EPA Air Quality Update

Environmental Show of the South Chattanooga, TN

May 15, 2019

Lynorae Benjamin, Acting Chief

Air Planning and Implementation Branch

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4

Atlanta, GA

Today’s Topics

Air Quality Improvements

Progress on NAAQS Implementation

• Ozone • Sulfur Dioxide

Regional Haze

Questions

Plans for FY18 and Beyond

The new 2018-2022 Strategic Plan charts the course for advancing

EPA's priorities and mission to protect human health and the

environment

https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget

Comparison of Growth vs Emissions

www.epa.gov/airtrends

Progress on NAAQS Implementation

• Establishing and Updating the NAAQS

• Current Region 4 Nonattainment Areas (all NAAQS Pollutants)

The Clean Air Act Framework

• EPA sets NAAQS for pollutants harmful to public health & environment

• Ozone • Particulate matter • Lead • Carbon monoxide • Nitrogen Dioxide • Sulfur Dioxide

• EPA must review NAAQS every 5 years after advice from Clean Air Science Advisory Committee

Air Program Update

NAAQS Review Process

• May 9, 2018: EPA Administrator outlined five principles for EPA to follow in future NAAQS reviews

• Meet statutory deadlines

• Address all CAA provisions for NAAQS reviews

• Streamline and standardize the process for development and review of key policy-relevant information

• Differentiate science and policy judgments in the NAAQS review process

• Issue timely implementation regulations and guidance

www.epa.gov/criteria-air-pollutants/back-basics-process-reviewing-national-ambient-air-quality-standards

NAAQS Reviews

1 Combined secondary (ecological effects only) review of NO2, SO2, and PM 2 Combined primary and secondary (non-ecological effects) review of PM 3 IRP – Integrated Review Plan; ISA – Integrated Science Assessment; REA – Risk and Exposure Assessment; PA – Policy Assessment 4 TBD = To be determined

Additional information regarding current and previous NAAQS reviews is available at: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/

(As of March 2019)

Ozone Lead Primary

NO2

Primary

SO2

Secondary

(Ecological)

NO2, SO2, PM1

PM2 CO

Last Review

Completed

(final rule

signed)

Oct. 2015 Sept 2016 April 2018 Feb 2019 Mar 2012 Dec 2012 Aug 2011

Recent or

Upcoming

Major

Milestone(s)

Summer 2019

Draft ISA3

Early 2020

Proposal

Late 2020

Final

TBD4 TBD4 TBD4

Timing depends on

PM/O3 schedules

Final ISA; draft

REA/PA3

March 28, 2019

CASAC

teleconference

on draft ISA3

Early 2020

Proposal

Late 2020

Final

TBD4

Ozone

How We Compare for Ozone – R4 vs. Nationally

Nonattainment Areas:

• 1997 Ozone NAAQS – 35 areas nationally; 0 in Region 4

• 2008 Ozone NAAQS – 37 areas nationally; 0 in Region 4

• 2015 Ozone NAAQS – 52 areas nationally; 3 in Region 4

Progress on Ozone NAAQS (as of May 2019)

OZONE 1997 NAAQS (2004 Designations)

2008 NAAQS (2012 Designations)

2015 NAAQS (2018 Designations)

Initial Nonattainment Areas 14 5 3

Areas Redesignated to Attainment 14 5 0

Current Nonattainment Areas 0 0 3

https://www.epa.gov/green-book

Implications for Region 4 from South Coast II Decision

1997 Ozone NAAQS

South Coast II Decision

On February 16, 2018, the D.C. Circuit issued a

decision in South Coast Air Quality Management

District v. EPA (South Coast II), in which parties challenged different aspects of EPA’s SIP

Requirements Rule for the 2008 Ozone NAAQS,

including the revocation of the 1997 ozone NAAQS and

its associated anti-backsliding requirements.

EPA/DOJ filed a rehearing petition on April 23, 2018 seeking:

•Substantive rehearing on the Court’s (1) application of anti-backsliding requirements following revocation of the 1997 ozone NAAQS and (2) interpretation of CAA section 176(c) as requiring transportation conformity in areas designated maintenance for the 1997 NAAQS and attainment for the 2008 NAAQS (“orphan maintenance areas”).

•Remand without vacatur of the Rule’s provisions related to the 2 elements described above.

The Court requested a response from the

environmental petitioners on August 1, 2018 to EPA’s

request for a remand without vacatur as well as a

potential stay of the vacatur. Per the Court’s

request, EPA filed a reply on August 15, 2018

South Coast II Decision - Continued

On September 14, 2018, the Circuit Court denied

EPA’s petition for a rehearing but granted a stay on the aspects of its ruling until February 16,

2019.

On October 1, 2018 US DOT updated the April 23, 2018 Interim Guidance for Conformity Requirements for the 1997 8-hour ozone

areas.

In November 2018, EPA issued Transportation

Conformity Guidance for the South Coast II Court

Decision – one of the main takeaways is that a regional

emissions analysis is not required to demonstrate conformity in the 1997 8-

hour “orphan maintenance areas” because the

standard was revoked (CFR 93.109(c))

Transportation Conformity

The SIP

(State AirQualityPlan)

TransportationPlan, TransportationImprovementProgram (TIP),and Projects.

Status of Transportation Conformity Determinations

Area Action in Response to South Coast Decision

Birmingham, AL Completed – February 14, 2019

Atlanta, GA Completed – June 26, 2018

Macon, GA No project changes needed until Spring 2019

Murray County (Chattahoochee National Forest), GA Isolated rural area - conformity applies only when needed so no February 16, 2019

trigger to meet.

Cincinnati, KY Completed – September 6, 2018

Huntington-Ashland, KY Completed – February 1, 2019

Louisville, KY Completed – December 3, 2018

Charlotte, NC Completed – December 3, 2018

Raleigh-Durham, NC Completed – February 12, 2019

Rocky Mount, NC Completed – October 22, 2018

Great Smoky Mountain National Park, NC Isolated rural area - conformity applies only when needed so no February 16, 2019

trigger to meet.

Charlotte (York County), SC Completed – February 15, 2019

Clarksville-Hopkinsville, KY-TN Completed – February 15, 2019

Knoxville, TN Completed – November19, 2018;

2nd Maintenance Plan for the 1997 NAAQS

Area Deadline for Second Maintenance Plan#

Birmingham, AL 6/12/2014

Atlanta, GA 1/2/2022

Macon, GA 10/19/2015

Murray County (Chattahoochee National Forest), GA 11/15/2015

Cincinnati, KY 8/5/2018

Huntington-Ashland, KY 9/4/2015

Louisville, KY 8/6/2015

Charlotte, NC 1/2/2022

Raleigh-Durham, NC 12/26/2015

Rocky Mount, NC 1/5/2015

Great Smoky Mountain National Park, NC 1/6/2018

Charlotte (York County), SC 12/26/2020

Clarksville-Hopkinsville, KY-TN 2/24/2014

Knoxville, TN 3/8/2019

# Originally these areas were not required to submit the second maintenance plan per EPA’s ozone implementation rule. The South Coast II Court decision

changed this on February 16, 2018. EPA is actively working with areas to get second maintenance plan updates as soon as possible.

Sulfur Dioxide

2010 SO2 NAAQS Review

In February 2019, EPA retained the existing primary NAAQS for SO2 based on the agency’s judgment that the current NAAQS protects the public health, with an adequate margin of safety, including the health of at-risk populations with asthma.

www.epa.gov/so2-pollution/applying-or-implementing-sulfur-dioxide-standards

2010 Primary SO2 NAAQS

Standard 75 parts per billion

Averaging Time 99th percentile of 1-hour daily maximum

concentrations, averaged over 3 years

At Risk Population

Children, Elderly, Asthmatics

Current Nonattainment

Areas

40 Areas in 16 States

2010 SO2 Designations Process

Round 1: Completed August 2013 – EPA Region 4 designated 5 areas nonattainment based on existing monitors violating the standard*

Round 2: Completed June 30 and November 29, 2016 – EPA designated 65 areas in 24 states based on air dispersion modeling and 2013-2015 violating monitors (6 areas designated in Region 4)

Round 3: Completed December 21, 2017 and March 28, 2018 – EPA completed an additional round of designations for all remaining undesignated areas except where states have deployed new monitoring networks by January 1, 2017 if executed under the SO2 Data Requirements Rule (DRR); one new area was designated nonattainment

Round 4: By December 31, 2020 – EPA must complete designations for all remaining areas (based on 2017-2019 monitoring data)

www.epa.gov/so2-pollution/applying-or-implementing-sulfur-dioxide-standards

Rounds 1-3

EPA currently has four

areas designated

as nonattainment

in three States

in Region 4

How We Compare for SO2 – R4 vs. Nationally

Nonattainment Areas:

• 2010 SO2 NAAQS – 40 areas nationally; 5 in Region 4

• Round 1 – following 5 areas: • Clermont-Campbell – OH, KY;

• Jefferson County, KY;

• Hillsborough County, FL

• Nassau County, FL

• Sullivan County, TN.

• Round 3 – following area: • Hillsborough-Polk, FL

Progress on SO2 NAAQS (as of May 2019)

https://www.epa.gov/green-book

SO2

2010 SO2 NAAQS (2013 Designations –

Round 1)

2010 SO2 NAAQS (2016 Designations –

Round 2)

2010 SO2 NAAQS (2017 Designations – Round 3)

Initial Nonattainment Areas 5 0 1

Areas Redesignated to Attainment 2 NA 0

Current Nonattainment Areas 3 0 1

DRR Ongoing Data Requirements

• 40 CFR 51.1205 (b) requires SO2 areas designated attainment based on modeling of actual SO2 emissions to submit an annual SO2 emissions report, for each applicable source in each such area, provide an assessment of the cause of any emissions increase from the previous year and make a determination if additional modeling analysis is needed.

• The annual report shall be submitted to the Regional Administrator by July 1 of each year as a stand-alone document made available for public inspection, or as an appendix to its Annual Monitoring Network Plan (also due on July 1 each year under 40 CFR 58.10)

• Round 2 Designations – Due July, 2018

• The first report for each such area is due by July 1 of the calendar year after the effective date of the designations.

• Round 3 Designations – Due July 1, 2019

• § 51.1205 also allows states to terminate the ongoing data requirement if an air agency provides modeling that shows air quality values at all receptors in the analysis are no greater than 50 percent of the SO2 standard.

• For additional information please refer to the preamble of the DRR or Region 4 SO2 contact.

DRR Reporting - Round 2 Areas

• Initial reports were due by July 2018 (& due annual thereafter)

State Source (Area)

Georgia* Georgia Power Robert W. Scherer Power plant (in Monroe) - Butts, Crawford, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Monroe, and Upson.

Mississippi R.D. Morrow (Lamar)

* On September 21, 2018, EPA approved Georgia’s request to terminate DRR requirements for ongoing verification for the area

surrounding Plant Scherer.

DRR Reporting - Round 3 Areas – Continued (1)

State Source (County)

Alabama International Paper Prattville Mill (Autauga) Alabama Power Plan Gorgas (Walker)

Florida Crystal River Power Plant (Citrus) Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) Northside Generating Station (NGS)(Duval) Crist Electric Generating Station(Escambia) PCS White Springs (Hamilton) WestRock CP, LLC (Nassau)

Georgia International Paper – Savannah (Chatham) Georgia Power Plant Bowen (Bartow) Georgia-Pacific’s Savannah River Mill and Georgia Power Plant McIntosh (Effingham) Georgia Power Plant Wansley (modeled below 50% of the SO2 NAAQS) (Heard)

Kentucky East Bend (Boone) Ghent (Carroll) Elmer Smith (Davies) Century Aluminum Hawesville (Hancock) Spurlock (Mason) Shawnee Fossil Plant (McCracken) Kentucky Utilities Trimble County Generating Station (Trimble)

* On March 28, 2019, EPA approved Georgia’s request to terminate DRR requirements for ongoing verification for the area surrounding

Plant Wansley.

DRR Reporting - Round 3 Areas – Continued (2)

State Source (County)

Mississippi Red Hills (Choctaw) Plant Daniels (Jackson)

North Carolina Belews (Stokes) Duke Marshall (Catawba) Duke Mayo (Person) Duke Allen (Gaston)

South Carolina IP Eastover & SCG&E Wateree (Richland) Resolute Catawba (York)

Tennessee TVA-Johnsonville (Humphreys) TVA-Allen (Shelby) TVA-Cumberland (Stewart)

Round 4: Region 4 Areas for Designations

• By December 31, 2020 – EPA must complete designations for all remaining areas (based on 2017-2019 monitoring data)

State Facility Name County

Alabama Lhoist North America of Alabama - Montevallo Plant Shelby

Georgia International Paper - Rome Floyd

Kentucky

Robert A. Reid Station/Henderson Municipal Power and Light (HMP&L) Station 2/ Green Station Landfill - Big Rivers Electric Corporation

Webster

Century Aluminum Sebree LLC Henderson

North Carolina

Asheville Steam Electric Plant - Duke Energy Progress, Inc. Buncombe

Canton Mill - Blue Ridge Paper Products Haywood

Roxboro Plant - Duke Energy Progress, LLC Person

Regional Haze

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• 9/11/18: EPA Releases Regional Haze Reform Roadmap to Continue Improving Visibility and Reduce Regulatory Burdens

• Enables efficient, timely, and effective implementation of the Regional Haze program today and in the future oOver the next year, EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation will release a series of

implementation tools and guidance documents that will help focus states’ efforts and reduce and streamline the time and resources needed to meet the statutory and regulatory requirements for reducing regional haze in National Parks, wildlife refuges, and wilderness areas.

o To date, one of the guidance documents, the Regional Haze Technical Guidance, was issued on December 20, 2018. The Agency is assessing the impacts of the government shutdown on the timeframes for the remaining items in the Roadmap.

35

Regional Haze Updates

https://www.epa.gov/visibility

Questions?

Lynorae Benjamin benjamin.lynorae@epa.gov

404-562-9040