NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Issuance of Revised General Plan Approval and/or General Operating Permit for Human or Animal Crematory Incinerators (BAQ-GPA/GP-14)
[54 Pa.B. 5190]
[Saturday, August 10, 2024]In accordance with section 6.1(f) of the Air Pollution Control Act (35 P.S. § 4006.1(f)) and 25 Pa. Code Chapter 127, Subchapter H (relating to general plan approvals and operating permits), the Department of Environmental Protection (Department) has issued the revised General Plan Approval and/or General Operating Permit for Human or Animal Crematory Incinerators (BAQ-GPA/GP-14) with an effective date of August 10, 2024.
The Department published a notice regarding the availability of the proposed revised GP-14 for public review and comment at 54 Pa.B. 2427 (May 4, 2024), in 11 newspapers of general circulation and sent to nearby states and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The public comment period ended on June 17, 2024. The Department prepared a comment and response document that summarizes the comments received.
In accordance with the Crematory Regulation Act (act) (P.L. 403, No. 26), effective on August 16, 2024, the Department will enforce a temperature requirement of 1600°F rather than 1800°F as noted in condition 13 of the GP-14 issued on July 27, 2006, for any owner or operator currently authorized to operate under the 2006 GP-14 until the authorization for operation expires. The Department will also enforce a temperature requirement of 1600°F rather than 1800°F for crematory incinerators operating under an operating permit.
Also in accordance with the act, owners and operators authorized to operate under the 2006 GP-14 may open the charge door during the cremation cycle for short periods of time to inspect or reposition the remains. The Department will not enforce the provision in condition 13b of the 2006 GP-14 that precludes opening of the charge door. The Department will also allow owners and operators of a crematory incinerator operating under an operating permit to open the charge door during the cremation cycle for short periods of time to inspect or reposition the remains. The Department recommends that in the event that the owner or operator opens the charge door, the owner or operator should follow the manufacturer's recommended written specifications for operating the unit during inspection or repositioning of the remains and keep records of the activity including the time, date and duration of when the charge door is opened during the cremation cycle.
Lastly, to comport with the act, the Department removed all conditions in the revised GP-14 related to charging of the primary chamber before the secondary or last chamber exit temperature is established and holding at 1600°F.
Applicants may seek authorization to use GP-14 by submitting the General Permit application to the appropriate Department regional office. The Department strongly encourages electronic submissions. Applicants must receive the Department's written approval prior to constructing, modifying or operating human or animal crematory incinerators authorized under this General Permit. The Department will publish notice of each authorization to use GP-14 in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
A copy of the revised General Permit with related documents, including the comment and response document and technical support document, can be obtained by contacting Viren Trivedi, P.O. Box 8468, Harrisburg, PA 17105, (717) 783-9476, vtrivedi@pa.gov. The documents are available on the Department's web site at https://greenport.pa.gov/elibrary//GetFolder?FolderID=3645.
JESSICA SHIRLEY,
Acting Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 24-1118. Filed for public inspection August 9, 2024, 9:00 a.m.]
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