Air Plan Approval and Disapproval; North Carolina: New Source Review for Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve, in part, and disapprove, in part, changes to the North Carolina State Implementation Plan (SIP), provided by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ) through the Division of Air Quality, to EPA in submittals dated May 16, 2011 (two separate submittals), and September 5, 2013. These SIP submittals modify North Carolina's New Source Review (NSR)--Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR)--permitting regulations and include the adoption of some federal requirements regarding implementation of the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) through the NSR permitting program. As a result of the proposed disapproval of a portion of the State's NSR requirements, EPA is also proposing to approve, in part, and disapprove, in part, the PSD elements of North Carolina's infrastructure SIP submittals for the 2008 lead, 2008 8-hour ozone, 2010 sulfur dioxide (SO2), 2010 nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and the 2012 PM2.5 NAAQS, and to convert the Agency's previous conditional approvals of the PSD elements of North Carolina's infrastructure SIP submittals for the 1997 Annual PM2.5 and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS to partial approvals and partial disapprovals. This proposed partial disapproval, if finalized, will trigger the requirements for EPA to promulgate a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) no later than two years from the date of the disapproval unless the State corrects the deficiencies through a SIP revision and EPA approves the SIP revision before EPA promulgates such a FIP.