An environmental official wants to bring attention to a state proposal that would allow two coal burning plants' emissions to be combined in their emissions averages under new regulations under the Clean Air Act.

Russell Zerbo, advocacy coordinator for the Clean Air Council, which has offices in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, discussed the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's proposal to allow Olympus Power to combine the emissions of its two plants - Panther Creek Power in Nesquehoning and Westwood in Tremont."The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is tasked with lowering smog-producing nitrogen oxide pollution, but a current proposal could worsen pollution for some residents in the Lehigh Valley," Zerbo said."The DEP has made a proposal to allow Olympus Power to satisfy emissions limitation requirements for nitrogen oxide at two coal waste power plants (Panther Creek in Nesquehoning, and Westwood in Tremont), by averaging the two facilities' emissions, even though they are approximately 38 miles apart."This could have the result of potentially exposing residents near either plant to an unnecessary pollution burden."Zerbo said that this is "a particular concern in the case of Panther Creek, which is located in an area that was designated as nonattainment with the federal ozone standard, and which has a higher concentration of poor people."Colleen Connolly, DEP spokeswoman, confirmed the proposal to allow the two plants to combine emissions as part of the Reasonably Available Control Technology regulations under the Clean Air Act."This occurs when the EPA proposes and makes known a new or updated air quality standard," she said. "In this case, it is the 8-hour ozone standard - meaning how much emissions are being sent in that time period. It is being implemented statewide because the entire commonwealth is treated as a moderate ozone nonattainment area in the Ozone Transport Region."What it means, Connolly said, is that the emissions averaging is allowed among facilities that are owned by the same company within the same ozone nonattainment area.The term nonattainment means that Pennsylvania is not attaining the air quality standards for ozone set by the EPA, she added.Both Panther Creek and Westwood are coal waste burning power plants, which use culm to produce energy.The Clean Air Council is asking people to write to DEP to request a public hearing at the following web address,

http://bit.ly/2jVO8i6. The deadline to submit comments to the proposal is Tuesday.Connolly said that at this time, no hearings on the matter are planned because it isn't required under the regulations, but if requests are received, the department may re-evaluate the need for a hearing.