ENV-06-172 Strategic Compliance Planning in 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Areas

Description:

In June 2005, the one-hour ozone standard was vacated, leaving the eight-hour standard and associated nonattainment area designations the prevailing ozone constraints on certain geographic areas. Now, states must develop or modify State Implementation Plans (SIPs) to achieve and maintain compliance with the eight-hour standard by required deadlines. In industrial areas throughout the U.S., including the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes Region, the Eastern Seaboard, and Southern California, existing regulations cannot be relaxed, and new measures may be required. As these new measures are considered, promulgated, and implemented, affected facilities must closely monitor how the regulations will impact each site’s business plans and capital budgets. By keeping business plans in the forefront while planning compliance, rather than letting compliance dictate the business plan, companies can implement creative solutions to achieve compliance with air quality regulations without significantly affecting long-term business planning. This presentation will touch on updates of SIP measures state regulatory agencies are considering to achieve compliance with the eight-hour ozone standard by 2010 or other deadlines. It will summarize leading measures under consideration and identify key opportunities that may require or allow creative compliance solutions, such as managing cap and trade accounts, incorporating emerging emissions detection and measurement technologies to reduce monitoring requirements, implementing flexible permitting strategies, and other options.