NORTHERN SIERRA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT Gretchen Bennitt, APCO

Main Office Quincy Field Office Truckee Field Office

200 Litton Drive, Ste. 320 Courthouse Annex 13450 Donner Pass Road, Suite B

P.O. Box 2509 P.O. Box 3981 P.O. Box 9766

Grass Valley, CA 95945 Quincy, CA 95971 Truckee, CA 96162

(530) 274-9360 / FAX: (530) 274-7546 (530) 283-4654 / FAX: (530) 283-0699 (530) 550-7872 / FAX: (530) 587-2623

www.myairdistrict.com; office@myairdistrict.com

May 4, 2011

James Goldstene

Executive Officer

California Air Resources Board

PO Box 2815

Sacramento, California 95812

Subject: Submittal of Reasonably Available Control Technology Revision to Western 

Nevada County State Implementation Plan (RACT SIP) for transmittal to EPA

Dear Mr. Goldstene:

The Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District (NSAQMD) encompasses the California 

counties of Nevada, Plumas and Sierra. Western Nevada County was designated in 2004 as 

nonattainment for the 1997 federal 8-hour ozone standard, but has not yet been classified.

The federal Clean Air Act §172(c)(1) requires nonattainment areas to implement Reasonably 

Available Control Technology (RACT). §183 requires EPA to issue Control Techniques 

Guidelines (CTGs) for identified categories of stationary sources, which serve to define RACT. 

§182(b)(2)(A) requires states to submit State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions addressing the 

CTGs. Accordingly, the NSAQMD has adopted rules for all CTGs issued to date which apply to 

sources that exist in the nonattainment area. In addition, the NSAQMD has previously submitted 

Negative Declarations for all CTGs issued by EPA through 2007 that do not apply to any sources 

in the nonattainment area. 

On April 25, 2011, the NSAQMD Board of Directors held a public hearing (no public comments 

were received), following a public notice period of more than 30 days, at which the Negative 

Declaration was approved for all 2008 CTGs that do not apply to any sources in the 

nonattainment area. No CTGs have been issued since 2008, so with adoption of this Negative 

Declaration it appears that all existing RACT requirements for the Western Nevada County 

nonattainment area have been fulfilled.

Pursuant to the requirements of 40 CFR Part 51, Appendix V, the NSAQMD is hereby 

submitting: 

1) The District’s Board-adopted Negative Declaration as a RACT SIP Revision; 2) Proof of 

public notice; and 3) Board resolution indicating adoption of the Negative Declaration.
The NSAQMD requests that ARB transmit the enclosed Negative Declaration, as a RACT SIP 

Revision, to EPA in fulfillment of RACT requirements under the Clean Air Act.

Please contact me (530-274-9360 x102; gretchen@myairdistrict.com) or Sam Longmire of my 

staff (530-274-9360 x106; sam@myairdistrict.com) with any questions.

Sincerely,

Gretchen Bennitt, 

Air Pollution Control Officer

Enclosures (4 copies): 

1) District-adopted RACT SIP Revision for transmittal to EPA 

2) Evidence of public notice

3) Board resolution indicating that a public hearing was held and that the Negative 

Declaration was adopted by the NSAQMD Board of Directors

Cc (e-copy):

Sylvia Oey, California Air Resources Board 

Scott King, California Air Resources Board

GB/sl