West Hawaii Today
Notice #: 0001437904-01
Public Notices

REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS
ON DRAFT AIR PERMITS
REGULATING THE EMISSIONS OF AIR POLLUTANTS
(Docket No. 23-CA-PA-13)

Pursuant to Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), Chapter 342B-13, and Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR), Chapter 11-60.1, the Department of Health, State of Hawaii (DOH), is requesting public comments on the following DRAFT PERMITS presently under review for:

(1) Amendment of Covered Source Permit (CSP) No. 0067-01-C
Maui Electric Company, Ltd.
Maalaea Generating Station
Located At: Maalaea Generating Station, Maalaea, Island of Maui

(2) Amendment of Covered Source Permit (CSP) No. 0232-01-C
Maui Electric Company, Ltd.
Kahului Generating Station
Located At: 200 Hobron Avenue, Kahului, Island of Maui

(3) Amendment of Covered Source Permit (CSP) No. 0234-01-C
Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc.
Kanoelehua-Hill Generating Station
Located At: 54 Halekauila Street, Hilo, Island of Hawaii

(4) Amendment of Covered Source Permit (CSP) No. 0317-02-C
Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation
Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation Plant
Located At: 16-701 Macadamia Road, Keaau, Island of Hawaii

The DRAFT PERMITS are described as follows:

The permit amendments incorporate federally enforceable regional haze control measures in accordance with HAR §11-60.1-10(a)(2) and (a)(3), Clean Air Act §169A(g)(1), the Regional Haze Rule (RHR), and Revision 1 of Hawaii’s Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (RH-SIP) for the second planning period (2018 – 2028). CSP Nos. 0232-01-C and 0234-01-C are amended to revise boiler shut down dates to December 31, 2028. CSP Nos. 0067-01-C and 0317-02-C are amended to specify control measures that were not included in Hawaii’s initial RH-SIP submittal to the Environmental Protection Agency on August 12, 2022. These measures include fuel injection timing retard (FITR), selective catalytic reduction (SCR), and unit shut downs for diesel engine generators (DEGs) at the Maalaea Generating Station and an enforceable shut down requirement for the main boiler at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation Plant. The control measures reduce maximum potential to emit (PTE) for pollutants that impair visibility; namely sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), and particulate matter (PM), except for FITR that reduces NOx but increases PM. Maximum PTE is also reduced for other pollutants including carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and greenhouse gas/carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions as a co-benefit, except for FITR that that reduces NOX but increases CO. Emissions are in tons per year (TPY).

(1) The significant modification of CSP No. 0067-01-C incorporates the following enforceable permit condition options for DEGs:

1. By December 31, 2027, retrofit DEGs M1 and M3 with FITR; and
2. Retrofit DEGs M7, M10, M11, M12, and M13 with SCR, or shut down the unit by the end of:
2037 for M7;
2030 for M10 and/or M11;
2032 for M10 or M11 if one of these units is shut down by the end of 2030 or installs SCR; and
2037 for M12 and M13.

The following is the maximum PTE for this facility before and after control measures:

Maximum PTE Maximum PTE After Maximum PTE After FITR
Pollutant Before FITR & SCR FITR on M1 & M3 & SCR on M1 & M3 & Permanent
(TPY) on M7, M10-M13 (TPY) Shut Downs of Units M7,
M10-M13 (TPY)
SO2 3,524.9 3,523.9 2,465.1
NO
x 14,790.1 8,404.8 7,615.0
CO 1,597.5 1,599.5 1,177.5
VOC 976.4 976.4 417.6
PM 1,011.6 1,021.8 592.2
CO
2e 1,478,199 1,478,199 1,084,341

(2) The significant modification of CSP No. 0232-01-C incorporates an enforceable commitment to retire all boilers (K-1, K-2, K-3, and K-4) at the Kahului Generating Station by December 31, 2028. The following is the maximum PTE for this facility before and after the boilers are retired:

Pollutant Maximum PTE Maximum PTE
Before Boilers are Shut Down After Boilers are Shut Down
(TPY) (TPY)
CO 157 0
NO
X 1,472 0
SO
2 5,219 0
VOC 11 0
PM 1,527 0
CO
2e 386,882 0

(3) The significant modification of CSP No. 0234-01-C incorporates an enforceable commitment to retire Boilers Hill 5 and Hill 6 at the Kanoelehua-Hill Generating Station by December 31, 2028. The following is the maximum PTE for this facility before and after the boilers are retired:

Pollutant Maximum PTE Maximum PTE
Before Hill 5 and Hill 6 Shut Down After Hill 5 and Hill 6 Shut Down
(TPY) (TPY)
CO 433 304
NO
X 3,556 2,434
SO
2 3,872 322
VOC 139 119
PM 800 108
CO
2e 528,542 204,020

(4) The significant modification of CSP No. 0317-02-C incorporates an enforceable commitment to retire the main boiler by December 31, 2026. The replacement unit for the main boiler is subject to the process for modifying the permit and must comply with all relevant aspects of the RHR. The following is the maximum PTE for this facility before and after the main boiler is retired:

Pollutant Maximum PTE Maximum PTE
Before Main Boiler Shut Down After Main Boiler Shut Down
(TPY) (TPY)
CO 116 13.3
NO
X 117 46.2
SO
2 53 0.1
VOC 4 1.3
PM 83 3.6
CO
2e 18,077 18,077

The ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS, consisting of the technical support document (Maalaea Generating Station and Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation Plant), permit applications (Kahului and Kanoelehua-Hill Generating Stations), permit application reviews (Kahului and Kanoelehua-Hill Generating Stations), and
the
DRAFT PERMITS, are available for public inspection during regular office hours, Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., at the following locations:

Oahu:
State of Hawaii
Clean Air Branch
2827 Waimano Home Road #130
Pearl City, Hawaii 96782

Hawaii:
Hawaii District Health Office, Department of Health
1582 Kamehameha Ave., Hilo, Hawaii 96720

Clean Air Branch – Kona, Keakealani Building, Department of Health
79-1020 Haukapila Street, Room 115, Kealakekua, Hawaii 96750

Kauai:
Kauai District Health Office, Department of Health
3040 Umi St., Lihue, Kauai 96766

Maui:
Maui District Health Office, Department of Health
54 High St., Room 300, Wailuku, Maui 96793

Copies may be requested for a fee of five (5) cents/page plus postage. Please send written requests to the Clean Air Branch listed above or call Mr. Mike Madsen (CSP Nos. 0067-01-C and 0232-01-C) or Mr. Kai Erickson (CSP Nos. 0234-01-C and 0317-02-C) at (808) 586-4200 to request a copy. All written comments on the draft permits must be addressed to the Clean Air Branch at the above address on Oahu and must be postmarked or received by December 26, 2023. Any person may request a public hearing by submitting a written request to the above address on Oahu that explains the person’s interest and reasons why a hearing is warranted. If requested, a public hearing will be held at 9:00 a.m. on January 19, 2024. Information on the public hearing will be posted on the Department of Health’s website at: https://health.hawaii.gov/cab/public-notices/ at least thirty (30) days in advance of the scheduled hearing. If no request for a public hearing is received, we will post a cancellation notice on the Department of Health’s website on December 29, 2023. Please contact Mr. Madsen or Mr. Erickson to find out if the hearing has been cancelled.

Comments on the draft permit amendments should address, but need not be limited to, the permit conditions and the facility’s compliance with federal and state air pollution laws, including: (1) the National and State Ambient Air Quality Standards; and (2) HRS, Chapter 342B and HAR, Chapter 11-60.1.

DOH will make a final decision on the permits after considering all comments and will send notice of the final decision to each person who has submitted comments or requested such notice.

Kenneth S. Fink, MD, MGA, MPH
Director of Health
(WHT1437904 11/27/23)