Regional Haze State SIP

On September 21, 2026, the North Carolina Division of Air Quality (DAQ) released for public comment the pre-hearing draft of the Supplement to Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) for North Carolina Class I Areas for the Second Planning Period (2019 – 2028) (“SIP Supplement”).  This pre-hearing draft SIP Supplement was prepared in accordance with the Federal Regional Haze Rule (RHR) provisions specified in 40 CFR 51.308(f) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) guidance for implementing the rule to comply with Section 169 of the Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990. 

This pre-hearing draft SIP supplement was prepared to remedy the EPA's November 22, 2024, partial disapproval of the 40 CFR 51.308(f)(2) (Long Term Strategy - LTS), (f)(3) (Reasonable Progress Goals - RPGs), and (i)(2) through (4) (Federal Land Manager (FLM) consultation) elements in North Carolina’s Regional Haze SIP for the Second Planning Period (2019 – 2028) (dated April 4, 2022). 

North Carolina’s Class I Federal areas (see 40 CFR 81.422) include the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness Area, Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, Shining Rock Wilderness Area, and Swanquarter Wilderness Area. The GSMNP and Joyce Kilmer – Slickrock Wilderness Area are located in both North Carolina and Tennessee.

The DAQ intends to submit a final version of this SIP Supplement to EPA for incorporation into North Carolina’s SIP after considering relevant public comments.

DEQ Submittal:

• Public Notice
• Pre-Hearing Transmittal Letter to EPA
• Pre-Hearing Draft SIP Supplement Narrative and Appendices

Any person wishing to comment may submit a written statement for inclusion in the record of proceedings regarding the pre-hearing draft of the Supplement to Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) for North Carolina Class I Areas for the Second Planning Period (2019 – 2028). The public comment period is open beginning Monday, September 21, 2026, through Thursday, October 22, 2026. A public hearing will be held on Thursday, October 22, 2026, if requested by Thursday, October 8, 2026. To be included in the hearing record, all comments must be postmarked, emailed, or received by the Division (if delivering in person) no later than Thursday, October 22, 2026. 
Note: If the Division does not receive any requests for a public hearing by Thursday, October 8, 2026, then the scheduled public hearing will be cancelled.

Public Hearing Date and Location:
October 22, 2026 at 6:00 PM EDT
DEQ Green Square Office Building, 1st Floor Training Room (#1210) 
217 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27603;
or 
WebEx Digital Hearing Link: https://tinyurl.com/NC-RH-SIP-Supplement 
Event password: NCDAQ
Audio conference: To receive a call back, provide your phone number when you join the event, or call the number below and enter the access code.
Phone: US TOLL +l-415-655-0003
Access code: 2433 239 0461
Please see the Public Notice for additional public hearing information and procedures.

Comments or requests for a public hearing can be submitted to:  

Katherine Quinlan
NC Division of Air Quality
1641 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina  27699-1641
(919) 707-8702 Phone
daq.publiccoments@deq.nc.gov 

(Please type “NC RH SIP” in the subject line)

Comments can also be accepted via voicemail message at (919) 707-8495.

Si necesita esta información en español, comuníquese con Shawn Taylor llamando al 919-707-8446 o enviando un correo electrónico Shawn.Taylor@deq.nc.gov.

The final Regional Haze 5-Year Periodic Review Progress Report for the Second Planning Period has been submitted to U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). This progress report was prepared in accordance with the Federal Regional Haze Rule provisions specified in 40 CFR 51.308(g) and the USEPA guidance for implementing the rule to comply with Section 169 of the Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990. The Regional Haze Rule requires each state to periodically submit a progress report to the EPA analyzing progress toward the reasonable progress goal for each Class I Federal area located within the State and for each Class I Federal area located outside the State that may be affected by emissions from within the State.

This 5-year progress report covers the period 2019 through 2022 (covering the first part of the second regional haze planning period from 2019 to 2028) and addresses the requirements of 40 CFR 51.308(g)(1) through (6) for North Carolina’s five Class I Federal areas (see 40 CFR 81.422):  the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness Area, Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, Shining Rock Wilderness Area, and Swanquarter Wilderness Area. The GSMNP and Joyce Kilmer – Slickrock Wilderness Area are located in both North Carolina and Tennessee.  

The progress report also fulfills the requirements of 40 CFR 51.308(h) regarding determination of adequacy of the existing plan and 40 CFR 51.308(i) regarding requirements for State and Federal Land Manager coordination. Comments received from Federal Land Managers along with the DAQ’s responses to the comments are documented in Appendix A of this progress report. Note that this submittal is not subject to EPA approval as a formal SIP revision under the regional haze rule (40 CFR 51.308(g)).

DEQ Submittals

• Transmittal Letter
• Narrative and Appendix A

On April 4, 2022, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality (DAQ), submitted the Final Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) for North Carolina Class I Federal Areas for Second Planning Period (2019 – 2028) to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). 

This final SIP was prepared in accordance with the Federal Regional Haze Rule provisions specified in 40 CFR 51.308(f) and the USEPA's guidance for implementing the rule to comply with Section 169 of the Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990. This SIP also contains the second five-year progress report covering the period 2010 through 2018 as required in 40 CFR 51.308(g) of the Regional Haze Rule. North Carolina’s Class I Federal areas (see 40 CFR 81.422) include the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness Area, Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, Shining Rock Wilderness Area, and Swanquarter Wilderness Area. The GSMNP and Joyce Kilmer – Slickrock Wilderness Area are located in both North Carolina and Tennessee.

DEQ Submittals

• Transmittal Letter
• Narrative
• Table of Contents for Appendices
• Appendix A (Project Reports)
• Appendix B (Emissions Preparation and Processing)
• Appendix B-1b (Contains a memorandum and supporting attachments summarizing the problems with the elv3 modeling that were corrected in the elv5 modeling)
• Appendix B-3 (North Carolina Point Sources Emissions Projections for 2028)
• Appendix C (Monitoring, Meteorological, and Other Data Acquisition and Preparation)
• Appendix D-1 (Area of Influence Analysis)
• Appendix D-2 (Area of Influence and HYSPLIT Graphics for VISTAS and Nearby Class I Areas)
• Appendix E-1a (Regional Haze Modeling for Southeastern VISTAS II Regional Haze Analysis Project – Final Modeling Protocol June 27, 2018)
• Appendix E-1b (Regional Haze Modeling for Southeastern VISTAS II Regional Haze Analysis Project Final Modeling Protocol Update and Addendum to the Approved Modeling Protocol for Task 6.1 (June 2018) August 31, 2020)
• Appendix E-2a (Regional Haze Modeling for Southwestern VISTAS II Regional Haze Analysis Project 2011el and 2028el CAMx Benchmarking Report Task 6 Benchmark Report #1 Covering Benchmark Runs #1 and #2 August 17, 2020)
• Appendix E-2b (Regional Haze Modeling for Southeastern VISTAS II Regional Haze Analysis Project 2011el CAMx Version 6.32 and 6.40 Comparison Report Task 6 Benchmark Report Number #2 Covering Benchmark Run #3 August 17, 2020)
• Appendix E-2c (Regional Haze Modeling for Southeastern VISTAS II Regional Haze Analysis Project 2011el CAMx Version 6.40 12km VISTAS and EPA 12km Continental Grid Comparison Report Benchmark Report Task 6 Benchmark Report #3 Covering Benchmark Run #5 August 17, 2020)
• Appendix E-2d (Regional Haze Modeling for Southeastern VISTAS II Regional Haze Analysis Project 2028 CAMx Version 6.32 and 6.40 Comparison Report Task 6 Benchmark Report #4 Covering Benchmark Run #4 August 17, 2020)
• Appendix E-2e (Regional Haze Modeling for Southeastern VISTAS II Regional Haze Analysis Project 2028elv3 CAMx Version 6.40 12km VISTAS and EPA 12km Continental Grid Comparison Report Task 6 Benchmark Report Number #5 Covering Benchmark Run #6 August 17, 2020)
• Appendix E-2f (Regional Haze Modeling for Southeastern VISTAS II Regional Haze Analysis Project 2028 Emissions Version V3 and V5 Comparison Report Benchmark Report Task 6 Benchmark Report #6 Covering Benchmark Run #7 September 22, 2020)
• Appendix E-3 (Model Performance Evaluation for Particulate Matter and Regional Haze of the CAMx 6.40 Modeling System and the VISTAS II 2011 Updated Modeling Platform for Task 8.0 October 29, 2020)
• Appendix E-3 (2011 Model Performance Results by Pollutant and Quarter -CASTNET Sites)
• Appendix E-3 (2011 Model Performance Results by Pollutant and Quarter -CSN Sites)
• Appendix E-3 (2011 Model Performance Results by Pollutant and Season -IMPROVE Sites)
• Appendix E-3 (Model Performance Evaluation Charts –IMPROVE Sites)
• Appendix E-3 (Mass Budgets and bext Budgets –IMPROVE Site)
• Appendix E-4 (Deposition Model Performance Evaluation Southeastern VISTAS II Regional Haze Analysis Project (Task 8.1), Revised Final –January 22, 2021)
• Appendix E-5 (Model Performance Evaluation for Ozone of the CAMx 6.40 Modeling System and the VISTAS II 2011 Updated Modeling Platform(Task 8.0) August 17, 2020)
• Appendix E-5 (Ozone Monitoring Sites for MPE)
• Appendix E-6 (Future Year Model Projections Task 9a September 23, 2020)
• Appendix E-6 (Fine, Total Mass, and Daily Extinction Budgets)
• Appendix E-6 (Stacked Bar Charts for Clearest and Most Impaired Days)
• Appendix E-6 (URP Charts)
• Appendix E-7a (Particulate Source Apportionment Technology Modeling Results Task 7 August 31, 2020)
• Appendix E-7a (Modeling results for PSAT-Tagged Sources(adjusted Sept 2020)
• Appendix E-7a (Modeling results for PSAT-Tagged Sources (original))
• Appendix E-7b (Roadmap for PSAT Scaled Adjustments)
• Appendix E-7b (Modeling results for PSAT-Tagged Sources (adjusted Sept 2020))
• Appendix E-7b (Summary of AOI Data for Vistas States)
• Appendix E-7b (Comparison of original and updated modeling)
• Appendix E-7b (PSAT Percent Contribution Rankings (calcs))
• Appendix E-7b (PSAT Percent Contribution Rankings)
• Appendix E-8 (SMAT 2028 Bulk-EPA 2019 Modeling with Graphics)
• Appendix F-1 (NC Letters to VISTAS States)
• Appendix F-2a (VISTAS Consultation with AR Office of Air Quality)
• Appendix F-2b (VISTAS Consultation with IN Office of Air Quality)
• Appendix F-2c (VISTAS Consultation with MO Air Pollution Control Program)
• Appendix F-2d (VISTAS Letter to OH Division of Air Pollution Control)
• Appendix F-2e (VISTAS Consultation with PA Bureau of Air Quality)
• Appendix F-2f (MDE Consultation with VERSO Corporation – LukeMill)
• Appendix F-3 (EPA FLM Stakeholder Outreach and Presentations)
• Appendix F-4 (North Carolina’s Consultation with MANE-VU)
• Appendix F-4a (NC’s Response to MANE-VU Comments on NC’s Pre-hearing Draft RH SIP)
• Appendix F-4b (NC’s Response to New Jersey’s Comments on NC’s Pre-hearing Draft RH SIP)
• Appendix F-4c (NC’s Comments on New Jersey’s Draft RH SIP)
• Appendix F-4d (NC’s Comments on New Hampshire’s Initial Draft 2019 RH SIP)
• Appendix F4e (NC’s Comments on New Hampshire’s Draft 2021 RH SIP)
• Appendix F-5 (Community Profiles)
• Appendix G-1 (Reasonable Progress Assessment for Blue Ridge Paper Products, LLC – Canton, NC)
• Appendix G-2 (Reasonable Progress Assessment for Domtar Paper Company, LLC – Plymouth, NC)
• Appendix G-3 (Reasonable Progress Assessment for PCS Phosphate Company, Inc. –Aurora, NC)
• Appendix H (Federal Land Manager Consultation and Comments)
• Appendix I (Public Comment Process, Comments Received, and Responses to Comments)

EPA Actions

• Final Rule: Final Rule: Air Plan Partial Approval and Partial Disapproval; North Carolina; Second Period Regional Haze Plan (89 FR 92573, November 22, 2024)
• Proposed Rule: Air Plan Approval; North Carolina; Second Period Regional Haze Plan (89 FR 67341, August 20, 2024)

North Carolina's Regional Haze SIP Revision for North Carolina Class I Areas - Alternative to Source Specific Best Available Retrofit Technology Demonstration (BART) for Electric Generating Units (EGUs) was submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on October 31, 2014, and is available through the following links:

DEQ Submittals

• Transmittal Letter
• Narrative
• Appendices

This document serves as a revision to the North Carolina Regional Haze SIP which was initially submitted to the EPA on December 17, 2007. It contains the technical information and data supporting North Carolina's Alternative to Source-Specific BART Determination for BART-eligible coal-fired electrical generating units pursuant to 40 CFR §51.308 under the Regional Haze program. It demonstrates that the North Carolina's Clean Smokestack Act meets Alternative BART requirements and achieves greater emissions reductions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

EPA Actions:

• Final Rule: Air Plan Approval; North Carolina; Regional Haze (81 FR 32652, May 24, 2016)
• Proposed Rule: Air Plan Approval; North Carolina; Regional Haze (81 FR 19519, April 5, 2016)

The "Regional Haze 5-Year Periodic Review State Implementation Plan for North Carolina Class I Areas" is available through the following links:

DEQ Submittals

• Transmittal Letter
• Narrative
• Appendix A - 2006-2010 Reconstructed Extinction for NC's Class I Areas
• Appendix B - Emissions Inventory Documentation
• Appendix C - Public Notice Report
• MOVES input and output files (.zip)

This SIP revision addresses the requirements of Regional Haze Rule at 40 CFR 51.308(g) requiring periodic reports that evaluate progress towards the state's Reasonable Progress Goals. Comments received from the public, EPA, and Federal Land Managers (FLMs) have been addressed. The North Carolina Division of Air Quality has documented that based on visibility improvements observed in the 2006-2010 period and other source level activities, the state is on track to meet the 2018 reasonable progress goals for the North Carolina Class I areas and will not impede a Class I area outside of North Carolina from meeting their goals.

EPA Actions:

• Final Rule: Air Plan Approval; North Carolina; Regional Haze Progress Report (81 FR 58400, August 25, 2016)
• Proposed Rule: Air Plan Approval; North Carolina; Regional Haze Progress Report (81 FR 38986, June 15, 2016)

The Regional Haze State Implementation Plan narrative is posted. The Appendices are too large to post to a website. For a copy of the Appendices please send an email request to the Planning Section Chief and put "Regional Haze SIP" in the subject line.

EPA Actions

Regional Haze State Implementation Plan

• Final Rule: Approvals and Promulgations of Implementation Plans: State of North Carolina; Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (77 FR 38185, June 27, 2012)
• Proposed Rule: Approvals and Promulgations of Implementation Plans: State of North Carolina; Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (77 FR 11858, February 28, 2012)