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OAQPS Update. WESTAR April 3, 2008. Revised Ozone NAAQS. On March 12, 2008, EPA significantly strengthened the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone These revisions reflect new scientific evidence about ozone and its effects on public health and the environment
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OAQPS Update WESTAR April 3, 2008
Revised Ozone NAAQS • On March 12, 2008, EPA significantly strengthened the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone • These revisions reflect new scientific evidence about ozone and its effects on public health and the environment • The final revisions affect two types of ozone standards: • Primary standard to protect public health, including the health of "sensitive" populations such as people with asthma, children, and older adults • Secondary standard to protect public welfare and the environment, including sensitive vegetation and ecosystems • Specifically, EPA has: • Revised the level of the primary and secondary 8-hour ozone standards to 0.075 parts per million (ppm) • For more information go to http://www.epa.gov/groundlevelozone
Counties with Monitors Violating the Primary and Secondary 8-hour Ozone Standard of 0.075 ppm(Based on 2004-2006 Air Quality Data) • Notes: • 345 of 643 monitored counties with complete data violate the proposed primary 8-hour ozone standard of 0.075ppm. • Data was retrieved from the AQS system February 4, 2008 • 63 Counties in Maintenance Areas • 208 Counties in 2004 Designated Nonattainment Areas • 74 Counties outside of 2004 Designated Nonattainment Areas
Regional Haze SIPs • Nationally, 20 draft Regional Haze SIPs have been submitted • 2 SIPs are final – North and South Carolina • Most of the remaining States are projected to submit from mid to late 2008 • States are encouraged to work with their regional office to get the SIPs in as soon as possible
Regional Haze SIPs (continued) • In the West – only one WRAP state – Colorado and one local agency – Bernalillo County in New Mexico have submitted draft SIPs. Bernalillo, NM is a 309 SIP • Again, mid to late 2008 is the expected submittal for most WRAP SIPs • EPA is completing the Montana FIP – expected in 2010 • 3 major elements required in the Regional Haze SIPs – 1) Reasonable Progress; 2) BART; and 3) Long term Strategies • Late SIPs – considering possible actions on late SIPs
Background: 2007 Designations Guidance • Guidance for 24-hour PM2.5 designations was issued on June 7, 2007. • Guidance recommends that States and Tribes: • use the most recent 3 years of air quality data • evaluate areas on a case-by-case basis • base recommendations on evaluation of the same 9 factors used in the prior PM2.5 designation process • EPA anticipates that the existing boundaries for implementing the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS may be appropriate for areas violating the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS.
9 Factors for Boundary Recommendations • Emission data • Air quality data • Population density and degree of urbanization • Traffic and commuting patterns • Growth rates and patterns • Meteorology • Geography/topography • Jurisdictional boundaries (e.g., existing PM and ozone areas) • Level of control of emission sources
24-Hour PM2.5 Design Value Status, 2004-2006 • 131 Sites in current nonattainment areas (NA) violate the 24-hr NAAQS. • 48 Sites not in a current NA violate the 24-hr NAAQS • 29 current NAs also violate the 24-hr NAAQS • 10 current NAs meet the 24-hr NAAQS • 48 violating sites outside of current NAA are located in 25 areas. • States make initial recommendations for 24-hr designations using 2004-2006 data but data from other years (e.g., 2005-2007 and 2006-2008) may be relevant for final designations.
Process and Timeline for 24-Hr PM2.5 Designations Approximate Date Milestone State and Tribal Recommendations to EPA December 2007 Administrator Decisions July 2008 RA Response Letters to States & Tribes July 2008 State/Tribal Comment Period (2 mos.) August/September 2008 Administrator Decisions / Signature November/December 2008 Effective Date of Final Designations 90 days after FR publication
Recent NSR Actions • PROPOSED RULES • Reconsideration of fugitive emissions and modifications (11/13/2007 FR) • FINAL RULES • NSR Recordkeeping interpretation of ‘Reasonable Possibility’ (12/21/2007 FR)
Upcoming Regulatory Actions • PM2.5 Implementation rule • Main NSR portion (final) • Increments, SIL’s, SMC’s (final) • NSR Emissions test for EGU’s (final) • Potential-to-Emit, response to Court decision (proposal) • PSD Increment Modeling procedures (final) • Title V Task Force rule (proposal)
Upcoming Regulatory Actions • Action on Class I Request of Forest County (WI) Potawatomi (final) • Debottlenecking, Aggregation and Project Netting (final) • Flexible Permits rule (final) • Federal NAA NSR and minor NSR program for tribal lands (final) • Fugitive Emissions (final)
Pb NAAQS • Proposal including Implementation Rule – May 1, 2008 • Promulgation – September 1, 2008