Summary
The United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9 (EPA) provides notice of and requests public comment on EPA’s proposed action relating to a draft minor New Source Review (NSR) permit for the Fort Mojave Smoke Shop (Facility). The Facility is located at 8501 S. Highway 95, Mojave Valley, Arizona 86440, within the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation. EPA is proposing to issue this minor NSR permit consistent with EPA’s minor NSR regulations for Indian country (40 CFR 49.151-161) to Environmental Technology, Inc., 2541 E. University Drive, Phoenix, Arizona 85034. The contact for the permit applicant is William A. Vittal, (602) 499-6622.
This draft permit, if finalized, will authorize the construction and operation of a soil vapor extraction (SVE) system, which includes a catalytic oxidizer to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In 2013, the Facility discovered that leaking underground storage tanks had released an estimated 2,000 gallons of gasoline to soil and groundwater. The leaking tanks and approximately 60 cubic yards of contaminated soil were excavated and removed, and the SVE system will address remaining soil and groundwater contamination by extracting and processing soil vapor. Federal minor NSR review for the SVE system is required because the system’s potential to emit for VOCs, including certain hazardous air pollutants, is 12.6 tons per year (tpy). The draft permit requires the use of the catalytic oxidizer to reduce VOC emissions by at least 90 percent, to approximately 1.26 tons per year. In addition, the SVE system will emit low levels of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide. EPA’s technical support document for this action provides more information about the SVE system, emissions, and the draft permit.
Public Hearing
A public hearing has not been scheduled for the draft permit action. However, anyone may request a public hearing. Any request for a public hearing must be made in writing to EPA via www.regulations.gov, e-mail, or U.S. mail at the addresses noted at right and state the nature of the issues proposed to be raised at the hearing. EPA will hold a hearing whenever there is, on the basis of requests, a significant degree of public interest in a draft minor NSR permit. EPA may also hold a public hearing at its discretion, whenever, for instance, such a hearing might clarify one or more issues involved in the minor NSR permit decision. If EPA schedules a public hearing, EPA will provide notice at least 30 days in advance of the date of the public hearing, and EPA will extend the 30-day public comment period to the close of the public hearing.
Final Action
Before taking final action on the draft permit, EPA will consider all comments submitted to EPA during the public comment period. EPA will send notice of our final permit decision to each person who submitted comments and contact information during the public comment period or requested notice of the final permit decision. EPA will summarize the contents of all substantive comments and provide written responses in a document accompanying EPA’s final permit decision. EPA’s final permit decision will become effective 30 days after the service of notice of the decision unless:
- A later effective date is specified in the permit;
- The decision is appealed to EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board pursuant to 40 CFR 49.159(d); or
- There are no comments requesting a change to the draft permit decision, in which case the final decision shall become effective immediately upon issuance.
Additional Information: If you have questions, or if you wish to obtain further information, please contact Khoi Nguyen at (415) 947-4120, via email at R9airpermits@epa.gov, or at EPA mailing address above. If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive future information about this draft permit decision or other permit decisions issued by EPA Region 9, please contact EPA at the address listed at right or send an email to R9airpermits@epa.gov.
***Please bring the foregoing notice to the attention of all persons who would be interested in this matter.***