DEP: Revised Application, Instructions Available For Coal-Mine Methane Enclosed Flares Air Quality General Permit

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the December 21 PA Bulletin a revised application and instructions for the Air Quality General Permit for Coal-Mine Methane Enclosed Flares (GP-21) is now available. 

The general permit sets Best Available Technology requirements to meet emission limits for oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and other pollutants.

The general permit includes specific monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting requirements designed to keep the facility operating within all applicable Federal and State air quality requirements, such as: records of maintenance performed, municipal notifications, malfunction reporting and annual facility inventory reporting.

There are no public comment periods on individual uses of this general permit at specific coal mining operations.  

Municipalities are notified by the applicant when they submit the application to DEP to be covered by the general permit under Act 14.

Currently, permits for larger coal-mine methane flares are published individually for comment, however, many coal-mine methane flares have emissions that typically do not meet the threshold for individual permits and are exempt from permitting requirements.

The General Permit contains a threshold emission limit for coverage.

Background

Coal mine operators now have a greater interest in installing flares to reduce methane - a potent greenhouse gas - to participate in programs that allow them to generate and sell credits to other companies participating in greenhouse gas emission reduction programs.

DEP’s 2022 Pennsylvania Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory shows coal mining-related greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 totaled an estimated 11.91 million metric tons, just behind natural gas production at 12.33 million metric tons.

The greenhouse gas emissions from coal mining increased from 9.82 million metric tons in 2005 and natural gas production greenhouse gas emissions increased from 8.74 million metric tons in 2005.

A DEP research project in 2021 identified significant areas of Pennsylvania impacted by coal-mine methane emissions. Read more here.

Click Here for a copy of the revised application and instructions.  Questions should be directed to David Clark at (717) 772-3942 or davclark@pa.gov. 

For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website.  Submit Environmental Complaints; Click Here to sign up for DEP’s newsletter; sign up for DEP’s eNotice; Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.

(Photos: EPA: Coal Mine Methane Flaring Technology & Case Studies; Coal Mine Methane emissions from DEP research project.)

Resource Link:

-- DEP Methane Overflight Research Study Resulted In Voluntary Reductions In Oil & Gas, Landfill Facilities; Coal Industry Uncooperative  [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Dec. 14 to 20 -- Shale Gas Wells Abandoned For 42 Months; Failure To Cleanup Conventional Well Spill For 19 Months; Gas Pipeline Land Slump  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Apollo Resources, LLC Failed To Comply With Order To Cleanup Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill 19 Months After It Was Discovered In Fayette County  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - December 21 [PaEN]  

-- DEP Posted 63 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In December 21 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]  

Related Articles:

-- Save The Date: Feb. 27 - Shale Gas And Public Health Conference, Duquesne University  [PaEN]  

-- EarthWorks Blog: Common Sense Needed In The Commonwealth - How To Protect Pennsylvanians From The Environmental, Health Impacts Of The Oil & Gas Industry - By Melissa Ostroff & Charlie Palladino, EarthWorks  [PaEN]

-- PUBLIC NOTICE: Proposed Oil & Gas Well Plugging Settlement With Diversified Energy, EQT May Affect Pennsylvania Surface Landowner Rights; Apply To Have A Well Plugged  [PaEN] 

-- DEP To Review Shell Petrochemical Plant Title V Air Quality Permit Under Environmental Justice Policy Enhanced Public Participation Process  [PaEN]

-- DEP: Revised Application, Instructions Available For Coal-Mine Methane Enclosed Flares Air Quality General Permit  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank Appointed Chair Of National Assn. Of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Committee On Natural Gas  [PaEN] 

-- North American Electric Reliability Corp: AI Poses Threat To North American Electricity Grid  [PaEN] 

-- US DOE Releases LNG Gas Export Study: Facilities Already Approved Will Meet Global Demand For Decades; Unfettered Exports Would Increase Domestic Natural Gas Prices; Electricity Prices; Costs To Manufacturers  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- TribLive: Additional Hearing Required For Proposed Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In Plum Borough, Allegheny County That Doesn’t Meet Setbacks

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak, et al: Expanding Natural Gas Exports Will Increase Prices, Pollution, Report Says

-- Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Calls For Immediate Lift Of LNG Export Facility Permit Review Ban  [EQT, PA Shale Gas Says We Have A ‘Duty’ To Sell More Gas To China Our Economic, Military Competitor]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Energy & Business Groups Respond To US DOE LNG Gas Export Study  [PDF of Article]

-- Reuters: Demand For US LNG Gas Exports Head For First Decline In 8 Years; Europe Bracing For New Price Shock As Weather Depletes Storage 

-- Bloomberg: Natural Gas Markets Brace For ‘Volatility’ With Expiration Of Gas Transit Deal Between Russia And Ukraine Jan. 1 

-- Bloomberg: Republican Administration Threatens Tariffs If EU Doesn’t Buy More US Oil, Natural Gas 

-- Bloomberg: Oil/Gas Sector Lobbies Republican Administration To Spare It From Tariffs, Regulation 

-- Post-Gazette: PA Lawmakers Talk Of Requiring Natural Gas Detectors In Buildings After Explosion That Killed 7 In Reading 

-- TribLive: Residents Of Mt. Peasant Personal Care Homes Start Returning Hours After Natural Gas Leak In Westmoreland 

-- The Derrick - Makayla Keating: Aqua PA Cites Existing Problems At Rhodes Utilities Water Companies  [PDF of Article]  [Water Companies Related To Venango County Conventional Well Spill Incident]   

-- The Guardian: DOE Warns ‘Unfettered’ Natural Gas Expansion Would Drive Up Domestic Costs

-- Utility Dive: US LNG Gas Exports Raise Electricity Bills, Gas Prices And Emissions, DOE Report Concludes 

-- Financial Times: LNG Gas Export Boost Would Increase Prices, Hurt Climate, US Study Says

-- Reuters: US DOE Releases LNG Gas Export Facility Study Urging Caution On New Permits

-- Bloomberg: Biden’s LNG Gas Export Study Presents ‘Speed Bump’ For New Republican Administration

-- S&P Global: Major New US Industry At A Crossroads - A US LNG Impact Study - Phase I 

-- Reuters: US Keeps LNG Gas Exports Crown Even With Facility Outages, Delays In Projects Under Construction, Slowing Demand

[Posted: December 20, 2024]  PA Environment Digest