Kathleen Hartnett Whlte, Chuirnlun 

R. 0. "Ralph" Marquez, Conlnlissioner 

Larry R. Soward, Cop172isskiner 

Glenn Shankle, Execufi~~e Direcfor 

Docket No. 2005-0877-SIP 

Protecting Texas by Reducing a77d Preventing Pollution 

January 20,2006 

Mr. Richard Greene, Regional Administrator 

U.S. Eilvironnleiltal Protection Agency, Region 6 

1445 Ross Avenue 

Dallas, Texas 75202-2733 

Dear Mayor Greene: 

On January 1 1, 2006, the Texas Commission on.Environinental Quality (Commission) adopted revisions to the 

State Iinple~nentation Plan (SIP) for the ~ontrol of ozone air pollution in the El Paso County Region. 

The adopted revision to the ozone SIP includes a tell year maintenance plan, consistent with requireillents in 

$1 lO(a)(l) of the Federal Clean Air Act. 

On December 4, 2002, this cominission adopted revisions to the Inspection and Maintenance (VM) Program 

SIP and rules (30 TAC $1 14.50(a)(5)). These revisions were subsequeiltly submitted to EPA where they are 

awaiting federal action. However, recent changes to the VM program rules and SIP adopted on October 26, 

2005, have made parts of the December 4, 2002 subinittal obsolete. By letter of July 19, 2005, EPA requested 

that the commission withdraw the December 4, 2002 submittal that nloved on-board diagnostic (OBD) testing 

to a contiilgeilcy measure. The co~~~mission asksthe EPA not to act on the December 4, 2002 revisions made to 

30 TAC $1 14.50(a)(5)(A) and 30 TAC $1 14.50(a)(5)(B), and the following language in Chapter 2 of that 

adopted I/M SIP revisioil (the ilarrative la~lguage below is substantially siinilar to the wording of 30 TAC 

$1 14.5O(a)(5)(B)): 

In the event that the coinlnission publishes notification in the Texas Register of a detennination that 

contingency measures are necessary ul order to maintain attainment of the NAAQS in the El Paso area, the 

following contingency measures will become effective 12 months after the notice is published: 

(i) All 1996 and newer inodel year vehicles equipped with OBD systems will be tested using 

EPA-approved OBD test procedures; 

(ii) All pre-1996 model year vehicles will be tested using a TSI test; and. 

(iii) All vehicle en~issions inspection statiolls in the El Paso program area will offer both the 

TSI test and OBD test. 

Prior to the rule changes and I/M SIP revision adopted on December 4, 2002, two-speed idle (TSI) testing was 

to continue and OBD testing was scheduled to commence in El Paso in 2003. The rule change aild VM SIP 

revision adopted on October 26, 2005 require TSI testing to conti~lue and OBD testing to commence in El Paso 

in January 2007. Therefore, the December 4, 2002 changes to 30 TAC $114.50(a)(5), and the portion of the 

I/M SIP narrative quoted above that discusses the conversion of OBD and TS1 testing to contingency measures 

P.O. Box 13087 Austin, Texas 78711-3087 5121239-1000 Internet address: ~ww.tceq.state.tx.us 
Texas Coln~nission on Environmental Quality 

Page 2 

Re: January 1 l, 2006, El Paso Ozo~ie SIP 

in El Paso, are unnecessary and have been superseded. The co~~iniission therefore requests that those changes 

be withdrawn from consideration for approval into the El Paso I/M program and SIP. 

Enclosed are the adopted ozone SIP revision ~larrative, public hearing eel-tification, complete record of the 

public hearings, and the accompanying order. [ look forward to your expeditious approval of this SIP revision. 

atl~leen Hartnett White 

Enclosures 

cc: The Honorable Rick Perry, Governor of Texas 

Mr. Zak Covar, Governor's Advisor, Department of Budget, Planning and Policy, Office of the Governor 

Mr. Glenn Shankle, Executive Director, Texas Commission on Envirollmental Quality