Excerpt From §51.309 of the Regional Haze Rule Including §51.309(d)(8) Addressing Pollution Prevention

(emphasis added)


9. A new §51.309 is added as follows:

§51.309 Requirements Related to the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission.
(a) What is the purpose of this section? This section establishes the requirements for the first regional haze implementation plan to address regional haze visibility 36 impairment in the 16 Class I areas covered by the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission Report. For the years 2003 to 2018, certain States (defined below as Transport Region States) may choose to implement the Commission’s recommendations within the framework of the national regional haze program and applicable requirements of the Act by complying with the provisions of this section, as supplemented by an approvable Annex to the Commission Report as required by §51.309(f). If a transport region state submits an implementation plan which is approved by EPA as meeting the requirements of this section, it will be deemed to comply with the requirements for reasonable progress for the period from approval of the plan to 2018.

(b) Definitions. For the purposes of this section:
(1) “16 Class I areas” means the following mandatory Class I Federal areas on the Colorado Plateau: Grand Canyon National Park, Sycamore Canyon Wilderness, Petrified Forest National Park, Mount Baldy Wilderness, San Pedro Parks Wilderness, Mesa Verde National Park, Weminuche Wilderness, Black Canyon of the Gunnison Wilderness, West Elk Wilderness, Maroon Bells Wilderness, Flat Tops Wilderness, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capital Reef National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Zion National Park.
(2) “Transport Region State” means one of the States that is included within the Transport Region addressed by the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission (Arizona, California,
Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming). (3) “Commission Report” means the report of the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission entitled “Recommendations for Improving Western Vistas,” dated June 10, 1996.
(4) “Fire” means wildfire, wildland fire (including prescribed natural fire), prescribed fire, and agricultural burning conducted and occurring on Federal, State, and private wildlands and farmlands.
(5) “Milestone” means an average percentage reduction in emissions, expressed in tons per year, for a given year or for a period of up to 5 years ending in that year, compared to a 1990 actual emissions baseline.
(6) “Mobile Source Emission Budget” means the lowest level of VOC, NO , SO elemental and organic carbon, and fine particles X 2 which are projected to occur in any area within the transport region from which mobile source emissions are determined to contribute significantly to visibility impairment in any of the 16 Class I areas.
(7) “Geographic enhancement” means a method, procedure, or process to allow a broad regional strategy, such as a milestone or backstop market trading program designed to achieve greater reasonable progress than BART for regional haze, to accommodate BART for reasonably attributable impairment.

(c) Implementation Plan Schedule. Each Transport Region State may meet the requirements of §31.308(b)-(e) by electing to submit an implementation plan that complies with the requirements of §51.309. Each Transport Region State must submit an implementation plan addressing regional haze visibility impairment in the 16 Class I areas no later than December 31, 2003. A Transport Region State that elects not to submit an implementation plan that complies with the requirements of §51.309 (or whose plan does not comply with all of the requirements of 51.309) is subject to the requirements of §51.308 in the same manner and to the same extent as any State not included within the Transport Region.

(d) Requirements of the first implementation plan for States electing to adopt all of the recommendations of the Commission Report. Except as provided for in §51.309(e), each Transport Region State must submit an implementation plan that meets the following requirements:
(1) Time period covered. The implementation plan must be effective for the entire time period between December 31, 2003 and December 31, 2018.
(2) Projection of visibility improvement. For each of the 16 mandatory Class I areas located within the Transport Region State, the plan must include a projection of the improvement in visibility conditions (expressed in deciviews, and in any additional ambient visibility metrics deemed appropriate by the State) expected through the year 2018 for the most impaired and least impaired days, based on the implementation of all measures as required in the Commission report and the provisions in §51.309. The projection must be made in consultation with other Transport Region States with sources which may be reasonably anticipated to contribute to visibility impairment in the relevant Class I area. The projection may be based on a satisfactory regional analysis.
(3) Treatment of clean-air corridors. The plan must describe and provide for implementation of comprehensive emission tracking strategies for clean-air corridors to ensure that the visibility does not degrade on the least-impaired days at any of the 16 Class I areas. The strategy must include: (i) An identification of clean-air corridors. The EPA will evaluate the State’s identification of such corridors based upon the reports of the Commission’s Meteorology Subcommittee and any future updates by a successor organization; (ii) Within areas that are clean-air corridors, an identification of patterns of growth or specific sites of growth that could cause, or are causing, significant emissions increases that could have, or are having, visibility impairment at one or more of the 16 Class I areas. (iii) In areas outside of clean-air corridors, an identification of significant emissions growth that could begin, or is beginning, to impair the quality of air in the corridor and thereby lead to visibility degradation for the least-impaired days in one or more of the 16 Class I areas. (iv) If impairment of air quality in clean air corridors is identified pursuant to §§51.309(d)(3)(ii) and (iii), an analysis of the effects of increased emissions, including provisions for the identification of the need for additional emission reductions measures, and implementation of the additional measures where necessary. (v) A determination of whether other clean air corridors exist for any of the 16 Class I areas. For any such clean air corridors, an identification of the necessary measures to protect against future degradation of air quality in any of the 16 Class I areas.
(4) Implementation of Stationary Source Reductions. The first implementation plan submission must include: (i) Monitoring and reporting of sulfur dioxide emissions. The plan submission must include provisions requiring the monitoring and reporting of actual stationary source sulfur dioxide emissions within the State. The monitoring and reporting data must be sufficient to determine whether a 13 percent reduction in actual stationary source sulfur dioxide emissions has occurred between the years 1990 and 2000, and whether milestones required by §51.309(f)(ii) have been achieved for the transport region. The plan submission must provide for reporting of these data by the State to the Administrator. Where procedures developed under §51.309(f)(2) and agreed upon by the State include reporting to a regional planning organization, the plan submission must provide for reporting to the regional planning body in addition to the Administrator. (ii) Criteria and Procedures for a Market Trading Program. The plan must include the criteria and procedures for activating a market trading program or other program consistent with §51.309(f)(2) if an applicable regional milestone is exceeded, procedures for operation of the program, and implementation plan assessments of the program in the years 2008, 2013, and 2018. (iii) Provisions for activating a market trading program. Provisions to activate the market trading program or other program within 12 months after the emissions for the region are determined to exceed the applicable emission reduction milestone, and to assure that all affected sources are in compliance with allocation and other requirements within 5 years after the emissions for the region are determined to exceed the applicable emission reduction milestone. (iv) Provisions for market trading program compliance reporting. If the market trading program has been activated, the plan submission must include provisions requiring the State to provide annual reports assuring that all sources are in compliance with applicable requirements of the market trading program. (v) Provisions for stationary source NO and PM. The plan x submission must include a report which assesses emissions control strategies for stationary source NO and PM, and the degree of x visibility improvement that would result from such strategies. In the report, the State must evaluate and discuss the need to establish emission milestones for NO and PM to avoid any net x increase in these pollutants from stationary sources within the transport region, and to support potential future development and implementation of a multipollutant and possibly multisource market-based program. The plan submission must provide for an implementation plan revision, containing any necessary long-term strategies and BART requirements for stationary source PM and NOx (including enforceable limitations, compliance schedules, and other measures) by no later than December 31, 2008.
(5) Mobile Sources. The plan submission must provide for: (i) Statewide inventories of current annual emissions and projected future annual emissions of VOC, NO , SO ,elemental and X 2 organic carbon, and fine particles from mobile sources for the years 2003 to 2018. The future year inventories must include projections for the year 2005, or an alternative year that is determined by the State to represent the year during which mobile source emissions will be at their lowest levels within the State. (ii) A determination whether mobile source emissions in any areas of the State contribute significantly to visibility impairment in any of the 16 Class I Areas, based on the statewide inventory of current and projected mobile source emissions. (iii) For States with areas in which mobile source emissions are found to contribute significantly to visibility impairment in any of the 16 Class I areas: (A) The establishment and documentation of a mobile source emissions budget for any such area, including provisions requiring the State to restrict the annual VOC, Nox, SO2, elemental and organic carbon, and/or fine particle mobile source emissions to their projected lowest levels, to implement measures to achieve the budget or cap, and to demonstrate compliance with the budget. (B) An emission tracking system providing for reporting of annual mobile source emissions from the State in the periodic implementation plan revisions required by §51.309(d)(10). The emission tracking system must be sufficient to determine the States’ contribution toward the Commission’s objective of reducing emissions from mobile sources by 2005 or an alternate year that is determined by the State to represent the year during which mobile source emissions will be at their lowest levels within the State, and to ensure that mobile source emissions do not increase thereafter. (iv) Interim reports to EPA and the public in years 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018 on the implementation status of the regional and local strategies recommended by the Commission Report to address mobile source emissions.
(6) Programs Related to Fire. The plan must provide for: (i) Documentation that all Federal, State, and private prescribed fire programs within the State evaluate and address the degree visibility impairment from smoke in their planning and application. In addition the plan must include smoke management programs that include all necessary components including, but not limited to, actions to minimize emissions, evaluation of smoke dispersion, alternatives to fire, public notification, air quality monitoring, surveillance and enforcement, and program evaluation. (ii) A statewide inventory and emissions tracking system (spatial and temporal) of VOC, NOx, elemental and organic carbon, and fine particle emissions from fire. In reporting and tracking emissions from fire from within the State, States may use information from regional data-gathering and tracking initiatives. (iii) Identification and removal wherever feasible of any administrative barriers to the use of alternatives to burning in Federal, State, and private prescribed fire programs within the State. (iv) Enhanced smoke management programs for fire that consider visibility effects, not only health and nuisance objectives, and that are based on the criteria of efficiency, economics, law, emission reduction opportunities, land management objectives, and reduction of visibility impact. (v) Establishment of annual emission goals for fire, excluding wildfire, that will minimize emission increases from fire to the maximum extent feasible and that are established om cooperation with States, tribes, Federal land management agencies, and private entities.
(7) Area Sources of Dust Emissions from Paved and Unpaved Roads. The plan must include an assessment of the impact of dust emissions from paved and unpaved roads on visibility conditions in the 16 Class I Areas. If such dust emissions are determined to be a significant contributor to visibility impairment in the 16 Class I areas, the State must implement emissions management strategies to address the impact as necessary and appropriate.
(8) Pollution Prevention. The plan must provide for:
(i) An initial summary of all pollution prevention programs currently in place, an inventory of all renewable energy generation capacity and production in use, or planned as of the year 2002 (expressed in megawatts and megawatt-hours), the total energy generation capacity and production for the State, the percent of the total that is renewable energy, and the State’s anticipated contribution toward the renewable energy goals for 2005 and 2015, as provided in §51.309(d)(8)(vi).
(ii) Programs to provide incentives that reward efforts that go beyond compliance and/or achieve early compliance with air-pollution related requirements.
(iii) Programs to preserve and expand energy conservation efforts.
(iv) The identification of specific areas where renewable energy has the potential to supply power where it is now lacking and where renewable energy is most cost-effective.
(v) Projections of the short- and long-term emissions reductions, visibility improvements, cost savings, and secondary benefits associated with the renewable energy goals, energy efficiency and pollution prevention activities.
(vi) A description of the programs relied on to achieve the State's contribution toward the Commission's goal that renewable energy will comprise 10 percent of the regional power needs by 2005 and 20 percent by 2015, and a demonstration of the progress toward achievement of the renewable energy goals in the years 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018. This description must include documentation of the potential for renewable energy resources, the percentage of renewable energy associated with new power generation projects implemented or planned, and the renewable energy generation capacity and production in use and planned in the State. To the extent that it is not feasible for a State to meet its contribution to the regional renewable energy goals, the State must identify in the progress reports the measures implemented to achieve its contribution and explain why meeting the State's contribution was not feasible.

(9) Implementation of Additional Recommendations. The plan must provide for implementation of all other recommendations in the Commission report that can be practicably included as enforceable emission limits, schedules of compliance, or other enforceable measures (including economic incentives) to make reasonable progress toward remedying existing and preventing future regional haze in the 16 Class I areas. The State must provide a report to EPA and the public in 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018 on the progress toward developing and implementing policy or strategy options recommended in the Commission Report.
(10) Periodic Implementation Plan Revisions. Each Transport Region State must submit to the Administrator periodic reports in the years 2008, 2013, and 2018. The progress reports must be in the form of implementation plan revisions that comply with the procedural requirements of §51.102 and §51.103. (i) The report will assess the area for reasonable progress as provided in §51.309 for mandatory Class I Federal area(s) located within the State and for mandatory Class I Federal area(s) located outside the State which may be affected by emissions from within the State. This demonstration may be based on assessments conducted by the States and/or a regional planning body. The progress reports must contain at a minimum the following elements: (A) A description of the status of implementation of all measures included in the implementation plan for achieving reasonable progress goals for mandatory Class I Federal areas both within and outside the State. (B) A summary of the emissions reductions achieved throughout the State through implementation of the measures described in §51.309(d)(10)(i)(A). (C) For each mandatory Class I Federal area within the State, an assessment of the following: the current visibility conditions for the most impaired and least impaired days; the difference between current visibility conditions for the most impaired and least impaired days and baseline visibility conditions; the change in visibility impairment for the most impaired and least impaired days over the past five years. (D) An analysis tracking the change over the past 5 years in emissions of pollutants contributing to visibility impairment from all sources and activities within the State. Emissions changes should be identified by type of source or activity. The analysis must be based on the most recent updated emissions inventory, with estimates projected forward as necessary and appropriate, to account for emissions changes during the applicable 5-year period. (E) An assessment of any significant changes in anthropogenic emissions within or outside the State that have occurred over the past 5 years that have limited or impeded progress in reducing pollutant emissions and improving visibility. (F) An assessment of whether the current implementation plan elements and strategies are sufficient to enable the State, or other States with mandatory Federal Class I areas affected by emissions from the State, to meet all established reasonable progress goals. (G) A review of the State’s visibility monitoring strategy and any modifications to the strategy as necessary. (ii) At the same time the State is required to submit any 5- year progress report to EPA in accordance with §51.309(d)(10)(i), the State must also take one of the following actions based upon the information presented in the progress report: (A) If the State determines that the existing implementation plan requires no further substantive revision at this time in order to achieve established goals for visibility improvement and emissions reductions, the State must provide to the Administrator a negative declaration that further revision of the existing implementation plan is not needed at this time. (B) If the State determines that the implementation plan is or may be inadequate to ensure reasonable progress due to emissions from sources in another State(s) which participated in a regional planning process, the State must provide notification to the Administrator and to the other State(s) which participated in the regional planning process with the States. The State must also collaborate with the other State(s) through the regional planning process for the purpose of developing additional strategies to address the plan’s deficiencies. (C) Where the State determines that the implementation plan is or may be inadequate to ensure reasonable progress due to emissions from sources in another country, the State shall provide notification, along with available information, to the Administrator. (D) Where the State determines that the implementation plan is or may be inadequate to ensure reasonable progress due to emissions from within the State, the State shall develop additional strategies to address the plan deficiencies and revise the implementation plan no later than one year from the date that the progress report was due.
(11) State Planning and Interstate Coordination. In complying with the requirements of §309, States may include emission reductions strategies that are based on coordinated implementation with other States. Examples of these strategies include economic incentive programs and transboundary emissions trading programs. The implementation plan must include documentation of the technical and policy basis for the individual State apportionment (or the procedures for apportionment throughout the trans-boundary region), the contribution addressed by the State's plan, how it coordinates with other State plans, and compliance with any other appropriate implementation plan approvability criteria. States may rely on the relevant technical, policy and other analyses developed by a regional entity (such as the Western Regional Air Partnership) in providing such documentation. Conversely, States may elect to develop their own programs without relying on work products from a regional entity.
(12) Tribal Implementation. Consistent with 40 CFR Part 49, Tribes within the Transport Region may implement the required visibility programs for the 16 Class I areas, in the same manner as States, regardless of whether such tribes have participated as members of a visibility transport commission. (e) States Electing Not to Implement the Commission Recommendations. Any Transport Region State may elect not to implement the Commission recommendations set forth in paragraph (d) of this section. Such States are required to comply with the timelines and requirements of §51.308. Any Transport Region state electing not to implement the Commission recommendations must advise the other states in the Transport Region of the nature of the program and the effect of the program on visibility-impairing emissions, so that other States can take this information into account in developing programs under §51.309.