COLUMBUS: Stark and Cuyahoga counties have failed to meet the new federal annual particulate or soot standard under a state proposal.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public hearing on that proposed finding at 1 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Stark County District Library’s Sandy Valley Branch, 9754 Cleveland Ave. SE, in Magnolia, to discuss the findings.
A second hearing will be held Dec. 5 in Cincinnati.
Stark and Cuyahoga, plus five other counties — Jefferson, Montgomery, Hamilton, Butler and Clermont — will be recommended by the Ohio EPA for noncompliance or violating the standard. That recommendation will go to the U.S. EPA.
The federal EPA adopted a new, more stringent annual soot standard in December 2012. States must submit designated non-attainment areas to the federal EPA by Dec. 14.
Designated nonattainment areas will be determined by the federal agency by December 2014. After that, states will have three years to develop plans and come into compliance.
Written comments on the state designation may be mailed to Jennifer VanVlerah, Ohio EPA, Division of Air Pollution Control, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus 43216-1049, or jennifer.dines@epa.ohio.gov.
More information is available from Van Vierah at 614-644-3696 or www.epa.ohio.gov/dapc/sip/2013.aspx.