National Tribal Air Association / U.S. EPA

NTAA- EPA Air Policy Update Call

Thursday September 10th, 2015

10:00 am AK

2:00 pm ET

Call into 1-866-299-3188 

User Code 919-541-5624# 

Webinar Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6717429275628711937 

AGENDA:

1. Data Requirements Final Rule – Presenter: Rich Damberg, Office of Air Quality 

Planning and Standards (10 mins.) 

The Data Requirements Rule (DRR) was signed by the EPA Administrator on August 10, 

2015 and was published in the Federal Register on August 21, 2015 (See 80 FR 51052). 

The DRR directs state and tribal air agencies to characterize current air quality in areas 

with large SO2 sources (emitting 2,000 tons per year or greater). The DRR sets a process 

and timetable for air agencies to either establish ambient monitoring sites or conduct air 

quality modeling, and submit air quality data to the EPA. Alternatively, an air agency 

can avoid the air quality characterization requirement under the rule by establishing 

federally enforceable emission limits and providing documentation of the limit and 

compliance to EPA by January 13, 2017. 

2. Appendix W – Presenter: George Bridgers, Office of Air Quality Planning and 

Standards (10 mins.) (Presentation) 

The EPA is proposing to revise the Guideline on Air Quality Models (Appendix W to 40 

CFR Part 52) for the first time since 2005. The proposed revisions address numerous 

changes in the regulated air quality modeling community over the past decade including 

changes in the form and averaging time of the NAAQS and need for new techniques to 

address secondarily formed PM2.5 and ozone. Numerous other streamlining changes 

are proposed that should clarify and, in many cases, simplify the regulatory requirements 

for regulatory dispersion and implementation plan compliance demonstrations.

3. Proposed Rule: Determinations of Attainment by the Attainment Date, Extensions 

of the Attainment Date, and Reclassification of Several Areas Classified as Marginal 

for the 2008 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) 

Presenter: Lynn Dail, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (10 mins.)

The EPA is proposing three separate and independent determinations related to the 36 

areas that are currently classified as “Marginal” for the 2008 ozone NAAQS. First, the 

EPA is proposing to determine that 17 areas attained the 2008 ozone NAAQS by the 

applicable attainment date, July 20, 2015. Second, the EPA is proposing to grant 1-year 
attainment date extensions for 8 areas on the basis that the requirements for such 

extensions under the Clean Air Act have been met. Third, the EPA is proposing to 

determine that 11 areas have failed to attain the 2008 ozone NAAQS by the applicable 

attainment deadline of July 20, 2015, and to reclassify these areas as “Moderate” for the 

2008 ozone NAAQS. Once reclassified as Moderate, states must submit State 

Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions that meet the statutory and regulatory requirements 

that apply to 2008 ozone nonattainment areas classified as Moderate. In this action, the 

EPA is proposing and taking comment on two options for the deadline by which states 

would need to submit to the EPA for review and approval the SIP revisions required for 

Moderate areas once their areas are reclassified. 

4. CPP- Proposed Federal Plan – Presenter: Toni Jones, Office of Air Quality 

Planning and Standards (10 mins.) 

On August 3, the proposal was signed for the federal plan for the Clean Power Plan that 

will also serve as a model rule for states developing their state plans. EPA is co‐

proposing two different plan types for a federal plan to implement the Clean Power Plan 

emission guidelines (a rate‐based trading plan and a mass‐based trading plan), and both 

proposed plan types would require affected electric generating units (EGUs) to meet 

emission standards set using the CO2 emission performance rates in the Clean Power 

Plan. 

5. Landfill Rule - Presenter: Hillary Ward, Office of Air Quality Planning and 

Standards (10 mins.) (Presentation)

On August 14, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued two 

proposals to further reduce emissions of methane-rich gas from municipal solid waste 

(MSW) landfills. The proposals would require new, modified and existing landfills would 

begin capturing and controlling landfill gas at emission levels nearly a third lower than 

current requirements.

ONG Actions (4): 

6. Federal Implementation Plan to implement Federal Minor New Source Review 

Program in for Oil and Natural Gas Production in Indian Country 

Presenter: Chris Stoneman, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (10 

mins.) (Presentation)

On August 18, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a 

federal plan to implement the Federal Minor New Source Review Program in Indian 

Country for oil and natural gas production. The proposed plan would limit emissions of 

harmful air pollution while making the preconstruction permitting process for this 

rapidly growing industry more efficient. EPA also is proposing to extend the deadline by 

which oil and natural gas sources must obtain minor NSR permits. 

7. Proposed NSPS – Presenter: Amy Hambrick, Office of Air Quality Planning and 

Standards (10 mins.) 

The proposed NSPS that requires methane and VOC reductions from across the oil and 
natural gas sector and requires owners/operators to find and repair leaking components. 

The proposed rule also extends emission reduction requirements further “downstream,” 

covering equipment in the natural gas transmission segment of the industry that was not 

regulated in the agency’s 2012 rules. 

8. Draft Control Techniques Guidelines (CTG) – Presenter: Charlene Spells, Office of 

Air Quality Planning and Standards (10 mins.) 

On August 18, 2015, EPA made the draft Control Techniques Guidelines for the Oil and 

Natural Gas Industry available for comments. The draft CTG provides reasonably 

available control technology recommendations for storage vessels, pneumatic 

controllers, pneumatic pumps, centrifugal and reciprocating compressors, equipment 

leaks from natural gas processing plants and fugitive emissions. Implementation of the 

CTG recommendations would extend VOC reduction requirements to existing oil and 

natural gas sources in ozone nonattainment areas classified as Moderate (and above) 

and states in the Ozone Transport Region. 

9. Source Determination - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) – Presenter: Raj 

Rao, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (10 mins) 

EPA has proposed the Source Determination rule to clarify the EPA’s air permitting 

rules as they apply to the oil and natural gas industry. 

 

Due to conflicting NTAA and EPA meetings on August 27th, the Air Policy Update call was shifted to September 

10th. In addition, the September 24th call will be cancelled.

The regular time slot for NTAA/EPA Air Policy Update calls will resume on October 29th.