EPA Preliminary Designations for the 24-hour PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard

Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee(AQTAC)

September 18, 2008

Tim Leon Guerrero

EPA Preliminary Designations for the 24-hour PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard

Background PA DEP’s proposed PM2.5 Designations 2007 Annual and 24-Hour Design Values EPA Preliminary Designations

Knowlton Township in Warren County, NJ Mercer County, PA State College, PA

PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards

PM2.5 NAAQS promulgated by EPA in 1997. Annual standard – 15 ug/m3

Twenty-four hour standard – 65 ug/m3

EPA designated 17 counties and 4 partial counties in PA as nonattainment areas for the annual PM2.5 standard; effective on April 5, 2005.

Attainment demonstrations were due to EPA in April 2008. PA DEP and Allegheny County Health

Department working on SIP submittals. SIP submittals affected by CAIR vacatur.

States must attain the annual standard by April 2010.

PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards

On October 17, 2006—EPA lowered the 24-hour PM2.5 standard to 35 μg/m3.

December 28, 2007— The Commonwealth submitted designation recommendations to EPA.

August 20, 2008 —EPA’s responds to states’ designation recommendations.

December 18, 2008 —EPA issues final 24-hour PM2.5 designations.

PM2.5 Nonattainment Area Recommendations

The Department tried to maintain consistency between the current annual PM2.5 nonattainment areas and its recommendations for the 24-hour PM2.5 standard.

Most of the current annual nonattainment areas do not meet the revised 24-hour standard; two additional areas meet the annual but not the revised 24-hr standard (State College, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton) in 2006.

A total of 20 counties and 3 partial counties do not attain the revised 24-hour PM2.5 standard (44 counties attain and parts of 3 counties attain).

Recommendation package available on the Department’s website:http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/aq/attain/recommendations.htm

EPA RecommendationsAugust 2008

August 19, 2008: EPA Modifications to State and Tribal Recommendations for Areas Not Meeting the 24-Hour Fine Particle Standard Established in 2006

See; http://www.epa.gov/pmdesignations/ Changes from PA DEP’s December 2007 Recommended 24-

Hour PM2.5 Nonattainment Areas EPA did not include Knowlton Twp, Mercer County, NJ in the Allentown-

Bethlehem-Easton Nonattainment Area (NJ DEP). State College classified as Attainment (2007 24-hr PM2.5 Design Value

≤ 35.0 ug/m3). Mercer County (part of the Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA) classified as

“unclassifiable” due to data completeness considerations (EPA Technical Analysis).

Monongahela Township in Greene County is included in the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley Nonattainment area (consistent with 1997 nonattainment area boundaries)

Reading Nonattainment Area’s 2007 design values may not be valid due to monitor relocations. Valid design values from the current monitor location may not be complete until 2010.

Milestone 1997 PM2.5 Primary NAAQS 2006 PM2.5 Primary NAAQS

Promulgation of Standard July 1997 Sep. 2006

Effective Date of Standard

Sep. 1997 Dec. 18, 2006

State Recommendations to EPA

Feb. 2004(based on 2001-2003 monitoring data)

Dec. 18, 2007 (based on 2004-2006 monitoring data)

Final Designations Signature

Dec. 2004 No later than Dec. 18, 2008*

Effective Date of Designations

April 2005 Typically no later than 90 days after publication in the Federal Register

SIPs Due April 2008 3 years after effective date of designations

Attainment Date April 2010 (based on 2007-2009 monitoring data)

No later than 5 years after effective date of designations

Attainment Date with Extension

Up to April 2015 No later than 10 years from effective date of designations

* In the event the Administrator has insufficient information to promulgate the designations by December 18, 2008, the date of final designations may be extended up to one year, but no later than December 18, 2009.

PM2.5 Timelines