South Dakota coal permit denied

The US Environmental Protection Agency's (ERP's) regional office in Denver has denied a renewed operations permit for a coal plant in South Dakota, citing air-quality issues.

The application, which had already been awarded by the state of South Dakota, would have permitted the renewed operations of the 34-year-old 475MW Big Stone power plant in Big Stone City, South Dakota. It would also have enabled a portion of emissions from that plant to have been integrated into a new 500-580MW plant, to be built alongside it, which will come onstream in 2015.

The EPA raised several objections. The application failed to fulfil the requirements laid down by the Prevention of Significant Deterioration and New Source Performance Standards as required under the Clean Air Act, said the Agency in a letter.

It also failed to include an adequate analysis of nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide emissions, and to specify emission-monitoring measures that would guarantee compliance with regulations.

"The EPA objection does not overturn the permit," said Mark Rolfes, project manager at the Big Stone II plant.

"The objection indicates that more work has to be done for the EPA to approve the existing Big Stone Plant’s renewal application. It does not indicate that the EPA intends to deny the permit or to endanger the viability of the Big Stone II project. Objections such as these are not unusual from the EPA in what are often very complex permitting procedures."

Participants in the Big Stone II project are the Big Otter Tail Company, Montana-Dakota Utilities Company, Central Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, Missouri River Energy Services and Heartland Consumers Power District.