Public comment period for Title V air permit for Southtowns WRRF in Hamburg.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Notice of Complete Application




Date: 03/25/2026




Applicant: ERIE COUNTY 95 FRANKLIN ST BUFFALO, NY 14202-3904




Facility: ECSD NO 3 SOUTHTOWNS WATER RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITY 

3690 LAKESHORE RD 

HAMBURG, NY 14219

Application 

ID: 9-1448-00012/00013




Permits(s) Applied for: 1 - Article 19 Air Title V Facility


Project is located: in HAMBURG in ERIE COUNTY
Project Description: The Department has prepared a draft permit and has made a tentative determination, subject to public comment or other information, to issue a Title V air permit for the Southtowns Water Resource Recovery Facility (Southtowns WRRF), a Publicly Owned Treatment Works. Southtowns WRRF is required to obtain a Title V air permit under 40 CFR 60 Subpart MMMM - Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Existing Sewage Sludge Incineration Units. The facility is currently operating under an Air State Facility permit. Sewage sludge generated by the wastewater treatment process at this POTW is disposed of through incineration in two identical fluidized bed incinerators (FBIs) that use ultralow sulfur diesel fuel as an auxiliary fuel source. Emissions from the FBIs are controlled by a multistage wet scrubber and a mercury control system. The facility operates stationary internal combustion engines for emergency power generation that are subject to 40 CFR 60 Subpart IIII. The facility also operates emergency power engines associated with screw pumps that were constructed before 2002 and are subject to 40 CFR 63 Subpart ZZZZ.




In accordance with 6NYCRR Parts 621.7(d)(9) and 201-6.3(c), the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has the authority to bar issuance of any Title V Facility Permit if it is determined not to be in compliance with applicable requirements of the Clean Air Act or 6NYCRR Part 201. 

Persons wishing to inspect the subject Title V files, including the application with all relevant supporting materials, the draft permit, and all other materials available to the DEC (the "permitting authority") that are relevant to this permitting decision should contact the DEC representative listed below. The Draft Permit and Permit Review Report may be viewed and printed from the Department web site at: https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/air-quality/controlling-pollution-from-facilities/permitsregistrations-fees.




DEC will evaluate the application and the comments received on it to determine whether to hold a public hearing. Comments and requests for a public hearing should be in writing and addressed to the Department representative listed below. A copy of the Department's permit hearing procedures is available upon request or on the Department web site at: https://dec.ny.gov/regulatory/permits-licenses/environmental-permits/guide-topermit-hearings.




Availability of Application Documents: Filed application documents, and Department draft permits where applicable, are available for inspection during normal business hours at the address of the contact person. To ensure timely service at the time of inspection, it is recommended that an appointment be made with the contact person.
State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) Determination: Project is an Unlisted Action and will not have a significant impact on the environment. A Negative Declaration is on file. A coordinated review was not performed.




SEQR Lead Agency: None Designated




State Historic Preservation Act (SHPA) Determination: The proposed activity is not subject to review in accordance with SHPA. The application type is exempt and/or the project involves the continuation of an existing operational activity. 

DEC Commissioner Policy 29, Environmental Justice and Permitting (CP-29)
It has been determined that the proposed action is not subject to CP-29.




Availability For Public Comment Contact Person Comments on this project must be submitted in writing to the Contact Person no later than 05/01/2026 or 30 days after the publication date of this notice, whichever is later.




MICHELLE R WOZNICK 

NYSDEC 700 Delaware Ave

Buffalo, NY 14209 716-851-7165

Dated: April 3, 2026 

COL-NY-10268