Under Section 308 of the federal Regional Haze Rule all states are required to submit plans to reduce air pollutants that are transported across considerable distances and reduce visibility in any of 156 federal Class I national park and wilderness areas throughout the country. Tribes may also prepare regional haze plans that address sources on tribal lands. These plans must demonstrate reasonable progress toward achieving natural haze conditions in Class I areas. There are 118 federal Class I areas located in the western states. Four states (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) are submitting alternate equivalent regional haze plans under Section 309 of the regional haze rule to address visibility at 16 Class I areas on the Colorado Plateau. Three of these states (Utah excepted) also must meet requirements of Section 308 for visibility in Class I areas that are not on the Colorado Plateau.
The Western Regional Air Partnership has been working closely through its various committees and forums to provide background data and support for preparation of Section 308 state implementation plans. A complete list of those documents is provided listed below. States and tribes in the WRAP region have participated in developing these materials and are using these reports and regional technical analysis results to develop their individual plans due in December 2007.
Estimated Dates of Completion
State
BART Rulemaking
SIP Hearing
SIP Adoption
Comments
AK
Jan 2008 – Determs. March 2009
June 2009
Late 2009
Estimates are worst-case
dependent on sources’ responses to analyses
AZ
1st Quarter 2008
August 2008
August 2008
CA
Early 2008
July 24-25, 2008
August or September, 2008
BART sources regulated by
local districts
CO
Complete and submitted
RPG SIP Undetermined – Late 2008
RPG SIP Undetermined – Late 2008
Outstanding BART issues
HI
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
ID
Rule complete. Determs. In
process
July/August 2008
September/October 2008
MT
(EPA)
Analyses Nov 2007 Comments Pending
Undetermined
Undetermined
SIP and BART on same
schedule
ND
Done!
BART in May, RPG SIP October 2008
BART June/July, RPG SIP November 2008
BART authorization
rule complete. BART and SIP separate schedules
NM
Detms. February 2008
July 2008
July 2008
BART Authorization in effect
NV
1st Quarter 2008
Undetermined
Undetermined
SIP Schedule determined
soon after BART
OR
Late 2008
Summer 2008
Late 2008
SD
1st half 2008
2nd half 2008
2nd half 2008
WA
Rule in place. Determs.
July 2008
Late Winter 2008 or 2009
Late Winter 2008 or 2009
WY
DONE!
Mid 2008
Mid to late 2008
Tribal Sources (EPA – Navajo, Four Corners)
Mid - 2009
Proposal
Mid-2008
Last updated on: 2/16/2008
Regional Haze Rule – Part 51.300-309, and Guidance, Appendix Y “Each section of the Regional Haze Rule, 40CFR 51 300-309, is presented here, along with Appendix Y. The rule was first promulgated July 1, 1999, and was amended in Federal Register notices on July 6, 2005 (to modify BART provisions and provide guidelines as Appendix Y) and on October 13, 2006 (to add alternatives-to-BART provisions, replacing the 309 SO2 Annex). These revisions are indicated by highlights in the text of sections 302, 308 and 309 – grey for the July 6, 2005 revisions, yellow for the October 13, 2006 revisions.”
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