Air Plan Approval; District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia; Determination of Attainment by the Attainment Date and Clean Data Determination for the Washington, DC-MD-VA Nonattainment Area for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to determine that the Washington, DC-MD-VA nonattainment area (the Washington Area or the Area) has attained the 2015 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (2015 ozone NAAQS) by the applicable attainment date of August 3, 2024. Accompanying this proposed determination of attainment by the attainment date is a re- proposed clean data determination (CDD) under the EPA's Clean Data Policy. If finalized, this action will address the EPA's obligation under Clean Air Act (CAA) sections 179(c) and 181(b)(2) to determine whether the Washington Area attained the 2015 ozone NAAQS by the August 3, 2024 attainment date and, as set forth in the EPA's Clean Data Policy, suspend the obligation of the District of Columbia (DC), the State of Maryland (MD), and the Commonwealth of Virginia (VA) to submit certain attainment planning requirements for as long as the Area continues to attain the 2015 ozone NAAQS. As part of this rulemaking, the EPA also proposes to take final agency action on an exceptional events request submitted by the District of Columbia on March 20, 2024, and concurred on by the EPA on July 17, 2024. The proposed attainment determination and CDD are based upon the EPA's concurrence on the exceptional events demonstration. This action is being taken under the CAA.