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Regulatory Actions

Regulatory Review Notice

EPA is in the process of reviewing several previous agency decisions, including those covered by the White House memo on regulatory review (memo in HTML | memo in PDF (2 pp, 51K, About PDF)). The rules under review are noted below.

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Announcements

Findings of Failure to Submit State Implementation Plans

Other Regulatory Actions
related to
Ground-level Ozone

This page contains a listing of all regulatory actions related to ground-level ozone.

 

Ozone Standards

Strengthened National Standards for Ground-Level Ozone
March 12, 2008 - The Environmental Protection Agency significantly strengthened its national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone, the primary component of smog. These changes will improve both public health protection and the protection of sensitive trees and plants.

EPA Extends Deadline for Faxed Comments on the Proposed Ozone Standards
The public comment period for EPA's proposed rule addressing the ozone standards closed on October 9, 2007. However the Agency will accept comments by fax only through Monday October 15, 2007. Please use the following number to submit comments by fax: 202-566-9744.

Ozone Proposal Fax Number Change
October 5, 2007 - For those wishing to submit comments by fax on EPA's proposed rule addressing the ozone standards, the fax number listed in the June 21, 2007 Federal Register notice announcing the Agency's proposed rule is incorrect. Please use the following number to submit comments by fax: 202-566-9744.

Current Speaker Lists for September 5, 2007 Hearings Available
August 31, 2007 - EPA will hold hearings on the recently proposed ozone standards on Wednesday, September 5, 2007. Click on the location below to view the list of speakers, current as on August 31, 2007.

Current Speaker Lists for August 30, 2007 Hearings Available
August 27, 2007 - EPA will hold the first hearings on the recently proposed ozone standards on Thursday, August 30, 2007. Click on the location below to view the list of speakers, current as on August 27, 2007.

EPA Announces Availability of Regulatory Impact Analysis for Proposed Ozone Standards
August 2, 2007 - EPA completes benefits and costs analysis on the proposal to strengthen the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ground-level ozone.

EPA Announces Five Public Hearings for Proposed Ground-level Ozone Standards
July 27, 2007 - EPA will hold public hearings in Los Angeles, California and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 30, 2007. The next week on September 5, 2007, EPA will hold public hearings in Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; and Houston, Texas.

Proposed Revisions to Ozone National Standards
June 20, 2007 - The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed revisions to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ground-level ozone. The proposed revisions would strengthen the ground-level ozone standards that are associated with public health concerns. EPA will accept comments for 90 days after the publication of the proposal in the Federal Register.

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Ozone Designations and Classifications

Learn more about ozone designations and classifications

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Ozone Implementation

- Under Review - EPA Sets Schedule for Flagging Exceptional Ozone Air Quality Monitoring Data
January 16, 2009 - EPA established schedule for states to submit exceptional events claims that may affect the status of an area under the 2008 ozone standards.

EPA proposes rule to implement the subpart 1 area reclassification and provisions under former 1997 1-hour ozone standard.
January 9, 2009 - EPA proposes a response to the DC Circuit Court’s vacatur of an April 2004 rule known as the Phase 1 Ozone Implementation Rule.

EPA proposes to disapprove seven ozone attainment demonstrations and makes one finding of failure to submit ozone attainment demonstrations. -- 1997 Ozone Standard
January 9, 2009 - EPA proposed disapprovals for the ozone attainment demonstration element of the State Implementation Plans (SIPs) for five states and is also making a finding that two states missed the June 15, 2007 Clean Air Act deadline for submitting ozone attainment demonstrations.

EPA Proposes to Revise 1997 8-Hour Ozone Implementation Phase 2 Rule to Address Vacatur and Remand of Reasonable Further Progress Credits
July 14, 2008 – EPA proposes to revise a provision of the Phase 2 Ozone Implementation Rule for the 1997 ozone air quality standard. The provision allows 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas to take credit for emissions reductions outside the nonattainment area for purposes of the Reasonable Further Progress (RFP) requirement.

EPA Makes Findings of Failure to Submit State Implementation Plans (SIPs) -- 1997 Ozone Standard
March 17, 2008 - EPA issued findings that 11 states missed Clean Air Act deadlines for submitting plans, or elements of plans, for implementing EPA’s national air quality standards for ozone.

Findings on Meeting Basic Program Requirements for State Implementation Plans -- 1997 Ozone Standard
March 17, 2008 - EPA signed a Federal Register notice making "completeness" findings for all states and territories. These findings pertain to the "infrastructure" requirements that all states must have in their regulatory plans to attain, maintain, and enforce the 1997 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ground-level ozone.

Final Notice of Reconsideration - Aspects of Phase 2 Implementation Rule
May 31, 2007 - EPA completed reconsideration on several issues associated the ozone implementation rule requirements and their interaction with the Clean Air Interstate Rule and the New Source Review permitting program.

Proposed Notice of Reconsideration - Aspects of Phase 2 Implementation Rule
December 11, 2006 - EPA is requesting public comment on several issues associated the ozone implementation rule requirements and their interaction with the Clean Air Interstate Rule and the New Source Review permitting program.

Proposed Notice of Reconsideration - Overwhelming Transport Classification
EPA is requesting public comment on several issues associated with the overwhelming transport classification available to certain areas designated “nonattainment” because they do not meet EPA’s 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard.

EPA’s Final Implementation Rule - Phase 2
November 9, 2005 - EPA issued a final rule that will take the next steps to protect the American public from ground-level ozone pollution. This rule, often called the Phase 2 Ozone Rule, outlines the remaining elements of the program to implement the 8-hour ground-level ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard that EPA established in July 1997. State, tribal and local government will rely upon these requirements as they develop their plans showing how they will attain or maintain the 8-hour ozone standard.

Ozone Clean Air Progress Will Continue
July 26, 2005 - EPA identified the boundaries, designations, and classifications for areas under the 1-hour ozone standard that were in place as of June 15, 2004.

EPA's Final Implementation Rule-Phase I
On June 15, 2004, EPA issued the final rule to implement the 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard-Phase I. The phase I final rule sets forth the classification scheme for nonattainment areas and requires States' continued obligations with respect to existing 1-hour ozone requirements.

NOx SIP Call
In October, 1998, EPA finalized the "Finding of Significant Contribution and Rulemaking for Certain States in the Ozone Transport Assessment Group Region for Purposes of Reducing Regional Transport of Ozone." (Commonly called the NOx SIP Call.)

Learn more about ozone implementation

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Early Action Compacts

EPA designates 13 areas as attaining the 1997 8-hour ozone standard.
March 27, 2008 - Each of these areas - known as Early Action Compacts - demonstrated that they attained the 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards by December 31, 2007.

EPA proposes to designate 13 areas as attaining the 1997 8-hour ozone standard.
January 31, 2008 - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to designate 13 areas as attaining the 1997 8-hour ozone standard. EPA is proposing this action because each of these areas has demonstrated that they attained the 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards by December 31, 2007.

EPA extends deferral of Clean Air Act requirements for 8-hour ozone for the Denver area
September 12, 2007 - EPA has deferred Clean Air Act requirements to reduce ozone pollution for the Denver Early Action Compact area from September 14, 2007 to November 20, 2007.

Extension of Deferred Clean Air Act Requirements for 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Denver
June 25, 2007 - This action defers Clean Air Act requirements to reduce ozone pollution for the Denver Early Action Compact area from July 1, 2007 to September 14, 2007. Communities with Early Action Compacts are reducing smog one to two years sooner than required by the Clean Air Act.

Denver plan will reduce smog ahead of schedule
February 26, 2007 - Denver, Colorado is ahead of schedule in the effort to reduce ground-level ozone, or smog. Because of the progress the Denver area has made and will continue to make under EPA's Early Action Compacts program, the agency is proposing to continue deferring certain ozone pollution requirements for Denver from July 1, 2007, until April 15, 2008. As part of EPA's voluntary Early Action Compacts program, Denver committed to meeting EPA's more stringent 8-hour ozone standard by Dec. 31, 2007, earlier than required by the Clean Air Act. This is the third deferral for Denver. If they meet the 8-hour standard by Dec. 31, 2007, EPA will designate them as in attainment.

Extension of Deferred Clean Air Act Requirements for 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards
August 16, 2005 - Fourteen communities across the United States are ahead of schedule in the effort to reduce ground-level ozone, or smog. Because of the progress these areas have made under EPA’s Early Action Compacts program, the Agency is taking final action to defer certain ozone pollution requirements until Dec. 31, 2006.

Proposed Extension of Deferred Clean Air Act Requirements for the 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS for Early Action Compact Areas (June 1, 2005)

Learn more about early action compacts

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