MEADVILLE — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public hearing at 10 a.m. Wednesday to receive comments on changes to the proposed State Implementation Plan designed to bring the Warren area into compliance with federal air emissions standards.
The area is designated nonattainment for the 2010 1-hour Federal National Ambient Air Quality Standard for sulfur dioxide (SO2). Short term exposure to SO2 has been linked to respiratory conditions in humans.
DEP estimates that by 2018 sulfur dioxide emissions will be reduced by 482 tons, or by 48 percent, from levels emitted in 2011, thanks to operational changes at the United Refining Company in Warren.
The purpose of the public hearing is to receive comments on the proposal, which is available on the Department’s website www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/eComment or by contacting Roma Monteiro at (717) 787-9495 or rmonteiro@pa.gov. The hearing will be held at DEP’s Warren District Office, 321 North State Street, North Warren.
The department must receive comments no later than Aug. 4. Commentators are encouraged to submit comments using the Department’s eComment system at www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/eComment or by e-mail to ecomment@pa.gov. Written comments can be submitted to the Policy Office, Department of Environmental Protection, Rachel Carson State Office Building, P.O. Box 2063, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063. Use “Warren 2010 SO2” as the subject line in written communications.
