Client:
Michigan State University

Location:
East Lansing, Michigan

Prime Consultant:
NTH Consultants, Ltd.

Project Start:
2003

Project Completion:
On-Going
NTH’s Value Added:
For over ten years, NTH has provided Michigan State University as-needed environmental consulting services, such as air quality permitting and air quality compliance, as well as life cycle assessments for various projects at the main campus and T.B. Simon Power Plant.  
Michigan State University
Environmental Regulatory Compliance Assistance
Air Quality - Permitting
NTH has prepared numerous air use permit to install (PTI) applications and technical support documents for both the main campus and the T.B. Simon Power Plant:
Installation of a new combustion turbine/HRSG and steam turbine generator at the power plant.  The addition of the steam turbine had the potential to remove a “bottleneck” at the existing boilers; therefore, NTH evaluated the potential emissions increase from the existing plant as a result of the new steam turbine. As a result of the analysis, the project was able to avoid major modification under the PSD program. The turbine began operation in 2006.
Modification of existing boilers to allow for various biofuels. Several air permits were developed and approved over a four (4) year period to include additional fuels and increase the amounts allowed to be burned. 
  • Installation of an anaerobic digester and biogas flare at the MSU dairy store.
  • PTI for the Waste Storage Facility to simplify records that was previously required. This including performing ambient monitoring of volatile organic compound emissions and assessing ambient impacts through dispersion modeling. The final permit allows for more streamlined records that can easily be maintained by environmental staff.
  • Modification of the existing Farm Lane Incinerator to allow for additional waste-types to be incinerated. 
  • Modification to existing test cell dynamometers at the Energy and Automotive Research Laboratories to allow for fuel flexibility, including increased fuel usage.

Air Quality - Compliance
NTH assists MSU on an on-going basis with various air quality compliance matters:
  • Air permit exemption applicability determinations
  • Review of ROP records and deviation reports 
  • Plan Development:
    • Malfunction Abatement Plan (MAP),
    • Greenhouse gas (GHG) Monitoring Plan,
    • Fuel Procurement Plan, and
    • Compliance Assurance Monitoring (CAM) plan, including CAM applicability 
  • Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) 
  • Consent order close-out
  • Onsite stack test coordination for testing that occurs at the main campus
  • RICE MACT applicability determinations and summary of applicable requirements
  • Boiler MACT Compliance 
    • Developing comments on both the proposed and reconsidered Boiler MACT rules on behalf of MSU, for submittal to U.S. EPA
    • Consultation on various compliance options
    • Air permitting
    • Tune-up and energy assessment coordination
  • Master Energy Plan development to address power and steam generation for the campus over the next 20 years. Provided an overview of the environmental regulatory considerations for several energy options being vetted.

Other Environmental Services
NTH conducted a Life Cycle Assessment on the Waste Storage Facility to evaluate certain components of the existing WSF operations. The assessment included observations and reviews of waste management handling and storage procedures and a property condition assessment, including the site property, building infrastructure and envelope.