NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a series of public hearings to consider a request to designate the South Coast Air Basin and the Coachella Valley portion of the Salton Sea Air Basin as attainment areas for the national ambient air quality standards for particulate matter (PM10) and to adopt PM10 maintenance plans will be held by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) at the above locations throughout the District’s jurisdiction, at which time evidence will be taken and all interested persons will be heard by the AQMD.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the objective of the PM10 Attainment Redesignation Requests and Maintenance Plans is to request that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) consider the AQMD's petition to designate the South Coast Air Basin and the Coachella Valley portion of the Salton Sea Air Basin as in attainment to the federal 24-hour average PM10 standard.  Accordingly, the PM10 Attainment Redesignation Requests and Maintenance Plans demonstrate that, pending actions by the U.S. EPA, all of the requirements for redesignation have been met.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the AQMD has prepared the following documents:

1. Draft PM10 Attainment Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the South Coast Air Basin and
2. Draft PM10 Attainment Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the Coachella Valley.

The above documents are available for review at the AQMD's Public Information Center, located at the AQMD headquarters, or may be obtained by contacting:

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that AQMD staff has reviewed the PM10 Attainment Redesignation Requests and Maintenance Plans for the South Coast Air Basin and Coachella Valley pursuant to state California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines §15002(k)(1).  Because the proposed projects would impose no additional requirements than currently required, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the PM10 Attainment Redesignation Requests and Maintenance Plans have the potential to have a significant adverse effect on the environment.  Thus, the proposed projects are exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) - Review for Exemption. A Notice of Exemption, in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15062, will be prepared and will be filed with the county clerks, for each project, immediately following the adoption of the proposed project.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that at the conclusion of the hearings, the AQMD Board will consider all comments received as part of its deliberations on the approval of the South Coast Air Basin and Coachella Valley PM10 Attainment Redesignation Requests and Maintenance Plans at the Governing Board hearing on January 8, 2010.

Questions or requests for clarification regarding the PM10 Attainment Redesignation Requests and Maintenance Plans or the Revised Control Measure Adoption Schedule, can be directed to:

Interested persons may attend and submit oral or written statements concerning the PM10 Attainment Redesignation Requests and Maintenance Plans for the South Coast Air Basin and Coachella Valley at the Governing Board hearing.  Twenty-five (25) copies of all written materials must be submitted to the Clerk of the Boards.  Individuals who wish to submit written comments for review prior to the hearing must submit such comments to the Clerk of the Boards, 21865 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765, or cob@aqmd.gov, (909) 396-2500, on or before Tuesday, December 29, 2009.  Electronic submittals will only be accepted if there are no more than 10 pages including attachments, and submittals are in MS Word, plain or HTML format.

DATED:  October 21, 2009                                   SAUNDRA McDANIEL
                                                                         Clerk of the Board