SIP Planning Information Toolkit
Available Tools
The Clean Air Act (CAA), Section 110, requires states with areas that fail to meet the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) to develop a State Implementation Plan (SIP) describing how the state will attain and maintain the NAAQS. SIPs must include a description of control strategies or measures to control pollution. Also, the SIP must include a program to enforce the measures specified. Other important components of the SIP include emission inventories, motor vehicle emission budgets, attainment demonstrations and numerous other documents, rules, compliance schedules, fees, programs, revisions, etc. The state adopts the SIP only after reasonable notice and public involvement/hearing. The SIP is then sent to EPA for approval or disapproval. In some cases where EPA fails to approve a SIP, then the Agency can issue and enforce a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) to ensure attainment and maintenance of the NAAQS. The SIP is a viable, working document that can be revised as changes are needed.
EPA has designed this toolkit to assist state, local, and tribal air quality agencies in developing plans to implement the 8-hour ozone standard. The "tools" in the toolkit identify guidance related to: applicable timeframes; attainment demonstrations/modeling; reasonable further progress; applicable control measures; Control Techniques Guidelines (CTG) and Alternative Control Techniques (ACT) documents; relevant rules and policies; state SIP protocol; and related links.
- Applicable Timeframes - Table of critical timelines/deadlines for SIP elements that are due for 8-hour ozone areas designated nonattainment effective 6/15/04.
- Attainment Demonstrations / Modeling - Guidance documents on how to prepare attainment demonstrations for National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in particular for 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas, using air quality modeling and other relevant technical analyses.
- Reasonable Further Progress - Requirement for SIPs to contain increments of progress (emission reductions) from date of designation prior to attainment dates - applicable for both Subpart 1 and Subpart 2 ozone nonattainment areas.
- Applicable Control Measures - Links to list of potential measures for 8-hour ozone implementation.- a relatively complete list of categories of sources that may offer emission reduction opportunities for 8-hour ozone SIPs. Please note: this is not a comprehensive list but merely examples of control technologies and EPA does not specifically endorse one over the other.
- CTG & ACT Documents - Control Measure Guidance documents. CTGs are used to presumptively define VOC RACT while ACTs describe available control technologies and their respective cost effectiveness.
- Relevant Rules & Policies - Links to relevant regulatory documents and actions, e.g., Federal Register notices. Additional links to fact sheets & memos related to 8-hour ozone implementation.
- Examples of States' SIP Protocol - Selected state SIPs which demonstrate type of elements that are included in a SIP.
- Related Links - Related sites offering further information and assistance.