ENB Region 4 Completed Applications 08/24/2005

The public comment deadline for the applications by Lafarge Building Materials to modify its existing Title V Air Facility Permit to add Tire Derived Fuel (TDF) to its currently approved fuels of coal, coke and oil used to fire its cement kilns and modify its 360 Solid Waste approvals to allow for the storage, handling and use of tires as fuel is being extended from Friday, September 2, 2005, to Monday, October 3, 2005, 4:00 PM.  

An additional public information session (the first was on 8/4/05) is scheduled for Wednesday, September 14, 2005, 7:00 PM, at the Ravena Coeymans Selkirk (RCS) High School auditorium located at the high school campus on State Route 9W just north of the Village of Ravena.  The Legislative Public Hearing for Thursday, August 25, 2005, 7:00 PM, at the A. W. Becker Elementary School, 1146 Route 9W in Selkirk, will proceed as scheduled and a second legislative public hearing session has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 21, 2005, 7:00 PM, at the RCS High School auditorium.

A description of the proposed project from the original and revised public notice published on 7/20 and 7/27/05 is as follows:

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.

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.

The applicant proposes to replace a failing laid up stone retaining wall along Downs Brook in the Village of Downsville downstream of the State Route 30 Bridge. The wall will be replaced  with heavy stone rip rap streambank protection. Rip rap will placed on a 2 on 1 slope or flatter and will be approximately 6 feet high by 500 feet long.

The applicant proposes to remove an existing berm upstream and downstream of the East Handsome Brook bridge, for a total length of approximately 250' of streambank, that is exacerbating a flooding problem for structures along East Handsome Brook Road.  A more effective earthen berm will be constructed further away from the streambank to help direct water away from these structures.  The project is located near the East Handsome Brook Road and Derke Road intersection.

The applicant proposes the construction of 4 duplex condo units with associated waste water treatment system, boathouse and dock area for approximately 5 boats.

The wastewater treatment system is proposed to consist of an enhanced septic system with innoculator, Peat Bio-filters, Phosphorus reducer and an El-Jan In-Drain Leach Field with a design flow of 3000 gpd. SPDES # NY-0263079. A Draft SPDES Permit and supporting documents are available for review from the contact person.

The applicant proposes to remove seven existing trailers and their associated septic systems, and construct a single family residence, septic and well partially within the adjacent area of Freshwater Wetland AP-17.  The project is located at the end of Turnabout Road in the town of Sand Lake, Rensselaer County.