NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
ON AIR QUALITY ISSUES
Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held on Monday, October 25, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. The public hearing will be held using teleconferencing, which allows for both a video and voice over internet protocol (VOIP) connection
Weblink: https://dcnet.webex.com/dcnet/j.php?MTID=m0cb5052bc561f6abda6696eb19d001cf
and phone line connection: Call-in Number: +1 (650) 479-3208
Access Code: 2318 110 0369 and Password: AQS123.
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) for sources of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs); and publication of DOEE’s proposed of Screen Printing Regulations, which is being proposed concurrently 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 EPA designated the District as a Marginal Nonattainment Area for the 2015 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) after promulgation of the revised standards established at 0.070 parts per million (ppm) effective on August 3, 2018 (83 Fed. Reg. 25776, June 4, 2018). Furthermore, Implementation of the 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: State Implementation Plan Requirements (83 FR 62998, December 6, 2018) states that areas classified as “moderate” non-attainment for ozone must submit a certification 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 VOCs under the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS, with the exception of the requirements for Screen Printing sources. DOEE is also submitting updated Screen Printing Regulations published concurrently as an amendment to the District’s SIP. 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 the proposed SIP revision are available in the attachments section below.
Interested parties wishing to testify at this hearing must submit, in writing, their name, address, telephone number and affiliation to Air Quality Division (AQD), Department Of Energy and Environment at the address: 1200 First Street, NE, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20002, or email Mr. Joseph Jakuta at [email protected] by 4:00 p.m. on October 25, 2021. Interested parties may also submit written comments to AQD’s Monitoring and Assessment Branch at the same address or by email to Mr. Joseph Jakuta at [email protected]. Questions can be directed to Mr. Joseph Jakuta at [email protected] or by phone at 202-669-5817. No comments will be accepted after October 25, 2021.
