Overview
Title
Air Plan Approval; Maryland; Determination of Attainment by the Attainment Date for the 2010 1-Hour Primary Sulfur Dioxide National Ambient Air Quality Standard
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The EPA says that a part of Maryland cleaned up its air, meeting certain rules about how much sulfur can be in the air by 2021, but it still needs an official approval to be considered completely clean.
Summary AI
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a rule determining that the Anne Arundel and Baltimore County area met the 2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO₂) National Ambient Air Quality Standards by the deadline of September 12, 2021. This decision is based on air quality data, modeling, and emissions information from 2018 to 2020. Although the area has attained the standards, it remains officially classified as a nonattainment area until Maryland requests and the EPA approves a formal redesignation to attainment. This determination does not add new requirements or impact regulatory actions significantly.
Abstract
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to determine that the Anne Arundel and Baltimore County sulfur dioxide (SO<INF>2</INF>) nonattainment area attained the 2010 1-hour SO<INF>2</INF> primary national ambient air quality standard (2010 SO<INF>2</INF> NAAQS) by the applicable attainment date of September 12, 2021. This determination is based on certified ambient air quality data from the 2018-2020 monitoring period, relevant modeling analysis, and additional emissions inventory information. This action addresses the EPA's obligation under Clean Air Act (CAA) section 179(c) to determine whether the Anne Arundel and Baltimore County SO<INF>2</INF> nonattainment area (referred to hereafter as the Anne Arundel-Baltimore County Area, or simply the Area) attained the 2010 SO<INF>2</INF> NAAQS by the September 12, 2021 attainment date.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document under consideration is a final rule by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding air quality standards in the Anne Arundel and Baltimore County area. Specifically, it confirms that the area met national air quality standards for sulfur dioxide by a deadline in September 2021. However, despite meeting these standards, the area remains technically classified as "nonattainment" until further formal actions are taken by the state and approved by the EPA.
General Summary
This EPA rule focuses on whether a specific area in Maryland met federal air quality standards related to sulfur dioxide emissions by a set date. The standards, known as the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), are crucial for public health and environmental quality. The decision relies on air quality data, emissions inventories, and modeling from 2018 to 2020. Although the area achieved the required air quality levels, administrative processes keep it classified as nonattainment. Basically, while the air has gotten cleaner, official recognition of this status improvement has yet to be processed.
Significant Issues and Concerns
One notable issue is the technical language used throughout the document, which might be difficult for laypersons to understand without specialized knowledge in environmental law or air quality regulations. Terms like "NAAQS" and references to specific sections of the Clean Air Act require either prior knowledge or further research. Additionally, while no public comments were received on this rule during its proposal stage, the document does not explore why this might be the case, leaving questions about public engagement unanswered.
The document suggests that the air quality action is expected to have a neutral to positive impact, yet it lacks detailed data and analysis to back this claim. This lack of detailed analysis could be important for those interested in the environmental or health implications of the decision. Moreover, while acknowledging environmental justice concerns, the EPA did not perform an analysis. This might worry stakeholders passionate about fair environmental treatment, especially in areas historically impacted by poor air quality.
Impact on the Public
Broadly, this EPA determination indicates progress in air quality, which is positive for public health, as lower sulfur dioxide levels can reduce respiratory problems and other health issues tied to air pollution. For the general population in the Anne Arundel and Baltimore County area, this is a constructive development indicating an improved environment.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For state agencies and environmental groups, this decision is a vital step but only part of the process. Awaiting formal redesignation to attainment status means that there are ongoing administrative tasks. Businesses and local governments might see this news as an indication of potential changes in air quality regulations, yet, without additional requirements from this rule, it poses no immediate economic impacts.
Conversely, the lack of an environmental justice analysis might concern community advocates focused on equitable environmental health outcomes, particularly if marginalized communities perceive a disproportionate impact from historical pollution. Such groups may push for more detailed assessments in future EPA actions to ensure that all communities benefit equally from environmental improvements.
In conclusion, while this rule confirms an improvement in air quality, its implications remain largely procedural, with ongoing room for further evaluation and action in pursuit of comprehensive environmental justice and efficiency.
Issues
• The document uses technical terminology such as 'NAAQS', 'CAA section 179(c)', and 'SO2 nonattainment area', which may not be easily understood by laypersons without specific knowledge of air quality regulations.
• The text could be perceived as overly complex and contains a significant amount of legal jargon, which might not be accessible to a general audience.
• There is no explicit analysis or discussion explaining why no public comments were received during the NPRM comment period, which could be important for understanding stakeholder engagement.
• The document mentions 'further details' available in the NPRM related to this action but does not provide a clear summary of these details within the Final Rule, which might require readers to locate and review additional documents for full context.
• The text regarding statutory and executive order reviews states that the action is expected to have a neutral to positive impact on air quality, but it does not provide specific data or analysis to support this claim.
• The section on environmental justice (EJ) indicates that the EPA did not perform an EJ analysis, which might be a concern for stakeholders interested in the implications of air quality improvements on minority and low-income populations.