TITLE 326 AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DIVISION

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has developed draft rule language for amendments to the sulfur dioxide emission limitations at 326 IAC 7-4.1-20 applicable to the United States Steel-Gary Works (USS) facility. IDEM is soliciting written comment on the draft rule language and will schedule a public hearing before the Environmental Rules Board (board) for consideration of adoption of these rules.

IC 13-14-9-8 recognizes that, under certain circumstances, it may be appropriate to reduce the number of public comment periods and public hearings usually provided for under the IC 13-14-9 environmental rulemaking process. In cases where the commissioner determines that there is no reasonably anticipated benefit from a second public comment period and first public hearing to either the environment or persons regulated or otherwise affected by the proposed rule, IDEM may forgo these comment periods and proceed directly to the public hearing and board meeting at which the draft rule is considered for adoption. Two opportunities for public comment (with this notice and at the public hearing prior to adoption of the rule) remain under this procedure.

If the commissioner makes the determination of no anticipated benefit required by IC 13-14-9-8, the commissioner shall prepare written findings and publish those findings in the Indiana Register prior to the board meeting at which the draft rule is to be considered for adoption and include them in the board packet prepared for that meeting. This document constitutes the commissioner's written findings pursuant to IC 13-14-9-8.

The statute provides for this shortened rulemaking process if the commissioner determines that:

(1) the rule constitutes:

(A) an adoption or incorporation by reference of a federal law, regulation, or rule that:

(i) is or will be applicable to Indiana; and

(ii) contains no amendments that have a substantive effect on the scope or intended application of the federal law or rule;

(B) a technical amendment with no substantive effect on an existing Indiana rule; or

(C) an amendment to an existing Indiana rule, the primary and intended purpose of which is to clarify the existing rule; and

(2) the rule is of such nature and scope that there is no reasonably anticipated benefit to the environment or the persons referred to in IC 13-14-9-7(a)(2) from:

(A) exposing the rule to diverse public comment under IC 13-14-9-3 or IC 13-14-9-4;

(B) affording interested or affected parties the opportunity to be heard under IC 13-14-9-3 or IC 13-14-9-4; and

(C) affording interested or affected parties the opportunity to develop evidence in the record collected under IC 13-14-9-3 and IC 13-14-9-4.

USS submitted a letter to IDEM on May 16, 2016, stating that, as of March 30, 2015, the USS coke plant, including the coal handling facilities, coke oven batteries, coke byproducts recovery plant, coke oven desulfurization facility, and the #2 coke plant boiler house, ceased operation. The requirements under 326 IAC 7-4.1-20 that relate to sulfur dioxide emission limitations based on combustion of coke oven gas are no longer appropriate or necessary since the permanent shutdown. The letter requested that the requirements that are no longer necessary because of the coke plant shutdown be deleted from 326 IAC 7-4.1-20. IDEM concurs with the USS request and prepared a section 8 notice to delete the requirements of 326 IAC 7-4.1-20 that are no longer necessary. After final adoption of this rulemaking, the revisions to 326 IAC 7-4.1-20 will be submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for inclusion into the State Implementation Plan.

It is appropriate to conduct this rulemaking under the abbreviated process of IC 13-14-9-8 because USS has eliminated a source of pollutants, which means the requirements under 326 IAC 7-4.1-20 related to those pollutants are no longer needed.

No element of the draft rule imposes either a restriction or a requirement on persons to whom the draft rule applies that is not imposed under federal law. This draft rule imposes no restrictions or requirements because it is a technical amendment with no substantive effect on an existing Indiana rule.

There is no fiscal impact created by this rulemaking that eliminates requirements under 326 IAC 7-4.1-20 that are no longer necessary since the permanent shutdown by USS of its coke plant including the coal handling facilities, coke oven batteries, coke byproducts recovery plant, coke oven desulfurization facility, and the #2 coke plant boiler house.

At this time, no work group is planned for the rulemaking. If you feel that a work group or other informal discussion on the rule is appropriate, please contact MaryAnn Stevens, Rules Development Branch, Office of Legal Counsel at (317) 232-8635 or (800) 451-6027 (in Indiana).

IDEM established a compliance and technical assistance program (CTAP) under IC 13-28-3. The program provides assistance to small businesses and information regarding compliance with environmental regulations. In accordance with IC 13-28-3 and IC 13-28-5, there is a small business assistance program ombudsman to provide a point of contact for small businesses affected by environmental regulations. Information on the CTAP and other resources available can be found at:

For purposes of IC 4-22-2-28.1, small businesses affected by this rulemaking may contact the Small Business Regulatory Coordinator:

Angela Taylor

IDEM Small Business Regulatory Coordinator/CTAP Small Business Liaison

IGCN 1316

100 North Senate Avenue

Indianapolis, IN 46204-2251

(317) 233-0572 or (800) 988-7901

ctap@idem.in.gov

For purposes of IC 4-22-2-28.1, the Small Business Ombudsman designated by IC 4-4-35-8 is:

Katelyn Colclazier

Small Business Ombudsman

Indiana Economic Development Corporation

One North Capitol, Suite 700

Indianapolis, IN 46204

(317) 431-1560

kcolclazier@iedc.in.gov

Resources available to regulated entities through the small business ombudsman include the ombudsman's duties stated in IC 4-4-35-8, specifically IC 4-4-35-8(9), investigating and attempting to resolve any matter regarding compliance by a small business with a law, rule, or policy administered by a state agency, either as a party to a proceeding or as a mediator.

The Small Business Assistance Program Ombudsman is:

Brian Rockensuess

IDEM Small Business Assistance Program Ombudsman/Office of Government and Community Affairs

IGCN 1301

100 North Senate Avenue

Indianapolis, IN 46204-2251

(317) 234-3386 or (800) 451-6027

brockens@idem.in.gov

The commissioner of IDEM has prepared findings regarding rulemaking on the USS sulfur dioxide emission limitations under 326 IAC 7-4.1-20. These findings are prepared under IC 13-14-9-8 and are as follows:

(1) This rule is a technical amendment with no substantive effect on an existing Indiana rule because the requirements under 326 IAC 7-4.1-20 that relate to sulfur dioxide emission limitations based on combustion of coke oven gas are no longer appropriate or necessary since the permanent shutdown, as of March 30, 2015, of the USS coke plant including the coal handling facilities, coke oven batteries, coke byproducts recovery plant, coke oven desulfurization facility, and the #2 coke plant boiler house. The requirements that are no longer necessary because of the coke plant shutdown are deleted from 326 IAC 7-4.1-20 under this draft rule.

(2) The environment and persons regulated or otherwise affected by the proposed rule will benefit from prompt adoption of this rule because the requirements of 326 IAC 7-4.1-20 proposed for deletion are no longer necessary and will appropriately represent the current operating situation at USS-Gary Works.

(3) I have determined that, under the specific circumstances pertaining to this rule, there would be no reasonably anticipated benefit to the environment or to persons regulated or otherwise affected by the proposed rule from the first or second written comment period under IC 13-14-9-3 or IC 13-14-9-4, or from the first public hearing under IC 13-14-9-5(a)(1).

(4) The draft rule is hereby incorporated into these findings.

This notice requests the submission of comments on the draft rule language, including suggestions for specific revisions to language to be contained in the draft rule. Comments may be submitted in one of the following ways:

(1) By mail or common carrier to the following address:

LSA Document #17-282 (USS sulfur dioxide)

MaryAnn Stevens

Rules Development Branch

Office of Legal Counsel

Indiana Department of Environmental Management

Indiana Government Center North

100 North Senate Avenue

Indianapolis, IN 46204-2251

(2) By facsimile to (317) 233-5970. Please confirm the timely receipt of your faxed comments by calling the Rules Development Branch at (317) 232-8922.

(3) By electronic mail to mstevens@idem.in.gov. To confirm timely delivery of submitted comments, please request a document receipt when sending the electronic mail. PLEASE NOTE: Electronic mail comments will NOT be considered part of the official written comment period unless they are sent to the address indicated in this notice.

(4) Hand delivered to the receptionist on duty at the thirteenth floor reception desk, Office of Legal Counsel, Indiana Government Center North, 100 North Senate Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Regardless of the delivery method used, to properly identify each comment with the rulemaking action it is intended to address, each comment document must clearly specify the LSA document number of the rulemaking.

All comments must be postmarked, faxed, or time stamped not later than July 28, 2017. Hand-delivered comments must be delivered to the appropriate office by 4:45 p.m. on the above-listed deadline date.

Additional information regarding this action may be obtained from MaryAnn Stevens, Rules Development Branch, Office of Legal Counsel, (317) 232-8635 or (800) 451-6027 (in Indiana).

SECTION 1. 326 IAC 7-4.1-20 IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS:

Affected: IC 13-15; IC 13-17

Sec. 20. (a) U. S. Steel-Gary Works, Source Identification Number 00121, shall comply with the following sulfur dioxide emission limitations in pounds per million British thermal units (MMBtu) and pounds per hour when the coke oven gas desulfurization emissions unit is not operating during the following periods:

(b) (a) U.S. Steel-Gary Works, Source Identification Number 00121, shall comply with the following sulfur dioxide emission limitations in pounds per million British thermal units (MMBtu) and pounds per hour: when the coke oven gas desulfurization emissions unit is operating:

(c) (b) U.S. Steel-Gary Works shall comply with additional sulfur dioxide emission requirements as follows:

Notice of Public Hearing

DIN: 20170628-IR-326170282FDA

Composed: May 05,2024 3:35:45AM EDT

A PDF version of this document.