The Honorable Mark Sanford 

Governor of South Carolina 

P.O. Box 12267 

Columbia, South Carolina 292 1 1 

Dear Governor Sanford: 

On November 13,2008, and April 29,2009, the South Carolina Department of Health 

and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) provided the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Region 4 Office with revised state implementation plan submissions regarding the 

attainment demonstration requirement for the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality 

standards (NAAQS) for the South Carolina portion of the bi-state Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, 

North Carolina-South Carolina nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as the bi-state Charlotte 

Area). We have reviewed these submissions and are making the determination that these 

submittals have met the requirements for completeness found in Section1 1 O(k)(l) of the Clean 

Air Act (CAA). 

Effective June 15,2004, EPA designated the bi-state Charlotte Area as nonattainment for 

the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS, with a moderate classification. As a result of this nonattainment 

designation, by June 15,2007, South Carolina was required to provide EPA with a plan for how 

its portion of the bi-state Charlotte Area would meet the requirement for the area to come into 

compliance with the NAAQS by June 15,201 0 (i.e., the attainment demonstration). On 

August 3 1,2007, SC DHEC provided EPA with the required attainment demonstration but 

subsequently withdrew this submission on December 22,2008. 

On May 8,2009, EPA issued a finding of failure to submit the 1997 8-hour ozone 

NAAQS attainment demonstration to South Carolina because of the withdrawal of the original 

attainment demonstration for South Carolina's portion of the bi-state Charlotte Area. 74 Fed. 

Reg. 21550. This finding started an 18-month sanctions clock for two for one new source 

offsets; and six months later, highway sanctions, if the deficiency was not corrected. To correct 

this deficiency, South Carolina was required to provide a submission that EPA could deem 

complete pursuant to Section 1 1 O(k)(l) of the CAA and the "Criteria for Determining the 

Completeness of Plan Submissions," as described in 40 CFR Part 5 1, Appendix V. 

EPA has reviewed the November 13,2008, and April 29,2009, submissions that 

comprise South Carolina's attainment demonstration for the South Carolina portion of the bistate Charlotte Area and has determined that these submissions meet the completeness 

determination requirements. Today's completeness determination for the attainment demonstration terminates both sanctions clocks; thus, sanctions will not take effect in this area as 

Internet Address (URL) http://www.epa.gov 

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at (404) 562-8357 or have a member of your staff contact Kenneth R. Lapierre, Acting Director, 

Air, Pesticides and Toxics Management Division at (404) 562-9077. 

Sincerely, 

/V A. Stanley Meiburg 

Acting Regional Administrator 

cc: Mr. Robert W. King 

SC DHEC Deputy Commissioner for Environmental Quality Control 

Mr. Dee Freeman 

Secretary 

North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NC DENR) 

Mrs. Myra Reece 

Chief of SC DHEC's Bureau of Air Quality 

Mr. B. Keith Overcash, P.E. 

Director of NC DENR's Division of Air Quality 

Mr. Don Willard Director of Mecklenburg County Air Quality