NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
ON AIR QUALITY ISSUES
Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held on Wednesday, February 20, 2013, at 5:30 p.m. in Room 555 at 1200 First Street NE, 5th Floor, in Washington, D.C. 20002. This hearing provides interested parties an opportunity to comment on the District of Columbia’s (District) proposed redesignation request and maintenance plan for the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) 1997 annual national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). Once the District has completed its procedures, the documents will be submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval as a revision to its State Implementation Plan (SIP) at 40 CFR Part 52 Subpart J, pursuant to the provisions of § 107 of the federal Clean Air Act (CAA).
PM2.5 ambient air quality has improved in the Washington DC-MD-VA nonattainment area since the area was designated as being in nonattainment of the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS. The area is currently operating under a clean data determination (74 Fed. Reg. 1146, January 12, 2009). The District, the State of Maryland, and the Commonwealth of Virginia are requesting that EPA concurrently approve, as a SIP revision for each state, the related CAA § 175A maintenance plan. The maintenance plan ensures that good PM2.5 air quality will be maintained through 2025. The plan also demonstrates that PM2.5 air quality in the Washington DC-MD-VA area will remain compliant with the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS, as measured by a monitoring network that meets all federal requirements.
Copies of the proposed redesignation request and maintenance plan are available for public review during normal business hours at the offices of the District Department of the Environment (DDOE), 1200 First Street NE, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20002.
Interested parties wishing to testify at this hearing must submit in writing their names, addresses, telephone numbers and affiliation, if any, to Mr. William Bolden at the DDOE address above or at [email protected] by 4:00 p.m. on February 20, 2013. Interested parties may also submit written comments to Ms. Jessica Daniels, Monitoring and Assessment Branch, Air Quality Division, DDOE, at the same address or by email at [email protected]. Questions about this SIP revision should be directed to Mr. Rama S. Tangirala by phone at (202) 535-2989 or email [email protected], or Ms. Daniels at (202) 741-0862 or [email protected]. No comments will be accepted after February 20, 2013.
