Public Notice

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency

Redesignation and Maintenance Plan for the Columbus, Ohio

Ozone Nonattainment Area

Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Knox, Licking, and Madison Counties

Notice is hereby given that the Director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, 

(Ohio EPA) is requesting that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. 

EPA) revise the current air quality designation for the Columbus, Ohio area; Delaware, 

Fairfield, Franklin, Knox, Licking and Madison counties to attainment with respect to the 

2008 eight-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). Air quality 

monitoring data collected between 2012 and 2014 in the region demonstrated

attainment of the NAAQS and there was evidence that the improved air quality is due to 

permanent, enforceable emission reductions. In addition, existing requirements are 

sufficient to maintain the 2008 eight-hour ozone standard in this area at least ten years 

into the future. Projected emissions and computer models show that existing state and 

federal emission reduction requirements are sufficient to attain and maintain the 

NAAQS in the Columbus area. Therefore, Ohio EPA proposes to utilize existing 

emission inventory information and projections of future emissions as the demonstration 

of the ability to maintain the NAAQS in the Columbus area in the future.

The Columbus area is currently designated as nonattainment for the 2008 ozone

standard. As part of an acceptable maintenance plan, Ohio EPA is required to develop 

a contingency plan to provide for additional emission reductions if a violation of the

NAAQS is monitored after the area has been redesignated. The plan which Ohio EPA is

proposing to U.S. EPA as part of this redesignation contains reductions which will help 

alleviate the ambient problem until a revised SIP can be developed. 

The State of Ohio proposes to:

1. Request the U.S. EPA redesignate the Columbus area to attainment with respect 

to the 2008 ozone NAAQS and revise the maintenance plan. This request will 

document that existing enforceable control measures are responsible for the 

observed improvement in air quality.

2. Designate existing controls as sufficient to maintain the NAAQS into the future.

3. Commit to the proposed contingency plan.

These actions must be noticed to allow public comment and to satisfy U.S. EPA 

requirements for public involvement in SIP related activities. This notice addresses 

Ohio EPA’s reliance on the emission projections as evidence of attainment and 

maintenance and the commitment to institute contingency measures if ambient 

exceedances or violations trigger the contingency plan requirements. Written comments 

will be received on or before June 2, 2016 at the following address:
E-mail: erica.fettydavis@epa.ohio.gov

Mailing address: Erica Fetty

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, DAPC

Lazarus Government Center

P.O. Box 1049

Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049

Phone: (614) 644-2310

Pursuant to Section 119.03 of the Ohio Revised Code, a public hearing on this 

redesignation request will be conducted as follows: June 2, 2016 at 3:00 P.M., Ohio 

EPA Lazarus Government Center, located at 50 West Town Street, Suite 700,

Columbus, Ohio 43215. 

All interested persons are entitled to attend or be represented at the hearings and give 

written or oral comments on these changes. All oral comments presented at the 

hearing, and all written statements submitted at the hearing or to the above address by 

the close of business on June 2, 2016 will be considered by Ohio EPA prior to final 

action on this redesignation. Written statements submitted after June 2, 2016 may be 

considered as time and circumstances permit, but will not be part of the official record of 

the hearing.

This redesignation and maintenance request is available on Ohio EPA DAPC’s Web 

page for electronic downloading at: http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dapc/SIP/2008.aspx. 

Questions regarding accessing the web site should be directed to Paul Braun at 614-

644-3734; other questions or comments about this document should be directed to 

either Erica Fetty, (614)-644-2310, Erica.FettyDavis@epa.ohio.gov or Jennifer Van 

Vlerah at (614) 644-3696, Jennifer.VanVlerah@epa.ohio.gov or mailed to Erica Fetty or 

Jennifer Van Vlerah at the above address.
Fraley, Cooper & Associates (800)852-6163 (614)228-0018

BEFORE THE OHIO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

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In Re: Draft Ozone Columbus Ozone

 Redesignation Hearing 

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 PROCEEDINGS

Before Darla Peelle, Public Information Officer, 

at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, 50 

West Town Street, Conference Room A, Columbus, 

Ohio, on Thursday, June 2, 2016, at 3:00 P.M.

 - - -
Fraley, Cooper & Associates (800)852-6163 (614)228-0018

Page 2

1 Thursday Afternoon,

2 June 2, 2016.

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4 MS. PEELLE: My name is Darla 

5 Peelle, I am a Public Information Officer at the 

6 Ohio EPA. One of my jobs is to facilitate and 

7 moderate public hearings. So I will be 

8 presiding over today's meeting.

9 Thank you for taking time to attend 

10 this hearing before Ohio EPA. The purpose of 

11 the hearing today is to obtain comments from any 

12 interested person regarding the redesignation 

13 request that covers the Columbus 8-hour ozone 

14 nonattainment area in Delaware, Fairfield, 

15 Franklin, Knox, Licking and Madison counties. 

16 Air quality data collected between 

17 2012 and 2014 demonstrates the area is now 

18 meeting the 8-hour ozone national ambient air 

19 quality standard and that the standard is being 

20 met due to permanent, enforceable emission 

21 reductions. Projects and computer modeling 

22 indicate the area can continue to meet the 2008 

23 ozone standard for at least the next 10 years. 

24 Ohio also is requesting that the 
Fraley, Cooper & Associates (800)852-6163 (614)228-0018

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1 U.S. EPA approve the state's maintenance plan 

2 for this area. The plan includes actions that 

3 can be taken to achieve additional emission 

4 reductions if the ozone standard is not achieved 

5 after the area is redesignated.

6 All interested persons are entitled 

7 to attend or be represented, and to present oral 

8 and/or written comments concerning the proposed 

9 redesignation. All written and oral comments 

10 received as part of the official record will be 

11 considered by the Director of Ohio EPA before a 

12 final decision is made.

13 To be included in the official 

14 record, written comments must be received by 

15 Ohio EPA by the close of business today, 

16 Thursday, June 2, 2016. These comments may be 

17 filed with me today or e-mailed to Erica Fetty 

18 Davis at erica.fetty@epa.state.oh.us or Jennifer 

19 Van Vlerah at jennifer.vanvlerah@epa.ohio.gov. 

20 All written comments submitted for the record 

21 receive the same consideration as oral testimony 

22 that's given today.

23 Written statements submitted after 

24 today may be considered as time and 
Fraley, Cooper & Associates (800)852-6163 (614)228-0018

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1 circumstances permit, but will not be part of 

2 the official record of today's hearing.

3 If you would like to provide 

4 testimony please let me know at this time. 

5 Seeing that no one wishes to provide 

6 testimony at this time, the time is now 3:02 and

7 we will go off record until 3:30 P.M. 

8 (RECESS TAKEN)

9 (At 3:40 P.M. the hearing was 

10 concluded after no one appeared at the hearing 

11 to give testimony)

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Fraley, Cooper & Associates (800)852-6163 (614)228-0018

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1 CERTIFICATE

2 I do hereby certify that the foregoing 

is a true and correct transcript of the 

3 proceedings taken by me in this matter on June 

2, 2016, and carefully compared with my original 

4 stenographic notes.

5

 __________________________

6 Michael O. Spencer,

 Registered Professional

7 Reporter.

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Division of Air Pollution Control

Response to Comments

Ohio’s 8-Hour 2008 Ozone Standard Draft Redesignation Request and 

Maintenance Plan for the Columbus, OH Nonattainment Area

Agency Contacts for this Project

Erica Fetty, Division of Air Pollution Control, 614-644-2310, 

erica.fettydavis@epa.ohio.gov

Overall Concerns

Comment 1: The following is a summary of comments received by the 

Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC). The full 

set of comments has been attached to the end of this 

Response to Comment document. 

MORPC supports the request that the US EPA revise the 

current air quality designation for the Columbus, Ohio area 

(Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Knox, Licking and Madison 

counties) to attainment for the 2008 eight-hour ozone 

national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). 

“The region has recorded three years of quality-assured 

ambient air pollution data (2012-2014) demonstrating 

attainment of the eight-hour ozone standard. This period of 

ozone NAAQS attainment supports a Redesignation from 

marginal nonattainment to attainment for the 2008 eight-hour 

standard based on the requirements laid out in Section 

Ohio EPA held a public hearing in Columbus, OH on June 2, 2016, regarding the 

2008 8-Hour Ozone Standard Draft Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan 

for the Columbus, OH Nonattainment Area. This document summarizes the 

comments and questions received at the public hearing and during the associated 

comment period, which ended on June 2, 2016.

Ohio EPA reviewed and considered all comments received during the public 

comment period. By law, Ohio EPA has authority to consider specific issues related 

to protection of the environment and public health.

In an effort to help you review this document, the questions are grouped by topic and 

organized in a consistent format. The name of the commenter follows the comment. 
Page 2 of 2

107(d)(3)(E) of the Clean Air Act.” (William Murdock, 

Executive Director, MORPC)

Response 1: Thank you for your comments and support of the 

redesignation of the Columbus area to attainment for the 

2008 Ozone NAAQS. 

End of Response to Comments