EPA’s Revisions to Particulate Matter

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (PM NAAQS)

Air Quality Committee MeetingJanuary 9, 2013

Sushma Masemore, PEPlanning Section Chief

2012 PM NAAQSFinal rule signed Dec. 14, 2012To be published in the Federal

Register soonIn response to lawsuits filed by

the American Lung Association, National Parks Conservation Association, and several states

Also in response to 2009 court ordered remand of primary and secondary annual fine particulate matter (PM2.5) standards

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PM2.5 Primary (Health) StandardsExisting

1997 annual standard 15 μg/m3

2006 daily standard 35 μg/m3

2012 Final Strengthen annual standard to 12

μg/m3

Retain daily standard at 35 μg/m3

3μg/m3 = micrograms per cubic meter

How will it affect NC?

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2009-2011 Annual PM2.5 Design Values

All monitors meet the revised annual standard 12 μg/m3

All monitors meet the daily standard 35 μg/m3 2009-2011 Daily PM2.5 Design Values

National Outlook

Nationally, 66 counties don’t currently meet 12 μg/m3 PM2.5 annual standard.Source: 2009-2011 air quality data as of July 15, 2012, www.epa.gov/pm

PM10 Primary (Health) StandardsExisting

1987 daily standard 150 μg/m3

2012 Final Retains daily standard at 150 μg/m3

All areas in NC meet the standard

PM2.5 and PM10 Secondary (Welfare) Standards2012 Final

Retaining existing secondary standards Annual PM2.5 -15.0 μg/m3

Daily PM 2.5 - 35 μg/m3

Daily PM10 – 150 μg/m3

EPA concluded that current secondary daily PM2.5 standard is appropriate to protect visibility in urban areas.

No impact to NC based on current data

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Revisions to Air Quality Index (AQI) EPA’s color-coded tool for informing public

about air quality Converts ambient concentrations to a number

on a scale of 0 to 500 Effective 60 days after publication in the

Federal Register

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AQI Category Index Values Previous Breakpoints (1999 AQI) (μg/m3, daily average)

Revised Breakpoints (μg/m3, daily average)

Good 0 – 50 0.0 - 15.0 0.0 – 12.0

Moderate 51-100 >15.0 - 40 12.1 – 35.4

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

101-150 >40 – 65 35.5 – 55.4

Unhealthy 151-200 > 65 – 150 55.5 – 150.4

Very Unhealthy 201 – 300 > 150 – 250 150.5 – 250.4

Hazardous 301 – 400 > 250 – 350 250.5 – 350.4

401 – 500 > 350 – 500 350.5 – 500

Permitting ImpactsFinal rule allows grandfathering

of pre-construction permit applications if: Application deemed complete by Dec.

14, 2012 Public notice for draft permit or

preliminary determination issued prior to effective date of the standard

Grandfathered applications will still have to comply with the 2006 PM2.5 standards

EPA to provide modeling guidance9

Ambient Monitoring ImpactsEstablish near-roadway PM2.5

monitors Population of 1 million or more Co-located with existing nitrogen

dioxide or carbon monoxide monitors Monitors in Charlotte and Raleigh by

Jan. 2015 Possibly Durham and Greensboro by

Jan. 2017Data will not be available in time

to make initial attainment and nonattainment designations.

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Designation & Implementation ScheduleDec. 2013 – states recommend

areas to be designated attainment or nonattainment

Dec. 2014 – EPA makes final designations

2018 (3 yrs after designations) – states submit implementation plans

2020 (<5 yrs after designations) – states must meet the standards

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Questions?Sushma Masemore

(919) 707-8700 sushma.masemore@ncdenr.gov

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