Approval of Redesignation Requests and Maintenance Plan for the Hillsborough County Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Nonattainment Area

On November 12, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took final action, effective December 12, 2019: 

  • to determine that the Hillsborough County Area attained the 2010 1-hour SO2 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) by its applicable attainment date of October 4, 2018;
  • to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision containing Florida's plan for maintaining attainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2 standard and to incorporate the maintenance plan into the SIP;
  • to redesignate the Hillsborough County Area to "attainment" for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS; and
  • to incorporate into the SIP certain permitting conditions applicable to the Tampa Electric Company's Big Bend Station, including a condition that lowers the SO2 emissions cap and a condition that restricts fuel use at two electric generating units to natural gas.

EPA Final Approval, published in the Federal Register November 12, 2019

Submittal for Proposed Revision to Florida's June 7, 2018 Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the Hillsborough County SO2 Nonattainment Area

On April 16, 2019, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) submitted an SIP revision, under the Clean Air Act (CAA), to the EPA.  This SIP submission proposes to revise Florida’s June 7, 2018, Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the Hillsborough County SO2 Nonattainment Area. These amendments consist of incorporating recent permit revisions for Tampa Electric Company's Big Bend Station that restrict Big Bend Units 1 and 2 to firing only natural gas and amend the method of compliance used for the four-unit SO2 emissions cap to remove the continuous emission monitoring system requirement for Units 1 and 2 and require, instead, the use of procedures in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 75 to calculate SO2 emissions.

Important Documents for April 16, 2019, SIP Submittal

Submittal for Proposed Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the Hillsborough County SO2 Nonattainment Area

On June 7, 2018, the DEP submitted a SIP revision, under the CAA, to the EPA.  Florida's proposed SIP revision consists of a request to the EPA to redesignate the portion of Hillsborough County that is designated as “nonattainment,” with respect to the 2010 revised SO2 NAAQS, to “attainment” and a request to approve an associated maintenance SIP that will ensure the continued attainment of the 2010 SO2 NAAQS in the area.

Important Documents for June 7, 2018, SIP Submittal

Last Modified: Thursday, Oct 14, 2021 - 03:46pm