RACINE — Though it seems like there couldn’t possibly be one more public hearing on the proposed American Municipal Power-Ohio Generating Station for Letart Falls, there is, and this time the informational session and public hearing is about federal regulations that were not in existence when the plant’s air permit was made final in February 2008.

The meeting is set for 6:30 p.m., June 2 at Southern Elementary School. According to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the informational session and hearing is to focus on a draft administrative modification to the plant’s air permit-to-install, a permit which is under appeal by environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The Ohio EPA will be conducting the meeting which will consider the draft modification as it applies to Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) to AMP-Ohio’s project. The original permit used the guidelines of the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR), a federal law which was also overturned last year. The previous air permit was written assuming the mercury rule was still in place. MACT requirements are applicable to the emissions of hazardous air pollutants such as mercury, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, etc.

Officials with American Municipal Power-Ohio are also referring to the modification as administrative. Rod Windle, who is with the Ohio EPA’s division of air pollution, has said AMP-Ohio voluntarily took emission limitations they believed to be equivalent to MACT just in case the CAMR was vacated, so by virtue of volunteering for those restrictions, proposed emissions wound up basically being at the same level as current MACT guidelines. Windle added there will be no increases in permitted mercury emission when incorporating MACT regulations as opposed to guidelines used for CAMR.

Josh Mogerman with the NRDC’s Midwest office said this meeting is important so that the public can discuss whether or not the most effective pollution control technology available is being proposed for the plant to protect the public health. Mogerman said the NRDC questions whether the best pollution control technologies are being proposed and whether what AMP-Ohio is proposing, in terms of emission controls, is really the best option.

“It’s important for the public to be there to listen to what’s being said about the technology that’s there to safeguard their health and safety and to make sure their needs are not being dealt with in a cavalier fashion by the state or AMP,” Mogerman said.

Windle previously said the meeting is meant to be informational as far as how the new rules work and provide an opportunity for public comment on the analysis which was performed as well as a look at different emission control options. Windle also said the meeting also gives the public an opportunity to speak on what they feel the answer should be in this situation.

All interested persons are entitled to attend or be represented and give written or oral comments on the draft permit at the hearing. Written comments must be received by the Ohio EPA at the close of business on June 5. Comments received after this date will not be considered to be part of the official record. Written comments may be submitted at the hearing or sent to: Dean Ponchak, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Southeast Ohio District Office, 2195 Front Street, Logan, 43138.