BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) is proposingchanges to its air quality regulations to revise the air quality permitadministration and compliance fees, air quality emission fees, add definitions,and update cross references.

Title:  18 AAC50 Air Permits Administration and Emission Fees The Department ofEnvironmental Conservation (DEC) proposesto adopt regulation changes in Title 18, Chapter 50 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with air quality permitting and emission fees.  In accordance with AS 46.14.240(b) and AS37.10.052(a), DEC is required to evaluate fixed permit administration fees every four years and provide the results of the study in a report under AS37.10.050(c).  In accordance with AS 46.14.250(g),DEC is required to evaluate emission fee rates every four years and provide the results of the study in a report.  The proposed regulation changes in this notice are based on the results of the study on permit administration fees and emission fee rates conducted for the Air Permit Fee Rate Evaluation Report.

The regulation changes areas follows

Posting

The above list of proposed changes to the regulations only provides a summary of their subject matter. For a copy of the proposed regulation changes and the 2014 Fee Study Report, please contact Rebecca Smith at 907-465-5121 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or refer to this DEC webpage: http://dec.alaska.gov/Applications/Air/airtoolsweb/AirPermitsApprovalsAndPublicNotices/ or http://dec.alaska.gov/air/ap/regulati.htm. The proposed regulations are intended to meet the requirements of Section 110 (Title 42 U.S.C. Chapter 85 §7410) of the Clean Air Act and, once adopted, will be submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval and eventual inclusion in Alaska’s State Air Quality Control Plan.

Questions

You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to DEC using the electronic question form at http://decjnuwebt/Air/ap/feesFY14QuestionsAndAnswers.htm or by electronic mail to dec.aq.airdocket@alaska.gov or by sending the questions to Rebecca Smith, Division of Air Quality, DEC, 410 Willoughby Avenue, Suite 303, P.O. Box 111800, Juneau, Alaska 99811-1800.   The written questions must be received atleast 10 days before the end of the public comment period; question deadline is June 19, 2015, and comment deadline is June 30, 2015.  The department will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and response availableon http://decjnuwebt/Air/ap/feesFY14QuestionsAndAnswers.htm.  The department may, but is not required to, answer written questions received after the June 19, 2015, deadline for submitting questions.

Comments

You may comment on the proposed regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying and alternative practical methods of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments to:  Rebecca Smith, Division of Air Quality, Department of Environmental Conservation, 410 Willoughby Avenue, Suite 303, P.O. Box 111800, Juneau, Alaska 99811-1800; by e-mail to  rebecca.smith@alaska.gov; through the Air Quality Division’s electronic comment submission web page at https://dec.alaska.gov/Applications/Air/airtoolsweb/FormalComments; by e-mail to the Air Quality Comments Docket at dec.aq.airdocket@alaska.gov, or by facsimile at (907) 465-5129.  Comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. on June 30, 2015. Comments received after thisdate and time will not be considered in final action on these rules and the air quality plan.

Hearings

The Department published a public notice regarding these proposed changes on May 23, 2015.  In the public notice, the Department announced that a public hearing for these proposed regulations was tentatively scheduled for June 24, 2015, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Department of Environmental Conservation Building, 619 E. Ship Creek Ave., Ste. 249,Conference Room A, Anchorage, AK 99501. The Department did not receive a request to hold the public hearing by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 19, 2015, as required in the original public notice.  Therefore, the public hearing will not be held. 

If you are a person with a disability who may need a special accommodation in order to participate in thispublic process, please contact Natalie Wolfe at (907) 269-0291 or TDD RelayService 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 seven days prior to any open house or apublic hearing to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.   



After the public comment period ends on June 30, 2015, DEC will either adopt these or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or decide to take no action on them. The language of the final regulations may be different from that of the proposed regulations. YOU SHOULD COMMENT DURING THE TIME ALLOWED IF YOUR INTERESTS COULD BE AFFECTED. Written comments received are public records and are subject to public inspection.

Statutory Authority: AS 37.10.050, AS 37.10.052, AS 37.10.058, AS 44.46.025,AS 46.03.020, AS 46.14.140, AS 46.14.240, AS 46.14.250, AS 46.14.255

Statutes Being Implemented, Interpreted, or MadeSpecific: AS 46.14.010, AS 46.14.020,AS 46.14.030, AS 46.14.120, AS 46.14.140, AS 46.14. 240, AS 46.14.250, AS46.14.255



Fiscal Information: The proposedregulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.