The Brooklyn Union Gas Company (Greenpoint Energy Center)
NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT HEARING AND PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
DATE: February 3, 2021
APPLICANT: The Brooklyn Union Gas Company
1 Metrotech Ctr
Brooklyn, NY 11201 -3831
Facility: Greenpoint Energy Ctr
287 Maspeth Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
NYSDEC PERMIT APPLICATION ID NO.: 2-6101-00071/00024
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has prepared a draft permit and has made a tentative determination to issue an Air State Facility (ASF) permit to The Brooklyn Union Gas Company (doing business as National Grid) for the operation of their existing permitted Air Title V (ATV) facility, Greenpoint Energy Ctr ("Facility"), located at 287 Maspeth Avenue in Brooklyn.
The Facility's current actual emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are below the Title V major source threshold of 25 tons per year. Therefore, this application proposes to downgrade the current ATV to an ASF Permit by capping facility-wide NOx emissions to 24.9 tons per year. The Title V permit (DEC ID: 2-6101-00071/00022) will be relinquished and discontinued upon ASF issuance.
With this application, the Facility also proposes to install: two (2) new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) injection heaters, each equipped with two (2) 4.0 MMBtu/hr burners for a total of 4 burners with total capacity of 16 MMBtu/hr; and two (2) new 42.76 MMBtu/hr vaporizers be used to vaporize liquid natural gas (LNG).
The Facility currently operates three (3) 300 KW natural gas-fired engine-generators to supply electricity for LNG related equipment, two (2) 195 bhp natural gas-fired engine driven compressed natural gas (CNG) refueling compressors, and one manual paint coating line; all of which will remain unchanged. The Facility also operates several small natural gas-fired boilers and air conditioners used for comfort heating or cooling and potable hot water, all of which qualify as exempt or trivial sources under 6 NYCRR Part 201.
With this application, the two new CNG heaters will supplement natural gas supply by injecting CNG delivered by trucks as needed during periods of peak demand. Each burner will exhaust through individual stack for a total of four (4) new stacks. The two new vaporizers will exhaust through individual stacks and are proposed to meet the increased demand for natural gas and increase the Facility's send out capacity. As per the terms of the draft permit, facility-wide NOx emissions are capped at 24.9 tons per year, including exempt and trivial activity sources. Records demonstrating compliance with this cap will be kept in accordance with the permit specific conditions.
The Facility is subject to the provisions of State Facility requirements specified under 6 NYCRR 201-7. The Air State Facility permit contains a listing of the applicable federal, State, and compliance monitoring requirements for the facility.
STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW ACT (SEQRA):
Project is an Unlisted Action and will not have a significant impact on the environment. A Negative Declaration is on file. A coordinated review was not performed.
SEQR Lead Agency: None Designated
NOTICE OF COMPLETE APPLICATION:
NYSDEC issued a Notice of Complete Application on November 10, 2020.
ADDITIONAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS:
State Historic Preservation Act (SHPA) Determination:
The proposed activity is not subject to review in accordance with SHPA. The application type is exempt and/or the project involves the continuation of an existing operational activity.
Coastal Zone Management: This project is located in a Coastal Management area and is subject to the Waterfront Revitalization and Coastal Resources Act.
DOCUMENT AVAILABILITY: The draft permit is available for public review on the internet at the following websites:
NYSDEC Website: https://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/121927.html
Hard Copies of these documents can also be requested from National Grid by contacting National Grid at greenpointenergycenter.com or telephone 718-749-9539.
LEGISLATIVE PUBLIC COMMENT HEARING: A legislative public comment hearing on the draft permit will be held before Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Molly T. McBride to receive unsworn statements from the public at 6:00 P.M. on Wednesday March 10, 2021 through the Webex Events electronic webinar platform. All persons, organizations, corporations or government agencies that may be affected by the proposed project are invited to attend the legislative public comment hearing and to submit oral comments on the draft permit. Instructions on how to attend the hearing through the internet or by telephone are provided below.
The ALJ may restrict the time available for oral comments to three (3) minutes for each person, to ensure that all persons will have an opportunity to be heard. It is recommended that lengthy comments be summarized for oral presentation and submitted in writing as indicated below. Equal weight will be given to both oral and written comments.
Interpreter services shall be made available to deaf persons, and language interpreter services for individuals with difficulty understanding or reading English, at no charge, upon written request to the ALJ identified above, at least ten (10) business days prior to the hearing. The written request must be addressed to ALJ Molly McBride, NYSDEC Office of Hearings and Mediation Services, 625 Broadway, 1st Floor, Albany, NY 12233-1550 or emailed to ALJ McBride at ohms@dec.ny.gov.
WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS: All interested parties may submit written comment concerning the draft permit to the NYSDEC Contact Person listed below by March 17, 2021. Comments sent by regular mail must be postmarked no later than March 17, 2021. E-mail comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. (EDT) on March 17, 2021.
NYSDEC CONTACT PERSON:
Caitlyn P. Nichols
NYSDEC Region 2 Headquarters
47-40 21st St.
Long Island City, NY 11101
(718) 482-4997
DEP.R2@dec.ny.gov.
Instructions for Attending the Legislative Public Comment Hearing:
To join the hearing through the internet, visit www.webex.com and click "Join a meeting."
Event Number: 179 630 5917
Password: March10-6PM
To join by phone only:
Dial: 1-518-549-0500
Access Code: 179 630 5917
Persons wishing to comment on the draft permit will have the opportunity to make a statement at the public comment hearing webinar. Any person wishing to provide a public statement must register in advance of the hearing no later than 10:00 A.M. on Friday, March 5, 2021. Any person who wishes only to observe the webinar online must also register. Any person may listen to the hearing by phone without pre-registration.
To register electronically: All persons who will login to the hearing electronically must register. To register, visit http://www.webex.com, click "Join a meeting," input the event number listed above, click "Register," and fill in the requested information. You will be asked whether you wish to make a public statement or not. After registration is complete, you will receive a confirmation by email with information about how to join the hearing.
To register by telephone: Any person who is not able to login electronically may participate by telephone. Call-in participants must register to speak in advance by calling the Department at 518-402-9003 no later than 10:00 A.M. on Friday, March 5, 2021. Please provide your first and last name, address, email address if any, and telephone number and reference the National Grid Greenpoint Energy Center public comment hearing.
All participants will be muted upon entry into the hearing. The ALJ will call each person who has requested to provide a statement to speak. The ALJ will continue the hearing until everyone wishing to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements have been made to include their comments in the record. The ALJ may limit the time available for oral comments to 3 minutes per person, as necessary to afford all participants an opportunity to be heard. We also recommend that lengthy comments be summarized for oral presentation and submitted in writing as provided above. The hearing will be recorded for inclusion in the record.
