The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced its intent to approve an emissions plan regarding United Refining Company.

A legal notice from DEP indicated that the agency has “made a preliminary determination to approve a RACT II plan and seeks … approval of an amendment to the State Implementation Plan for this facility.”

According to DEP, RACT — which stands for Reasonably Available Control Technology — is “defined as ‘the lowest emission limitation that a particular source is capable of meeting by the application of control technology that is reasonably available considering technological and economic feasibility.'”

In the notice, DEP noted that URC’s “air emission sources include boilers, process heaters, tanks, wastewater treatment, emergency generators, and other ancillary equipment.”

DEP emphasized that this revision “does not adopt any new regulations” and “incorporates the provisions and requirements” needed to satisfy ozone regulations under the National Ambient Air Quality Standard.

The amendments, the notice states, will be “incorporated into a revised operating permit for the facility” and submitted to the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

DEP said a 30-day comment period opens for the amendments on Jan. 4 and that a public hearing would be held at 10 a.m. Feb. 12 in Meadville, if requested. Those seeking to request a hearing or inquiring whether a hearing will be held should contact Tom Decker with DEP at (814) 332-6615, per the notice.