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January 22, 2009: Public Meeting to discuss Illinois
EPA’s Draft Recommendations for the Metro-East Area Air Quality
Designations for the New 8-hour Ozone Standard.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) will
present and take comments on its draft recommendations for establishing
nonattainment area boundaries in the Metro-East area for the new
8-hour ozone standard. Illinois EPA will present this information
as part of the January 22, 2009 East-West
Gateway Council of Governments,
Air Quality Advisory Committee Meeting. This meeting will
be held at East-West Gateway, at 10:00 AM, in the 16th floor Board
Room, One Memorial Dr., Ste 1600, St. Louis, MO. The meeting is
open to the public.
Presentation Materials:
November 14:
Draft Chicago 8-Hour Ozone Attainment Demonstration and Maintenance
Plan now available for review - The Illinois EPA is making
available for public review two draft documents related to the
1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The
Illinois EPA is seeking comments on the draft Attainment Demonstration,
which contains Illinois’ plan for attaining the 1997 8-hour
ozone NAAQS in the Chicago nonattainment area.
The Illinois EPA is also seeking comments on the draft Maintenance
Plan, which contains Illinois’ plan for maintaining the
8-hour ozone NAAQS for at least 10 years after U.S. EPA redesignates
the area to attainment. The Illinois EPA intends to request
that U.S. EPA redesignate the Chicago area to attainment of the
1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS based on ambient monitoring data from 2006
through 2008. The Maintenance Plan is a required element
of the redesignation request. Both documents establish new
motor vehicle emissions budgets for the Chicago area.
A public hearing is scheduled on December 16, 2008 at the James
R. Thompson Center in Chicago to receive public comments on the
two draft documents. The Illinois EPA will also be taking
comments at the hearing on establishing boundaries for the nonattainment
area to be established pursuant to the 2008 ozone NAAQS revision. Illinois
must submit recommendations for nonattainment area boundaries for
the revised ozone standard by March 12, 2009.
The Agency will be accepting comments on the draft documents until
January 15, 2009.
November 5: Proposed Revisions to Parts 211,
218, and 219 – Flexographic, Rotogravure, Lithographic,
and Letterpress Printing, Industrial Cleaning Solvents, and Flat
Wood Paneling Coatings now available for review. On September 29,
2006, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)
issued revised Control Technique Guidelines (CTGs) for the following
Consumer and Commercial Products, Group II categories: Flexible
Packaging Printing Materials (which is subcategorized into Rotogravure
Printing and Flexographic Printing), Lithographic Printing, Letterpress
Printing, Industrial Cleaning Solvents, and Flat Wood Paneling
Coatings. The CTGs describe new requirements to reduce emissions
of volatile organic materials (VOM) in ozone nonattainment areas.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is proposing
rule revisions to 35 Administrative Code, Parts 211, 218, and 219
to implement the current CTGs. The Agency will be accepting
comments on the draft revisions until December 15, 2008. Please
submit comments or questions to:
epa.VOMcomments@illinois.gov.
November 5:
The
IEPA announces the release of the Draft Smoke Management Plan
(SMP) - Pursuant to the U.S. EPA’s 1998 “Interim
Air Quality Policy on Wildland and Prescribed Fires” and
U.S. EPA’s 1999 Regional Haze Rule, the Illinois EPA has
developed a statewide Smoke Management Plan to address smoke
from prescriptive fires (prairie and forest) used to achieve
resource benefits. The goals of the SMP are to coordinate
with land managers to develop a basic framework of procedures
and requirements for managing smoke from prescriptive fires;
to mitigate the nuisance and public safety hazards posed by smoke
intrusions into populated areas; to avoid significant deterioration
of air quality and potential NAAQS violations; and to avoid visibility
impacts in Federal Class I Areas.
IEPA’s document and December 2008 meeting notices are available
here.
July 2: Draft
revisions to the Illinois Mercury Rule monitoring provisions
now available for review - The Illinois EPA is making available
a draft of the Illinois Mercury Rule that has been revised due
to the vactur of the federal Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR). The
Agency will be accepting comments on the draft revisions until
July 15 ahead of a stakeholder meeting scheduled for July 22
at 10:00 AM in the Bureau of Air's TQM room. Please submit comments
to: EPA.Mercury@illinois.gov
May 29: Illinois
Ambient Air Monitoring Plan for 2009 – Federal Regulation
40 CFR Part 58 Subpart B 58.10 requires Illinois to submit to
USEPA an annual air monitoring network plan each calendar year.
The plan details the monitoring network for the criteria pollutants.
Prior to submission to USEPA, the network plan is being made
available for public review. Comments must be received at the
Illinois EPA by June 30, 2008. |
Permit streamlining
project for minor construction permits - In June 2007 the
Bureau of Air, Permit Section initiated a streamlining project
aimed at minor construction permit applications. A "Kaizen Event" was
held in June 2007 and a plan of action aimed at improving the
minor construction permit application process was developed.
Mercury and Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) Rulemaking
Information on the initiative by Governor Blagojevich and Illinois
EPA to reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants
by 90 percent is now online.
Illinois Alternate Fuels
Rebate Program
The Alternate Fuels Rebate Program provides rebates for businesses,
local governments, organizations, and individuals in the State
of Illinois who acquire an alternate fuel vehicle, convert an existing
conventional vehicle to an alternate fuel vehicle, or purchase
domestic renewable fuel to operate an alternate fuel vehicle.
Illinois Clean School Bus Program
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich and the Illinois EPA have a goal under
the Illinois Clean School Bus Program, to provide a healthier
environment for Illinois school children. The Illinois Clean
School Bus Program will provide funding to assist schools/school
districts to reduce emissions from diesel-powered school buses.
Stage I & II Vapor
Recovery Programs
Updated information on these programs is now available along with
the registration form which is available for download in Adobe
Acrobat (PDF) format.
MACT Training Programs
Each quarter, Illinois EPA in conjunction with the Lake Michigan
Air Director's Consortium and the Region V Training Committee
plan to focus on a different MACT (Maximum Achievable Control
Technology) standard.
Air Quality Annual Report
Highlights information obtained from the Bureau of Air's statewide
air monitoring network, which incorporates more than 300 monitors
that track the measurements of a variety of pollutants and air
toxic compounds.
Illinois Green Fleets
A voluntary program where businesses, government units, and other
organizations in Illinois gain recognition and additional marketing
opportunities for having clean, alternative fuel vehicles in
their fleet.
Electric Power Plant and
Generating Unit Projects Since 1998 - list is updated regularly.
Summary Information on Fuel
Ethanol Plants in Illinois- Based on Information in the Bureau
of Air’s Permit And Application Files. The list is updated
regularly.
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