DNR Proposes Rules to Rescind Vacated Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR) and to Add New Mercury Monitoring Requirements
Public Comment Period Extended until May 12, 2009!

At the request of EPA Region VII, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is extending the public comment period for the proposed amendments to 567 Iowa Administrative Code (IAC) Chapters 23, 25 and 34 to May 12, 2009.

The purpose of the proposed amendments is to remove from state air quality rules the CAMR provisions that were vacated by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (the D.C. Court). The D.C. Court found the regulations to be unauthorized under the federal Clean Air Act (CAA) or otherwise deficient. The DNR also proposes to amend the CAMR monitoring and reporting provisions that were adopted by reference in order to remove the vacated federal regulations and to add new mercury monitoring provisions.

The Notice of Intended Action for the proposed rules was approved for public comment by the Environmental Protection Commission February 17, 2009, and was published in the Iowa Administrative Bulletin (IAB) as ARC 7622B on March 11, 2009. A public hearing was held at the DNR Air Quality Bureau offices on April 13. No additional public hearings are planned and no changes were made to the Notice of Intended Action.

The Notice published in the IAB on March 11 is available online at:

www.legis.state.ia.us/aspx/ACODOCS/DOCS/03-11-2009.Bulletin.pdf

A Rich Text Format (RTF) version of the published Notice is available at:

www.legis.state.ia.us/aspx/ACODOCS/DOCS/7622B.rtf

Anyone may make written suggestions or comments on the proposed rules on or before May 12, 2009. Send written comments to Christine Paulson, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 7900 Hickman Road, Suite 1, Urbandale, Iowa, 50322; fax 515-242-5094 or e-mail to christine.paulson@dnr.iowa.gov.