Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held on August 27, 2018 at 5:30 PM in Room 574 at 1200 First Street NE, Washington, DC. This hearing provides interested parties an opportunity to comment on a plan by the Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) to submit to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a proposed State Implementation Plan (SIP) Revision for meeting the requirements of Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) set forth by the federal Clean Air Act (CAA); and submission of Motor Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Non-Assembly Line Coating Operations Regulations (MVMERR) (63 DCR 15095) as a federally enforceable measure. Once the District has completed its procedures, the proposed revisions to the SIP will be submitted to EPA for approval.
The CAA requires that states achieve the health-based 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) by specified dates, based on the severity of an area's air quality problem. Furthermore, Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: State Implementation Plan Requirements (80 FR 12264, March 6, 2015) states that areas classified as “moderate” non-attainment for ozone must submit a demonstration that their existing rules fulfill the 8-hour ozone RACT requirements. For the purposes of regulating stationary sources, even though the Washington, DC-MD-VA metropolitan area is designated as a “marginal” ozone nonattainment area, it is required to meet RACT requirements equivalent to those for a “moderate” ozone nonattainment area for the federal 8-hour ozone NAAQS because it is in the Ozone Transport Region established under Section 184 of the CAA. Attaining and maintaining concentrations of ground-level ozone below the health-based standard is important because ozone is a serious human health threat, and also can cause damage to important food crops, forests, and wildlife.
DOEE is certifying through this proposed SIP Revision that the District of Columbia's existing federally-approved SIP meets the CAA RACT requirements in regards to control of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) under the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. DOEE is also submitting the updated MVMERR rule (20 DCMR §§ 714(3)(a)(1), 718, 799) as an amendment to the District’s SIP. The MVMERR rule was updated in 2016 to incorporate the Ozone Transport Commission’s (OTC) 2009 MVMERR Model Rule. (63 DCR 003792, March 11, 2016; 63 DCR 15095, December 9, 2016). A separate public hearing notice is being issued concerning CAA RACT requirements in regards to control of oxides of nitrogen (NOX).
DOEE is seeking public comments on this proposed SIP Revision. Copies of this proposal are available for public review upon request at the DOEE offices on the 5th floor of 1200 First Street NE, Washington DC, 20002 or attached below.
Persons wishing to present testimony at the hearing should furnish their name, address, telephone number, and affiliation, if any, to Alexandra Catena by 4:00 PM, August 27, 2018.
No written comments will be accepted after August 27, 2018. Written comments should be sent to Alexandra Catena, Monitoring and Assessment Branch, Air Quality Division, 1200 First St, NE, Washington, DC 20002. E-mail· comments may be sent to [email protected]. Please use "VOC RACT SIP for 8-Hour Ozone" in the subject line. For more information, call Ms. Catena at (202) 741-0862.
