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PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 06-1165

NOTICES

Availability of Final General Plan Approval and/or General Operating Permit for Natural Gas, Coal Bed Methane or Gob Gas Production or Recovery Facilities (BAQ-GPA/GP-5)

[36 Pa.B. 3165]
[Saturday, June 24, 2006]

   The Department of Environmental Protection (Department) has revised and finalized the General Plan Approval and/or General Operating Permit for Natural Gas, Coal Bed Methane or Gob Gas Production or Recovery Facilities (BAQ-GPA/GP-5). The primary purpose of the revision was to add coal bed methane recovery facilities in this general permit along with natural gas production facilities. This general permit is issued in accordance with section 6.1(f) of the Air Pollution Control Act (35 P. S. § 4006.1(f)) and 25 Pa. Code §§ 127.514 and 127.611 (relating to general operating permits at Title V facilities; and general plan approvals and general operating permits) and authorizes the construction and/or operation of a natural gas, coal bed methane or gob gas production or recovery facility.

   This general permit is limited to a facility engaged in the production of natural gas, coal bed methane or gob gas only. It does not include facilities operated as a part of a transmission pipeline (which shall not be construed to mean any gathering system or associated equipment) or gas storage field, nor does it cover the compression of other types of gases from landfills, refineries, coke ovens, and the like. A natural gas, coal bed methane or gob gas production or recovery facility may include internal combustion (compressor) engines, gas dehydration units, crude oil and brine storage tanks, vents and other equipment associated with this activity.

   After publishing the notice of availability of the draft general permit at 35 Pa.B. 6462 (November 26, 2005), a 45-day comment period was provided and written comments were received from one commentator, CNX Gas Corporation (CNX). In the comment, CNX proposed to expand the use of the general permit for coal mine methane and gob gas production or recovery facilities also. The Department determined that coal mine methane is the subset of coal bed methane that is released from the coal seams during the process of coal mining and need not be included separately. The Department accepted the proposed inclusion of gob gas along with natural gas and coal bed methane production or recovery facilities in the revised general permit. Apart from enlarging the scope of applicability of the general permit, the changes did not affect any of the general permit conditions. The general permit for Natural Gas, Coal Bed Methane or Gob Gas Production or Recovery Facilities (BAQ-GPA/GP-5) is now approved by the Department and available for use by qualifying applicants.

   Copies of the general permit documents package and comment and response document can be obtained by contacting Jeanette Van Skike, Bureau of Air Quality, Rachel Carson State Office Building, P. O. Box 8468, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8468, (717) 787-4325. Persons with a disability may obtain these documents by contacting the AT&T Relay Service at (800) 654-5984 (TDD users) or (800) 654-5988 (voice users). These documents are also available on the Department's website at www.depweb. state.pa.us (DEP Keywords: Air Permits).

KATHLEEN A. MCGINTY,   
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 06-1165. Filed for public inspection June 23, 2006, 9:00 a.m.]


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