Appendix P 

Notice of General Public Interest 
Table of Contents 

Notice of Intent to Amend State Implementation Plan as Published in the South Carolina 

State Register on October 26, 2007 .....................................................................................2 

Notice of Intent to Extend Comment Period to December 12, 2007...................................4 

Appendix P - 1
Note: This Notice was published in the S.C. State Register October 26, 2007: 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL 

PUBLIC NOTICE 

NOTICE TO AMEND AIR QUALITY STATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 

Statutory Authority: S.C. Code Section 48-1-10, et seq. 

The Department is proposing to amend the State Implementation Plan (SIP) to meet obligations of the 

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Interested persons are invited to present their 

views in writing to Maeve S.R. Mason, Regulatory Development Section, Bureau of Air Quality, 2600 

Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201. To be considered, comments must be received by November 26, 2007, 

the close of the drafting comment period. The Department is also conducting a public hearing on this 

issue. The hearing will be held on November 26, 2007, at 1:30 pm in room 3141 of the Sims Building, 

2600 Bull Street, Columbia, South Carolina. The public is invited to attend. 

Synopsis: 

Section 169A of the Clean Air Act (CAA) provided for a national goal for visibility to include the 

prevention and remediation of manmade air pollution, which contributes to the visible impairment of 

Class I areas (areas of great scenic importance) throughout the country, including many well-known 

national parks and wilderness areas. As a result, in 1980, the EPA promulgated regulations to address 

visibility impairment that is “reasonably attributable” to one or a small group of sources located across a 

broad geographic area (referred to as regional haze). However, the EPA deferred action on regional haze 

regulations until monitoring, modeling, and scientific knowledge about the relationship between 

pollutants and visibility effects improved. In 1993, at the recommendation of the National Academy of 

Science (NAS) report, the EPA began conducting research into control technologies available for taking 

regulatory action to improve and protect visibility in Class I areas. On July 31, 1997, the EPA published 

proposed amendments to the 1980 regulations to set forth a program to address regional haze [62 FR 

41138]. On July 1, 1999, and July 6, 2005, the EPA promulgated two rules known as the “Regional Haze 

Regulation (Regional Haze Rule),” and the “Regional Haze Regulations and Guidelines for Best 

Available Retrofit Technology (BART) Determinations,” (also referred to as the BART Rule) 

respectively. 

The Regional Haze Rule was published in the Federal Register on July 1, 1999 [64 FR 35714]. This rule 

calls for States to establish goals and strategies for improving visibility in all of the country’s 156 Class I 

national parks and wilderness areas. Cape Romain, South Carolina is one such Class I area. The EPA is 

requiring all states areas to revise their State Implementation Plans (SIPs) to reduce emissions of sulfur 

dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and particulate matter--especially fine particulate matter 

(PM2.5)--all of which contribute to regional haze and affect Class 1 areas. 

The BART Rule was published in the Federal Register on July 6, 2005 [70 FR 39104]. The CAA 

requires that any “major stationary source” that has the potential to emit 250 tons or more of a visibilityimpairing air pollutant that was put in place between August 7, 1962, and August 7, 1977, and whose 

operations fall within one or more of the 26 specifically listed source categories would comprise a BARTeligible source and must install the BART for controlling emissions. States must address BART in their 

regional haze SIPs. 

The EPA has established a schedule for states to submit their SIPs. South Carolina must submit its SIP 

under the Regional Haze Rule to EPA by December 17, 2007. 

Appendix P - 2
The Department proposes to amend its SIP to address the requirements of the Regional Haze Rule and the 

BART rule, pursuant to Section 169A of the CAA. 

Appendix P - 3
PUBLIC NOTICE OF EXTENSION OF 30-DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD 

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control 

Bureau of Air Quality 

2600 Bull Street 

Columbia, SC 29201 

(803) 898-4123 

On October 26, 2007, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (the 

Department) published a notice requesting comments to its proposed amendment to the South Carolina 

Air Quality Implementation Plan (SIP) in order to comply with requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) 

regarding regional haze. The purpose of this notice is to extend the 30-day comment period from its 

original end date of November 26, 2007, to December 12, 2007. This extension of the comment period is 

necessary to give interested members of the public a full opportunity to submit comments in reference to 

the Department’s proposed amendment of the SIP. 

Section 169A of the CAA provides for a national goal for visibility to include the prevention and 

remediation of manmade air pollution, which contributes to the visible impairment of Class I areas (areas 

of great scenic importance) throughout the country, including many well-known national parks and 

wilderness areas. As a result, in 1980, the United State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

promulgated regulations to address visibility impairment that is “reasonably attributable” to one or a small 

group of sources located across a broad geographic area (referred to as regional haze). However, the EPA 

deferred action on regional haze regulations until monitoring, modeling, and scientific knowledge about 

the relationship between pollutants and visibility effects improved. In 1993, at the recommendation of the 

National Academy of Science (NAS) report, the EPA began conducting research into control technologies 

available for taking regulatory action to improve and protect visibility in Class I areas. On July 31, 1997, 

the EPA published proposed amendments to the 1980 regulations to set forth a program to address 

regional haze [62 FR 41138]. On July 1, 1999, and July 6, 2005, the EPA promulgated two rules known 

as the “Regional Haze Regulation (Regional Haze Rule),” and the “Regional Haze Regulations and 

Guidelines for Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) Determinations,” (also referred to as the 

BART Rule) respectively. 

The Regional Haze Rule was published in the Federal Register on July 1, 1999 [64 FR 35714]. This rule 

calls for States to establish goals and strategies for improving visibility in all of the country’s 156 Class I 

national parks and wilderness areas. Cape Romain, South Carolina is one such Class I area. The EPA is 

requiring all states areas to revise their SIPs to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), oxides of 

nitrogen (NOx), and particulate matter--especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5)--all of which contribute 

to regional haze and affect Class 1 areas. The BART Rule was published in the Federal Register on July 

6, 2005 [70 FR 39104]. The CAA requires that any “major stationary source” that has the potential to 

emit 250 tons or more of a visibility-impairing air pollutant that was put in place between August 7, 1962, 

and August 7, 1977, and whose operations fall within one or more of the 26 specifically listed source 

categories would comprise a BART-eligible source and must install the BART for controlling emissions. 

States must address BART in their regional haze SIPs. 

The EPA has established a schedule for states to submit their SIPs. South Carolina must submit its SIP 

under the Regional Haze Rule to EPA by December 17, 2007. The Department proposes to amend its SIP 

to address the requirements of the Regional Haze Rule and the BART rule, pursuant to Section 169A of 

the CAA. Copies of the proposed amendment to the SIP may be obtained by contacting Maeve S.R. 

Mason, who can be reached at: South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Bureau 

of Air Quality, 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201; (803) 898-2230; or masonmr@dhec.sc.gov. 

Written comments should be submitted to Ms. Mason no later than 5:00 p.m. on December 12, 2007. 

Appendix P - 4