November26, 2012

Mr. Jared Blumenfeld

Regional Administrator

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Region 9

75 Hawthorne Street V

San Francisco, California 94105

Dear Mr. Blumenfeld:

With this letter, the Air Resources Board (ARB or Board) is requesting parallel processing of the 2012 Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the 1997 National Ozone Standard for San Diego County (Maintenance Plan), for which the Board will consider approval at a public hearing to be held on December 6, 2012. If

approved, ARB will submit the Maintenance Plan to the U.S. Environmental Planning Agency (U.S. EPA) for approval as a revision to California’s State Implementation Plan (SIP). ARB is requesting parallel processing to help ensure that U.S. EPA can act on

the Maintenance Plan before the 1997 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) is rescinded. ARB staff has coordinated with your staff on this

request.

On June 13, 2012, U.S. EPA classified San Diego County as a “Moderate”

nonattainment area for the 1997 8-hour Ozone NAAQS, requiring a SIP addressing Moderate area control requirements to be submitted to U.S. EPA by June 13, 2013.

More recent data show that San Diego attained the NAAQS in 2011. The San Diego Air

Pollution Control District’s (District) Maintenance Plan demonstrates that the region’s air quality will continue to meet the NAAQS through at least 2025.

The District’s Governing Board is scheduled to consider adoption of the Maintenance

Plan on December 5, 2012. ARB staff has reviewed the Maintenance Plan as proposed by the District staff on November 2, 2012, and finds that the Maintenance Plan meets all

applicable Clean Air Act requirements for redesignation requests and maintenanceplans and demonstrates that ozone levels in the San Diego area will continue to meet

the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. Based on staff’s review, we will recommend that the

Board approve the Maintenance Plan for submittal to U.S. EPA as a SIP revision. If

approved by U.S. EPA, the Maintenance Plan will fulfill all applicable SIP requirements for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standard.

The energy challenge facing California is reaL Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list ofsimple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website: http://www.arb.ca.gov.

California Environmental Protection Agency

Printed on Recycled Paper
pp

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Ozone Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan, dated November 14, 2012;

II. San Diego County Air Pollution Control District’s 2012 Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the 1997 National ozone Standard; and

Ill. ARB Staff Report, Analysis of the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District 2012 Redesiqnation Request and Maintenance Plan for the 1997 National ozone

Standard, dated October 26, 2012.

If you have any questions, please call Ms. Lynn Terry, Deputy Executive Officer, at (916) 322-2739, or have your staff contact Mr. Douglas Ito, Chief, Air Quality and Transportation Planning Branch, at (916) 322-0285.

Sincerely,

Enclosures

cc: See next page.
Director, Air DivisionU.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Region 9

75 Hawthorne Street

San Francisco, California 94105

Mr. Robert Kard

Air Pollution Control Officer

San Diego County Air Pollution Control District

10124 Old Grove Road

San Diego, California 92131

Mr. Robert Reider

Supervisor, Planning and Rule DevelopmentSan Diego County Air Pollution Control District

10124 Old Grove Road

San Diego, California 92131

Ms. Lynn Terry

Deputy Executive OfficerExecutive Office

Mr. Douglas Ito, Chief

Air Quality and Transportation Planning Branch