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   Notice of Public Hearings Concerning Proposed Amendments to Air Quality Regulations and Revisions to Maryland's State Implementation Plan

The Maryland Department of the Environment gives notice of public hearings concerning the following actions:

1. Proposal to amend Regulation .03 and repeal Regulations .04 - .09 under COMAR 26.11.04 Ambient Air Quality Standards. The purpose of this action is to adopt the following revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) as required by Section 2-302 (c) of the Environment Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland:

• the 2006 revised NAAQS for particulate matter (PM) and update the definitions, reference conditions, and methods of measurement as specified in 40 CFR Parts 50, 53, and 58.
• the 2010 revised NAAQS for sulfur dioxide (SO2) and update the definitions, reference conditions, and methods of measurement as specified in 40 CFR Parts 50, 53 and 58.
• the 2008 NAAQS for ground-level ozone (O3) and update the definitions, reference conditions, and methods of measurement as specified in 40 CFR Parts 50 and 58.
• the 2010 revised NAAQS for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and update the definitions, reference conditions, and methods of measurement as specified in 40 CFR Parts 50 and 58.
• the 2008 NAAQS for lead (Pb) and update the definitions, reference conditions, and methods of measurement as specified in 40 CFR Parts 50, 51, 53 and 58.

In this regulatory action the NAAQS are being incorporated by reference prospectively in order for Maryland’s ambient air quality standards to be identical to the federal standards at all times.

(Technical Support Document)

This action will be submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval as part of Maryland's State Implementation Plan.

2. Proposal to adopt new Regulation .27-1 under COMAR 26.11.19 Volatile Organic Compounds from Specific Processes. The purpose of this action is to adopt the requirements of the EPA’s Control Techniques Guidelines (CTG) for miscellaneous metal and plastic parts which include controls for pleasure craft coating operations. EPA develops CTGs as guidance on control requirements for source categories. States can follow the CTGs or adopt more restrictive standards. MDE proposes to adopt new standards and requirements that have been developed in coordination with EPA and trade associations representing the pleasure craft industry.

(Technical Support Document)

This action will be submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval as part of Maryland's State Implementation Plan.

3. Proposal to remove the Board of Education of Allegheny County's 1979 Consent Order from the State Implementation Plan. The coal-fired boiler located at Beall High School has been demolished along with the entire school. The Department issued a construction permit for a 15.5 million BTU per hour coal fired boiler on February 6, 1979.

(Fact Sheet) (Consent Order)

This action will be submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval as a revision to Maryland's State Implementation Plan.

4. Proposal to remove the Saint Mary's College 1979 Consent Order from the State Implementation Plan. The coal-fired F. Keeler Company Boiler has been modified by removing the coal firing capability and converting the boiler to mainly fire natural gas with No. 2 fuel oil backup. The Department issued a construction permit for this modification on July 18, 2000.

(Fact Sheet) (Permit Application) (Permit Modification) (Consent Order)

This action will be submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval as a revision to Maryland's State Implementation Plan.  

The full text of the proposed amendments and new regulation listed under #1 and #2 will appear in the Maryland Register at http://www.dsd.state.md.us/mdregister on June 15, 2012.

Public hearings on the four (4) proposed actions listed above will be held on July 18, 2012 at 10 a.m. at the Department of the Environment, 1800 Washington Boulevard, 1st Floor Conference Rooms, Baltimore, Maryland 21230-1720. 

The proposed actions and supporting documents are also available for review at the following locations: the Air and Radiation Management Administration; regional offices of the Department in Cumberland and Salisbury; all local air quality control offices; and local health departments in those counties not having separate air quality control offices.

Interested persons are invited to attend and express their views. Comments may be mailed to Deborah Rabin, Regulations Coordinator, Air and Radiation Management Administration, Department of the Environment, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Suite 730, Baltimore, Maryland 21230-1720, or emailed to drabin@mde.state.md.us, or faxed to (410) 537-4223. Comments must be received not later than July 18, 2012, or be submitted at the hearing. For more information, call Deborah Rabin at (410) 537-3240.

Anyone needing special accommodations at a public hearing should contact the Department's Fair Practices Office at (410) 537-3964. TTY users may contact the Department through the Maryland Relay Service at 1-800-735-2258.