Air Plan Approval; NC; Blue Ridge Paper SO2

Publication Date: 
Tuesday, November 24, 2020 - 4:00am
Description: 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a source-specific State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality (DAQ), in final form, through a letter dated September 3, 2020. North Carolina's September 3, 2020, source- specific SIP revision requests that EPA incorporate into the SIP more stringent sulfur dioxide (SO<INF>2</INF>) permit limits than those currently contained in the SIP for the Blue Ridge Paper Products, LLC (also known as BRPP) facility located in the Beaverdam Township Area of Haywood County, North Carolina. Specifically, EPA is approving, into the SIP, specific SO<INF>2</INF> permit limits and associated operating restrictions, monitoring, recordkeeping, reporting (MRR) and testing compliance requirements established in BRPP's title V operating permit as permanent and enforceable SO<INF>2</INF> control measures. North Carolina submitted these limits to support its recommendation that EPA designate the Beaverdam Township Area as ``attainment/unclassifiable'' under the 2010 primary SO<INF>2</INF> national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS or standard) (also referred to as the 2010 1-hour SO<INF>2</INF> NAAQS). The purpose of this rulemaking is not to take action on whether these SO<INF>2</INF> emissions limits are adequate for EPA to designate the Beaverdam Township Area as attainment under the 2010 1-hour SO<INF>2</INF> NAAQS. Instead, EPA will determine the air quality status and designate remaining undesignated areas for the 2010 1-hour SO<INF>2</INF> NAAQS, including the Beaverdam Township Area, in a separate action. This SIP approval does not prejudge that future designation action.

Creator: 
Environmental Protection Agency