WPC! 9)e.t<9Yz-K$).?&fn6Q _5jƲdʸs'; 󓘱 t&M'1)Y. D5_$񌟪Vg6h&s|'oF\brkhS{휃曶; P(,W 2wEUk gNz\+:w7Avɭ=i6d7mU9oQ Y_Q;~6Tk7_J]1zr+ e;᧷.lQo|E6 o*S2i2 _yU|\BV!h``ہYY_аZ#UN % 0: ^ ; wG 4K _ n mp 0 0{ 0l 0Z 0E 0- 0 0 0 0 0 0p 0L 0% 0 0 0 0k 05 0 0 0 0 0| 0N 0 0N  U@ 0~ 0Dz!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z!z! B!HP LaserJet 6Pd,,,,,d,0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,Է* E*3|xU2J+M 0_level1  X 2( ` hp x 223  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  2G+M 0_level2   /%` ` hp x /23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  2D+M 0_level3   ," hp x ,23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  2A+M 0_level4  ` ) hp x )23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  2>+M 0_level5   &hhp x &23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  2;+M 0_level6   #p x #23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  28+M 0_level7  h  p x 23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  25+M 0_level8   pp x 23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  22+M 0_level9    x 23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  2JM 0_levsl1  X 2( ` hp x 223  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  2GM 0_levsl2   /%` ` hp x /23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  2DM 0_levsl3   ," hp x ,23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  2AM 0_levsl4  ` ) hp x )23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  2>M 0_levsl5   &hhp x &23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  2;M 0_levsl6   #p x #23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  28M 0_levsl7  h  p x 23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  25M 0_levsl8   pp x 23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  22M 0_levsl9    x 23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  2JM 0_levnl1  X 2( ` hp x 223   5+ ` hp x 5  2GM 0_levnl2   /%` ` hp x /23   5+ ` hp x 5  2DM 0_levnl3   ," hp x ,23   5+ ` hp x 5  2AM 0_levnl4  ` ) hp x )23   5+ ` hp x 5  2>M 0_levnl5   &hhp x &23   5+ ` hp x 5  2;M 0_levnl6   #p x #23   5+ ` hp x 5  28M 0_levnl7  h  p x 23   5+ ` hp x 5  25M 0_levnl8   pp x 23   5+ ` hp x 5  22M 0_levnl9    x 23   5+ ` hp x 5   (hH  Z(Times New Roman (.(3($ !USUS.,      0  (#$  0   d !USUS.,  _8pXXdd8  @qq#March19,2001 t Mr.WilliamH.Lewis 8  Morgan,Lewis&_Bockius_,_LLP_ $ t 1800MStreet,_N.W._  ` Washington,DC20036  L  DearMr.Lewis: $  *X(XXX  ThisletterrespondstoyourFebruary27,2001requestforadeterminationthatthe   FederalNewSourceReview(_NSR_)requirementsdonotapplytoMinnesotaPowersproposed   purchaseoftheelectricgeneratingassetsownedby_LTV_ԀSteel(_LTV_)inTaconiteHarbor,   Minnesota.Basedontheinformationpresentedinyourletter,theU.S.EnvironmentalProtection | Agency(EPA)agreesthattheactivitiesassociatedwiththepurchaseoftheseassetswouldnotbe l amodificationsubjecttoEPAsPreventionofSignificantDeterioration(PSD)regulations. \ #XpXX*X(#  Asyoudescribeinyourrequest,MinnesotaPowerisproposingtopurchase_LTV_spower < generatingassets,whichincludethree75megawattcoalfiredboilerswithsteamturbineunits, (x andassociatedtransmissionlinesandfacilities.Wefurtherunderstandthatthe_LTV_Ԁpowerplant d hasprovidedelectricityforuseby_LTV_ԀaswellasforsaletoMinnesotaPower,andthatundera P PowerPurchaseAgreement,MinnesotaPowercurrentlyhasrightstogenerationcapacityand < energynotusedby_LTV_.Moreover,_LTV_Ԁisnotlimitedintheamountofelectricityitcansupply ( toeitherthemineorMinnesotaPower,solongas_LTV_Ԁcomplieswiththeexistingpermit  limitationsfortheboilersandwiththeAcidRainexemptionforindustrialfacilities.Finally,you  haveindicatedthatfollowingthechangeinownership,thesametransmissionlinesandfacilities  willbeused,nophysicalchangesofanykindwilloccuratthepowergeneratingfacility,andthe  permitlimitswillremainunchanged.AccordingtoourRegionalOffice,thepowergenerating t  unitsareconsideredaseparatesourceforpurposesof_NSR_,andMinnesotaPowerisnot `! purchasing_LTV_sminingoperations. L"    Basedonthereviewoftheinformationpresentedinyourletter,theEPAhasdetermined $$t" thattheproposedpurchaseandoperationoftheelectricgeneratingassetsownedby_LTV_Ԁwould %` # notbea majormodificationasthattermisdefinedintheFederalPSDregulations.Under %L!$ EPAsPSDprogram,a majormodificationmeans anyphysicalchangeorchangeinthe &8"% methodofoperationofamajorstationarysourcethatwouldresultinasignificantnetemissions '$#& increase.Aspreviouslynoted,nophysicalchangewillbeoccurringatthe_LTV_Ԁfacility. ($' Furthermore,becausetheboilersarecurrentlyconfiguredtoprovideelectricitytoboththe_LTV_ )$( miningoperationsandtoMinnesotaPowerforsaleonthegrid,wedonotbelievethat,inthis *%) case,shiftingtheprimarycustomerofthepowerplantfromanindustrialcustomertoanexisting +&* utilitycustomerconstitutesachangeinthemethodofoperationforpurposesofPSD p,'+ applicability. \-(, Ї  Consequently,theactionsdescribedwouldnotsubjectthefacilitytoPSD.Beaware, d however,thatthisdeterminationrefersonlytotheapplicabilityoftheFederalPSDprogram P codifiedat40_CFR_Ԁ52.21.TheStateofMinnesotacould,forexample,considerthisprojectto < beamodificationunderitsmajororminor_NSR_Ԁprogram. (    Weappreciatethisopportunitytobeofserviceandtrustthatthisinformationishelpfulto   you.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsregardingthisdetermination,pleasecontactKarenBlanchardor   Dave_Svendsgaard_Ԁat(919)5415319.  t    `     h     Sincerely,     x   L     `     h     /s/   `     h     WilliamT._Harnett_ `     `     h   ActingDirector L     `     h   InformationTransferandProgram 8     `     h     IntegrationDivision $ cc:0  John_Seitz_Ԁ(MD10)(#(#   DavidUlrich(RegionV)