ENB Region 4 Completed Applications 07/27/2005

Lafarge Building Materials, Inc. is proposing to modify its existing Title V Air Facility Permit to add Tire Derived Fuel (TDF) to the currently approved fuels of coal, coke and oil used to fire its cement kilns.  A draft permit has been prepared for public review.  The facility owner is Lafarge North America, Inc., located at Suite 500, 12950 Worldgate Drive, Herndon, VA 20170.  This facility is a manufacturer of Portland Cement and includes two kilns with electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) air cleaning equipment.  The TDF would substitute for up to 20% (on a btu basis) or 35,000 tons annually of the coal and coke fuel currently in use using a tire feed system that would drop whole tires into the rotating kilns through an opening to be installed midway down the kiln tubes.  This opening or chute would open and close once every rotation of the kiln tube to deposit approximately (based upon size of tires) 6 tires at a time into each of the two kilns.  Up to 4.8 million whole tires per year would be burned for fuel.  Whole tires are to be brought to the Lafarge facility in trailers and remain in the trailers until moved to the kiln for sorting and feeding into the kilns.  A maximum of 100 tire storage trailers holding up to 100,000 tires are to be parked on site at any one time, with an average of 13-20 filled trailers arriving daily and a similar number leaving.  Trailers will be located at a closed portion (Cell A) of the cement kiln dust landfill located just east of the cement plant.  Criteria pollutant emissions for Particulates (PM-10), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) are not expected to increase nor are those for volatile organic hazardous air pollutants or Total Suspended Particulates while increases to Carbon Monoxide (CO) are expected to stay under the significant net emissions increase threshold of 100 tons per year or no more than a 10.0% increase over existing CO emissions (projected CO emissions would be 1,081 tons per year). Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) emissions are expected to decrease by 100 tons. Trace metals emissions of concern - Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, Selenium and Zinc - could increase under worst case estimated emissions levels but still remain well within NYSDEC Air Guide I guidance concentration levels.  As stated by USEPA, Lafarge is not required to obtain a  Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) determination from EPA at this time.  The storage and handling of the TDF would be covered under a Part 360 Solid Waste Management Facility Permit and the use of the tires as fuel would be covered under a Part 360 Solid Waste Beneficial Use Determination (BUD).  A 360 variance is sought that would allow any rims on tires to not have to be removed until tire sorting instead of within one week of receipt.  

The application and draft permit may be reviewed at the Department's Region 4 office at 1150 North Westcott Road in Rotterdam, NY;  the Ravena Coeymans Selkirk Community Library at 15 Mountain Road in Ravena, NY; and the Castleton Public Library at 85 South Main Street Castleton, NY.

A public information session has been scheduled for Thursday, August 4, 2005, 7:00 PM, at the A.W. Becker Elementary School, 1146 Route 9W, Selkirk, NY 12158.

A Legislative Hearing to take public comment has been scheduled on Thursday, August 25, 2005, 7:00 PM, also at the A. W. Becker Elementary School auditorium.

In accordance with 6 NYCRR Parts 621.9(A)(5) and 201-6.4(c), the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has the authority to bar issuance of any Title V Facility Permit if it is determined not to be in compliance with applicable requirements of the Clean Air Act or 6 NYCRR Part 201.

DEC will evaluate the application and the comments received on it to determine whether to issue the permit, change the proposed draft permit conditions or hold an adjudicatory public hearing. An adjudicatory public hearing is a trial-type proceeding which provides the opportunity for adjudication on the basis of evidence, including direct testimony and cross-examination.  An adjudicatory hearing is held only if substantive and significant issues relating to any findings or determinations the Department is required to make pursuant to the Environmental Conservation Law exist.  A copy of the Department's permit hearing procedures is available upon request or on the Department's web site at: http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/ohms/gudph1.htm.

To restore the shoreline and prevent further erosion and toppling of tress into the lake, the applicant proposes to construct a stone retaining wall, approximately 80 feet in length, along the south shore dock area and placement of stone rip-rap along approximately 48 feet of shoreline at the western end of the applicants island property on Mariaville Lake. The project areas are located within New York State Freshwater Wetland RJ-3, or it's adjacent area, just west of the intersection of Rt 159 and Weast Rd, in the town of Duanseburg, Schenectady County.

The applicant currently has a valid permit to construct a 48 foot long by 28 foot wide one-family dwelling with an attached 28 foot long by 26 foot wide garage at the roadside end of the dwelling.  The current permit authorizes the dwelling to be constructed 60 feet inland from the lake shore of Mariaville Lake (FWW RJ-3), however, due to Town setbacks, the applicant has requested a permit modification which will allow the dwelling to be constructed at a distance of 50 feet inland from the Lake Shore.  Said property is located at 313 Lake Ave, Town of Duanesburg, Schenectady County, New York.

The applicant proposes an existing discharge of  up to 4500 gallons per day of treated sanitary wastewater to the Alplaus Creek, a class B waterbody, from an existing, previously permitted, septic tank and sand filter, at the applicants facility located at 654 Saratoga Road, in the Town of Glenville, Schenectady County.  The applicant plans to reopen and operate an existing restaurant and lodge formerly known as Kristels Inn.  The Department has made a tentative determination to issue a permit for a State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit until Article 17 of the Environmental Conservation Law.  This tentative determination indicates that the discharge regulated under this statute is considered to satisfy regulatory standards for permit issuance, based on information available to the Department at this time.  As a tentative determination, the Department seeks comments on the proposed regulated activity prior to making a final decision on permit issuance.  As such, this tentative determination does not signify department approval for, or endorsement of the activity for which a permit is sought or for the overall proposed project.  A draft permit is available for inspection and comment at the Region 4 Office.   SPDES #NY-0205371.