South Carolina's Regional Haze Plan
Haze is generated when sunlight interacts with small particles of pollution and some sunlight is absorbed or scattered. This causes views to be obscured, generating what is called ‘visibility impairment’ for visitors to National Parks and Wildlife Preserves. Haze can be generated by natural sources, like wildfire smoke, pollen, or dust. Haze can also be generated by human sources which include motor vehicles, electric utility and industrial fuel burning, and manufacturing operations. The US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Regional Haze Program was created to protect and improve visibility at specified parks and wilderness areas by limiting or controlling human-generated pollution which generates noticeable and measurable visibility impairment.
Background
In 1977, Congress added section 169 to the Clean Air Act (CAA), which set forth the following goal for restoring pristine conditions in national parks and wilderness areas: Congress hereby declares as a national goal the prevention of any future, and the remedying of any existing, impairment of visibility in mandatory Class I Federal areas which impairment results from man-made air pollution.
In 1999, the EPA promulgated the “Regional Haze Regulations: Final Rule” (also referred to as the Regional Haze Rule) to address the combined visibility effects of various pollution sources over a wide geographic region with the goal of achieving natural visibility conditions at designated Class I areas by 2064. The Regional Haze Rule calls for state and federal agencies to work together to improve visibility in 156 national parks and wilderness areas such as the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, the Great Smokies and Shenandoah. This program requires all states, including those that do not have Class I areas to participate in planning, analysis, and emission control programs to comply with the Regional Haze Rule. States with Class I areas are required to conduct certain analyses to establish goals for each Class I area in the state to 1) improve visibility on the haziest days and 2) ensure no degradation occurs on the clearest days. These goals and long-term strategies to achieve these goals are to be included in state implementation plans (SIPs) covering each ten-year period leading up to 2064. Comprehensive periodic revisions to these initial plans are currently due in 2021, 2028, and every 10 years thereafter. Amendments to the Regional Haze Rule were finalized in 2005 and 2017.
Pursuant to the CAA requirements contained in sections 169A and 169B, and the subsequent implementing regulations contained in 40 CFR 51.308, the State of South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (Department) developed a State Implementation Plan (SIP) to address regional haze. The SIP represents commitments and actions taken by the state to address the requirements of these regulations towards the goal of attaining natural visibility conditions in South Carolina’s designated Class I area (Cape Romain). To develop this SIP, the state relied heavily on the work of the Southeast regional planning group VISTAS (Visibility Improvement States and Tribal Association of the Southeast). VISTAS is directed by the state air directors of ten southeastern states, including the eight U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 4 states plus Virginia and West Virginia.
Current Implementation Period (2019 - 2028)
Pursuant to 40 CFR 51.308, the Department has developed the Regional Haze Plan for the second implementation period. This plan updates the progress goals set in the first Regional Haze Plan and discusses what actions will be undertaken to protect and improve visibility at South Carolina's only Class I Area, Cape Romain. On March 3, 2022, the Department submitted a final version of this plan to the EPA for incorporation into the South Carolina SIP following consideration of relevant public comments.
First Implementation Period (2008 - 2018)
The first regional haze SIP was due in 2007. The first implementation period required analysis of both Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) sources and Reasonable Progress sources. BART determinations were only required for the first implementation period. BART determinations evaluated SO2, NOX and PM10, and considered five factors: (1) the costs of compliance, (2) the energy and non-air quality environmental impacts of compliance, (3) any existing pollution control technology in use at the source, (4) the remaining useful life of the source, and (5) the degree of improvement in visibility which may reasonably be anticipated to result from the use of such technology.
On December 17, 2007, the Department submitted its plan for the first implementation period to the EPA. This plan was approved on June 28, 2012 (77 FR 38509).
Contact
Mary Peyton Wall, Manager
803-898-4064