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Statement of the Air and Radiation Management Administration 

Maryland Department of the Environment 

For the Public Hearing Concerning the infrastructure State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the 

Revised Lead (Pb) Standard 

Held on December 5, 2012 

Lead (Pb) SIP 

Good morning. My name is Jim Wilkinson. I am a Planner in the Air Quality Planning Division, Air 

Quality Planning Program of the Air & Radiation Management Administration, Maryland Department of 

Environment. 

This public hearing is related to the air quality plan titled the infrastructure SIP for the Revised Lead (Pb) 

standard. 

This public hearing is being held pursuant to federal law found at 42 U. S. C. § 7410(a) and 40 CFR Parts 

51.102 and 251. It is also being held in conformance with the State Administrative Procedure Act, under 

the State Government Article, beginning at Section 10-101. 

Copies of each of the public hearing notices and the Proposed Infrastructure State Implementation Plan for 

the Revised Lead (Pb) Standard will be part of the formal hearing record. 

Access to the proposed document was made available via the website of the Maryland Department of the 

Environment. Hard copies were also available at the Maryland Department of the Environment. 

The purpose of this hearing is to provide the public with an opportunity to formally comment on the 

proposed document. 

Summary of Proposed Infrastructure State Implementation Plan for the Revised Lead (Pb) 

Standard 

The Clean Air Act was passed in 1970 to protect public health and welfare. Congress amended the Act in

1990 to establish requirements for areas not meeting the National Ambient Air Quality Standards 

(NAAQS). The CAAA established a process for evaluating air quality in each region and identifying 

nonattainment areas according to the severity of its air pollution problem. The Clean Air Act sets health 

standards for six ambient pollutants: carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, lead and 

particulate matter. The Environmental Protection Agency establishes rules and regulations to implement

the Clean Air Act. 

On October 15, 2008, EPA substantially strengthened the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS)

for lead. The revised standards are 10 times tighter than the previous standards and will improve health 
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protection for at-risk groups, especially children. EPA has revised the level of the primary (health-based) 

standard from 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3), to 0.15 μg/m3, measured as total suspended 

particles (TSP). EPA has revised the secondary (welfare-based) standard to be identical in all respects to 

the primary standard. Currently, using the data from EPA’s lead standards web page, 

http://www.epa.gov/air/lead/actions.html, Maryland does not expect any areas of the state to be above the 

new standard. 

 

The attached State Implementation Plan verifies that Maryland fully complies with the requirements of 

§110(a)(2) of the Clean Air Act by having all necessary implementation, maintenance, and enforcement 

measures in place in Maryland for the revised lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).

CONSIDERATION OF COMMENTS 

The Department will consider all pertinent comments, and revise the proposed plan if necessary, before

making a final decision to adopt the plan and submit it to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for 

approval as a Maryland State Implementation Plan. Written comments may be presented at this hearing 

but cannot be accepted if not presented before the close of the hearing. The 30-day public comment period 

that began on November 2, 2012 for receipt of all comments to the plan will close at the end of this public 

hearing.