Transcript The Clean Air Act, National Ambient Air Quality Standards, and the Air Planning Process North Carolina Division of Air Quality Air Quality Committee May 7,

The Clean Air Act,
National Ambient Air Quality Standards,
and the Air Planning Process
North Carolina Division of Air Quality
Air Quality Committee
May 7, 2014
Sushma Masemore, P.E.
Planning Section Chief
Topics to be Covered
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Federal Clean Air Act
National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Designation Process
State Implementation Plans
Emerging Areas
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The Clean Air Act (CAA)
• 1970 CAA and 1977 CAA Amendments
• 1990 CAA Amendments
Contains Provisions for
Title I
Attainment and Maintenance of
National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS)
Standards for six criteria pollutants; states adoption
of enforceable plans
Title II
Mobile Source Provisions
Motor vehicle emission standards
Title III
Air Toxics
Hazardous or toxic air pollutants linked to cancer or
bioaccumulation of heavy metals
Title IV
Acid Deposition
Acid rain that damages aquatic life, forests and
property
Title V
Permits
Title VI
Stratospheric Ozone and Global
Climate Protection
Title VII
Enforcement
Other
Titles
Visibility Protection
Chemical emissions that deplete the stratospheric
ozone layer; greenhouse gas emissions
Regional haze that impairs visibility in national
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parks
Title I
• Part A – Air Quality and Emission Limitations
– Section 110 – State Implementation Plans (SIPs) for Criteria Air
Pollutants
– Section 111- New Source Performance Standards
– Section 112 – Hazardous Air Pollutants
• Part C – Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD)
– Subpart 1 – Clean Air
– Subpart 2 – Visibility Protection
• Part D - Nonattainment Area Plan Requirements
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NAAQS – National Ambient Air Quality Standards
• Clean Air Act gives EPA authority to set NAAQS
• 6 “criteria pollutants”
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Particulate Matter (PM2.5, PM10)
Ozone (O3)
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
Lead
• Primary and Secondary Standards
• States are required to adopt enforceable plans to achieve and
maintain air quality standards. State plans must also address
emissions that drift across state lines and may impact air quality
in downwind states.
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NAAQS Reviews
• CAA requires EPA to review every 5 yrs
• Current schedule for ongoing NAAQS reviews
Pollutant
EPA
Milestone
Ozone
Lead
NO2
Primary
SO2
Primary
NO2/SO2
Secondary
CO
PM
Proposal
Dec 1,
2014
2014
Feb
2016
Feb
2017
May 2017
Mid
2017
TBD
Final
Oct 1,
2015
TBD
Nov
2016
Nov
2017
Feb 2018
Mid
2018
TBD
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Designations
• After standards are finalized…EPA must designate
areas as meeting (attainment) or not meeting
(nonattainment) the standard, or undetermined
(unclassifiable).
• Monitoring data are used to determine an area’s design
value
– Design values are concentration measurements averaged over
a specific time interval
• Process
– 1 yr after NAAQS: states recommend boundaries and
designations
– 2 yr after NAAQS: EPA makes final designations
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North Carolina’s Current Attainment Status
• Ozone: Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury is the only area designated
nonattainment of the 2008 Ozone NAAQS.
• SO2: EPA deferred designations until monitoring data are
collected and/or modeling demonstrations are submitted
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What is a State Implementation Plan (SIP)?
• An overall air quality plan for attaining or maintaining
the NAAQS.
– Codified in 40 CFR Part 52, each state has its own subpart
– Public given opportunity to review and comment
• Infrastructure SIPs (due 3 years after NAAQS revision)
– Shows that the state has the basic air quality management
program to implement the NAAQS
• Attainment/Maintenance SIPs (usually 3 years after
nonattainment designation)
– Identifies emissions control requirements and associated
rules necessary for attainment or maintenance
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Redesignations
• State submits a request satisfying specific elements in
CAA Section 107, including
– Area has attained the NAAQS
– Improvement is due to permanent and enforceable emission
reductions
– Maintenance plan is approved
– All other SIP requirements are met
• Requires EPA rulemaking (codified in Part 52 and Part
81)
• EPA’s final approval redesignates an area from
nonattainment to attainment/maintenance
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Summary of Air Quality Planning Process
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Courtesy; James, 2012
Planning Section Program Areas
Attainment Planning
• Emissions inventories
to identify & quantify
air pollution sources.
• Non-attainment
boundary
recommendations
• Prepares SIPs for
attaining and
maintaining standards
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Meteorological Modeling
Emissions Modeling
Air Quality Modeling
Rules Development
• Develop, amend,
maintain air quality
rules
• Coordination with
Stakeholders
• Adhere to
Administrative
Procedures Act (APA)
• EPA SIP approval
• Review rules for local
air agencies
Other
• Air Awareness
Program
• Air Quality Forecasting
• Emissions Inventory
• Federal grant
development
• Implementation of
Federal air toxics
standards
Transportation
conformity analyses
Regional/National
collaborations
Legislative studies
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Emerging Issues for the Planning
Section
• Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR)
• EPA review of recent infrastructure SIP
submittals
• EPA review of the ozone NAAQS
• Implementation of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS
• Carbon pollution standards for new and
existing power plants
• Upcoming air quality rules to be presented to
the AQC and EMC
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Thank you.
Questions?
Contacts:
Sushma Masemore
919-707-8700
[email protected]
Attainment Planning
Randy Strait
919-707-8721
[email protected]
Rules
Joelle Burleson
919-707-8720
[email protected]
Education/Outreach
Robin Barrows
919-707-8445
[email protected]
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