1 Statement of the Air and Radiation Management Admin istration

Maryland Department of the Environment For the Public Hearing concerning the Baltimore Ser ious Nonattainment Area

0.08 ppm 8-Hour Ozone State Implementation Plan Demonstrating Rate of Progress for 2008, 2011 and 2 012 Revision to 2002 Base Year Emissions; and

Serious Area Attainment Demonstration

July 19, 2013

Good Afternoon. My name is Molly Berger. I am a Na tural Resources Planner in the Planning and Policy Division, Air Quality Planning Program of the Air & Radiation Management Administration, Maryland Department of the Environment.

This public hearing is related to the air quality p lan entitled the Baltimore Serious Nonattainment Area 0.08 ppm 8-Hour Ozone State Implementation Plan Dem onstrating Rate of Progress for 2008, 2011 and 2012

Revision to 2002 Base Year Emissions; and Serious A rea Attainment Demonstration

This public hearing is being held pursuant to feder al law found at 42 U. S. C. § 7410(a) and 40 CFR Pa rts 51.102 and 251. It is also being held in conformanc e with the State Administrative Procedure Act, unde r the State Government Article, beginning at Section 10-101.

Notice of this public hearing appeared on the Maryl and Department of the Environment's website on June 18, 2013, and remained on the website to the date of to day's hearing.

Copies of each of the public hearing notices and th e proposed SIP revision will be part of the formal hearing record. Access to the proposed document was made av ailable via the website of the Maryland Department of the Environment. Hard copies were also available a t the Maryland Department of the Environment

.

The purpose of this hearing is to provide the publi c with an opportunity to formally comment on the proposed document.

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The Clean Air Act was passed in 1970 to protect pub lic health and welfare. Congress amended the Act in 1990 to establish requirements for areas not meetin g the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The Clean Air Act Amendments established a process for evaluating air quality in each region and identifying nonattainment areas according to th e severity of its air pollution problem. The Clean Air Act sets health standards for six ambient pollutant s: carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides

, ozone, lead and particulate matter. The Environment al Protection Agency establishes rules and regulati ons to implement the Clean Air Act.2

On February 1, 2012 (effective March 2, 2012) EPA r eclassified the Baltimore, MD Nonattainment Area

as a “serious” nonattainment area. As a serious n onattainment area for 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), the Baltimore region is required to meet the requirements defined in the Clean Air Act, Section 182 (d) and to submit a revi sed serious area SIP by September 30, 2012. The “serious” nonattainment area requirements include:

• Meet all requirements for moderate nonattainment areas • Adopting state regulations to meet CAA Section 18 2 (d) • Adopt a contingency plan for 2008 Reasonable Furt her Progress (RFP) • Require new or expanding sources to offset increa sed emissions by 1.3:1 • Revise and submit an updated attainment demonstra tion that reflects MOVES-based motor vehicle emissions budgets • Demonstrate 3% per year reasonable further progre ss from 2008-2011 and from 2011-2012 • Adopt contingency measures for failure to make RF P in those periods and • Submit an analysis of Reasonably Available Contro l Measures for the region.

CONSIDERATION OF COMMENTS The Department will consider all pertinent comments , and revise the proposed plan if necessary, before making a final decision to adopt the plan and submi t it to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fo r approval as a Maryland State Implementation Plan. Oral and written comments may be presented at this hearing. The 30-day public comment period that beg an on June 18, 2013, for receipt of all comments to the plan will close at 5:00 PM today.