Proposed General Plan Approval and/or General Operating Permit for Natural Gas Production and/or Processing Facilities (BAQ-GPA/GP-5)

Current Status:: Comment Period Open
Jursidiction: Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania DEP
Summary: The Department of Environmental Protection (Department) proposes to issue a revised General Plan Approval and/or Operating Permit (BAQ-GPA/GP-5 or General Permit) for Natural Gas Production and/or Processing Facilities that establishes emission limitations and other applicable Federal and State requirements including Best Available Technology requirements. The revised General Permit, BAQ-GPA/GP-5, which is authorized under 4006.1(f)) section 6.1(f) of the Air Pollution Control Act (35 P. S. § and 25 Pa. Code Chapter 127, Subchapter H (relating to general plan approvals and operating permits), will apply to the construction, operation and modification of air contamination sources at new and existing natural gas production and/or processing facilities. The applicability and scope of the revised General Permit BAQ-GPA/GP-5 has been expanded to cover air contamination sources including, but not limited to the following: wellheads and valve assemblies, natural gas-fired spark ignition internal combustion engines, natural gas-fired simple cycle turbines, centrifugal compressors, condensate tanks, distillation towers, glycol dehydrators, reboilers, natural gas fractionation units, vapor recovery systems, storage vessels, flares, valves, piping, flanges and transport loading arms. On August 23, 2011, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed, for public review and comment, rules concerning the ''Oil and Natural Gas Sector: New Source Performance Standards and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants Reviews'' (76 FR 52738). The proposed revised General Permit includes proposed provisions of the Federal rules, which will automatically be adopted and incorporated by reference in the Pennsylvania Code once finalized by the EPA. It is anticipated that the Federal rules applicable to the oil and natural gas sector will be finalized in April 2012. This General Permit will not be issued prior to the publication of EPA's final rules.
Keywords: Oil and Gas NSPS, Fracking, Compressor Station
Comment Deadline: 2012.05.02