MINNESOTA POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY PUBLIC NOTICE ON DRAFT/PROPOSED AIR EMISSION FACILITY PERMIT

MINNESOTA POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY

PUBLIC NOTICE ON DRAFT/PROPOSED

AIR EMISSION FACILITY PERMIT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the Commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) proposes to issue Air Emission Permit No. 01700002-014, to Sappi Cloquet LLC, located at 2201 Avenue B, Cloquet, Carlton County, Minnesota.

The permit action is for modification and operation of the facility. The permit action is the reissuance of the Part 70 Operating Permit; therefore, the draft/proposed permit has been placed on public notice. The MPCA is seeking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) concurrent review of this draft/proposed permit and the EPA's 45-day review period will begin with the 30-day public review period.

The facility is an existing pulp and paper mill which currently uses the Kraft process to make pulp from wood chips. The pulp is bleached and made into coated paper. The mill operates four boilers, including a chemical recovery boiler, to provide heating and process steam and to generate electricity. Other sources of air emissions include the sources in the chemical recovery system. This includes a smelt dissolving tank and a lime kiln. The bleach plant sources include the chlorine dioxide plant and a bleach line. These sources are primarily sources of chlorine dioxide and chloroform emissions; the bleaching system is also a source of carbon monoxide (CO) and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.

Sappi controls odor-causing Non-Condensable Gases (NCGs) by collecting them in three different systems: a Low-Volume/High Concentration (LVHC) system, a High-Volume/Low Concentration (HVLC) system, and a steam Stripper Off-Gas (SOG) system. The NCG gases are currently burned in the Incinerator-Quencher-Scrubber (IQS) with Power Boiler #7 or #9 used as backup.

The Permittee is seeking to modify the pulp mill to manufacture chemical cellulose pulp (CCP), also known as dissolving pulp. The modification includes addition of an ozone bleaching system and two additional pulp digesters. The projected emissions increases are quite small but include a projected increase in ozone emissions, which is subject to PSD requirements at any increase greater than zero.

A summary of the Potential to Emit (PTE) and Emissions Increase in tons per year is as follows:

Pollutant PM PM10 PM2.5 SO2 Nox VOCs CO CO2e Ozone Total HAP

Total Facility PTE 766 705 441 2810 2624 493 26260 345200 10.5 4374

Emissions Increase 13.7 13.7 8.8 1.3 34.8 23.8 7.8 8483 10.5 NA

from new and

modified emission

units

PM = Particulate Matter PM10 = PM smaller than 10 microns

PM2.5 = PM smaller than 2.5 microns SO2 = Sulfur Dioxide

Nox = Nitrogen Oxides VOCs = Volatile Organic Compounds

CO = Carbon Monoxide CO2e = Carbon Dioxide Equivalents as defined in Minn. R. 7007.0100

HAP = Hazardous Air Pollutant

The Permittee has submitted a pollution prevention progress report pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 115D.08.

The preliminary determination to issue the air emission permit is tentative. There are four formal procedures for public participation in the MPCA's consideration of the permit application. Interested persons may (1) submit written comments on the draft/proposed permit; (2) request that the MPCA hold a public information meeting; (3) request the MPCA hold a contested case hearing; and/or (4) submit a petition to the Commissioner requesting that the MPCA Citizens' Board (Board) consider the permit matter.

The decision whether to issue the permit and, if so, under what terms, will be presented to the Board for decision if: (1) the Commissioner grants the petition requesting the matter be presented to the Board; (2) an Board member requests to hear the matter prior to the time the Commissioner makes a final decision on the permit; or (3) a request for a contested case hearing is pending. Otherwise, the Commissioner will make the decision.

Persons who submit comments or petitions to the MPCA must state (1) their interest in the permit application or the draft permit; (2) the action they wish the MPCA to take, including specific references to the section of the draft permit they believe should be changed; and (3) the reasons supporting their position, stated with sufficient specificity as to allow the MPCA to investigate the merits of the position.

As described in Minn. R. 7000.1800, persons who submit requests for a contested case hearing must also state the issues they propose to address in a contested case hearing, the specific relief requested or resolution of the matter, and the reasons (which may be in the form of proposed findings) supporting an MPCA decision to hold a contested case hearing. Failure to comply with these rules exactly may result in a denial of the request. The decision whether to hold a contested case hearing will be made under Minn. R. 7000.1900. Most public libraries throughout the state have copies of the current Minnesota Rules. They are also available on the Internet at www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us.

The public comment period commences January 27, 2012, and terminates February 27, 2012. Comments must be received in writing at the MPCA by 4:30 p.m. on February 27, 2012. Evidence of timely receipt includes a date/time stamp imprinted on the first page of the written comments by the first floor information and reception area of the MPCA or by the Industrial Division support staff, or receipt by fax or email.

Comments, requests, and petitions should be sent to:

Toni Volkmeier, Air Quality Permits Section

Industrial Division, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

520 Lafayette Road North, St. Paul, Minnesota 55155

651-296-8717 - Fax: toni.volkmeier@state.mn.us - Email

A copy of the draft/proposed permit will available on the MPCA's website at http://www.pca.state.mn.us/news/data/index.cfm?PN=1, or will also be mailed to any interested person upon the MPCA's receipt of a written request. Additional materials relating to the issuance of this permit are available for inspection by appointment at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 520 Lafayette Road North, St. Paul, Minnesota 55155, phone 651-757-2667, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. All MPCA offices may be reached by calling 1-800-657-3864.

DATED: January 23, 2012

________________________________

Don Smith, P.E., Manager

Air Quality Permits Section

Industrial Division

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