Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
S. 1244
STATUS INFORMATION
Joint Resolution
Sponsors: Medical Affairs Committee
Document Path: l:\council\bills\nbd\12559ac04.doc
Introduced in the Senate on May 13, 2004
Introduced in the House on May 25, 2004
Currently residing in the House Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs
Summary: DHEC, regulations approved, air pollution
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5/13/2004 Senate Introduced, read first time, placed on calendar without
reference SJ-4
5/19/2004 Senate Read second time SJ-66
5/20/2004 Senate Read third time and sent to House
5/25/2004 House Introduced and read first time HJ-15
5/25/2004 House Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and
Municipal Affairs HJ-15
View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
INTRODUCED
May 13, 2004
S. 1244
S. Printed 5/13/04--S.
Read the first time May 13, 2004.
TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL, RELATING TO AIR POLLUTION CONTROL REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS, DESIGNATED AS REGULATION DOCUMENT NUMBER 2872, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 23, TITLE 1 OF THE 1976 CODE.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The regulations of the Department of Health and Environmental Control, relating to Air Pollution Control Regulations and Standards, designated as Regulation Document Number 2872, and submitted to the General Assembly pursuant to the provisions of Article 1, Chapter 23, Title 1 of the 1976 Code, are approved.
SECTION 2. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
In July 18, 1997, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground-level ozone from 0.12 parts per million (ppm) 1-hour "peak" standard to 0.08 ppm 8-hour "average" standard. The National Ambient Air Quality Standards are health-based standards established at levels intended to protect public health. This "new" ozone standard is commonly referred to as the 8-hour ozone standard. Currently, all areas of South Carolina meet or "attain" all national ambient air quality standards, including the 1-hour ozone standard. However, when implemented, the 8-hour ozone standard could result in numerous areas of the State being determined not to meet the 8-hour standard and being designated as "non-attainment" for ground-level ozone. In South Carolina, 18 of 23 ozone monitors, particularly those in the more populated urban areas, regularly exceed the 8-hour standard. When air quality standards are revised, the State must recommend to EPA the boundaries of the areas that are not in compliance with the standard and must submit a plan to EPA that demonstrates how the State will bring those areas designated as non-attainment for the standard back into attainment. EPA will make the 8-hour ozone nonattainment designations by April 15, 2004, with input from the Department.
When EPA designates areas as non-attainment, these areas automatically become subject to additional permitting requirements referred to as nonattainment new source review and complex transportation planning requirements referred to as transportation conformity. In an effort to be proactive and bring cleaner air sooner to the citizens of South Carolina, the Department, with EPA support, has begun the process with state and local governments, industry, environmental groups, and other interested parties to consider possible ozone reduction strategies. The Department has been working with these stakeholder groups over the last year to develop strategies sooner than would be required by the current federal time frames to reduce the pollution that creates ground-level ozone.
This strategy of bringing cleaner air to the state sooner than would be required under the current federal timeframes is referred to as the Early Action Compact or EAC. In accordance with the EAC, EPA has laid out specific milestones that the State must meet to reduce ozone precursors so that our ozone monitors will be attaining the 8-hour standard by 2007 and beyond. Aside from the public health benefits realized by meeting the new standard sooner than required, another reason for embarking on this approach is that if we are successful, EPA will defer the effective date of the nonattainment designations.
The purpose of the regulations is to reduce or regulate the growth of ozone precursors so that the ozone monitors in the State are attaining the ozone standard in 2007 and to ensure that the Department is meeting the milestones specified by EPA for the EAC process. As part of the EAC process, the Department has promulgated a new regulation, R.61-62.5, Standard 5.2, Control of Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx). In addition, the Department has revised R.61-62.5, Standard 5.1, Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) Applicable to Volatile Organic Compounds, and R.61-62.2, Prohibition of Open Burning.
This web page was last updated on Monday, December 7, 2009 at 10:22 A.M.