Western Michigan Ozone Study

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Western Michigan Ozone Study

• Cheryl Newton, Director
• Air and Radiation Division
• January 21, 2009

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Short Term What happens with the study now?

• We will be accepting input on this final draft of
  the Western Michigan Ozone Study for 30 days.
• You can access this study at www.epa.gov/region5/a
  ir/airinfo.html
• You can provide input via phone or e-mail to
• Doug Aburano, Environmental Engineer
• 312-353-6960
• Aburano.Douglas_at_epa.gov

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Short Term What happens with the study now?

• After 30 days, the study will undergo final EPA
  review
• Congressional contacts will be notified and
• The final report will be issued.

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Longer term What is the study telling us?

• The Western Michigan Ozone Study will provide us
  with important information as we implement both
  the current and new ozone standards.
• It officially confirms what we have known for a
  long time, that ozone levels in Western Michigan
  are dominated by transport.
• Nevertheless, as the study has shown, by using a
  regional approach to developing control
  strategies we have made remarkable progress in
  reducing ozone levels in Western Michigan and
  throughout the region.

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Longer term How does this fit with the regional
approach?

• Of the 11 counties in Western Michigan designated
  as nonattainment under the 1997 8-hour ozone
  standard, all but 1 have been redesignated to
  attainment.
• With a design value of 0.086 ppm, Allegan County
  is very close to meeting the standard.
• This improvement in air quality has been achieved
  without the imposition of unnecessary local
  controls in transport-affected areas.

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Longer Term - Where do we go from here?

• The study does not change the requirements of the
  Clean Air Act.
• We still have obligations to designate areas as
  nonattainment based on air quality data and the
  State retains the obligation to develop State
  Implementation Plans to attain those standards.
• While meeting the requirements of the Clean Air
  Act, we can continue to use this successful
  regional approach to make sensible air quality
  planning decisions for the Western Michigan area.

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Even Longer TermRegion 5 Air QualityWhat we
know

• 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standard
• (.08 ppm aka 84 ppb)

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Review of National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS)

• We know
• The Clean Air Act requires EPA to set NAAQS for
  six pollutants considered harmful to public
  health and the environment ozone, particulate
  matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur
  dioxide, and lead.
• The law also requires EPA to periodically review
  the standards and their scientific basis to
  determine whether revisions are appropriate.
• The Clean Air Act requires EPA to set ambient air
  quality standards, at levels necessary to protect
  the public health and welfare, without
  considering the economic costs of implementing
  the standards.

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Review of National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS)

• EPA last updated the particulate matter standards
  in 2006 and the ozone and lead standards were
  updated in 2008.
• Designations are required within two years of
  promulgation of a new standard unless adequate
  monitoring data are unavailable.
• EPA will continue to revisit the NAAQS to
  determine if the existing standards are
  protective of human health and the environment or
  if newer, more stringent standards are necessary.

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Legitimate Questions

• How to deal with pollutants where there may be no
  safe threshold.
• Can we move to a more multipollutant approach?

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2008 8-Hour Ozone Standard
(.075 ppm aka 75 ppb)
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1997 PM2.5 Standard

• (15µg/m3 annual standard)

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2006 PM2.5 Standard

• (35µg/m3 daily standard)

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Latest on CAIR

• On December 23, 2008, the DC Circuit announced
  that it was remanding the CAIR Rule without
  vacating it, which means the CAIR NOx program
  will come into effect in 2009.
• The Court emphasized that EPA must still remedy
  the defects of CAIR identified in its July 11,
  2008 ruling. It did not however give EPA a time
  limit on addressing these defects.

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2008 Lead Standard

• On October 15, 2008, EPA strengthened the
  national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS)
  for lead to increase protection of public health
  and the environment.
• The lead standards have been strengthened by 90
  to a level of 0.15 µg/m3.

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Regulatory Program Issues

• Up in the Air
• How will EPA address court decision on CAIR?
• What about trading programs?
• What will happen with Minnesota?
• What replaces CAMR?
• January 7, 2008 memo on Section 112(g)
  applicability
• What about all the recent and pending permit
  program revisions?

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Climate Change

• Climate Change ANPR
• GHG Reporting Rule
• Recent Steve Johnson Memo re Pollutants covered
  by PSD
• Region 5 Framework for Addressing Climate Change
  and Clean Energy
• Partnership Program Successes