ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

1021 North Grand Avenue East, P.O. Box 19276, Springfield, Illinois 62794-9276 • (217) 782-2829

James R. Thompson Center, 100 West Randolph, Suite 11-300, Chicago, Il60601 • (312) 814-6026

PAT QUINN, GOVERNOR DOUGLAS P. SCOTT, DIRECTOR

217/785-7449

217/782-9143 (TDD)

July 23, 2009

Mr. Bharat Mathur

Deputy Regional Administrator

Office of the Regional Administrator, R-19J

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5

77 West Jackson Boulevard

Chicago, illinois 60604-3507

RECEIVED

JUL 31 2009

U.S. EPA REGION 5

OFFICE OF REGIONAL ADMlNISTRAroR

Re: 8-hour Ozone Redesignation Request for Chicago

De~:

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (illinois EPA), on behalf ofthe State of Illinois,

hereby requests that the Illinois portion of the Chicago ozone nonattainment area be redesignated

to attainment of the 8-hour ozone standard promulgated in 1997. The Chicago ozone

nonattainment area consists ofCook, Lake, DuPage, McHenry, Kane, Will, and portions of

Grundy and Kendall counties in Illinois, as well as Lake and Porter counties in northwest

Indiana. The Illinois EPA understands that the State ofIndiana is making a similar redesignation

request. Ambient air monitoring data collected by the illinois EPA in the Chicago nonattainment

area from 2006 through 2008, as well as data collected in northwest Indiana and southeast

Wisconsin, demonstrates that the area is currently meeting the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. In

addition, the area has met all of the relevant requirements under Section 107, Section 110, and

Part D of the Clean Air Act (CAA), with the exception ofrevised RACT rules for certain source

categories which will be submitted soon.

The Illinois EPA hereby submits a Maintenance Plan for the Chicago ozone nonattainment area

pursuant to Sections 107(d)(3)(E), IlO(a)(2), and 175A ofthe CAA. Also included are revised

year 2020 motor vehicle emissions budgets developed using the MOBILE.model. The

Maintenance Plan SIP submittal and the motor vehicle emissions budgets are required as part of

the illinois EPA's redesignation request. The Maintenance Plan provides the supporting

information for this request, consistent with the criteria for redesignation set forth in Section

175A of the CAA.

The Maintenance Plan constitutes a revision of illinois' SIP for ozone. Accordingly, the illinois

EPA held a public hearing in Chicago on December 16,2008, to accept comments on the draft

Rockford. 4302 N. Main St., Rockford, Il61103. (815) 987-7760

Elgin. 595 5. State, Elgin, Il60123. (847) 606-3131

Bureau of land - Peoria • 7620 N. Vniversity St., Peoria, Il 61614 • (309) 693-5462

CoIIinm"e. 2009 Mafl5tree~ Collinsville, IL 62234. (618) 346-5120

Des Plaines. 9511 W. Harrison 5t., Des Plaines, Il 60016. (847) 294-4000

Peoria. 5415 N. University St., Peoria, Il61614. (309) 693-5463

Olampaign • 2125 5. First St., Champaign, IL 61.820 • (217) 276-5800

Marion. 2309 W. Main 5t., Suite 116, Marion, IL 62959. (618) 993-7200

Printed on Recycled Paper
Maintenance Plan. The lllinois EPA received comments both at the hearing and during the

subsequent 30 day comment period. The enclosed Responsiveness Summary summarizes the

comments received and the lllinois EPA's revisions to the Final Maintenance Plan to address the

comments.

In order to assist with your review of the Chicago Maintenance Plan SIP submittal, the lllinois

EPA has included the following documents:

Attachment 1)

Attachment 2)

Attachment 3)

Attachment 4)

Attachment 5)

Attachment 6)

Draft Maintenance Plan for the lllinois Portion of the Chicago Ozone

Nonattainment Area for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air

Quality Standard, AQPSTR 08-08, Illinois EPA, November 15, 2008.

Notice of Public Hearing, November 15,2008.

Hearing Sign-in Sheet.

Transcript of Public Hearing held on December 16, 2008.

Responsiveness Summary, Illinois EPA, March 18,2009.

Final Maintenance Plan for the lllinois Portion of the Chicago Ozone

Nonattainment Area for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air

Quality Standard, AQPSTR 09-04, lllinois EPA, AprilS, 2009.

lllinois EPA believes that this submittal, in conjunction with other submittals made to the U.S.

EPA (e.g., attainment plans, rate of progress plans, and requests for SIP completeness findings

with supporting information), will allow the U.S. EPA to expeditiously take the necessary

actions to redesignate the Chicago area to attainment for the 1997 8-hour ozone National

Ambient Air Quality Standard.

If further information is required or should you have any questions, please feel free to contact

Laurel L. Kroack, Chief of the Bureau of Air.

Very truly yours,

~Jl~ ~~

Douglas P. Scott

Director

Attachments

cc: Cheryl L. Newton, U.S. EPA Region 5

John Mooney, U.S. EPA Region 5

G:/rob/8-hour ozone Redesignation (Jul 09)