MDE 

MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT 

1800 Washington Boulevard • Baltimore MD 21230 

Martin O'Malley 

Governor 

410-537-3000. 1-800-633-6101 

Anthony G. Brown 

Lieutenant Governor 

June 21, 2012 

Mr. Shawn M. Garvin 

Regional Administrator . 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III 

1650 Arch Street (3RAOO) 

Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029 

Dear Mr. Garvin: 

Robert M. Summers, Ph.D. 

Secretary 

JUN 2 9 2012 

EPA. REGION Ill 

OffiCBOfREGIONAL. ADMINI~'TRATOR 

RECEIVED 

JUl2 ~ 2012 

Division Director (3APOO) 

On June 6, 2008, Maryland officially requested EPA approval of the "Baltimore Nonattainment Area 

PM2.5 State Implementation Plan and Base Year Inventor" state implementation plan (SIP) revision. 

The plan revision demonstrated the improvements made to the air quality in the Baltimore, Maryland 

Nonattainment Area ("the Area") and the efforts taken to achieve the 1997 national ambient air quality 

standards (NAAQS) for PM2.5 by 2009. This SIP revision for the Baltimore, MD Area included the 

following: (i) the attainment plan, (ii) analysis of reasonably available control measures, (iii) attainment 

demonstration, (iv) contingency plans for failure to attain the air quality standard, (v) mobile source 

budgets, and (vi) the base year 2002 air pollutant emissions inventory. 

Since then air quality has significantly improved in the Baltimore, MD Area. On May 22, 2012 (77 FR 

30208), EPA determined that the Area had attained the NAAQS and issued a clean data determination 

for the Area. This determination suspended the requirements for the State of Maryland to submit 

attainment demonstrations and associated reasonably available control measures, reasonable further 

progress plans, contingency measures, and other planning SIPs related to attainment of the PM2.5 

NAAQS in the Area. The purpose of this letter is to withdraw these portions of the June 6, 2008, 

submittal. 

Specifically, the State of Maryland hereby withdraws the (i) attainment plan, (ii) analysis of reasonably 

available control measures, (iii) attainment demonstration, (iv) contingency plans for failure to attain the 

air quality standard, and (v) mobile source budgets, all of which were submitted on June 6, 2008. To 

ensure that Maryland has met the requirements of Section 172(c)(3) of the Clean Air Act regarding 

inventory submittals, the State is not requesting the withdrawal of the base year 2002 air pollutant 

emissions inventory, which comprised Chapter 3 and Appendix A of the original June 6, 2008, SIP 

submission. 

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Mr. Shawn M. Garvin, Regional Administrator 

Page2 

On a related matter, Maryland is developing a redesignation request and maintenance plan for the 

Baltimore, Maryland Area with respect to the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS. This request and plan, which will 

contain mobile vehicle emissions budgets developed using MOVES2010, is expected to be ready for 

final submittal to EPA later in 2012. 

If you have any questions regarding this letter or require additional information, please contact 

Mr. George (Tad) S. Aburn, Jr., Director of the Air and Radiation Management Administration at 

410-537-3255, or by email, at gaburn@mde.state.md.us. 

Sincerely, 

/1tl7};(~ Robert M. Summers, Ph.D. 

Secretary 

cc: Diana Esher, Director, Air Protection Division, EPA Region III 

George (Tad) S. Aburn, Jr., Director, Air and Radiation Management 

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