Case Study of Compliance With Air Quality Related Values, 2000 Environmental Conference Proceedings

- M. J. Aguilar, S. R. Marks, P. Allen, P. L. Hanrahan -- Since 1978, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) has regulated air emission sources using a Plant Site Emission Limit (PSEL) as a way to track emission increases. In 1997, Georgia-Pacific (G-P) Toledo Mill submitted an application to increase its emissions above the 1978 baseline. To approve the request, ODEQ required the Mill to demonstrate compliance with air quality standards and two air quality related values (AQRVs). While the Mill's requested emission increases met the PSD Increment and ambient air quality standards criteria during the screening analysis, the regional haze and deposition criteria became limiting factors in time and expense for the approval of the project. To address concerns of the Federal Land Managers (the U. S. Forest Service and the National Park Service) for averse impacts on AQRVs in Class 1 areas, the Mill and the ODEQ established protocols for an analysis of these impacts. As a result, ODEQ and the Mill identified protocols and methods to interpret model data that will be of use for future applicants. The Mill's final demonstration shows that the project will not adversely affect the regional haze and deposition criteria. This paper reviews steps in the analysis and how time in the approval process can be saved.