2020-10-27_PERMIT FILE - C1981035 (20)

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Biological Assessment Federal Coal Lease Modification(COC-62920)and Federal Mine Permit(CO-0106A)Revision and Renewal The combustion-related indirect effects from stationary sources are either unknown or are currently regulated by agencies with authority to set limits and conditions to provide for compliance with the applicable Clean Air Act regulations. The air quality analysis in the EA is limited to disclosing emissions and the permits where all the compliance obligations for the known sources are contained—the GCC Pueblo, Colorado and Tij eras, New Mexico cement plants. The Proposed Action is not expected to change daily operations or the compliance obligations of these facilities. The Proposed Action would essentially represent a continuation of currently authorized activities. According to the monitoring data for the known downstream facilities (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2017), air quality has been meeting—and could be expected to continue to meet—the NAAQS. Even though La Plata, Bernalillo, and Pueblo counties would not exceed the NAAQS under the Proposed Action, the concentration, mobility, and toxicity of trace metals in biological systems are of general scientific and public interest. The cement plants in Tij eras, New Mexico and Pueblo, Colorado are expected to contribute mercury emissions from coal combustion. Mercury is dispersed by wind erosion and by percolating waters and instream flow(Roberts and Johnson 1978). Inorganic mercury is deposited on the landscape, transported from soils to wetlands and surface waters, and converted by bacteria to methylmercury—the organic form of mercury that is readily absorbed by fish and other organisms. The GCC Rio Grande Pueblo plant(Table 6-1) has a permit(#98PB0893) condition that limits annual firing fuel (coal and tire-derived fuel)to no more than 198,418 tons on a rolling 12-month basis. King 11 currently supplies 105,000 tons of coal annually (approximately 53 percent by weight)to the facility, and expects this to remain constant going forward. The plant also burns natural gas when market conditions are favorable. The permit lists total site-wide emissions limits for the facility that cover numerous emissions sources and activities including the kiln, quarry operations, material transfer and storage, and other facilities equipment. Table 6-1.Pueblo Facility King II emissions (maximum tons per year) PM10 PM2.5 CO NOx VOC S02 CO2e Hg (pounds per year) 221 217 588 604 52 505 597,148 10-15 Source:BLM/OSMRE 2017. Key: CO=carbon monoxide,CO2e carbon dioxide equivalent,Hg=mercury,NOX nitrous oxides,PMio=particulates less than 10 microns in diameter,PM2.5=particulates less than 2.5 microns in diameter,S02=sulfur dioxide,VOC=volatile organic compound. The GCC Rio Grande Tij eras plant(Table 6-2) has similar operations to that of the Pueblo facility and is covered under New Mexico Title V permit#532. The air permit and underlying construction permits provide for all the same source requirements (controls and monitoring) as the Pueblo facility and are available from the Albuquerque Environmental Health Department for public review. July 2017 28