Project Overview
Air Sciences air quality consultants continue to work closely with the Fort Peck Tribes Office of Environmental Protection to develop a comprehensive Air Quality Program. From building essential technical tools (emissions inventories, air quality violation penalty fee matrix) and providing comments on Title V and PSD major source permitting actions in neighboring jurisdictions to providing expert air quality support in enforcement actions, Air Sciences has worked hand-in-hand with the Tribes.
Some key aspects of the Ft Peck Air Quality Program:
- Preparation of a Feasibility Study for an Operating Permit Program. This assessment prepared by Air Sciences demonstrated that the number of major stationary sources (as defined by the Operating Permit Regulation in 40 CFR Part 70) and the quantity of regulated pollutants (criteria pollutants and hazardous air pollutants) were insufficient to justify a self-sustaining operating permit program delegated to the Tribe under 40 CFR Part 70.
- Development of a draft Tribal Implementation Plan. This on-going project is dedicated to protecting the high-quality airshed of the Ft. Peck Class I area while preserving the opportunities for economic growth on the Reservation. Work has included: characterization of existing air quality; complex interpretation of federal air rules (Tribal Authority Rule; PSD rules; non-attainment / redesignation rules); drafting the Ft. Peck Air Quality Code; drafting all of the required elements of the Tribal Implementation Plan; outreach to tribal leadership and the public; and consultation with US EPA Region 8.