Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Environmental Quality
Board
Air Pollution Control Board

General Notice
General Notice - Air Quality Plan - Hampton Roads Ozone Advance
Date Posted: 2/14/2013
Expiration Date: 4/10/2013
Submitted to Registrar for publication: YES
No comment forum defined for this notice.

 Notice of action: The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking comments and announcing a public hearing on a proposed plan to promote continued compliance with the national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for ozone in the Hampton Roads Maintenance Area. This Ozone Advance Action Plan is a plan developed by the Commonwealth in order to meet its overall clean air goals under the federal Clean Air Act by attaining and maintaining the ambient air quality standards promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Act.

Purpose of notice: DEQ is seeking comments on the overall plan.

Public comment period: March 11 to April 10, 2013.

Public hearing: Conference Rooms 1 and 2, DEQ Tidewater Regional Office, 5636 Southern Blvd, Virginia Beach, Virginia, at 10:00 am on April 9, 2013.

Description of proposal: This Ozone Advance Action Plan covers the Hampton Roads Ozone Maintenance Area, consisting of the counties of Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City and York, and the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg. On May 21, 2012, EPA designated this area as attaining the 2008 ozone national ambient air quality standard. To help ensure clean, healthy air into the future, the leaders from these jurisdictions have worked cooperatively with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and a number of stakeholders to create this plan, which details the numerous clean air programs that are in place and will be implemented to reduce ozone precursors. Air quality in the Hampton Roads area will continue to improve through the implementation of these programs. Major stakeholders in this process include the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization; Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy; Virginia Department of Transportation; Virginia Port Authority; Dominion Virginia Power; Virginia Clean Cities Coalition; and Hampton Roads TRAFFIX. Actions taken as part of this plan, and various upwind reductions of ozone and particulate matter, will continue to improve air quality well into the future.

Federal information: This notice is being given to provide the general public with the opportunity to provide input on the plan. Ozone Advance Action Plans are voluntary plans developed in cooperation with EPA and are intended to enable the Commonwealth to meet its general federal requirement to attain and maintain the NAAQS; however, there is no mandatory requirement for this type of plan to undergo public comment.

How to comment: DEQ accepts written comments by email, fax, and postal mail.  In order to be considered, comments must include the full name, address, and telephone number of the person commenting and be received by DEQ no later than the last day of the comment period.  DEQ prefers that comments be provided in writing, along with any supporting information. Comments on the plan must be submitted to the contact person listed below.  All materials received are part of the public record.

To review the proposal: The proposal and any supporting documents are available on the DEQ Air Public Notices for Plans web site (http://www.deq.state.va.us/Programs/Air/PublicNotices/airplansandprograms.aspx).  The documents may also be obtained by contacting the DEQ representative named below.  The public may review the documents between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm of each business day until the close of the public comment period at the following DEQ locations: 1) Main Street Office, 8th Floor, 629 E. Main St, Richmond VA, 804-698-4070 and 2) Tidewater Regional Office, 5636 Southern Blvd, Virginia Beach VA, 757-518-2000.


Contact Information
Name / Title: Doris A. McLeod 
Address: 629 East Main Street
P.O. Box 1105
Richmond, 23218
Email Address: doris.mcleod@deq.virginia.gov
Telephone: (804)698-4197    FAX: (804)698-4510    TDD: (804)698-4021