New York City Department of Corrections, Rikers Island
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Notice of Complete Application
Date: 07/03/2024Applicant: NYC DEPT OF CORRECTION 75-20 ASTORIA BLVD, EAST ELMHURST, NY 11370-3001
Facility: NYC-DOC - RIKERS ISLAND 17-25 HAZEN ST, EAST ELMHURST, NY 11370
Application ID: 2-6007-00259/00033
Permits(s) Applied for: 1 - Article 19 Air Title V Facility
Project is located: in BRONX COUNTY
Project Description:
The Department has prepared a draft permit and has made a tentative determination, subject to public comment or other information, to approve an application for the renewal and modification of New York City Department of Correction’s (NYC DOC) Title V permit for their prison facility on Rikers Island in the East River. This draft permit renewal and modification would allow for the continued, modified operation a power house that operates in a separate structure on Rikers Island and produces electric power for the entire island as well as process steam for heating, hot water and laundry. The Rikers Island facility (“Facility” or “Rikers Island”) also has a spray booth for painting repaired parts of buses and vehicles for NYC DOC, and fifty one (51) emergency diesel engines throughout Rikers Island facility for emergency support.
The powerhouse has eight boilers with a capacity of 96 mmBtu/hr each (emission units U00001, U00002 and U00003) retrofitted with low NOx burners and utilizing natural gas as the primary fuel and #2 fuel oil as back up. These boilers comply with NOx RACT limit 0.08lb/mmbtu by fuel switching option as per 227-2.5(a). The spray paint booth (emission unit U00009) is located in the garage where the vehicles are served. The coatings are subject to 6 NYCRR Part 227-8 requirements and the maximum annual emissions of VOCs from the painting process are limited to 2.49 tons per year. The Facility also operates and nineteen (19) internal combustion engines (listed in emission unit U00010) and two (2) 7.5 MW natural gas-fired combined cycle combustion turbines (emission unit U00011) each equipped with duct firing and heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs), and one 1.5 MW emergency black start engine generator.
As part of this renewal, the Facility, proposes to modify the NOx RACT variance limits for fourteen (14) of nineteen (19) engines which have the option to enroll in Demand Response Program with Con Edison. These engines are not able to meet 6 NYCRR Part 227-2 presumptive NOx RACT limit 2.3 grams/bhp-hr. As part of the renewal application, NYC DOC submitted a new NOx RACT analysis in accordance with 6 NYCRR Part 227- 2.5(c). The analysis is found to be acceptable to the Department and the NOx RACT determinations for the engines will be submitted to USEPA for approval as a source specific revision to the New York State Implementation Plan (SIP). Only ten (10) engines with alternate NOx RACT variance emission limits are permitted to participate in the program to ensure compliance with 1-hr NO2 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The other nine engines will be operating as emergency generators only until those are stack tested and demonstrated to be in compliance with NOx RACT and NAAQS. The nineteen (19) engines can operate as emergency generators. The total NOx emissions from these engines continue to be limited to
22.5 tons per year (tpy).
The two (2) existing cogeneration units (emission unit U00011) are subject to New Source Review Part 231-6 requirements. Under a prior modification, the Facility netted out of 6 NYCRR 231-6 NSR major modification requirements by creating NOx and PM-10 Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs) from the existing eight boilers by limiting their emissions but, in the past years, the facility was not able to operate in that scenario. Therefore, as part of this renewal, the applicant proposes a New Source Review (NSR) major modification for these cogeneration units as per 231-6.4 with a NOx limit of 52 tons per year. All other pollutants are in compliance with the Nonattainment NSR and PSD. This application includes a Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) analysis for the cogeneration units, 67.6 tpy of NOx Emissions Reduction Credits (ERCs) to offset the NOx emissions of 52 tpy and a request to remove the NOx and PM-10 emission limits for eight boilers from the permit. The proposed LAER NOx limits for turbine are 12 ppmvd @15% O2 without duct firing and 15 ppmvd @15% O2 with duct firing.
Pursuant to the requirements of Sections 7(2) and 7(3) of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), the Department has requested and received information regarding the project’s consistency with the CLCPA. As per the terms of the draft permit, the Facility will remain subject to the provisions of 6 NYCRR 201-6 (Title V Facility Permits) among other state and federal laws, rules, and regulations. The draft Air Title V Renewal 3 permit contains a complete listing of the applicable state and federal laws, rules, and regulations, including emission limits, control requirements and compliance monitoring, testing, recordkeeping and reporting requirements for the facility, its emission units and emission points.
In accordance with 6NYCRR Parts 621.7(d)(9) and 201-6.3(c), the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has the authority to bar issuance of any Title V Facility Permit if it is determined not to be in compliance with applicable requirements of the Clean Air Act or 6NYCRR Part 201.
Persons wishing to inspect the subject Title V files, including the application with all relevant supporting materials, the draft permit, and all other materials available to the DEC (the "permitting authority") that are relevant to this permitting decision should contact the DEC representative listed below. The Draft Permit and Permit Review Report may be viewed and printed from the Department web site at: https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/air-quality/controlling-pollution-from-facilities/permits- registrations-fees.
DEC will evaluate the application and the comments received on it to determine whether to hold a public hearing. Comments and requests for a public hearing should be in writing and addressed to the Department representative listed below. A copy of the Department's permit hearing procedures is available upon request or on the Department web site at: https://dec.ny.gov/regulatory/permits-licenses/environmental-permits/guide-to- permit-hearings.
Availability of Application Documents:
Filed application documents, and Department draft permits where applicable, are available for inspection during normal business hours at the address of the contact person. To ensure timely service at the time of inspection, it is recommended that an appointment be made with the contact person.
State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) Determination
Project is an Unlisted Action and will not have a significant impact on the environment. A Negative Declaration is on file. A coordinated review was performed.
SEQR Lead Agency
NYC Dept of Corrections
State Historic Preservation Act (SHPA) Determination
The proposed activity is not subject to review in accordance with SHPA. The application type is exempt and/or the project involves the continuation of an existing operational activity.
Coastal Management
This project is located in a Coastal Management area and is subject to the Waterfront Revitalization and Coastal Resources Act.
DEC Commissioner Policy 29, Environmental Justice and Permitting (CP-29)
The proposed action is subject to CP-29.
Availability For Public Comment
Comments on this project must be submitted in writing to the Contact Person no later than 08/09/2024 or 30 days after the publication date of this notice, whichever is later.
Contact Person
CAITLYN P NICHOLS
NYSDEC 47-40 21st St
Long Island City, NY 11101-5401
(718) 482-4997
Comment.NYCDOCRikersRenewal2018@dec.ny.gov