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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Air Quality

As part of Pennsylvania's initiative to provide wider public access to electronic media, this service offers the most comprehensive on-line resource for air quality information in the Commonwealth. We welcome the opportunity to develop and extend this service as recommended by users.
Joyce E. Epps, Director

Air Toxics and Schools
In response to a USA TODAY Special Report on air toxics and schools, the DEP has tested the air at Pennsylvania schools "ranked" by the USA TODAY as possibly the worst. The below news releases and reports detail the findings.

News Releases
bulletResults of Ongoing Testing Show Air Quality is Safe Near
    Schools in Beaver and Erie Counties (9/17/09)
BulletFurther DEP Testing Finds Air Quality Around Schools
    to be Safe (5/28/09)

BulletDEP Inspects Scrapyards, Steel Plant to Find Source
    of Elevated Levels of Air Pollutants (4/8/09)
BulletDEP Finds Air Quality Around Schools to be Safe
    (2/27/09)
BulletDEP to Monitor Air
Quality Near Schools Cited in
    the USA Today Report (12/11/08)
BulletUSA TODAY Special Report (12/8/08)

DEP Sampling Reports (PDF)
new St. Vitus School, New Castle
Bullet
Iroquois Junior/Senior High, Erie
BulletRidgefield Elementary, Erie
BulletMidland Elementary/Middle School, Midland
BulletReading Mulhenberg CTC, Reading
BulletLocust Grove Mennonite, Lancaster
BulletGraystone Academy Charter School, Coatesville
BulletPhoenixville Area Kindergarten Center, Phoenixville
BulletStony Brook Elementary School, York
BulletWayne Middle School, Erie

Comment Periods Now Open

Public comments are now being accepted on the following:

new Proposed Revision to Pennsylvania State Implementation Plan (SIP) for Philadelphia Area PM2.5 Attainment Plan
DEP is soliciting comments on a revision to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the Philadelphia-Wilmington PA-NJ-DE PM2.5 Nonattainment Area (Philadelphia Area.)   The proposed SIP revision demonstrates how the area will attain the health-based PM2.5 NAAQS by April 2010. DEP must receive all public comments by March 12, 2010.

new Proposed Revision to Pennsylvania State Implementation Plan (SIP) for Philadelphia Area 1997 Ozone Standard
DEP is accepting comment on a proposed revision to the State Implementation Plan to submit a revised appendix for stationary point source annual emissions found in the 2002 base-year inventory. A public hearing on the proposed SIP revision will be held on Thursday, March 11, 2010. Written comments are due by March 12, 2010.

Proposed Regulations for...

News

new Final 2010-2013 Annual and Ozone Season CAIR Nitrogen Oxides (Nox) Allowance Allocations
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is providing notice of the finalization of the 2010-2013 annual and ozone season CAIR NOx allowance allocations. On December 10, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted a final rule approving the Pennsylvania CAIR State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision. (74 FR 65446, Dec. 10, 2009). Therefore, these allocations replace those under the EPA’s Federal Implementation Plan.

Questions concerning this notice should be directed to Mr. Randy Bordner, Chief, Stationary Source Section, Bureau of Air Quality at (717) 772-3921 or to ranbordner@state.pa.us.

Final Report - Special Carlisle Area Fine Particulate Air Monitoring Study
As a result of concerns raised by local residents due to the increased emissions from truck traffic, Carlisle area residents, the Clean Air Board of Central Pennsylvania (CAB), and the Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) conducted an ambient air quality study focusing on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the Carlisle area. Results of the study and the entire report can be viewed by clicking on the link above.

Evaluation of the Air Quality Program
This report, which is required under Section 4.3 of the Air Pollution Control Act (APCA or Act 95 of 1992), evaluates the effectiveness of programs adopted to implement Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.

Control Techniques Guidelines This page has information about the Control Techniques Guidelines (CTGs) documents issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 1994 through 2008. The CTGs are documents issued by the EPA to provide States with the EPA’s recommendation on how to control the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from a specific type of product or source category in an ozone nonattainment area.

ANNUAL EMISSION FEE PRICES As specified in the Pa Code, the fees for all "regulated" pollutants for 2008 are $54/ton.

DIESEL IDLING LAW On October 9, 2008, Gov. Rendell signed the Diesel-Powered Motor Vehicle Idling Act into law (Act 124). Taking effect 120 days from enactment, the law restricts most diesel-powered motor vehicles over 10,000 pounds from idling more than five minutes in any continuous 60-minute period, with a number of exemptions. Click here for information about Pennsylvania's new Diesel-Powered Motor Vehicle Idling Act.

For Your Reference

Comment on California's EWIR Amendments
PA DEP submitted comments supporting the California Air Resources Board’s proposed repeal of amendments made in 2007 to its Emission Warranty Information Reporting and Recall regulations and emission test procedures.

2010 Ambient Air Monitoring Network Plan

CLEAN AIR INTERSTATE RULE The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on December 23, 2008 ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to fix flaws in the Clean Air Interstate Rule, or CAIR, but did not set a deadline. In the meantime, the rule will be implemented. On July 11, the same federal court had vacated the entire federal CAIR regulation, but widespread concerns about adverse implications for short-term air quality and other harms led the court to reconsider. Read the full press release...

Centralia Mine Fire Mercury Study
The DEP’s Bureau of Air Quality (BAQ) and the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation (BAMR) partnered to
conduct a study of mercury emissions from a coal mine fire, with financial support from the United States EPA and OSM. The final report is now available.

2009 Dry Cleaner Compliance Calendar Now Available

COLLEGEVILLE AREA AIR MONITORING REPORT DEP is investigating trichloroethylene levels in the air for two reasons: historic groundwater contamination and nearby air emission sources.
BulletSite Information and Raw Data
Bullet1st Report (PDF)(1/19/07)
Bullet2nd Report (PDF)(3/07/08)
3rd Report (PDF)(11/17/09)

new Pollution Control Technology Grant Program Criteria
Section 304 of the Alternative Energy Investment Act of 2008 (Act 1 or Act) authorizes the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to award a total of  $25 million for “pollution control technology projects” installed on electric generating units (EGUs) and co-generation units that have an installed capacity of less than 500 megawatts per unit.  The Act specifies that each unit is eligible to receive a pro rata share of the moneys allocated for pollution control technology projects based on criteria developed by the Department.

 

 

 

 

 

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