NA 

NCDENR 

North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources 

Beverly Eaves Perdue 

Governor 

Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming 

Regional Administrator 

USEP A, Region 4 

Sam Nunn Federal Center 

61 Forsyth Street, SW 

Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960 

Dear Ms. Fleming: 

Division of Air Quality 

Sheila C. Holman 

Director 

July 10, 2012 

Dee Freeman 

Secretary 

This letter is to request the conditional approval of the 2006 Fine Particulate Matter (PM25) 

National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) infrastructure State Implementation Plan (SIP) 

submittal for the Clean Air Act (CAA) Sections 110(a)(2)(C) and (J) dealing with Prevention of 

Significant Deterioration (PSD). 

North Carolina previously submitted amendments to its state PSD rules to incorporate 

significant levels for PM25 ; however, the rule revision previously submitted to meet this 

requirement contained an alternative significant level of 140 tons per year for the precursor 

nitrogen oxides (NOx) based on modeling and monitoring data. In reviewing North Carolina's 

submittal, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 has determined that while the 

Clean Air Fine Particle Implementation Rule allows for a demonstration that NOx is not 

significant precursor to formation of PM2.5, there is not an allowance to establish an alternative 

significant level for PSD. Therefore, North Carolina is in the process of revising its state rule to 

reflect the 40 tons per year significant level required in the implementation rule. In recent 

discussions, EPA Region 4 staff have also communicated that North Carolina needs to adopt the 

2006 PM2.5 increments into its rules as they are also required minimum SIP elements. 

Since these required SIP elements are being incorporated in the same state rule, to meet the 

requirements of North Carolina's Administrative Procedures Act the revisions are being pursued in 

the same rulemaking action. The schedule for the rule revisions is as follows: 

• Draft Rule to Air Quality Committee 

• Request to Proceed to Hearing to EMC 

• Start of Public Comment 

• Close of Public Comment 

• EMC Adoption 

• Rules Review Commission Approval 

• Effective Date (if 10 or more letters of 

objection are not received) 

1641 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1641 

217 West Jones Street Rale1gh, NC 27603 

Phone 919-707-8401/ FAX 919-715-0718/lnternet: www.ncair.org 

An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer 

September 12, 2012 

November 7, 2012 

December 3, 2012 

February 1, 2013 

March 14, 2013 

April 18, 2013 

May 1, 2013 

N~rth Carolina 

/Vatura/1!1 
Ms. Fleming 

July 10, 2012 

Page 2 

North Carolina commits to submit these revisions to the PSD rules within one year of EPA's 

conditional approval of the 2006 PM25 infrastructure SIP regarding CAA Sections llO(a)(2)(C) 

and (J). Once these revisions are submitted, the requirements of Section 110(a)(2)(C) and (J) will 

be satisfied. If you should have any questions regarding this SIP revision, please contact Joelle 

Burleson of my staff at (919)707 -8720. 

SCH/jbb 

cc: Michael Abraczinskas 

Sushma Masemore 

Laura Boothe 

Joelle Burleson 

Scott Davis 

Lynorae Benjamin 

Sincerely, 

Sheila C. Holman