PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice Requesting Public Comment on Draft Facility-Wide Synthetic Minor Air Quality Operating Permit for AT&T Corporation, 725 13th Street NW

Notice is hereby given that AT&T Corporation (AT&T) has applied for an air quality permit pursuant to the requirements of Title 20 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, Chapter 2 (20 DCMR Chapter 2) to continue operation of the following emission units at the facility located at 725 13^th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005:

• Two (2) 1,600 kWe emergency generator sets powered by 2,145 hp diesel engines; and
• One (1) 1,750 kWe emergency generator set powered by a 2,561 hp diesel engine.

The contact person for the facility is Mr. Sean McFarlane, CHMM, Environmental, Health, and Safety manager, at (925) 227-6725 or [email protected]

The applicant has requested that limitations on the operation of the emergency generator sets be established in the permit pursuant to 20 DCMR § 200.6 to avoid the applicability of 20 DCMR § 300.1, and pursuant to 20 DCMR § 200.7 to avoid applicability of 20 DCMR § 204. Specifically, the applicant has requested an operational limit of a combined fuel usage of 95,275 gallons per year for all three units (EG-1, EG-2, and EG-3) combined, and a 61,500 gallons per year maximum for EG-3, specifically. Any fuel usage by EG-3 would be considered to be part of the 95,275 gallons allowed for the three units combined.

Factoring in these operational limits, the following is an estimate of the overall potential emissions from the facility:

^† PM Total includes both filterable and condensable fractions.

With the operational limitations included in the draft permit, the AT&T Corporation facility has the potential to emit approximately 22.50 tons per year of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), which is below the District’s major source threshold of 25 tons per year of NOx. Similarly, all other pollutants’ potential emissions are below their respective major source thresholds. As such, the facility is properly classified as a synthetic minor source pursuant to 20 DCMR § 300.3(c) and can avoid the applicability of a permit pursuant to 20 DCMR § 300.1.

The Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) has reviewed the permit application and related documents and has made a preliminary determination that the applicant meets all applicable air quality requirements promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the District. Therefore, draft permit No. 7308-SM has been prepared.

The permit application and supporting documentation, along with the draft permit are available for public inspection at AQD and copies may be made available between the hours of 8:15 A.M. and 4:45 P.M. Monday through Friday. Interested parties wishing to view these documents should provide their names, addresses, telephone numbers and affiliation, if any, to Stephen S. Ours at (202) 535-1747. Copies of the draft permit and related technical support memorandum are also available at http://doee.dc.gov/service/public-notices-hearings.

A public hearing on this permitting action will not be held unless DOEE has received a request for such a hearing within 30 days of the publication of this notice. Interested parties may also submit written comments on the permitting action. The written comments must include the person’s name, telephone number, affiliation, if any, mailing address and a statement outlining the air quality issues in dispute and any facts underscoring those air quality issues. All relevant comments will be considered in issuing the final permit.

Comments on the draft permit and any request for a public hearing should be addressed to:
 

Stephen S. Ours  
Chief, Permitting Branch - Air Quality Division

Department of Energy and Environment
1200 First Street NE, 5^th Floor
Washington, DC 20002

[email protected]

No comments or hearing requests submitted after May 1, 2023 will be accepted.

For more information, please contact Stephen S. Ours at (202) 535-1747 or [email protected].