THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
BUREAU OF WASTE PREVENTION

NOTICE OF ADDITIONAL PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that the Department of Environmental Protection, under its authority pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 111, Sections 142A through 142M, and in conformance with M.G.L. Chapter 30A, will hold a public hearing on proposed amendments to 310 CMR 7.00: Appendix B, Emission Banking, Trading, and Averaging, and 310 CMR 7.29, Emissions Standards for Power Plants.  The purpose of the public hearing is to solicit comments on the proposed amendments.  The goal of the proposed regulations is to reduce, avoid or sequester emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and to create a crediting process for these projects for purposes of compliance with the applicable provisions of 310 CMR 7.29 (5)(a)5.  Affected facilities are the six largest and oldest electricity-generating facilities in Massachusetts.

The Department previously held five public hearings, provided notice in two newspapers and to interested parties, and held a public comment period on these proposed regulations.  The Department is holding this public hearing and comment period to cure the procedural defect that the notice was not also published in the Massachusetts Register.  All comments submitted at the five previous public hearings or during the previous public comment period of December 17, 2005 through March 6, 2006 will be considered part of the record for the proposed regulations, and do not need to be re-submitted.  A public hearing will be conducted to receive public comment, both oral and written, on the proposed regulation:

Monday August 21, 2006, at 9 am
MassDEP, Headquarters
One Winter Street
Boston, MA 02108

The public hearing site is wheelchair accessible.  This information is available in alternative format upon request by contacting Donald M. Gomes, MassDEP ADA coordinator, at 617-556-1057, TDD Service 1-800-298-2207, One Winter Street, Boston, MA 02108.

Testimony may be presented orally and/or in writing at the public hearing.  Following the hearing, written testimony will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 31, 2006.  The Department requests that written testimony be submitted electronically via e-mail to: Sharon.Weber@state.ma.us.  Written testimony may also be sent to: Sharon Weber, Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Waste Prevention, One Winter Street, Boston, MA 02108.

Copies of the regulation and background document will be available for inspection during normal business hours at the Department of Environmental Protection, One Winter Street, Boston, MA.  In addition, these documents are available on the MassDEP Web site at:

http://mass.gov/dep/air/laws/regulati.htm#proposed

By order of the Department.
Robert W. Golledge, Jr., Commissioner