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Mike Edwards

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Air Quality Planning:

Idaho's State Implementation Plan

What is a SIP?
What's in a SIP?
What's in Idaho's SIP?
Learn More
Under the authority of the Clean Air Act (CAA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed and promulgated health-based air quality standards that limit the maximum levels of certain pollutants in outdoor air. Idaho has adopted most of these standards into the state Rules for the Control of Air Pollution in Idaho (IDAPA 58.01.01) and has been delegated authority to issue air quality permits and enforce air quality regulations in the state. States that have been delegated this authority are authorized to develop plans demonstrating how they will achieve, maintain, and enforce the standards. Jointly, the state rules and these plans are known as each state's State Implementation Plan (SIP).
 
 What is a SIP?

A SIP is the framework for each state's program to protect the air. It is not a single plan, but the accumulated record of a number of air pollution documents showing what the state has done, is doing, or plans to do to assure compliance with federal National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for "criteria" pollutants. Criteria pollutants are certain pollutants—carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen oxides, lead, and particulate matter—that are known to be hazardous to human health.

 

States must involve the public, through hearings and opportunities to comment, in the development of SIPs. The plans are subject to approval by EPA, which provides for some consistency among different state programs and ensures that each state program complies with the requirements of the CAA and EPA rules.

 
 What's in a SIP?

The contents of a SIP can be considered in two broad categories:

1. state air quality rules and programs to attain and maintain the NAAQS, including the new source review program, a program to prevent state emergency episodes, and visibility protection.
2.
 site or area-specific plans and documents. The CAA requires that state SIPs delineate areas in the state where the air does not meet the standards set by EPA. These are known as “nonattainment areas” and the SIP must outline what the state is doing to address these problems and include compliance schedules to attain the NAAQS.
 
 What's in Idaho's SIP?

Idaho's original SIP was submitted in 1980 and, because it is a living document, has undergone multiple revisions over the years. Among its contents are:

•

 the state's Rules for the Control of Air Pollution in Idaho, which outline the procedures DEQ follows to monitor and control air emissions;
• site-specific nonattainment area plans for various areas including northern Ada County, Pinehurst, Sandpoint, and Pocatello; and
• facility permits limiting air emissions.

Link to Table of Contents of Idaho's SIP on EPA's Region 10 Web site.
 
 Learn More

 On DEQ's Web Site:
What are the National Ambient Air Quality Standards? Learn about criteria pollutants and air quality standards.
Attainment vs. Nonattainment Currently, four geographical areas in Idaho are classified as nonattainment areas. It appears that several may now be meeting air quality standards, however, and DEQ and local governments are working to gain redesignation of these areas. Find out why attainment is important and what's being done to restore these areas to attainment.
Air Quality Reports Link to site-specific reports on air quality throughout the state, including various air quality improvement and maintenance plans that are part of Idaho's SIP.

 On Other Web Sites:
Rules for the Control of Air Pollution in Idaho on the Idaho Department of Administration's Web site.
Idaho SIP: Federally Approved Rules on EPA's Region 10 Web site
Idaho SIP: Table of Contents on EPA's Region 10 Web site, with a link to a Summary of Nonattainment Area Plans for Idaho.



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