PFPI-BiomassIsTheNewCoal-April-2-2014

Verso Bucksport, Bucksport, MEWhat: 814 MMBtu/hr stoker boiler; 25 MW (gross)Estimated CO 2 emissions (tons per year): 699,014Permitted emissions (tons per year): NOx: 476.3 CO: 952.7 PM 10 fil : 95.3 SO 2 : 243.9Status for NOx, PM, and CO: Major sourceStatus for HAPs: Presumably a major source; permit makes no mention of HAPs.Fuel: “Fuel oil (including fuel oil, off-specification waste oil, and specification waste oil), naturalgas, and biomass (including wood waste, wood chips, bark, mill waste treatment sludge,paper roll core ends, and waste papers).”Construction and demolition wood or other waste allowed as fuel? YesUse of NCASI or other non-EPA factors to estimate HAPs? UnknownNotes: Located immediately adjacent to homes and schools, the Verso Bucksport paper millexpanded its biomass-burning capabilities to 25 MW to take advantage of renewable energycredits available in the Northeast. Although the facility went through a BACT analysis, itsemission rate for PM (at 0.03 lb/MMBtu) is highly permissive, double what other BACTpermittedplants and coal plants achieve. At 0.3 lb/MMBtu, the 24-hr allowable NOxemissions rate is also more than triple the limit at other PSD- permitted plants. The facilitydoes not use any sorbent system to reduce hydrochloric acid emissions.Burgess Biopower, Berlin, NHWhat: 1,013 MMBtu/hr bubbling fluidized bed boiler; 70 MW (gross)Estimated CO 2 emissions (tons per year): 869,903Permitted emissions (tons per year): NOx: 244.5 CO: 307.3 PM 10 fil : 40.9 SO 2 : 48.7Status for NOx, PM, and CO: Major sourceStatus for HAPs: Major sourceFuel: “Whole tree wood chips and other low-grade clean wood”Construction and demolition wood or other waste allowed as fuel? NoUse of NCASI or other non-EPA factors to estimate HAPs? UnknownNotes: Located at the site of an old pulp mill, this facility is immediately adjacent to homes andschools. It is the largest wood-burning plant in the Northeast. The permit specifies that theplant will burn about 113 tons of wood chips per hour, which will be sourced primarilyfrom whole trees. This facility admitted to being a major source for HAPs, in contrast toanother all “clean” wood plant, the 100 MW (net) Gainesville Renewable Energy Center,which claimed to be an area source.ReEnergy Lyonsdale Biomass, Lyons Falls, NYWhat: 290 MMBtu/hr stoker boiler; 19 MW (net)Estimated CO 2 emissions (tons per year): 243,882Permitted emissions (tons per year): NOx: 249 CO: 249 PM 10 fil : ~124 SO 2 : “Less than10 tons”Status for NOx, PM, and CO: Synthetic minor source (avoided PSD)76