Potential Clean Air Reclassification and Notice of Potential Eligibility for Attainment Date Extension and Approval of Attainment Demonstration, Georgia: Atlanta Nonattainment Area; Ozone

On July 17, 2001, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GAEPD) submitted to EPA a revised 1-hour ozone attainment demonstration for the Atlanta 1-Hour Ozone Nonattainment area (Atlanta area) that replaces the attainment demonstration submitted to EPA on October 28, 1999. The new submittal contains revised motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEB), a request for an attainment date extension to November 15, 2004, a revised partnership for a smog free Georgia (PSG) program and the reasonably available control measure (RACM) analysis. GAEPD also commits to perform an early assessment of the Atlanta Ozone Attainment State Implementation Plan (SIP) and submit it to EPA by November 15, 2003. EPA is proposing to approve the attainment demonstration, including the components listed above, and to grant an attainment date extension, pursuant to EPA's "Guidance on Extension of Air Quality Attainment Dates for Downwind Transport Areas." The extension policy applies where pollution from upwind areas interferes with the ability of a downwind area to demonstrate attainment with the 1-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) by the dates prescribed in the Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990 (CAA). As an alternative to reclassification for areas affected by transport, the extension policy provides that an area, such as Atlanta, is eligible for an attainment date extension if it can make submissions that meet certain conditions. EPA is proposing that the Atlanta area meets all of the required conditions. In the alternative, EPA is proposing to find that the Atlanta area has failed to attain the 1-hour ozone NAAQS by November 15, 1999, the date set forth in the CAA for serious nonattainment areas. If EPA finalizes this finding, the Atlanta area would be reclassified, by operation of law, as a severe nonattainment area. EPA is also taking comment on a proposed schedule for submittal of the SIP revisions required for severe areas should the area be reclassified. This attainment demonstration relies on the benefits from Georgia's rule "(bbb) Gasoline Marketing" as submitted to EPA on August 21, 2001. EPA will be proposing action on this rule, as well as the fuel waiver request, which was submitted to EPA on May 31, 2000, in a separate Federal Register action.