Compliance Information

North Carolina Attainment SIP

The EPA uses the designation of nonattainment areas as a key step in the development of strategies for reducing ozone pollution. A number of areas in North Carolina have been identified by the EPA as nonattainment and are not meeting federal air quality standards. North Carolina's Department of Environment and Natural Resources Air Quality Division continues to revise its State Implementation Plan (SIP) to address this issue as required by the EPA, under the terms of the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act. These air regulations cover stationary sources including industrial facilities and other fixed emission sources.

Those areas not meeting federal air quality standards are the following:

† This area has received a bump down in classification
(EAC) Participating in an early action compact
(P) Partial Counties

Air Quality Rule 15A NCAC 2D & 2Q

In order to help control emissions from stationary sources, Rule 15A NCAC 2D and 2Q have been enacted, which includes emission guidelines for controlling nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOC) and other harmful air toxins.

North Carolina Administrative Codes:

• Section .1400 Nitrogen Oxide
• Section 2D.1416 Emission Allocations for Utilities
• Section 2D.1418 New Electric Generating Units, Large Boilers and Large I/C Engines

Clean Smokestacks Act (CSA)

The Clean Smokestack Act, passed in 2002, requires significant reductions in utility NOx emissions from North Carolina's fourteen largest coal-fired power plants. The bill will require substantial reductions in sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions, the primary cause of haze, acid rain and fine particles and it also requires that power plants would have to cut their SO2 emissions about 50% by 2009 and 73% by 2013.

Resource Links

North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Division of Air Quality

Carolinas Air Pollution Control Association

United States Environmental Protection Agency (Office of Air & Radiation)

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