The Clean Air Act, The Clean Air Act,

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, National Ambient Air Quality Standards, and the Air Planning Processand the Air Planning Process

North Carolina Division of Air QualityNorth Carolina Division of Air Quality

Air Quality CommitteeMay 7, 2014

Sushma Masemore, P.E.Planning Section Chief

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Topics to be Covered

• 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

Chemical emissions that deplete the stratospheric ozone layer; greenhouse gas emissions

Title VII Enforcement

Other Titles

Visibility Protection Regional haze that impairs visibility in national parks

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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”

– 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

EPA Milestone

Pollutant

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

11Courtesy; James, 2012

Summary of Air Quality Planning Process

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Planning Section Program AreasAttainment Planning• Emissions inventories

to identify & quantify air pollution sources.

• Non-attainment boundary recommendations

• Prepares SIPs for attaining and maintaining standards– Meteorological Modeling– Emissions Modeling– Air Quality Modeling

• Transportation conformity analyses

• Regional/National collaborations

• Legislative studies

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

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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

sushma.masemore@ncdenr.gov

Attainment Planning

Randy Strait

919-707-8721

randy.strait@ncdenr.gov

Rules

Joelle Burleson

919-707-8720

joelle.burleson@ncdenr.gov

Education/Outreach

Robin Barrows

919-707-8445

robin.barrows@ncdenr.gov