s rescission of the July 2001 Department-initiated modification.  

After extensive discussions with the Village of Freeport and the staff of the United States Environmental Protection Agency over a period of months, the Department has decided to issue this new Notice of Intent to Modify and Notice of Public Comment Period and Legislative Hearing on Modified Draft Permit.  The draft modified Title V permit being noticed will include the following new conditions: 1) a requirement to shut down the existing two Fiat diesel engines on the date the Village commences commercial operation of the proposed LM6000 turbine or November 30, 2003, whichever occurs first; 2) a requirement that, until such time as the diesels are taken out of service, the diesels shall not operate except in an emergency or consistent with the terms of an agreement between the Long Island Power Authority; 3) a requirement  to conduct stack tests of the existing combustion turbine; 4) a required reduction of the allowable fuel sulfur content for all units at the facility covered by the Title V permit from 0.37% to 0.20%; and 5) a limit on the hours of operation for the existing Curtiss-Wright turbine to 130 hours per year. These modified permit conditions have been included in the Title V permit in order to make the permit consistent with applicable federal and state law.  The modified permit, for example, strictly limits when the diesels may be operated and requires the shutdown of the diesels as a means of bringing the diesels into compliance with the modified permit conditions.  

The Department’s modified Title V permit shall take effect on the date a final modified Title V permit is issued pursuant to the regulations at 6 NYCRR Subpart 201-6 (Title V regulations) and Part 621 (uniform permit procedures).  

Details regarding the draft permits and the hearing on the permit can be found at www.dec.state.ny.us/website/ohms/notices/freeport.htm

    

The Village of Freeport proposes to construct and operate a new gas turbine facility at Freeport Power Plant #2.  The new facility will be constructed immediately adjacent to the existing structure containing the two diesel engines.  The proposed facility will consist of a new General Electric (GE) LM6000 Sprint simple cycle combustion turbine. The total new electrical power from this combustion turbine generator will have a nominal electrical power output of less than 50 MW.

The combustion turbines will fire natural gas and the units will operate in simple cycle mode (no heat recovery) to provide electric generation.  The turbines will utilize inlet chillers and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to control nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions and an oxidation catalyst will be used to control emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and volatile organic compounds (VOC).  Upon leaving the turbines, the exhaust will be directed into a 180foot stack.

The Village of Freeport is proposing to install an underground gas and electric utility interconnection.  The gas and electric lines will run from the existing Power Plant #2, along Albany Ave., under Merrick Road, along the border of Cleveland Ave., and under Sunrise Highway.   The electric line will terminate at a proposed switching station near the intersection of Sunrise Highway and Meadowbrook Parkway. The gas transmission line will continue east along the railroad right-of-way, north along Babylon Turnpike and terminate at a LIPA gas main at the intersection of Babylon Turnpike and Meadowbrook Road.

Pursuant to 6NYCRR Part 201, the Village has opted to obtain a preconstruction permit and certificate to operate authorizing the construction and operation of the proposed new facility, pursuant to 6 NYCRR Subpart 201-6.1, prior to obtaining a Title V permit. The Village has also applied for a modification of their existing SPDES permit and for a Tidal Wetlands permit.  The Department has made a tentative determination to approve the applications and a draft air and SPDES permits are available for review. Details regarding the draft permits and the hearing on the permit can be found at www.dec.state.ny.us/website/ohms/notices/freeportintent.htm

Suffolk County has requested the reissuance of the County-wide general permit for maintenance of mosquito control ditches within the NYSDEC regulated tidal wetland areas of Suffolk County, including:

1. Repair and/or in kind, in place replacement of existing culverts, tide gates, tide boxes and other water control structures.

2. In kind, in place repair or reconstruction of mosquito control ditches ( up to a total of 400,000 feet / year)    to within 6 inches of their original depth & width.

This permit will not authorize any new ditches or other water control structures. Prior to the start of any specific project, the County will submit site specific project information to NYSDEC for review and approval.   The purpose of this proposal is to minimize mosquito breeding by maintaining the existing ditch network.     No application of pesticides is included in this proposal.

The applicant proposes to construct one 20" x 10" diameter well, having the capacity of 1,300 gallons per minute and  approximately 600 feet deep.  The site is located at the Old Dock Road well field, Old Dock Road, Kings Park.

The Department has made a tentative determination to approve an application for a new permit to discharge backwash from an iron removal filtration system to groundwater.  The system is associated with a public supply well.  The site is located at the Suffolk County Water Authority East Patchogue Well site at Foxcroft Lane, East Patchogue , Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County.  A Draft Permit is available for review at the Regional Office.

Calpine Stony Brook Energy Center 2, Inc. (the Applicant) proposes to construct and operate a 79.9 MW electric generating station (the project) adjacent to the existing Nissequogue Cogen Partners (NCP) cogeneration facility located on the SUNY campus. The project will be constructed in two phases, and the draft permits if issued, will authorize both phases. This project is a modification of the existing NCP facility.

Phase 1 entails the construction and operation of a General Electric (GE) LM 6000 PC SPRINT Combustion Turbine Generator (CTG) and associated balance-of-plant systems and facilities which will operate in a simple cycle mode during the summer of 2003 and is rated at 49.7 MW.

In Phase 2, the CTG will be converted to operate in a combine-cycle mode by the addition of a Once Through Steam Generator (OTSG) with duct burners, a steam turbine generator (STG), a condenser with an associated two-cell cooling tower and associated balance-of-plant systems and facilities. The total new electrical power from this project at the completion of Phase 2 will be limited to a net output of 79.9 MW to the electric grid.

This project will be fueled exclusively by natural gas, and emissions from the CTG and duct burners will exhaust through a single 125-foot stack. The facility’s peak water supply requirements at the completion of Phase 2 will be approximately 720,000 gallons per day and will be provided by the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA) with possible supplementation by withdrawals from campus wells operated by SUNY.

The DEC is concurrently issuing for public comment a Notice of Determination to Issue Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Permit pursuant to 40 CFR §52.21 and Part 124. Details regarding the draft PSD permit can be found at www.dec.state.ny.us/website/ohms/notices/calpinepsd.htm

The applicant is also required to obtain emissions offsets in the form of emission reduction credits (ERCs) for VOCs (13 tons) and NOx (42 tons).

The Department has made a tentative decision to approve the air permit applications, and draft permits are available for review. Written comments must be postmarked no later than March 8, 2003, or provided in-hand to the Administrative Law Judge presiding at the hearing on March 10, 2003. Details regarding the draft permits, ERCs, and the hearing on the draft permits can be found at www.dec.state.ny.us/website/ohms/notices/calpine.htm

The applicant proposes to subdivide an existing parcel measuring approximately 6 acres in area.  This property is located on the east side of Division Street in the community of Point O'Woods, Fire Island.  It is bounded on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the North by Great South Bay and on the east by Fire Island National Seashore land.  Four new parcels would be created, measuring approximately 2.0, 1.9, 1.1, and 1.0 acres respectively.  No construction or other disturbance is proposed under this application.

The applicant proposes to construct a 26 space gravel/stone curbed parking lot, conduct clearing, grading and ground disturbance, install six leaching pools to collect stormwater, and place 125 cubic yards of clean fill within the 100 foot adjacent area of NYS regulated Peconic River wetlands.  The interior of the existing building will be converted to a restaurant.  The project is located on the south side of West Main Street approximately 350 feet west of Raynor Avenue, Riverhead Town, SCTM #'s 600-124-4-11.4 & 11.3.