1. National Ambient Air Quality Standards Changes
Walker Williamson
Air Quality Division
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Advanced Air Permitting Seminar 2015

2. Today’s Topics
Revisions to the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
Impacts to Texas
Update on 2010 Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) NAAQS

3. 2015 Revisions to the Ozone NAAQS

4. 2015 Ozone NAAQS
On October 1, 2015, the EPA revised the primary and secondary NAAQS for eight-hour ozone.
Primary NAAQS protect public health:
2008 NAAQS: parts per million (ppm)
2015 NAAQS: ppm

5. 2015 Ozone NAAQS
Secondary NAAQS protect public welfare (trees, plants, ecosystems, etc.):
2008 NAAQS: ppm
2015 NAAQS: ppm
Form is identical to the primary NAAQS but the target level is based on the W126 index.
NAAQS is set in ppm but usually discussed in parts per billion (ppb).

6. Calculating Eight-Hour Ozone Design Values
Find the fourth highest eight-hour daily peak at each monitor.
Average those fourth highest values from the most recent three years; do this for each monitor. This is the design value for your monitor.
The design value for a county or area is the maximum design value from all of the monitors located within that county or area.

7. Calculating Eight-Hour Ozone Design Values: An Example
Monitor A has three years of complete data:
The 4th Highest Peak Eight-Hour Ozone for Monitor A was 95 in 2009, 88 in 2010 and 86 in 2011.
Mean of the 4th highest peak from each year
Now truncate the average
Eight-Hour Ozone
2013
2014
2015
Maximum Peak 87 85 86
2nd Highest Peak 83 80
3rd Highest Peak 70 78 75
4th Highest Peak 69 73 72
=71.334
71.334=𝟕𝟏 𝐩𝐩𝐛

8. Comparing Design Values to the NAAQS
Design values must be greater than the NAAQS for an area to exceed.
If a design value for an area is equal to the NAAQS, the area meets the standard.
2015 NAAQS set at 70 ppb (0.070 ppm):
ppb 70 ppb MEETS NAAQS
ppb 71 ppb EXCEEDS NAAQS

9. 2015 Ozone NAAQS Implementation Schedule
Final Rule – October 1, 2015
State Nonattainment Area Recommendations due to the EPA – October 1, 2016
EPA Response to State Recommendations – June 1, 2017
EPA Final Nonattainment Area Designations – October 1, 2017

10. 2015 Ozone NAAQS Implementation Schedule
Infrastructure and Transport Plans Due – October 2018
Emissions Inventories Due – October 2019
Attainment Plans Due – 2020 or 2021
Attainment Deadlines – 2020 to 2037

11. Final NAAQS and Designations
Scheduled Designations
Actual Designations
NAAQS Final
1997
1999
2004
2008
2010
2012
2015
2017 ?

12. Impacts to Texas
Impacts to Texas

13. Texas Air Quality Planning Areas
PM10 = particulate matter less than or equal to 10 microns in diameter

14. 2015 Ozone Design Values by County
CSA/CBSA
County
2015 8Hr Ozone DV (ppb)
Dallas—Fort Worth
Denton 83
Tarrant 80
Houston—The Woodlands
Brazoria
Harris 79
San Antonio—New Braunfels
Bexar 78
Collin 76
Dallas 75
Parker
Hood 74
Montgomery 73
Johnson
Galveston 72
El Paso—Las Cruces
El Paso 71
Rockwall 70
Killeen-Temple
Bell 69
Austin—Round Rock
Travis 68
Beaumont—Port Arthur
Jefferson
Ellis
Longview-Marshall
Gregg
Kaufman 67
Tyler-Jacksonville
Smith
Waco
McLennan
Amarillo-Borger
Randall 66
Orange
Harrison
Navarro
Corpus Christi—Kingsville—Alice
Nueces 65
Hunt 64
No CSA
Brewster
Polk
Victoria—Port Lavaca
Victoria
Laredo
Webb 59
Brownsville-Harlingen
Cameron 58
McAllen-Edinburg
Hidalgo 54
CSA = Combined Statistical Area
CBSA = Core Based Statistical Area
DV = Design Value
*2015 design values are calculated as of 9/29/2015 and subject to change.
**The Brewster County, Randall County, and Polk County monitors are part of the Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET) of monitors and report data directly to the EPA.

15. 2015 Ozone Design Values by CSA
CSA/CBSA
2015 8Hr Ozone DV (ppb)
Dallas—Fort Worth 83
Houston—The Woodlands 80
San Antonio—New Braunfels 78
El Paso—Las Cruces 71
Killeen-Temple 69
Austin—Round Rock 68
Beaumont—Port Arthur
Longview-Marshall
Tyler-Jacksonville 67
Waco
Amarillo-Borger 66
Corpus Christi—Kingsville—Alice 65
Brewster County (No CSA) 64
Polk County (No CSA)
Victoria—Port Lavaca
Laredo 59
Brownsville-Harlingen 58
McAllen-Edinburg 54
*2015 design values are calculated as of 9/29/2015 and are subject to change.
**The Brewster County, Randall County, and Polk County monitors are part of the Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET) of monitors and report data directly to the EPA.

16. Summary of Preliminary 2015 Ozone Design Values
Based on preliminary 2015 ozone data:
Six Texas counties in three CSAs are above the ozone NAAQS of 75 ppb.
Seven additional Texas counties and one additional CSA (13 counties and 4 CSAs) are currently monitoring above 70 ppb.
Only Bexar and El Paso counties are not currently designated nonattainment for ozone.

17. Example Classification Ranges
Thresholds Based on Percent-Above- Standard Approach at ppm Marginal up to ppm Moderate up to ppm Serious up to ppm Severe – up to ppm Severe – up to ppm Extreme ppm or more

18. SIP Requirements for Ozone Nonattainment Areas
EXTREME
(20 Years)
Clean Fuels and Controls for Boilers
Traffic Controls During Congestion
SEVERE
(15-17 Years)
VMT Growth Offset
Major Source Fees for Failure to Attain (185 Fees)
SERIOUS
(9 Years)
Enhanced Monitoring and I/M
Modeled Attainment Demonstration
3% per Year VOC Reductions After 6 Years
RFP Milestone Contingency Measures
Clean Fuels Program
VMT Demonstration
MODERATE
(6 Years)
Basic I/M
RACT & RACM Emissions Reductions
Attainment Demonstration
Contingency Measures
RFP - 15% VOC Reductions within 6 years
MARGINAL
(3 Years)
Emissions Inventory
Emissions Statements
Nonattainment NSR Program & Emissions Offsets
RACT Fixups
I/M Corrections
Conformity
SIP = State Implementation Plan
NSR = New Source Review
RACT = Reasonably Available Control Technology
I/M = Inspection and Maintenance
RACM = Reasonably Available Control Measures
RFP = Request for Proposal
VOC = volatile organic compounds
VMT = vehicle miles traveled
tpy = tons per year
Major Source Threshold
(TPY) 10
1.5 : 1 25
1.3 : 1 50
1.2 : 1
100
1.15 : 1
1.1 : 1
NSR Offset Ratios
Nonattainment requirements compound as classification increases.

19. Sulfur Dioxide

20. 2010 SO2 NAAQS
In 2010, EPA revised SO2 NAAQS by establishing a new one-hour standard at 75 ppb.
EPA completed the first round of nonattainment designations on July 5, 2013:
Based on regulatory monitoring data, there were no nonattainment areas in Texas.

21. 2010 SO2 NAAQS
On March 3, 2015, enforceable order between the EPA and environmental groups:
The agreement sets designation deadlines in 2016, 2017, and 2020.
Designations scheduled for July 2, 2016 include sources with:
16,000 tons or more SO2 emissions in the Air Markets database in 2012; or
more than 2,600 tons SO2 and an emission rate of at least 0.45 lbs SO2/MMBtu in 2012.
lbs = pounds
MMBtu = million British thermal unit

22. EPA-Identified Texas Sources for Designation by July 2, 2016 (Part 1)
Facility
County
San Miguel Electric Plant
Atascosa
WA Parish Electric Generating Station
Fort Bend
Big Brown Steam Electric Station
Freestone
Coleto Creek Power Station
Goliad
Tolk Station
Lamb
Limestone Electric Generation Station
Limestone

23. EPA-Identified Texas Sources for Designation by July 2, 2016 (Part 2)
Facility
County
Sandy Creek Energy Station
McLennan
Sandow Steam Electric Station
Milam
Harrington Station Power Plant
Potter
Twin Oaks
Robertson
Martin Lake Electrical Station
Rusk
Monticello Steam Electric Station
Titus

24. Recommendations for Designation by July 2, 2016
Recommendations made September 18, 2015.
Counties with regulatory 2014 one-hour SO2 design values less than 75 ppb:
Dallas, El Paso, Ellis, Galveston, Gregg, Harris, Jefferson, Kaufman, McLennan, Navarro, and Nueces
All other Texas counties were recommended unclassifiable/attainment:
This is consistent with the EPA’s March 20, designations guidance.

25. Data Requirements Rule
EPA’s Data Requirements Rule:
The rule includes criteria for sources that states must evaluate for compliance with the NAAQS through either modeling or monitoring.
The threshold is set at 2,000 tons per year.
There is an option to establish enforceable limits <2,000 tons per year.

26. Data Requirements Rule Key Dates
List of sources meeting rule criteria due to EPA – January 15, 2016
List of monitored and modeled sources due to EPA – July 1, 2016
New monitors scheduled to be operational – January 1, 2017
Analyses for modeled sources due to EPA – January 13, 2017
Third year of data used to calculate design values for new monitors due to EPA – May 2020

27. Implementation Timeline
Areas Associated with Monitored Violations
Round 1
Designations
August 5, 2013
Designations Effective
October 4, 2013
Attainment Demonstration SIP Due
April 2015
Attainment Deadline
October 2018
Areas Associated with Court Order and New Monitored Violations
Round 2
July 2, 2016
By September 2016
March 2018
September 2021
Modeled Areas and Areas Without Monitors
Round 3
December 31, 2017
By February 2018
August 2019
February 2023
Round 4
New Monitored Areas/All Remaining Areas
December 31, 2020
By February 2021
August 2022
February 2026

28. Round 1: Areas with 2009-2011 Monitored Violations
Designations August 5, 2013
August 5, 2013
Designations Effective October 4, 2013
October 4, 2013
Attainment SIP Due April 2015
April 2015
Attainment Deadline October 2018
October 2018

29. Round 2: Areas Associated with Court Order
Designations July 2, 2016
July 2, 2016
Designations Effective By Sept. 2016
By September 2016
Attainment SIP Due March 2018
March 2018
Attainment Deadline September 2021
September 2021

30. Round 3: Modeled Areas and Areas Without Monitors
Designations December 31, 2017
December 31, 2017
Designations Effective By February 2018
By February 2018
Attainment SIP Due August 2019
August 2019
Attainment Deadline February 2023
February 2023

31. Round 4: New Monitored Areas/All Remaining Areas
Designations December 31, 2020
December 31, 2020
Designations Effective By February 2021
By February 2021
Attainment SIP Due August 2022
August 2022
Attainment Deadline February 2026
February 2026

32. Contact Information
Walker Williamson:
SIP Team Leader
Join the SIP/Air Quality update list.
The SIP/Air Quality update list can be found at