Notice is hereby given that the Air Pollution Control Officer (APCO) has made a preliminary decision to approve an Alternative Compliance Plan (ACP) to permit the Valero Refining Company (formerly Exxon and then Exxon Mobil) refinery in Benicia, California to use Interchangeable Emission Reduction credits (IERC’s) to comply with the nitrogen oxides (NOx) requirements of Regulation 9, Rule 10. The IERC’s were granted in Application number 19971 due to bankable emissions reductions in NOx from the S-3 Crude Preheat Furnace F-101 and S-4 Reduced Crude Preheat Furnace F-102.

The Air Pollution Control Officer (APCO) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on this project to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The draft EIR is available for review at the BAAQMD office at 939 Ellis Street, San Francisco, on the District website (www.baaqmd.gov), or may be obtained by calling the BAAQMD at (415) 749-4721.

The application (number 1047) for this ACP is available for public inspection at the District Headquarters, 939 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94109 in the Permit Services Division, 3rd Floor

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The Air Pollution Control Officer invites written public comment on the preliminary decision. Comments should be submitted to Douglas W. Hall, Supervising Air Quality Engineer, at the above address by July 25, 2002. The APCO will consider comments on the preliminary decision before taking Final Action.

Dated at San Francisco, the 19th day of June, 2002.

Ellen Garvey
Air Pollution Control Officer
Bay Area Air Quality Management District