Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of Alaska; Regional Haze State Implementation Plan

EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) submittal from the State of Alaska as meeting the requirements of Clean Air Act (CAA) sections169A and 169B and federal regional haze regulations. The SIP implements a regional haze program in the State of Alaska for the first regional haze planning period, through July 31, 2018. This submittal addresses the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and EPA's rules that require states to prevent any future and remedy any existing manmade impairment of visibility in mandatory Class I areas caused by emissions of air pollutants from numerous sources located over a wide geographic area (also referred to as the "regional haze program"). In this action, EPA is approving all provisions of Alaska's Regional Haze SIP submission, including the requirements for the calculation of baseline and natural visibility conditions, statewide inventory of visibility-impairing pollutants, best available retrofit technology (BART), Reasonable Progress Goals (RPGs), and Long-Term Strategy (LTS). Additionally, EPA is approving the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Best Available Retrofit Technology regulations, and amendments to Alaska's Area Wide Pollution Control Program for Regional Haze.