Matthew Rodriquez 

Secretary for 

Environmental Protection 

June 1, 2015 

Mr. Jared Blumenfeld 

Regional Administrator 

Region 9 

Air Resources Board 

Mary D. Nichols, Chairman 

1001 I Street• P.O. Box 2815 

Sacramento, California 95812 • www.arb.ca.gov 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

75 Hawthorne Street 

San Francisco, California 94105 

Dear Mr. Blumenfeld: 

Edmund G. Brown Jr. 

Governor 

Between February 2013 and May 2014, the Air Resources Board (ARB) submitted to 

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) the amended Prevention of 

Significant Deterioration (PSD) rules of five California air pollution control districts 

(districts) to be considered as revisions to the California State Implementation Plan 

(SIP) identified in Enclosure A. To date, U.S. EPA has not taken action on these 

submittals. 

In the June 2014 decision of Utility Air Regulatory Group v. U.S. EPA (No. 12-1146), the 

U.S. Supreme Court stated that U.S. EPA may not consider greenhouse gases as an air 

pollutant for purposes of determining whether a pollution source is a major source and 

therefore required to obtain a PSD permit. As a result, the districts listed in Enclosure A 

request withdrawal of the portions of their rules that incorporate by reference 

40 CFR 52 21(b)(49)(v), which considers greenhouse gases as an air pollutant, from 

their pending PSD rule submittals. The withdrawal of this provision from the rules listed 

in Enclosure A will make the rules consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court decision and 

allow U.S. EPA to take action on the pending submittals. 

The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. 

For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website: http://www.arb.ca.gov. 

California Environmental Protection Agency 

Printed on Recycled Paper 
Mr. Jared Blumenfeld 

June 1, 2015 

Page 2 

If you have any questions, please have your staff contact Ms. Karen Magliano, Chief, 

Air Quality Planning and Science Division, at (916) 322-5350 or by email at 

Karen.Magliano@arb.ca.qov. 

Sincerely, 

~ lL/. 

~hardW~y Executive Officer 

Enclosure(s) 

cc: Mr. W. James Wagoner 

Air Pollution Control Officer 

Butte County Air Quality Management District 

629 Entler Avenue, Suite 15 

Chico, California 95928 

Mr. Christopher Brown, AICP 

Air Pollution Control Officer 

Feather River Air Quality Management District 

1007 Live Oak Boulevard, Suite B-3 

Yuba City, California 95991 

Mr. Theodore D. Schade 

Air Pollution Control Officer 

Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District 

157 Short Street 

Bishop, California 93514 

Mr. Larry R. Allen 

Air Pollution Control Officer 

San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District 

3433 Roberto Court 

San Luis Obispo, California 93401 

Mr. David Van Mullem 

Air Pollution Control Officer 

Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District 

260 North San Antonio Road, Suite A 

Santa Barbara, California 93110 

Ms. Karen Magliano, Chief 

Air Quality Planning and Science Division 
Mr. Jared Blumenfeld 

June 1, 2015 

Page 3 

bee: Christina Morkner Brown, OLA 

Sylvia Vanderspek, AQPS 

Carol Sutkus, AQPS 

Austin Hicks, AQPS 

Monica Lewis, AQPS 

Mr. Andy Steckel, Chief 

Rulemaking Office (Air-4) 

Region 9 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

75 Hawthorne Street 

San Francisco, California 94105 

Ms. Lisa Beckham 

Permits Office (Air-3) 

Region 9 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

75 Hawthorne Street 

San Francisco, California 94105 

Mr. Alan Abbs 

Executive Director 

California Air Pollution Control 

Officers Association 

1107 Ninth Street, Suite 210 

Sacramento, California 95814 

EO Chron (with Enclosures) 

AQPS Chron (with Enclosures) 

Assignment: AQPS #9447 I ARB #19001 

B:\RULES\CARB yyyy-mm-dd\PSD Rule Provision Withdrawal Letters\Submittal Letter.doc 
Date: April xx, 2015 

California Environmental Protection Agency 

AIR RESOURCES BOARD 

Enclosure A 

District Rules Submitted as Revisions to the 

State of California Implementation Plan for Achieving 

and Maintaining the National Ambient Air Quality Standards 

District 

Butte County 

AQMD 

Feather River 

AQMD 

Great Basin 

Unified APCD 

San Luis Obispo 

County APCD 

Santa Barbara 

County APCD 

Rule 

Number· 

1107 

Section 3 

10.10 

Section C 

221 

Section C 

220 

Section C 

810 

Section C 

Date Adopted 

or Title 

Amended 

06/28/12 Prevention of Significant 

Deterioration Permits 

08/01/11 Prevention of Significant 

Deterioration 

09/05/12 Prevention of Significant 

Deterioration 

01/22/14 Federal Prevention of 

Significant Deterioration 

(Amended) 

06/20/13 Federal Prevention of 

Significant Deterioration 

(Amended) 

B:\RULES\CARB yyyy-mm-dd\PSD Rule Provision Withdrawal Letters\Submittal Letter - Enclosure A. doc