Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maryland; Removal of Clean Air Interstate Rule Program Regulations (CAIR) and Reference to CAIR, and Amendments to Continuous Emission Monitor (CEM) Reference

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a July 7, 2016 state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Maryland. The July 7, 2016 SIP submittal sought removal of a regulation in its entirety from the approved Maryland SIP which addressed Maryland's defunct Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) program and sought removal from the SIP of additional provisions which referenced Maryland's CAIR program in Maryland regulations addressing general air quality definitions and the control of emissions from pulp mills in Maryland. Additionally, the July 7, 2016 SIP submittal included an amendment to a Maryland regulation regarding the use of continuous emission monitoring (CEM) systems at Kraft pulp mill boilers and combustion units in order to clarify that CEM systems must meet requirements beyond those only related to certification. The July 7, 2016 SIP submittal removing references to CAIR in Maryland's regulations satisfies Maryland's obligation pursuant to an earlier rulemaking in which EPA granted final conditional approval of Maryland's amended regulation regarding the control of emissions from Kraft pulp mills contingent upon Maryland addressing the removal of references to CAIR from its regulations and SIP. Today's action thus also converts the prior conditional approval of the pulp mill regulation to a full approval. EPA's approval of the Maryland SIP is in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and is under CAA authority.