EPUD, LRAPA adapt to variable quality of Short Mountain methane

Questions about whether the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) levied fines against the Emerald People’s Utility District (EPUD). At the LRAPA Advisory Committee July 30:

Paul Metzler (LRAPA advisory committee): Well, you know, EPUD has that cogen plant at the Short Mountain landfill where they collect the methane emissions, run it through diesel engines. I think there’s four of them and generate electricity and it effectively cleans up the methane emissions.

[00:00:28] So, I heard a little chatter around the community that there was a period of time recently where the methane emissions were extra high. So, EPUD’s cogen plant had to run for longer than usual, and this put them somehow out of compliance with their permit, probably for the diesel exhaust and consequently, EPUD got fined for it.

[00:00:59] Max Hueftle (LRAPA operations manager): Yeah, Paul’s right. EPUD had an exceedance of their Plant Site Emission Limits (PSELs) because they didn’t take into account the variability of the quality of the gas that they get from the collection system from the landfill. So it was really about the BTU rating that, it varies and they didn’t take into account that they would be burning more gas over time as the gas quality varies.

[00:01:21] So it was part of a shortsightedness on their end that they didn’t anticipate that variability in the gas. And so we had them modify their Title V application to account for those higher PSELs. They’re actually having to ask for higher limits. And so we’re going through that process.

[00:01:38] Paul Metzler (LRAPA advisory committee): Well, did they get fined for that? …To an ordinary member of the public, this could be seen as here, you know, EPUD’s doing something good. They’re collecting emissions and processing them and then some minor variability and if it results in them getting fined, you know, it would make an ordinary member of the public think, ‘Gee, maybe we shouldn’t pay so much attention to LRAPA’s reg(ulation)s when it comes to something that’s real, like asbestos, for example.’

[00:02:15] Travis Knudsen (LRAPA): Yeah, and I think that for any, you know, kind of general member of the public, that certainly could be a perception that they could interpret. I don’t necessarily know that everybody would interpret that and that’s an easy correction by just having a conversation with that person and explaining what the real reality is to them to correct that misunderstanding.

[00:02:34] John Q: Travis explained that in 2023, EPUD exceeded their Plant Site Emission Limits, and applied to modify their permit to increase PSELs. LRAPA is evaluating potential enforcement action, but it’s a long process.

[00:02:50] Travis Knudsen (LRAPA): That process can be a long process and so far from complete. So, at this point, I’d say that, I’m sure I’d have to look, but there wouldn’t be any civil penalty assessed at this point because it takes time to get to that point, and a lot of conversations take place, and those conversations with the enforcement side of LRAPA are ongoing.