Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Illinois

On May 5, 1995, and May 26, 1995, the State of Illinois submitted a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision request to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) tightening existing rules for certain surface coating operations, as part of the State's 15 percent (%) Rate of Progress (ROP) plan control measures for Volatile Organic Matter (VOM) emissions. VOM, as defined by the State of Illinois, is identical to ``volatile organic compounds'' (VOC), as defined by USEPA. VOC is one of the air pollutants which combine on hot summer days to form ground-level ozone, commonly known as smog. Ozone pollution is of particular concern because of its harmful effects upon lung tissue and breathing passages. ROP plans are intended to bring areas which have been exceeding the public health based Federal ozone air quality standard closer toward the goal of reaching and maintaining attainment with this standard. Illinois expects the control measures specified in this surface coating SIP revision will reduce VOM emissions by 10.16 tons per day (TPD) in the Chicago area and 0.39 TPD in the Metro-East St. Louis area. The tightened rules lower the VOM content limit for certain types of coatings used by industries to apply to cans, paper, coil, fabric, vinyl, metal furniture, large appliances, and miscellaneous parts and products. Compliance with the rules can be met through using compliant coatings, add-on control equipment, or through a new method known as cross-line averaging.