Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0452-0016
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2008-10-22T04:00Z

September 10, 2008

David Conroy, Chief

Air Programs Branch

U.S. EPA Region I

1 Congress St., Suite 1100

Boston, Ma. 02114-2023

RE: 	Certification of Required SIP Elements Under Section 110(a)(1) and
(2) for the 

PM2.5 NAAQS 

Dear Mr. Conroy:

I am pleased to submit the enclosed documentation that the Maine State
Implementation Plan for air quality adequately meets the Clean Air Act
(CAA) “infrastructure” requirements of section 110a(1) and (2) for
the 1997 PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).

As you know, pursuant to sections 110(a)(1) and (2) of the CAA, all
states are required to submit plans to provide for the implementation,
maintenance and enforcement of the 8-hour ozone and PM2.5 standards. 
Sections 110(a)(1) and (2) require states to address basic SIP
requirements, including emissions inventories, monitoring, and modeling
to assure attainment and maintenance of the standards no later than
three years after the promulgation of a new standard (July 2000).

In March of 2004, a lawsuit was initiated against EPA for failure to
take action against states that had not made SIP submissions to meet the
requirements of sections 110(a)(1) and (2).  EPA subsequently entered
into a consent decree that obligated it to determine whether states have
made the submissions necessary to meet the section 110(a)(1) and (2)
requirements for ozone and PM 2.5. 

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is submitting this
document to certify that its existing SIP already satisfies all section
110(a)(1) and (2) requirements for the PM2.5 NAAQS.  The initial Maine
State Implementation Plan was approved by EPA on October 28, 1972, and
has subsequently been revised and expanded on numerous occasions.  The
infrastructure elements required by section 110(a)(2) are fully
addressed by existing Maine statutes, regulations and plans.

If you should have any questions, please contact Jeff Crawford at
207-287-2437.

Sincerely,

James P. Brooks, Director

Bureau of Air Quality

Attachments (1)

cc:	Ann Arnold

Rich Burkhart

Jeff Crawford		

SIP file (w/encl.)	

EPA file

 The ozone submission deadline was December 15, 2007 (extended until
January 8, 2008) and the PM 2.5 deadline is October 5, 208.  The
Department previously submitted its ozone infrastructure certification
on January 3, 2008.

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