Posted on September 5, 2017 by David Flannery
At a time when the international transport of air pollutants is squarely before the DC Circuit in connection with the challenge to the Cross State Air Pollution Rule Update (State of Wisconsin, et al v. EPA, Case No. 16-1406) there is new information confirming that “but for” international transport, every air quality monitor in the nation would be achieving compliance with both the 2008 and 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (“NAAQS”) for ozone Assessment of International Transport and Improved Ozone Air Quality
In November 2016, EPA proposed a rule addressing implementation of the 2015 ozone NAAQS in which it requested comments on whether the international transport provisions of Section 179B of the federal Clean Air Act should be limited to nonattainment areas adjoining international borders. Section 179B allows a state which is not in attainment with the ozone NAAQS to seek relief from certain implementation requirements of the Clean Air Act if it can show that the NAAQS would be met “but for” international emissions. Among those responding to this request for comments, the State of North Carolina noted that “contribution from sources outside of the U.S. has become more prominent in the overall ozone profile for many areas” and that “transport of ozone is well documented and not restricted to impacting only areas adjacent to Canada or Mexico.” http://www.csg.org/aapca_site/news/documents/NorthCarolinaDEQ-2-13-2017.pdf
In his letter of June 6, 2017 EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt extended the deadline for promulgating designations related to the 2015 ozone NAAQS by 1 year and in doing so, identified international transport as one of the complex issues that EPA would review during the extension period (https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-06/documents/az_ducey_6-6-17.pdf). However, in its Federal Register notice published on August 10, 2017, EPA withdrew its announced 1-year extension of the deadline for promulgating initial area designations for the 2015 ozone NAAQS (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/08/10/2017-16901/withdrawal-of-extension-of-deadline-for-promulgating-designations-for-the-2015-ozone-national). The notice of withdrawal of the 1-year extension makes no specific mention of international transport, although the notice offers the following statement:
The EPA has continued to discuss and work with states concerning designations, and now understands that the information gaps that formed the basis of the extension may not be as expansive as we previously believed.
While, as noted above, it is becoming increasingly clear that “but for” international emissions every monitor in the nation would be complying with ozone NAAQS requirements, the implementation of that conclusion is for the moment, at least, blowing in the winds of regulatory change.
Tags: National Ambient Air Quality Standards