Base ending use of coal Published Aug. 16, 2013 By Amy Rollins Skywrighter Staff WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio -- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is getting closer to utilizing cleaner, more economical heating sources, according to the deputy director of the 88 Air Base Wing Civil Engineer Directorate. The base applied to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for a permit to switch from coal to natural gas heat for its central heating plants, said Ted Hecht. The base will convert four coal-fired boilers to natural gas fuel, shut down two other coal-fired boilers and install new combustion controls on three existing natural gas-fired boilers. New boiler regulations necessitated the switch. The Ohio EPA has issued a final permit for the work, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, is close to selecting the contractor who will administer the multi-million dollar contract. Assisting with the project is the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency (RAPCA), which serves Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery and Preble counties. The project will result in annual emissions reductions of more than 1,000 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions, 200 tons of nitrogen oxides emissions and 5 tons of particulate emissions and will prevent up to 290,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, according to RAPCA. The project also will create compliance with new federal national emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants for industrial and commercial boilers while increasing operational flexibility for the base by eliminating seasonal shutdowns specified in existing permits. Construction on the four boilers being converted to natural gas fuel will begin in 2014 and must be completed by Jan. 31, 2016. The boilers are housed in Bldg. 770, Area B, near the intersection of National Road and Old State Route 4, and Plant 1240, near Gate 38A, Kittyhawk Center, Area A. "We are very pleased with this action as it will provide significant reductions in air pollution in the Miami Valley," said John Paul, RAPCA administrator. "Wright-Patterson Air Force Base officials were timely in their permit application and provided all the information we needed for review and recommendation. It is very satisfying when all the parties -- the federal government (Wright-Patterson AFB), the local agency (RAPCA) and the state agency (Ohio EPA) are able to work together on a project that benefits the local community." Col. Cassie Barlow, 88 ABW commander, said, "Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is committed to being a good neighbor in the Miami Valley, and we think this project will help enhance our environment and protect natural resources. Moving forward with coal to natural gas conversion will provide steady, reliable, clean heat and energy for base operations many years into the future. We are grateful for the timely processing of our permits by the Ohio EPA and the local agency -- RAPCA." Hecht said, "No. 1, it will be more economical to use gas instead of coal. No. 2, the air will be cleaner and we'll have fewer emissions. We're one of very few Air Force bases still burning coal. "We've been studying the situation and doing life cycle cost analysis of the heating systems at Wright-Patt, and this is the culmination of many years of effort. It's exciting to chart the future of Wright-Patt for heating for the next two decades," Hecht said.