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Lead Planning Organizations within the Commonwealth

Section 174 of the Clean Air Act requires that areas of the state that do not comply with the national ambient air quality standards form local planning organizations (LPO’s).  LPO members are elected officials from the localities in the non-attainment area and representatives of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transport (VDRPT) and the metropolitan planning organizations within the non-attainment area.  Other people, such as private citizens and representatives of industry, military installations, and environmental groups, may also participate in the LPO’s in an advisory capacity.

The purpose of the LPO in a non-attainment area is to assist DEQ in carrying out planning requirements for that area.  These planning requirements can include examining baseline emissions levels to determine necessary control strategies, examining transportation needs for future growth, and if necessary, creating plans for EPA review and approval to bring the area into attainment with the air quality standards.  The extent of the planning requirements depends greatly on the classification of the non-attainment area and the severity of the air pollution problems.

The DEQ has established LPO’s for three areas:

Additionally, DEQ has established a northern Virginia delegation for the Lead Planning Organization responsible for the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area.  This area comprises northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and southern Maryland; therefore, the LPO for this area contains representatives from all three jurisdictions as well as members representing each state’s transportation and air quality agencies.  This LPO is the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee (MWAQC).

 

FREDERICKSBURG INFORMATION

The GWAQC has met several times since February, 2005.  The Fredericksburg nonattainment area had the opportunity to apply for redesignation to attainment status for the 8-hour ozone air quality standard since monitoring data for 2004 showed air quality improvement.  The GWAQC helped develop both the maintenance plan and the redesignation request for the area. DEQ conducted a public hearing on these proposals on April 20th, 2005, and the draft maintenance plan and redesignation request were sent to EPA Region III for review and approval.  The final approval for these documents was published in the Federal Register on December 23, 2005.

 

SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK INFORMATION

The final approval for the Shenandoah National Park nonattainment area redesignation request was published in the Federal Register on January 3, 2006.



METROPOLITAN RICHMOND INFORMATION

The initial meeting of the MRAQC was held on November 3, 2005 at 10:00 am at the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission.

A second MRAQC meeting was held April 6th, 2006, to review and provide feedback to VDEQ on the draft plan and request.

A third MRAQC meeting was held on May 10th, 2006, at 10:00 am at the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission.  The purpose of this meeting will be to receive final comments on the draft documents so that they may be provided to the public for a formal 30 day comment period and hearing. The public hearing was held August 21st, 2006.  These documents were sent to EPA Region III in September of 2006 for final review and approval.  EPA published final approval for the redesignation request and maintenance plan in the Federal Register on June 1, 2007. 

Richmond-Petersburg Redesignation Request
Richmond-Petersburg Maintenance Plan
Richmond-Petersburg Technical Support Document

 

HAMPTON ROADS INFORMATION

VDEQ staff made a presentation concerning the planning process and HRAQC involvement to the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization technical advisory committee at 9:30 on November 2, 2005.  VDEQ staff presented similar information to the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization at 10:30 am on November 16, 2005.

The first meeting of the HRAQC was held on April 19th, 2006, at 9:30 am.  The purpose of this meeting was to receive feedback on the current drafts of the maintenance plan and redesignation request for the Hampton Roads area.

A public hearing was held on July 19th, 2006, to receive testimony on these documents.  These documents were subsequently sent to EPA Region III in October of 2006 for final review and approval.  Final approval was published in the Federal Register on June 1, 2007.

Hampton Roads Redesignation Request
Hampton Roads Maintenance Plan
Hampton Roads Technical Support Document

 

EARLY ACTION COMPACTS

Under the implementation rule for the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards, certain areas were given the flexibility to develop their own approach to meeting the 8-hour ozone standard, provided the communities controlled emissions from local sources earlier than the Clean Air Act would otherwise require.  In Virginia, two areas elected to carry out this approach and created Early Action Compacts: The Roanoke area, consisting of BotetourtCounty, RoanokeCounty, RoanokeCity, SalemCity, and the Town of Vinton; and the Frederick area, consisting of FrederickCounty and WinchesterCity. Similar to the Lead Planning Organizations described above, these plans were created by ad hoc committees consisting of local elected and appointed representatives, interested citizens, and transportation staff in collaboration with DEQ.
 
On January 31, 2008, EPA proposed to designate both the Roanoke area and the Frederick area as attaining the 1997 8-hour ozone standard. 
    

METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON INFORMATION 

The Metropolitan Washington non-attainment area developed and submitted an 8-hour ozone attainment plan along with a base year inventory to satisfy Clean Air Act requirements. DEQ held public hearings on the 8-hour ozone attainment plan on April 24, 2007, and April 26, 2007. The final 8-hour ozone attainment plan was submitted to EPA by DEQ on June 12, 2007.  The plan has not yet received final approval from EPA.
 
The Metropolitan Washington non-attainment area also developed and submitted a PM2.5 attainment plan to address the 1997 PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards. DEQ held a public hearing on this document January 29, 2008. The final PM2.5 attainment plan for the Metropolitan Washington area was submitted on April 4, 2008, to EPA.  Final approval from EPA has not yet been received. 

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