Oregon DEQ Air Quality: DEQ draft proposal for new emission controls on the PGE Boardman coal-fired power plant.

On June 19, 2009, the Environmental Quality Commission adopted Oregon's Regional Haze Plan, which includes stringent pollution controls for Portland General Electric's coal-fired power plant near Boardman. The new requirements will result in significant visibility improvements and reduced pollution for Oregon's Class I wilderness areas and national parks as well as the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

DEQ proposed the new pollution controls in response to federal requirements for "best available retrofit technology." The rulemaking process included a public comment period from Dec. 1, 29008 to Jan. 30, 2009 with public hearings held throughout the state.

To address PGE’s December 17, 2008 “decision points” proposal (see below) related to future carbon regulations, DEQ added provisions in the Regional Haze Plan that allow PGE to formally request a rule change in the future when the full extent of these carbon regulations is known, and if a decision is made by PGE to close the Boardman plant.

News Release (Issued June 19, 2009)
Summary of Rulemaking
Final Rulemaking Documents
Public Comments Received by DEQ
More Information About PGE Boardman and Regional Haze

Summary of Rulemaking

This approved rulemaking requires PGE to install stringent emission controls on the Boardman power plant in two phases:

Phase 1: Requires the installation of pollution controls for sulfur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) as required under federal Clean Air Act. These controls will meet federal requirements for installing “Best Available Retrofit Technology” or “BART." They will be required in the 2011-2014 timeframe, and dovetail with the installation of previously required controls to reduce mercury pollution.
Phase 2: Requires the installation of additional NOx controls in the 2016-2018 timeframe to minimize Boardman’s NOx emissions. DEQ’s plan (Phase 1 and Phase 2 controls) will reduce total emissions (SO2 + NOx + Particulate) from the Boardman power plant by about 21,000 tons/year. This represents a 66 percent reduction in Boardman’s emissions by 2014 and an 80 percent reduction in emissions by 2018.

On December 17, 2008, DEQ received comments from PGE requesting that two “decision points” be added to the proposed rules, which would allow PGE to consider in 2012 and 2015 whether or not to close the Boardman plant by 2020 or 2029, rather than install the controls that DEQ had proposed. After careful consideration, DEQ decided not to include PGE’s proposal in the final recommendation to the commission, but instead added provisions in the Regional Haze Plan that allow PGE to request a rule change if a decision is made in the future to close the plant. This will allow operation of the plant for a limited time without installing one or more of the controls proposed by DEQ, and thus help ensure that investments made at Boardman are cost-effective for rate payers. DEQ will make every effort to expedite this request. The process will include an analysis of the estimated visibility benefits from early closure, an evaluation of other emission control options during the interim, a formal public comment process, and, like this initial rulemaking, require final approval by the commission.

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Final Rulemaking Documents

Other Documents Related to this Rulemaking:

Summary of Public Comments and Agency Responses PDF
Hearing Officer's Report on Public Hearings PDF
DEQ Fact Sheet on Proposed Rulemaking Adoption PDF
December 17, 2008 Comment Letter from PGE PDF
- Table 1 PDF
- Tables 2-4 PDF
- Flowchart PDF
DEQ's BART Report for PGE Boardman PDF
Note: This report has been updated to include references to the following two spreadsheets:
- DEQ Boardman Cost Spreadsheet XLS
- DEQ Boardman Modeling Spreadsheet XLS
DEQ’s Visibility Modeling Analysis of PGE Boardman PDF
DEQ’s Fiscal Impact Report PDF

Other rulemaking documents available by request.

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More Information

DEQ presentation made at the June 19, 2009 EQC Meeting in Portland:
- Proposed adoption of Agenda Item J – Oregon Regional Haze Plan and New Controls for PGE Boardman Power Plant PDF
Presentations made at January 2009 Public Hearings in Portland, Springfield, Medford, Hermiston, and The Dalles:
- DEQ Overview of Regional Haze Plan and Proposed Controls for PGE Boardman PDF
- PGE Presentation on Oregon Regional Haze Plan, Boardman Power Plant PDF
Q and A: PGE’s Coal-Fired Power Plant in Boardman
ERG Technical Memorandum #2 PDF

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Rulemaking: The 2008 Regional Haze Plan and New Emission Controls for PGE Boardman Coal-Fired Power Plant