OAQPS Update

WESTARApril 3, 2008

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

Revised Ozone NAAQS

Counties with Monitors Violating the Primary and Secondary 8-hour Ozone Standard of 0.075 ppm(Based on 2004-2006 Air Quality Data)

■ 63 Counties in Maintenance Areas

■ 208 Counties in 2004 Designated Nonattainment Areas

■ 74 Counties outside of 2004 Designated Nonattainment Areas

Notes:

1. 345 of 643 monitored counties with complete data violate the proposed primary 8-hour ozone standard of 0.075ppm.

2. Data was retrieved from the AQS system February 4, 2008

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 emissionsources

Emissions

Air Quality

Meteorology

TopographyPolitical

and OtherBoundaries

Current EmissionControls

Growth

Traffic &Commuting

Population and

Urbanization

NonAttainment Boundaries

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

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

Milestone Approximate Date

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