REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS ON
DRAFT REGIONAL HAZE PROGRESS REPORT FOR
SECOND PLANNING PERIOD REGIONAL HAZE
STATE IMPLMENTATION PLAN
(Docket No. 24-CA-PA-14)
In accordance with 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §51.308(g) of the Regional Haze Rule (RHR), the Department of Health, State of Hawaii (DOH), is offering a public comment period on the Draft Regional Haze Progress Report for Hawaii’s second planning period (2018 – 2028) Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (RH-SIP). The public comment period is being provided prior to submitting the progress report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval.
The primary purpose of the RHR is to assure reasonable progress toward meeting the national goal of preventing any future, and remedying any existing, visibility impairment in Mandatory Federal Class I areas from manmade pollution. Hawaii’s Mandatory Federal Class I areas are Haleakala National Park on Maui Island and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island (Hawaii Island). The ultimate goal of the RHR is to achieve natural visibility conditions in Class I areas by 2064.
Regional haze causes visibility impairment over a large region primarily from sources that emit fine particulate and its precursors into the air. Fine particulate that absorb and scatter light to cause the haze include sulfates, nitrates, organic carbon, elemental carbon, soil dust, and sea salt. Sources of particulate can be manmade (e.g., fuel oil combustion) or from natural events (e.g., Kilauea volcano).
The progress report found that statewide sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOX), and particulate (PM10 and PM2.5) have reduced significantly from 2014 to 2020. Primary particulate from combustion sources along with SO2 and NOX that react to form fine secondary particulate (sulfates and nitrates) can cause haze and were pollutants of concern in Hawaii’s second planning period RH-SIP. A contributing factor to the statewide emissions reductions are clean energy programs implemented by the state to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions will reduce significantly further as combustion equipment is retired and/or retrofitted with controls because of federally enforceable permit conditions specified in the second planning period RH-SIP.
While a significant contributor to the visibility degradation has been due to the ongoing release of SO2 from Kilauea volcano with emissions that vary by hundreds and thousands of tons from one year to another, in years that the volcano is not erupting, the data shows that air pollution sources on the islands of Maui and Hawaii have the potential to contribute more significantly to regional haze in Hawaii’s national parks. Significant reductions in SO2, NOx, PM10 and PM2.5 from large stationary sources on Maui and Hawaii Island will result from control measures specified in Hawaii’s second planning period RH-SIP for improving visibility.
The DOH has determined that control strategies in the existing RH-SIP are adequate for Hawaii to meet the 2028 reasonable progress goals. Therefore, Hawaii declares that no further revision of the second planning period RH-SIP is needed at this time.
The DRAFT REGIONAL HAZE PROGRESS REPORT and associated APPENDICIES are available for public inspection during regular office hours, Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., at the following locations and online at: https://health.hawaii.gov/cab/regional-haze/:
Oahu:
Clean Air Branch, Department of Health
2827 Waimano Home Road #130, Pearl City, Hawaii 96782
Hawaii:
Hawaii District Health Office, Department of Health
1582 Kamehameha Avenue, Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Clean Air Branch – Kona, Keakealani Building, Department of Health
79-1020 Haukapila Street, Room 115, Kealakekua, Hawaii 96750
Maui:
Maui District Health Office, Department of Health
54 High Street, Room 300, Wailuki, Maui 96793
Kauai:
Kauai District Health Office, Department of Health
3040 Umi Street, Lihue, Kauai 96766
All comments on the Draft Regional Haze Progress Report must be in writing, addressed to the Clean Air Branch at the above address on Oahu, and must be postmarked or received by November 9, 2024. All comments received will be submitted to EPA with the final progress report, along with an explanation of any changes to the progress report made in response to comments received.
Interested persons may obtain copies of the Regional Haze Progress Report and associated appendices or parts thereof by paying five (5) cents per page copying costs. Please send written requests to the Oahu office of the CIean Air Branch listed above or call Mr. Kai Erickson at the Clean Air Branch in Honolulu at (808) 586-4200.
DOH will make a final decision on the Regional Haze Progress Report after considering all comments and will send notice of the final decision to each person who has submitted comments or requested such notice.
Kenneth Fink, MD MGA, MPH
Director of Health
(SA1470544 10/10/24)