PUBLIC NOTICE

STATE OF ALASKA

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

University of Alaska Fairbank

University of Alaska Fairbanks Campus

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) has made a preliminary decision to approve University of Alaska Fairbanks’s (UAF’s) application for Air Quality Control Minor Permit AQ0316MSS08 Rev. 1 for the University of Alaska Fairbanks Campus (UAF Campus).

Applicant:      University of Alaska Fairbanks

                        803 Alumni Drive, P.O. Box 757380, Fairbanks, AK 99705

Location:        Fairbanks, Alaska
                        64.8579º North; 147.8348º West

Activity:          The basis for this permit revision is classified under AS 46.14.130(c)(2), because the Department finds that public health or air quality effects provide a reasonable basis to regulate the stationary source. This finding is contained in the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) Serious Nonattainment Area (NAA) adopted on November 19, 2019.

The Department is processing Minor Permit AQ0316MSS08 Rev. 1 under the Department’s revoke and reissuance procedures under AS 46.14.280(a)(2), and therefore no permit application was submitted by the Permittee. The Department is preparing a new comprehensive SIP with a new determination that SO₂ BACT limits for major stationary sources are not required to satisfy the State’s obligations under the Clean Air Act requirements for stationary sources in the NAA. Given that the Department originally issued Minor Permit AQ0316MSS08 for the purpose of implementing SO₂ controls identified in the FNSB NAA SIP for the UAF Campus, The Department now finds no underlying basis for issuing such permit.

The Department sent UAF a notice of intent to revoke and reissue Minor Permit AQ0316MSS08 Rev. 1 under AS 46.14.280(a)(2), on July 30, 2024, to remove SO₂ conditions and add PM_2.5 conditions and additional monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting (MR&R) requirements.

Emissions:      Minor Permit AQ0316MSS08 Rev. 1 authorizes a change in SO₂ emissions only. With this permitting action, UAF’s potential SO₂ emissions will revert to 761 tons per year, the levels in place prior to the issuance of AQ0316MSS08, before the existing SO₂ limits went into effect on October 1, 2020. The Department does not consider this change to be a potential or actual emissions increase under 18 AAC 50.502(c)(3), or a potential or net emissions increase under 40 C.F.R. 52.21(b).

ADEC Preliminary Review:  ADEC drafted a preliminary permit decision for this project under AS 46.14 and 18 AAC 50.

Available Information:  Copies of the revoke and reissue letter, ADEC’s preliminary minor permit and technical analysis report (TAR) are available at the following offices:

ADEC Air Permits Program, 333 Willoughby Avenue, 8^th Floor, Ste 800, State Office Building, Juneau, AK 99801

ADEC Air Permits Program, 555 Cordova Street, Anchorage, AK 99501

These documents are also available at ADEC’s website at: http://dec.alaska.gov/Applications/Air/airtoolsweb/AirPermitsApprovalsAndPublicNotices/

Opportunity for Public Participation: Any interested person may present written statements relevant to the preliminary decision by October 25, 2024. ADEC will consider all comments received and make any changes ADEC finds beneficial or necessary to assure compliance with 18 AAC 50 or state law. ADEC will issue a final decision to issue or deny the permit after the close of the public comment period.

ADEC complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If you are a person with a disability who may need a special accommodation in order to participate in this public process, please contact Julia Schweminiski at 907-269-7660 or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 by the 15^th day of this public comment period to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.

Comments relevant to the preliminary minor permit and draft operating permit may be submitted electronically via ADEC’s public notice site at https://dec.alaska.gov/Applications/Air/airtoolsweb/FormalComments, or to Dave Jones by mail to PO Box 111800, Juneau, AK 99811-1800, or by email to dave.jones2@alaska.gov and dec.air.comment@alaska.gov. Comments must be received by close of public comments period at 11:59 p.m. Alaska time on October 25, 2024. Except for comments classified under AS 46.14.520, all public comments submitted during the public comment period can be viewed at https://dec.alaska.gov/Applications/Air/airtoolsweb/AirPermitsApprovalsAndPublicNotices  after the public comment period.

ADEC has tentatively scheduled a public hearing for these preliminary and draft permits, to be held on October 24, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. via teleconference.  The public hearing will be held only if a request to hold the public hearing is received by 5:00 p.m. on October 17, 2024.  You may request a public hearing by calling Dave Jones at 907-465-5122 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by e-mailing a request to dave.jones2@alaska.gov.  If no request for the public hearing is received by October 17 2024, the public hearing will be cancelled.  ADEC will announce the cancellation of the public hearing by publishing a public notice by 5 p.m. on October 18, 2024, on these websites:

https://dec.alaska.gov/air/anpms/sip/2024-fbks-pm2-5-serious-sip-amends/;

https://dec.alaska.gov/air/anpms/communities/fbks-pm2-5-2024-proposed-amendment-serious-sip/;

https://dec.alaska.gov/Applications/Air/airtoolsweb/AirPermitsApprovalsAndPublicNotices; and

https://dec.alaska.gov/commish/public-notices.

You may provide oral comments relevant to the proposed action via telephone at the hearing tentatively scheduled to be held on October 24, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. by calling 907-202-7104; and entering code 820674149#. Callers should be on the line before the hearing begins at 11:00 a.m. if they would like to provide oral testimony so that we can document contact information for the record and determine the order of testimony. Prior to the start of the hearing, ADEC may limit the time allotted for each person providing oral testimony, as reasonably necessary to conclude the hearing in the time provided. The hearing may be extended for a reasonable amount of time to accommodate those present before 11:30 p.m. who did not have an opportunity to comment prior to that time.