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BPA: Latest Ozone Planning Activities

Latest events and activities related to the Beaumont–Port Arthur (BPA) area’s compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone.

The SIP files on this page are hosted by the Texas Records and Information Locator (TRAIL) web archive . If you need assistance with a file, please contact siprules@tceq.texas.gov.

Withdrawal of the One-Hour Ozone portion of the BPA One-Hour Ozone Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan and the 1997 Eight-Hour Ozone Second 10-Year Maintenance Plan State Implementation Plan (SIP) Revision

On September 25, 2020, the commission approved the BPA One-Hour Ozone Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan SIP Withdrawal (Non-Rule Project No. 2020-039-SIP-NR). This action withdraws from the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) review, a portion of the BPA Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the One-Hour Ozone Standard and Second 10-Year Maintenance Plan for the 1997 Eight-Hour Ozone Standard SIP Revision, adopted by the commission on January 30, 2019. The withdrawn portion concerns the state's redesignation request and maintenance plan for the 1979 one-hour ozone NAAQS.

BPA Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the One-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area and Second 10-Year Maintenance Plan for the 1997 Eight-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area SIP Revision

On January 30, 2019, the commission adopted the BPA Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the One-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area and Second 10-Year Maintenance Plan for the 1997 Eight-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area SIP revision. The SIP revision includes a request that the EPA redesignate the BPA area (Hardin, Jefferson, and Orange Counties) to attainment for the one-hour ozone NAAQS and provides a maintenance plan that will ensure the area remains in attainment of the NAAQS through 2032. The SIP revision includes a request that the EPA also consider this plan as a second 10-year maintenance plan for the one-hour ozone standard. The SIP revision also includes a second 10-year maintenance plan for the 1997 eight-hour ozone NAAQS.

Proposed BPA Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the One-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area and Second 10-Year Maintenance Plan for the 1997 Eight-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area SIP Revision

On October 17, 2018, the commission approved for proposal the BPA Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the One-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area and Second 10-Year Maintenance Plan for the 1997 Eight-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area SIP revision. The proposed SIP revision would include a request that the EPA redesignate the BPA area (Hardin, Jefferson, and Orange Counties) to attainment for the one-hour ozone NAAQS and provide a maintenance plan that will ensure the area remains in attainment of the NAAQS through 2032. The SIP revision would include a request that the EPA also consider this plan as a second 10-year maintenance plan for the one-hour standard. The proposed SIP revision would also include a second 10-year maintenance plan for the 1997 eight-hour ozone NAAQS.

The public comment period opened on October 19, 2018 and closed on November 19, 2018. A public hearing was held on November 19, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. at the Homer E. Nagel Conference Room, South East Texas Regional Planning Commission, 2210 Eastex Freeway, Beaumont.

BPA Attainment Area On-Road Mobile Source Emissions Inventory and MVEB Update SIP Revision

On February 4, 2013, the EPA published its final approval of a revision to the State Implementation Plan for air quality, called the BPA Attainment Area On-Road Mobile Source Emissions Inventory and Motor Vehicle Emissions Budget Update, which became effective March 6, 2013. This SIP revision replaced the on-road mobile-source emissions inventories that were adopted in 2008 as part of the BPA maintenance plan for the 1997 eight-hour ozone standard, based on the EPA’s MOBILE model, with emissions inventories based on the EPA's Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) model. Updates to on-road mobile source emissions inventories included those for 2005, 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2021. In addition, 2021 MVEPs for nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds were updated, based on the MOVES-based emissions inventories.

Redesignation to Attainment for the 1997 Eight-Hour Ozone Standard

On December 10, 2008, the commission approved an Eight-Hour Ozone Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan SIP Revision for the BPA ozone nonattainment area. The SIP revision requested that the EPA redesignate the BPA area to attainment of the 1997 eight-hour ozone NAAQS and demonstrated how the area would maintain compliance with the standard through 2021.

On October 20, 2010, the EPA published a final rule in the Federal Register ( 75 FR 64675 ), effective November 19, 2010, approving the redesignation request and maintenance plan and finalizing a determination that the BPA area is in attainment of the revoked one-hour ozone standard. The EPA’s determination to redesignate signifies that the BPA area has met all of the applicable Federal Clean Air Act requirements for the purpose of redesignation to attainment.

With redesignation to attainment of the 1997 eight-hour ozone standard and a determination of attainment for the one-hour ozone standard, no new ozone-reduction strategies will have to be developed for either standard as long as the area continues to monitor ozone levels below the 1997 eight-hour standard; however, current strategies to reduce ozone in the BPA area will remain in place.