STATEOFMARYLANDOFFICEOFTHEGOVERNORNovember20,2015ShawnM.GarvinRegionalAdministratorU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyRegionIll(3RAOO)1650ArchStreetPhiladelphia,PA19103-2029DearMr.Garvin:LARRYHOGANGOVERNORSTATEHOUSE100STATECIRCLEANNAPOLIS,MARYLAND21401-1925(410)974-3901(TOLLFREE)1-800-811-8336TTYUSERSCALLVIAMDRELAYThankyouforyourlettertoMarylandDepartmentoftheEnvironment(MDE)SecretaryBenGrumblesonMarch20,2015.TheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)notifiedMarylandofthesettlementagreementbetweentheEPA,SierraClubandtheNaturalResourcesDefenseCounciloverthenewsulfurdioxide(S02)standardandtheaggressivescheduleincludedinthatagreement.MarylandappreciatestheopportunitytopresenttheEPAwitharecommendationforthedesignationofareasunderthe2010primary,1-hourNationalAmbientAirQualityStandard(NAAQS)forSO:.MarylandrecommendsthatEPAdesignatetheHerbertA.WagnerGeneratingPlant("Wagner")areaas"attainment"withrespecttothenewstandard.Between2007and2010,Marylandpowergeneratorsinvestedanestimated$2billioninairpollutioncontrolstoreduceemissions.AsshowninAttachments1and2,thesereductionsinS02emissionsresultedindramaticreductionsin1-hourSOzconcentrationsacrosstheState.Asummer2013airmonitoringstudyregarding1-hourS02levelsaroundtheWagnerareashowsthatSOzlevelsaregenerallybelowthenewstandard.Attachment3summarizesthedatafromthe2013airmonitoringstudy.AsshowninAttachment4,preliminaryairqualitymodelingalsodemonstratesthattheWagnerareacanattainthenewSOzstandard.Inmid-April2015,theownersoftheWagnerfacility,RavenPower,begantousealowersulfurcoalatWagnerunitnumber2asamethodofcompliancewiththefederallyenforceableMercuryandAirToxicsStandards.Modelingcurrentemissions,adjustedforthereducedsulfurcontentofthenewcoal,resultsinS02concentrationsbelowthenewstandard.ShawnM.GarvinRegionalAdministratorPage2AsEPAknows,thiskindoftechnicalmodelinganalysisiscomplicatedandtakessignificanttimeandresourcestocomplete.Becauseofthelate,March20'hnotification,thefinalmodelinganalysiswillbesubmittedasexpeditiouslyaspossibleunderseparatecoverbyMDESecretaryGrumbles.Inearly2016,RavenPowerwillalsobeaddingadrysorbentinjection(DSI)systemtounitnumber3attheWagnerfacilitytocomplywiththeMercuryandAirToxicsStandards.DSIcontroltechnologycanalsohelpreduceS02emissions.ThemodelingdescribedinAttachment5willcapturethebenefitsfromboththe2015and2016emissionreductioneffortsattheWagnerplant.Marylandisnotmakingadesignationareaboundaryrecommendationatthistime.Marylandrecognizes,though.thatthisdesignationrecommendationsubmittalisonlythefirststepintheS02designationprocessandlooksforwardtoworkingwiththeEPAandMarylandstakeholdersduringtheremainingstepsoftheprocess.MarylandisrequestingroutinecoordinationcallswithEPAonissuesrelatedtothedesignationoftheWagnerarea.Formoredetails,pleaseseeAttachment6,whichisatimeline.PleasenotethatMaryland'ssubmissionofthisdesignationrecommendationletterisconsistentwith§107(d)(1)oftheCleanAirAct.ItisalsoconsistentwithConsentDecree,CaseNo.3:13-cv-03953-SI,SierraClubandNaturalResourcesDefenseCouncilv.GinaMcCarthy,Administrator,UnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgency.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutthissubmission,pleasedonothesitatetocontactBenGrumbles,Secretary,MarylandDepartmentoftheEnvironmentat410-537-3084.cc:BenGrumbles,Secretary,MarylandDepartmentoftheEnvironmentEnclosures