“Complexities of Air Quality Permit Issuance for
an Iron Foundry near Great Smoky Mountains National Park”
ABSTRACT
The issuance of air quality construction permits for new
industrial
projects is often a complex and time consuming process. This
complexity
increases dramatically when the project is subject to the Prevention of
Significant Deterioration air quality regulations and particularly if
the
site is located near Class I air quality areas such as national parks
and
wilderness areas. The permitting experience for a new 160 ton per
hour iron foundry located in eastern Tennessee is reviewed. This
overview
presents aspects of the project which will be useful for similar
permitting
projects. These aspects include air quality siting studies;
interaction
with state and federal air quality regulatory agencies including the
National
Park Service and U.S. Forest Service; development of Best Available
Control
Technology; use of the ISC3, VISCREEN, and CALPUFF air quality models
to
determine effects on air quality standards, visibility and acid
deposition;
and, development of a seven state emissions inventory to assess
cumulative
increment consumption at Class I and Class II air quality areas.
While eastern Tennessee provided a desirable project site for
logistical
and economic reasons, it presented a complex and challenging situation
for the issuance of a construction air quality permit.
Preliminary
ISC3 and CALPUFF modeling analyses were performed for several potential
sites to assess their air quality impacts on nearby Class I air quality
areas such as Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Cohutta
National
Wilderness Area. After these analyses, the final site was
selected
for submission of the permit application. During the two year
time
period required to select a site and obtain an air quality permit,
long-range
modeling policies for Class I areas changed, resulting in the need for
greater emission reductions beyond Best Available Control Technology to
assure an insignificant and acceptable air quality impact on Class I
areas.