Finding of Failure To Submit Contingency Measures for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS; Coachella Valley, California, and West Mojave Desert, California

Publication Date: 
Thursday, September 29, 2022 - 4:00am
Description: 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to find that the State of California has failed to submit State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions to satisfy the contingency measures requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the 2008 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or ``standards'') for both the Riverside County (Coachella Valley), California (``Coachella Valley'') and Los Angeles-San Bernardino Counties (West Mojave Desert), California (``West Mojave Desert'') nonattainment areas. Under the CAA and the EPA's implementing regulations, by July 20, 2016, California was required to submit, among other SIP revisions, contingency measures for the Coachella Valley and West Mojave Desert nonattainment areas to be triggered if the areas fail to attain or fail to meet reasonable further progress (RFP). The State submitted the required SIP revisions, but subsequently withdrew the contingency measures portion. This finding establishes a 2-year deadline for the EPA to promulgate Federal Implementation Plans (FIPs) to address the contingency measure requirements for these areas, unless, prior to the EPA promulgating FIPs, California submits, and the EPA approves, SIP revisions that meet these requirements. The CAA also provides for the imposition of sanctions if California does not submit the required SIP revisions within timeframes specified by the CAA.

Creator: 
Environmental Protection Agency