The EPA Regional Administrator, Jared Blumenfeld signed the following rule on December 22, 2015 and EPA is 

submitting it for publication in the Federal Register (FR). While we have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this 

version of this rule, it is not the official version. Please refer to the official version in a forthcoming FR publication 

appearing on the Government Printing Office website, http://fdsys.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/home.action, and on 

www.regulations.gov in Docket Number EPA-R09-OAR-2015-0204.

6560-50-P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Parts 52 and 81

[EPA-R09-OAR-2015-0204; FRL- ]

Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; 

California; South Coast; Reclassification as Serious 

Nonattainment for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS 

AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking 

final action to reclassify the Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin 

(South Coast) Moderate PM2.5 nonattainment area, including areas 

of Indian country within it, as a Serious nonattainment area for 

the 2006 PM2.5 national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), 

based on the EPA's determination that the area cannot 

practicably attain these NAAQS by the applicable attainment date 

of December 31, 2015. As a consequence of this reclassification, 

California must submit, no later than 18 months from the 

effective date of this reclassification, nonattainment new 

source review (NNSR) program revisions and a Serious area 

attainment plan including a demonstration that the plan provides 

for attainment of the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 standards in the South 

Coast area as expeditiously as practicable and no later than 

December 31, 2019.
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DATES: This rule is effective on [INSERT DATE 30 DAYS FROM DATE 

OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].

ADDRESSES: The EPA has established docket number EPA–R09–OAR–

2015–0204 for this action. Generally, documents in the docket 

for this action are available electronically at http:// 

www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at EPA Region IX, 75 

Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94105–3901. While 

all documents in the docket are listed at 

http://www.regulations.gov, some information may be publicly 

available only at the hard copy location (e.g., copyrighted 

material, large maps, multi-volume reports), and some may not be 

publicly available in either location (e.g., confidential 

business information (CBI)). To inspect the docket materials in 

person, please schedule an appointment during normal business 

hours with the contact listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 

CONTACT section. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wienke Tax, Air Planning Office 

(AIR-2), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, (415) 

947-4192, tax.wienke@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, “we,” “us” 

and “our” refer to EPA.

Table of Contents

I. Proposed Action
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II. Summary of Final Action

III. Public Comments and EPA Responses

IV. Final Action

A. Reclassification as Serious Nonattainment and Applicable 

Attainment Dates

B. Reclassification of Reservation Areas of Indian Country

C. PM2.5 Serious Area SIP Requirements

V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

I. Proposed Action

On October 20, 2015 (80 FR 63640), the EPA proposed to 

approve portions of California’s Moderate area plan to address 

the 2006 primary and secondary 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS in the South 

Coast and to reclassify the South Coast nonattainment area, 

including areas of Indian country within it, from Moderate to 

Serious nonattainment for these standards, based on the EPA's 

determination that the area cannot practicably attain these

NAAQS by the applicable attainment date of December 31, 2015.1

Under section 188(b)(1) of the CAA, prior to an area's 

attainment date, the EPA has discretionary authority to 

reclassify as a Serious nonattainment area “any area that the 

 

1 See proposed rule at 80 FR 63640 (October 20, 2015) for a more detailed 

discussion of the background for this action, including the history of the 

PM2.5 NAAQS established in 2006, health effects and sources of PM2.5,

designation of the SJV as nonattainment for the PM2.5 standards, and the EPA's 

actions on the submittals from the state of California to address the 

nonattainment area planning requirements for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS in the SJV. 
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Administrator determines cannot practicably attain” the PM2.5

NAAQS by the Moderate area attainment date.2 As part of our 

proposed action, we reviewed recent PM2.5 monitoring data for the 

South Coast available in EPA’s Air Quality System (AQS) 

database. These data show that 24-hour PM2.5 levels in the South 

Coast continue to be above 35 μg/m3, the level of the 2006 PM2.5 

standards, and the recent trends in the South Coast area’s 24-

hour PM2.5 levels are not consistent with a projection of 

attainment by the end of 2015.3

In the proposed rule, we explained that under section 

188(c)(2) of the Act, the attainment date for a Serious area 

“shall be as expeditiously as practicable but no later than the 

end of the tenth calendar year beginning after the area’s 

designation as nonattainment....” The South Coast was designated 

 

2 Section 188(b)(1) of the Act is a general expression of delegated rulemaking 

authority. See “State Implementation Plans; General Preamble for the 

Implementation of Title I of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990,” 57 FR 

13498 (April 16, 1992) (hereafter “General Preamble”) at 13537, n. 15. 

Although subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 188(b)(1) contain specific 

timeframes for EPA to reclassify any areas that it determines cannot 

practicably attain the PM standards by the applicable attainment date, these 

subparagraphs do not restrict the general authority to reclassify an area, as 

appropriate, at any time before the attainment date but simply specify that, 

at a minimum, the EPA's authority must be exercised at certain times. See id.

3 The PM2.5 monitoring data that EPA reviewed indicate that 24-hour PM2.5 design 

values are at 38 ug/m3 in the South Coast, above the level of the 2006 PM2.5

NAAQS (35 ug/m3). EPA also calculated “maximum allowed” 2015 98th percentile 

concentrations that would enable the area to attain the 2006 24-hour PM2.5

NAAQS by the end of 2015 and found that even conservative estimates of the 

98th percentile concentration in 2015 at two monitoring sites – Rubidoux and 

Mira Loma-Van Buren – were greater than the “maximum allowed” concentration. 

See 80 FR 63640, 63653 (October 20, 2015) and Memorandum dated August 21, 

2015, Michael Flagg, US EPA Region 9, Air Quality Analysis Office.
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nonattainment for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS effective December 14, 

2009.4 Therefore, as a result of our reclassification of the 

South Coast area as a Serious nonattainment area, the attainment 

date under section 188(c)(2) of the Act for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS 

in this area is as expeditiously as practicable but no later 

than December 31, 2019. 

Our proposed rule also identified the Serious area 

attainment plan elements that California would, upon 

reclassification, have to submit to satisfy the statutory 

requirements that apply to Serious areas, including the 

requirements of subpart 4 of part D, title I of the Act.5 The EPA 

explained that under section 189(b)(2) of the Act, the State 

must submit the required provisions to implement best available 

control measures (BACM), including best available control 

technology (BACT), no later than 18 months after 

reclassification and must submit the required attainment 

demonstration no later than 4 years after reclassification. We 

noted, however, that section 189(b)(2) establishes outer bounds 

on the SIP submission deadlines and does not preclude the EPA's 

establishment of earlier deadlines as necessary or appropriate 

to assure consistency among the required submissions and to 

 

4 74 FR 58688 (November 13, 2009).

5 See proposed rule at 80 FR 63640 (October 20, 2015).
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implement the statutory requirements in a timely manner to 

ensure expeditious attainment of the NAAQS.6 Because an up-todate emissions inventory serves as the foundation for a state's 

BACM and BACT determinations, the EPA proposed to require the 

State to submit the emissions inventory required under CAA 

section 172(c)(3) within 18 months after the effective date of 

final reclassification. Similarly, because an effective 

evaluation of BACM and BACT requires evaluation of the precursor 

pollutants that must be controlled to provide for expeditious 

attainment, the EPA proposed to require the State to submit any 

optional precursor insignificance demonstrations by this same 

date. The EPA proposed to require the State to submit the 

attainment demonstration required under section 189(b)(1)(A) and 

all other attainment-related plan elements for the South Coast 

area no later than three years after the effective date of final 

reclassification or by December 31, 2018, whichever is earlier.

With respect to the nonattainment new source review (NNSR) 

program revisions to establish appropriate “major stationary 

source” thresholds for direct PM2.5 and PM2.5 precursors in 

accordance with CAA section 189(b)(3), the EPA proposed to 

require the State to submit these NNSR SIP revisions for the 

 

6 Id. at 63658.
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South Coast area no later than 18 months after the effective 

date of final reclassification.

II. Summary of Final Action

Today we are finalizing only our proposal to reclassify the

South Coast area as a Serious nonattainment area for the 2006 

PM2.5 NAAQS. We are not taking final action at this time on our 

proposal to approve elements of California’s Moderate area plan 

for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS in the South Coast and will complete 

that action at a later time. 

As a consequence of our reclassification of the South Coast 

area as Serious nonattainment for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS, 

California is required to submit additional SIP revisions to 

satisfy the statutory requirements that apply to Serious areas, 

including the requirements of subpart 4 of part D, title I of 

the Act. For the reasons provided in Section III of this 

preamble, the EPA is requiring the State to adopt and submit all

required components of the Serious Area plan for the South Coast 

area, including nonattainment new source review (NNSR) SIP 

revisions to address the statutory requirements for Serious 

areas under subpart 4, no later than 18 months after the 

effective date of this reclassification.

The attainment date under section 188(c)(2) of the Act for 

the 2006 PM2.5 standards in this area is as expeditiously as 

practicable but no later than December 31, 2019.
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III. Public Comments and EPA Responses

Because we are finalizing only our proposal to reclassify 

the South Coast area as Serious nonattainment for the 2006 PM2.5

NAAQS, we are responding only to comments pertaining to the 

reclassification and its consequences. The EPA received several

comment letters on our proposed actions, only one of which 

contains comments relevant to the reclassification. The comment 

letter was submitted by Earthjustice on behalf of the Center for 

Biological Diversity, Coalition for Clean Air, Communities for a 

Better Environment, East Yard Communities for Environmental 

Justice, and Sierra Club (“Earthjustice”) on November 19, 2015, 

prior to the close of the comment period on our proposal.7

We summarize and respond to the relevant comments below. In 

a separate rulemaking, we will take final action on California’s 

submitted Moderate area plan for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS in the 

South Coast and will respond to comments pertaining to our 

proposed action on the submitted plan at that time. 

Comment 1: Earthjustice argues that section 188(b)(1) 

establishes specific outside deadlines for the EPA’s 

reclassification of appropriate areas as Serious nonattainment 

and “does not provide general authority to reclassify areas 

 

7 See letter with attachments dated November 19, 2015 to Ms. Wienke Tax, US 

Environmental Protection Agency Region 9, from Adriano L. Martinez, 

Earthjustice, Los Angeles Office.
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anytime EPA chooses before the attainment deadline.” Citing CAA 

section 188(b)(1)(B), Earthjustice asserts that the EPA’s 

discretionary authority to reclassify a Moderate area as a 

Serious area before the attainment deadline is available only 

within 18 months after the required date for the submission of a 

Moderate area SIP, which in turn is due within 18 months after 

the area’s designation as nonattainment. Because the South Coast 

area was designated nonattainment for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS on 

December 14, 2009, according to Earthjustice, the Moderate area 

SIP for the area was due June 14, 2011, and the “deadline for 

approving a voluntary reclassification request” was therefore 

December 14, 2012. Thus, Earthjustice argues, “EPA no longer has 

authority under the statute to use section 188(b)(1) to 

voluntarily reclassify the South Coast basin and provide four 

years for submission of a serious area plan.”

In support of these arguments, Earthjustice quotes from 

EPA’s 1992 General Preamble,8 which states that “[f]or areas 

designated nonattainment after enactment of the 1990 [Clean Air 

Act Amendments], EPA must reclassify appropriate areas as 

serious within 18 months of the required submittal date for the 

moderate area SIP” and that, read together with the statutory 

 

8 “State Implementation Plans; General Preamble for the Implementation of 

Title I of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990," 57 FR 13498 (April 16, 

1992) (the “General Preamble”).
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requirement to submit such SIPs within 18 months after 

nonattainment designations, the Act requires EPA to reclassify 

these areas as serious within three years of the nonattainment

designation.

Response 1: We disagree with the commenter’s argument that the

EPA’s discretionary authority in section 188(b)(1) is limited to 

the timeframes set forth in sections 188(b)(1)(A) and (B). 

The EPA is reclassifying the South Coast area as Serious 

nonattainment pursuant to the general authority in CAA section 

188(b)(1),9 not pursuant to section 188(b)(1)(B). As explained in 

the 1992 General Preamble, “[u]nder the plain meaning of the 

terms of section 188(b)(1), EPA has general discretion to 

reclassify at any time before the applicable attainment date any 

area EPA determines cannot practicably attain the standards by 

such date” (emphases added).10 With respect to the dates 

specified in subsections (A) and (B) of section 188(b)(1), the 

EPA specifically explained in the General Preamble that “[t]hese 

subparagraphs do not restrict the general authority [in section 

188(b)(1)] but simply specify that, at a minimum, it must be 

 

9 Unlike the "voluntary reclassification" provision in CAA section 181(b)(3), 

which requires EPA to grant the request of any state to reclassify an ozone 

nonattainment area in that state to a higher classification, the 

"discretionary reclassification" provision in CAA section 188(b)(1) grants 

EPA general authority to reclassify areas in accordance with the statutory 

criteria therein, independent of state requests.

10 General Preamble, 57 FR 13498, 13537 at n. 15 (April 16, 1992).
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exercised at certain times.”11 This interpretation of section 

188(b)(1) as allowing the EPA to reclassify moderate areas as 

serious “at any time EPA determines that an area cannot 

practicably attain the standards by the applicable attainment 

date” facilitates the statutory objective of attaining the PM-10 

standards – e.g., by ensuring that additional control measures 

such as BACM are implemented sooner and by expediting the 

application of more stringent new source review requirements.12

The EPA reiterated this interpretation of section 188(b)(1) in 

the 1994 PM-10 Addendum13 and in several discretionary 

reclassification actions subsequent to the 1990 CAA Amendments.14 

Specifically, with respect to areas designated 

nonattainment by operation of law upon enactment of the 1990 CAA 

Amendments (i.e., "initial" PM-10 nonattainment areas), the 

EPA's longstanding interpretation of section 188(b)(1)(A) has 

been that “the amended Act specifies certain dates by which EPA 

 

11 Id.

12 General Preamble, 57 FR 13498, 13537.

13 “State Implementation Plans for Serious PM–10 Nonattainment Areas, and 

Attainment Date Waivers for PM–10 Nonattainment Areas Generally; Addendum to 

the General Preamble for the Implementation of Title I of the Clean Air Act 

Amendments of 1990,” 59 FR 41998, 41999 (August 16, 1994) (the “PM-10 

Addendum”).

14 See 58 FR 3334, 3336 (Jan. 8, 1993)(discharging EPA's statutory duty under 

section 188(b)(1)(A) to "reclassify appropriate initial moderate PM-10 

nonattainment areas as serious by December 31, 1991" but noting EPA's broad 

discretion under section 188(b)(1) to reclassify additional areas at a later 

date); see also 80 FR 18528 (April 7, 2015) (final discretionary 

reclassification of San Joaquin Valley for 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS signed March 27, 

2015).
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must propose to reclassify appropriate moderate areas as 

serious... and take final action," where the EPA determines that 

the area cannot "practicably" attain the PM-10 NAAQS by December 

31, 1994.15 The EPA further explained, however, that “EPA also

has discretionary authority under section 188(b)(1) to 

reclassify any of these areas as serious at any time, if EPA 

determines they cannot practicably attain the PM-10 NAAQS by 

December 31, 1994,”16 and provided examples of the circumstances 

that may warrant such discretionary reclassification at a later 

date – i.e., after the December 31, 1991 date specified in 

section 188(b)(1)(A).17 In the PM-10 Addendum, the EPA stated 

that "[s]ection 188(b)(1)(A) provides an accelerated schedule by 

which EPA is to reclassify appropriate initial PM-10 

nonattainment areas" but reiterated the Agency's interpretation 

of section 188(b)(1) as a general grant of authority to also 

 

15 General Preamble, 57 FR 13498, 13537. Under section 188(c)(1) of the Act, 

December 31, 1994 was the latest permissible Moderate area attainment date

for an area designated nonattainment for PM-10 by operation of law under the 

1990 CAA Amendments.

16 General Preamble, 57 FR 13498, 13537.

17 Id. (“The EPA may exercise this discretion where, for example, EPA 

originally believed an area could attain the PM-10 NAAQS by December 31, 1994 

but later determines that it cannot attain”); see also 56 FR 58656, 58657 

(Nov. 21, 1991)(noting that "EPA also has discretion to reclassify any of 

these areas as serious after December 31, 1991 (e.g., after reviewing the 

State's PM-10 SIP), if EPA determines they cannot practicably attain the PM10 NAAQS by December 31, 1994") and 58 FR 3334, 3336 (Jan. 8, 1993) (noting 

that EPA may in the future reclassify additional PM-10 nonattainment areas 

using its discretionary authority in section 188(b)(1)).
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reclassify initial PM-10 areas at later points in time before 

the attainment date.18

Likewise, the EPA has long interpreted section 188(b)(1)(B) 

as establishing a "timeframe within which EPA is to reclassify 

appropriate areas designated nonattainment for PM-10 subsequent 

to enactment of the 1990 Amendments" but not as a limitation on 

EPA's general authority to reclassify such areas at any time 

before the applicable attainment date.19 In the PM-10 Addendum,

the EPA reiterated its view that the directive in section 

188(b)(1)(B) “does not restrict EPA’s general authority, but 

simply specifies that it is to be exercised, as appropriate, in 

accordance with certain dates.”20 The EPA recently finalized a

discretionary reclassification action for a PM2.5 nonattainment 

shortly before the applicable attainment date, consistent with 

this interpretation of CAA section 188(b)(1).21

The commenter quotes selectively from a portion of the 

General Preamble addressing areas designated nonattainment after 

enactment of the 1990 CAA Amendments but fails to acknowledge 

 

18 PM-10 Addendum, 59 FR 41998, 41999 (August 16, 1994) ("In the future, EPA 

anticipates that, generally, any decision to reclassify an initial PM-10 

nonattainment area before the attainment date will be based on specific facts 

or circumstances demonstrating that the NAAQS cannot practicably be attained 

by December 31, 1994...").

19 General Preamble, 57 FR at 13537 and PM-10 Addendum, 59 FR at 41999.

20 PM-10 Addendum, 59 FR 41998, 41999 at n. 4 (August 16, 1994).

21 See 80 FR 18528 (April 7, 2015) (final discretionary reclassification of 

San Joaquin Valley for 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS signed March 27, 2015).
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both the more extensive discussion of section 188(b)(1) that 

precedes the quoted text, as explained above, and the text in 

the PM-10 Addendum that reiterates the Agency’s interpretation 

of section 188(b)(1)(B) specifically. Moreover, both the 

statutory text in CAA section 188(b)(1)(B) and the interpretive 

language in the General Preamble that the commenter quotes 

explicitly state that the EPA’s obligation under CAA section 

188(b)(1)(B) is to reclassify “appropriate” areas within 18 

months after the required date for the State’s submission of a 

SIP for the Moderate Area.22 Congress granted the EPA broad

discretion to identify the areas that are "appropriate" for such 

reclassification23 and to reclassify additional areas after the 

timeframes specified in subsections (A) or (B). Thus, the fact 

that the EPA did not find the South Coast area “appropriate” for 

discretionary reclassification within the timeframe specified in 

section 188(b)(1)(B) does not preclude the EPA’s discretionary 

reclassification of the area at a later date, based on a 

 

22 See CAA section 188(b)(1)(B) (requiring, for areas designated nonattainment 

after enactment of the 1990 CAA Amendments, that the Administrator

“reclassify appropriate areas” within 18 months after the required date for 

the State’s submission of a SIP for the Moderate Area). 

23 As EPA explained in its 1993 reclassification of “appropriate” initial PM10 nonattainment areas from Moderate to Serious under section 188(b)(1)(A), 

the Act does not specify what information EPA must consider in exercising the 

authority delegated to it by section 188(b)(1) and thus grants EPA broad 

discretion to consider any relevant information, including information in SIP

submittals. 58 FR 3334, 3336 at n. 7 (Jan. 8, 1993).
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determination that the area cannot practicably attain the PM2.5 

NAAQS by the applicable attainment date.

Furthermore, under the commenter’s interpretation of 

section 188(b)(1)(B), the EPA would have no authority to 

reclassify a Moderate area to Serious at any time between the 

date 3 years after designation (18 months after the required 

date for the State’s submission of a Moderate Area SIP) and the 

applicable attainment date, which under section 188(c)(1) may be 

as late as the end of the sixth calendar year after the area’s 

designation as nonattainment. Thus, for a period of up to 3 

years, the EPA would be unable to reclassify such an area to 

Serious in order to require the State to adopt BACM measures and 

other Serious Area plan elements, even if information before the 

Agency indicated the area could not attain the NAAQS by the 

moderate area attainment date. Such a reading of section 

188(b)(1) would frustrate the Congressional intent to ensure 

that areas that cannot attain the NAAQS in a timely manner adopt 

the best available controls and develop revised plans to provide 

for expeditious attainment. EPA’s interpretation of section 

188(b)(1) as a general grant of discretionary reclassification 

authority is reasonable in light of the overarching requirement 

in subpart 4 to ensure attainment of the NAAQS as expeditiously 

as practicable.
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In sum, we disagree with the commenter’s contention that 

the EPA’s authority to reclassify a Moderate area as a Serious 

area under CAA section 188(b)(1) is available only within 18 

months after the due date for the State’s Moderate Area SIP. As 

the EPA explained in the General Preamble, in the PM-10 

Addendum, and in several actions reclassifying PM-10 and PM2.5

nonattainment areas as Serious areas under CAA section 

188(b)(1), the EPA has consistently interpreted section 

188(b)(1) as a general expression of delegated rulemaking 

authority that authorizes the Agency to reclassify any Moderate 

area as a Serious area at any time before the applicable 

attainment date, based on a determination that the area cannot 

practicably attain the relevant NAAQS by that date.

Comment 2: Earthjustice argues that even if the EPA had 

discretion to reclassify the South Coast area under section 

188(b)(1), a December 31, 2018 deadline for the Serious Area 

plan is “arbitrary in the extreme” and inconsistent with other 

deadlines that EPA has proposed to establish. First, 

Earthjustice asserts that the EPA’s proposed deadline ignores 

the statutory requirement to demonstrate attainment by the most 

expeditious attainment date and allows the District to “assume 

the maximum amount of time without any such demonstration.” 

Second, Earthjustice claims that the EPA’s proposed approach 
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“undermines the strict schedule established in subpart 4” and 

cannot be reconciled with either December 14, 2016 or December 

31, 2017, the statutory SIP submission deadlines that allegedly 

apply following voluntary reclassification or failure to attain, 

respectively. Third, Earthjustice argues that there is no basis 

for claiming that the District needs 3 years to prepare a 

serious area plan, in light of the 18-month deadlines in 

sections 189(a)(2)(B) and 189(b)(2) for moderate area plans and 

serious area plans, respectively, and the 18-month timeframe 

allowed in section 179(a) for states to cure disapprovals or 

failures to submit. Finally, Earthjustice argues that the 

proposed deadline is internally inconsistent with other 

components of the EPA’s proposal, including the requirements for 

RFP and quantitative milestones, and undermines the EPA’s and 

the public’s ability to ensure timely compliance with these 

requirements.

Response 2: We disagree with the commenter’s argument that the 

outside deadline for submitting a Serious area attainment plan 

for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS following discretionary reclassification 

is December 14, 2016. This argument is premised on the 

commenter’s assertion that the EPA’s discretionary authority to 

reclassify the area under CAA section 188(b)(1) was available 

only within three years after the area’s designation as 

nonattainment (i.e., until December 14, 2012), and that CAA 
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section 189(b)(2) established a deadline 4 years after this date 

(December 14, 2016) for the State to submit its Serious area 

attainment plan. The EPA did not reclassify the South Coast area 

by December 14, 2012 and was not obligated to do so under CAA 

section 188(b)(1), as explained above in Response 1. Thus, 

section 189(b)(2) does not establish a December 14, 2016 outer 

deadline for submission of the Serious area attainment plan.

Upon further consideration and in light of the specific 

circumstances in the South Coast PM2.5 nonattainment area, 

however, the EPA is exercising its discretion to establish a 

deadline of 18 months from the effective date of this final 

reclassification action for the State to submit all required 

components of the Serious Area plan for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS in 

the South Coast air basin. An 18-month deadline for submission 

of these SIP elements is appropriate in this instance because it 

both enables the EPA to evaluate the required attainment plan 

well before the outermost attainment date applicable to the area 

under CAA section 188(c)(2) and enables the State to develop its 

strategy for attaining the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS in conjunction with 

its development of a plan to provide for attainment of the 2012 

primary annual PM2.5 NAAQS in this same area, which is due October 

15, 2016.24 Although the State's obligations with respect to 

 

24 The EPA designated and classified the South Coast Air Basin as Moderate

nonattainment for the 2012 primary annual PM2.5 NAAQS effective April 15, 2015. 

80 FR 2206, 2215-16 (January 15, 2015). Under CAA section 189(a)(2)(B), 
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19

implementation of a Moderate area plan for the 2012 PM2.5 NAAQS 

are separate and distinct from its obligations with respect to 

implementation of a Serious area plan for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS, it 

is reasonable in this instance to require the State to develop 

its control strategies for both PM2.5 NAAQS in the South Coast 

area in a similar timeframe, considering the benefits of 

streamlining these planning processes to the extent possible. 

In addition, as the commenter notes, an 18-month deadline 

for submission of the Serious area plan is consistent with both 

the timeframe for initial Moderate area plan submissions upon 

designation of an area as nonattainment and the timeframe for 

Serious area plan submissions following an EPA determination of 

failure to attain and reclassification by operation of law under 

CAA section 188(b)(2).25 It is reasonable for the EPA to exercise 

its discretion to establish a similar SIP submission deadline in 

this instance, given the proximity of this action to the 

Moderate area attainment date (December 31, 2015) and the 

likelihood that, should the attainment date pass, the EPA would 

have to determine under section 188(b)(2) that the South Coast 

area failed to attain the PM2.5 NAAQS by that date. Although CAA 

section 189(b)(2) generally provides for up to 4 years after a 

 

California is required to adopt and submit a plan to provide for attainment 

of these NAAQS within 18 months after the nonattainment designation, i.e., by 

October 15, 2016.

25 CAA 189(a)(2)(B) and 189(b)(2).
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20

discretionary reclassification for the State to submit the 

required attainment demonstration, we find it appropriate in 

this case to establish an earlier SIP submission deadline to 

assure timely implementation of the statutory requirements.26

Furthermore, the 18-month SIP submission deadline that we are 

finalizing in this action requires California to submit its 

Serious Area plan for the South Coast area before the statutory 

SIP submission deadline that would apply upon reclassification 

by operation of law under section 188(b)(2).27 

IV. Final Action

A. Reclassification as Serious Nonattainment and Applicable 

Attainment Date

In accordance with section 188(b)(1) of the Act, the EPA is 

taking final action to reclassify the South Coast area from 

Moderate to Serious nonattainment for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5

standards of 35 μg/m3, based on the EPA's determination that the 

 

26 Section 189(b)(2) establishes outer bounds on the SIP submission deadlines 

and does not preclude the EPA’s establishment of earlier deadlines as 

necessary or appropriate to assure consistency among the required submissions 

and to implement the statutory requirements, including the requirement that 

attainment be as expeditious as practicable.

27 Under CAA section 188(b)(2), the EPA must determine within 6 months after 

the applicable attainment date whether the area attained the NAAQS by that 

date. If the EPA determines that a Moderate Area is not in attainment after 

the applicable attainment date, the area is reclassified by operation of law 

as a Serious Area, and the Serious Area attainment plan is due within 18 

months after such reclassification. CAA sections 188(b)(2) and 189(b)(2).
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South Coast area cannot practicably attain these standards by 

the applicable attainment date of December 31, 2015.

Under section 188(c)(2) of the Act, the attainment date for 

a Serious area “shall be as expeditiously as practicable but no 

later than the end of the tenth calendar year beginning after 

the area's designation as nonattainment. . . .” The South Coast

area was designated nonattainment for the 2006 PM2.5 standards 

effective December 14, 2009.28 Therefore, as a result of our 

reclassification of the South Coast area as a Serious 

nonattainment area, the attainment date under section 188(c)(2) 

of the Act for the 2006 PM2.5 standards in this area is as 

expeditiously as practicable but no later than December 31, 

2019.

B. Reclassification of Reservation Areas of Indian Country

Seven Indian tribes are located within the boundaries of 

the South Coast PM2.5 nonattainment area: the Cahuilla Band of 

Indians, the Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians, the 

Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Pechanga 

Reservation, the Ramona Band of Cahuilla, the San Manuel Band of 

Serrano Mission Indians of the San Manuel Reservation, the Santa 

 

28 See 74 FR 58688 (November 13, 2009).
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Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, and the Soboba Band of Luiseno 

Indians.

We have considered the relevance of our final action to 

reclassify the South Coast nonattainment area as Serious 

nonattainment for the 2006 PM2.5 standards to each tribe located 

within the South Coast area. As discussed in more detail in our 

proposed rule, we believe that the same facts and circumstances 

that support the reclassification for the non-Indian country 

lands also support reclassification for reservation areas of 

Indian country29 and any other areas of Indian country where the 

EPA or a tribe has demonstrated that the tribe has jurisdiction 

located within the South Coast nonattainment area.30 In this 

final action, the EPA is therefore exercising our authority 

under CAA section 188(b)(1) to reclassify reservation areas of 

Indian country and any other areas of Indian country where the 

EPA or a tribe has demonstrated that the tribe has jurisdiction 

geographically located in the South Coast nonattainment area. 

 

29 “Indian country” as defined at 18 U.S.C. 1151 refers to: “(a) all land 

within the limits of any Indian reservation under the jurisdiction of the 

United States Government, notwithstanding the issuance of any patent, and, 

including rights-of-way running through the reservation, (b) all dependent 

Indian communities within the borders of the United States whether within the 

original or subsequently acquired territory thereof, and whether within or 

without the limits of a state, and (c) all Indian allotments, the Indian 

titles to which have not been extinguished, including rights-of-way running 

through the same.”

30 See 80 FR 63640, at 63659, 63660 (October 20, 2015).
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Section 188(b)(1) broadly authorizes the EPA to reclassify a 

nonattainment area—-including any such area of Indian country 

located within such area—-that the EPA determines cannot 

practicably attain the relevant standard by the applicable 

attainment date.

In light of the considerations outlined above and in our 

proposed rulemaking that support retention of a uniformlyclassified PM2.5 nonattainment area, and our finding that it is 

impracticable for the area to attain by the applicable 

attainment date, we are finalizing our reclassification of the 

reservation areas of Indian country and any other areas of 

Indian country where the EPA or a tribe has demonstrated that 

the tribe has jurisdiction within the South Coast nonattainment 

area to Serious for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS.

The effect of reclassification would be to lower the 

applicable “major stationary source” emissions thresholds for 

direct PM2.5 and PM2.5 precursors for purposes of the NNSR program 

and the Title V operating permit program (CAA sections 189(b)(3) 

and 501(2)(B)), thus subjecting more new or modified stationary 

sources to these requirements. The reclassification may also 

lower the de minimis threshold under the CAA's General 

Conformity requirements (40 CFR part 93, subpart B) from 100 tpy 

to 70 tpy. Under the General Conformity requirements (40 CFR 
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part 93, subpart B), federal agencies bear the responsibility of 

determining conformity of actions in nonattainment and 

maintenance areas that require federal permits, approvals, or 

funding. Such permits, approvals or funding by federal agencies 

for projects in these areas of Indian country may be more 

difficult to obtain because of the lower de minimis thresholds.

Given the potential implications of the reclassification, 

the EPA contacted tribal officials to invite government-togovernment consultation on this rulemaking effort.31 The EPA did 

not receive requests for consultation or comments on our 

proposed rule from any tribe. We continue to invite Indian 

tribes in the South Coast to contact the EPA with any questions 

about the effects of this reclassification on tribal interests 

and air quality. We note that although eligible tribes may opt 

to seek EPA approval of relevant tribal programs under the CAA, 

none of the affected tribes will be required to submit an 

implementation plan to address this reclassification.

C. PM2.5 Serious Area SIP Requirements

As a consequence of our reclassification of the South Coast

area as a Serious nonattainment area for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS, 

 

31 As discussed in more detail in our proposed rule, the EPA sent letters to 

tribal officials inviting government-to-government consultation. The letters 

can be found in the docket.
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California is required to submit additional SIP revisions to 

satisfy the statutory requirements that apply to Serious areas, 

including the requirements of subpart 4 of part D, title I of 

the Act.

The Serious area SIP elements that California must submit

within 18 months of reclassification are as follows:

1. Provisions to assure that BACM, including BACT for stationary 

sources, for the control of direct PM2.5 and PM2.5 precursors 

shall be implemented no later than 4 years after the area is 

reclassified (CAA section 189(b)(1)(B));

2. A demonstration (including air quality modeling) that the 

plan provides for attainment as expeditiously as practicable but 

no later than December 31, 2019, or where the State is seeking 

an extension of the attainment date under section 188(e), a 

demonstration that attainment by December 31, 2019 is 

impracticable and that the plan provides for attainment by the 

most expeditious alternative date practicable (CAA sections 

188(c)(2) and 189(b)(1)(A));

3. Plan provisions that require reasonable further progress 

(RFP) (CAA section 172(c)(2));
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4. Quantitative milestones which are to be achieved every 3 

years until the area is redesignated attainment and which 

demonstrate RFP toward attainment by the applicable date (CAA 

section 189(c));

5. Provisions to assure that control requirements applicable to 

major stationary sources of PM2.5 also apply to major stationary 

sources of PM2.5 precursors, except where the State demonstrates 

to the EPA's satisfaction that such sources do not contribute 

significantly to PM2.5 levels that exceed the standard in the 

area (CAA section 189(e));

6. A comprehensive, accurate, current inventory of actual 

emissions from all sources of direct PM2.5 and all PM2.5

precursors in the area (CAA section 172(c)(3));

7. Contingency measures to be implemented if the area fails to 

meet RFP or to attain by the applicable attainment date (CAA 

section 172(c)(9)); and

8. A revision to the NNSR program to establish appropriate 

“major stationary source”32 thresholds for direct PM2.5 and PM2.5

precursors (CAA section 189(b)(3)).

 

32 For any Serious area, the terms “major source” and “major stationary 

source” include any stationary source that emits or has the potential to emit 

at least 70 tons per year of PM10 (CAA section 189(b)(3)).
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Section 189(b)(2) states, in relevant part, that the State 

must submit the required BACM provisions “no later than 18 

months after reclassification of the area as a Serious Area” and 

must submit the required attainment demonstration “no later than 

4 years after reclassification of the area to Serious.” As 

stated above in section I, the EPA proposed to require the State 

to submit certain elements of the Serious area plan within 18 

months of reclassification and other elements within 3 years of 

reclassification. For the reasons provided in Section III of 

this preamble (Public Comments and EPA Responses), the EPA is 

requiring the State to adopt and submit all required components 

of the Serious Area plan for the South Coast area, including 

NNSR SIP revisions to address the statutory requirements for 

Serious areas under subpart 4, no later than 18 months after the 

effective date of this reclassification.

V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

Additional information about these statutes and Executive 

Orders can be found at http://www2.epa.gov/lawsregulations/laws-and-executive-orders.

A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review, and 

Executive Order 13563: Improving Regulation and Regulatory 

Review
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This action is exempt from review by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) because it relates to a designation 

of an area for air quality purposes and will reclassify the 

South Coast from its current air quality designation of Moderate 

nonattainment to Serious nonattainment for the 2006 PM 2.5 NAAQS.

B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)

This action does not impose an information collection 

burden under the PRA. This action does not contain any 

information collection activities.

C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)

I certify that this action will not have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under 

the RFA. This action will not impose any requirements on small 

entities. The final rule requires the state to adopt and submit 

SIP revisions to satisfy the statutory requirements that apply 

to Serious areas, and would not itself directly regulate any 

small entities (see section III.C of this final rule).

D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)

This action does not contain any unfunded mandate of $100 

million or more and does not significantly or uniquely affect 

small governments, as described in UMRA (2 U.S.C. 1531-1538). 
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This action itself imposes no enforceable duty on any state, 

local, or tribal governments, or the private sector. The final 

action reclassifies the South Coast nonattainment area as 

Serious nonattainment for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS, which triggers 

existing statutory duties for the state to submit SIP revisions. 

Such a reclassification in and of itself does not impose any 

federal intergovernmental mandate. The final action does not 

require any tribes to submit implementation plans.

E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism

This action does not have federalism implications.

F. Executive Order 13175, Consultation and Coordination With 

Indian Tribal Governments

This action may have tribal implications. However, it will 

neither impose substantial direct compliance costs on federally 

recognized tribal governments, nor preempt tribal law. Seven 

Indian tribes are located within the boundaries of the South 

Coast nonattainment area for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS: the Cahuilla 

Band of Indians, the Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians, 

the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Pechanga 

Reservation, the Ramona Band of Cahuilla, the San Manuel Band of 

Serrano Mission Indians of the San Manuel Reservation, the Santa 

Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, and the Soboba Band of Luiseno 
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22, 2015. We have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version. 

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Indians. We note that only one of the tribes located in the 

South Coast nonattainment area (the Pechanga Band of Luiseno 

Mission Indians of the Pechanga Reservation) has requested 

eligibility to administer programs under the Clean Air Act. This 

final action affects the EPA's implementation of the new source 

review program because of the lower “major stationary source” 

threshold triggered by reclassification (CAA 189(b)(3)). The 

final action may also affect new or modified stationary sources 

proposed in these areas that require federal permits, approvals, 

or funding. Such projects are subject to the requirements of the 

EPA's General Conformity rule, and federal permits, approvals, 

or funding for the projects may be more difficult to obtain 

because of the lower de minimis thresholds triggered by 

reclassification.

Given these potential implications, consistent with the EPA 

Policy on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes, the 

EPA contacted tribal officials early in the process of 

developing this regulation to permit them to have meaningful and 

timely input into its development. The EPA invited tribal 

officials to consult during the development of the proposed rule 

and following signature of the proposed rule. As discussed in 

more detail in our proposed action, we sent letters to leaders 

of the tribes with areas of Indian country in the South Coast
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31

nonattainment area inviting government-to-government

consultation on the rulemaking effort. No Indian tribe has 

expressed an interest in discussing this action with the EPA. We 

continue to invite Indian tribes in the South Coast to contact 

the EPA with any questions about the effects of this 

reclassification on tribal interests and air quality.

G. Executive Order 13045, Protection of Children From 

Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks

The EPA interprets Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885, 

April 23, 1997) as applying only to those regulatory actions 

that concern environmental health or safety risks that the EPA 

has reason to believe may disproportionately affect children, 

per the definition of “covered regulatory action” in section 2-

202 of the Executive Order. This action is not subject to 

Executive Order 13045 because it reclassifies the South Coast

nonattainment area as Serious nonattainment for the 2006 PM 2.5

NAAQS, which triggers additional Serious area planning 

requirements under the CAA. This action does not establish an 

environmental standard intended to mitigate health or safety 

risks.

H. Executive Order 13211, Actions That Significantly Affect 

Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use
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This final action is not subject to Executive Order 13211, 

because it is not a significant regulatory action under 

Executive Order 12866.

I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act

This action is not subject to the requirements of Section

12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 

1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) because it does not involve technical 

standards.

J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address 

Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income 

Population

The EPA believes the human health or environmental risk 

addressed by this action will not have potential 

disproportionately high and adverse human health or 

environmental effects on minority, low-income or indigenous 

populations. This action reclassifies the South Coast

nonattainment area as Serious nonattainment for the 2006 PM 2.5

NAAQS, which triggers additional Serious area planning 

requirements under the CAA.

K. Congressional Review Act
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The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as 

added by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act 

of 1996, generally provides that before a rule may take effect, 

the agency promulgating the rule must submit a rule report, 

which includes a copy of the rule, to each House of the Congress 

and to the Comptroller General of the United States. The EPA 

will submit a report containing this rule and other required 

information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of 

Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United 

States prior to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. 

A major rule cannot take effect until 60 days after it is 

published in the Federal Register. This action is not a “major 

rule” as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2). This rule will be effective 

on [INSERT DATE 30 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION IN FEDERAL REGISTER].

L. Petitions for Judicial Review

Under section 307(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act, petitions for 

judicial review of this action must be filed in the United 

States Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by [INSERT 

DATE 60 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION IN FEDERAL REGISTER]. Filing a 

petition for reconsideration by the Administrator of this final 

rule does not affect the finality of this rule for the purposes 

of judicial review nor does it extend the time within which a 

petition for judicial review may be filed, and shall not 
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22, 2015. We have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version. 

34

postpone the effectiveness of such rule or action. This action 

may not be challenged later in proceedings to enforce its 

requirements (see section 307(b)(2)).

List of Subjects

40 CFR Part 52

Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference, 

Intergovernmental relations, Particulate matter.

40 CFR Part 81

Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation 

by reference.

_________________________ ____________________________

Dated: Jared Blumenfeld,

Regional Administrator,

Region 9.
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35

Chapter I, title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations is 

amended as follows:

Regulatory Text

Part 52 Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans

1. The authority citation for Part 52 continues to read as 

follows:

Authority:

42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.

2. Section 52.245 is amended by adding paragraph (d) as follows:

§ 52.245 New Source Review rules.

* * * * *

(d) By [insert date 18 months from effective date of today’s 

rule], the New Source Review rules for PM2.5 for the South Coast

Air Quality Management District must be revised and submitted as 

a SIP revision. The rules must satisfy the requirements of 

sections 189(b)(3) and 189(e) and all other applicable 

requirements of the Clean Air Act for implementation of the 2006

PM2.5 NAAQS.

3. Section 52.247 is amended by adding paragraph (e) as follows:

§ 52.247 Control Strategy and regulations: Fine Particle Matter.

* * * * *

(e) By [insert date 18 months from effective date of today’s 

rule], California must adopt and submit a Serious Area plan to 

provide for attainment of the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS in the South Coast 

PM2.5 nonattainment area. The Serious Area plan must include 

emissions inventories, an attainment demonstration, best 

available control measures, a reasonable further progress plan, 

quantitative milestones, contingency measures, and such other 

measures as may be necessary or appropriate to provide for 

attainment of the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS by the applicable attainment 

date, in accordance with the requirements of subparts 1 and 4 of 

part D, title I of the Clean Air Act.
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Part 81 Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes

4. The authority citation for part 81 continues to read as 

follows:

Authority:

42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.

5. Section 81.305 is amended as follows:

a. In the table titled “California—2006 24-Hour PM2.5 NAAQS 

[Primary and secondary],” revise the entries under “Los AngelesSouth Coast Air Basin, CA.”

The revisions read as follows:

§ 81.305 California.

* * * * *
The EPA Regional Administrator, Jared Blumenfeld signed the following rule on December 22, 2015 and EPA is submitting it for publication in the Federal 

Register (FR). While we have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this version of this rule, it is not the official version. Please refer to the official version in a 

forthcoming FR publication appearing on the Government Printing Office website, http://fdsys.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/home.action, and on www.regulations.gov

in Docket Number EPA-R09-OAR-2015-0204.

§ 81.305 California.

CALIFORNIA – 2006 24-Hour PM2.5 NAAQS [Primary and secondary]

Designated Area Designationa Classification

Date1 Type Date2 Type

* * * * * * *

Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin, CA:

Los Angeles County (part)

Nonattainment [insert date 30 days 

after publication in

Federal Register]

Serious.

That portion of Los Angeles 

County which lies south and west 

of a line described as follows: 

Beginning at the Los Angeles-San 

Bernardino County boundary and 

running west along the Township 

line common to Township 3 North 

and Township 2 North, San 

Bernardino Base and Meridian; 

then North along the range line 

common to Range 8 West and Range 

9 West; then west along the 

Township line common to Township 

4 North and Township 3 North; 

then north along the range line 

common to Range 12 West and Range 

Nonattainment [insert date 30 days 

after publication in

Federal Register]

Serious.
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13 West to the southeast corner 

of Section 12, Township 5 North 

and Range 13 West; then west 

along the south boundaries of 

Sections 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, and 7, 

Township 5 North and Range 13 

West to the boundary of the 

Angeles National Forest which is 

collinear with the range line 

common to Range 13 West and Range 

14 West; then north and west 

along the Angeles National Forest 

boundary to the point of 

intersection with the Township 

line common to Township 7 North 

and Township 6 North (point is at 

the northwest corner of Section 4 

in Township 6 North and Range 14 

West); then west along the 

Township line common to Township 

7 North and Township 6 North; 

then north along the range line 

common to Range 15 West and Range 

16 West to the southeast corner 

of Section 13, Township 7 North 

and Range 16 West; then along the 

south boundaries of Sections 13, 

14, 15, 16, 17 and 18, Township 7 

North and Range 16 West; then 

north along the range line common 

to Range 16 West and Range 17 

West to the north boundary of the 

Angeles National Forest 

(collinear with the Township line 
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accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version. 

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common to Township 8 North and 

Township 7 North); then west and 

north along the Angeles National 

Forest boundary to the point of 

intersection with the south 

boundary of the Rancho La Liebre 

Land Grant; then west and north 

along this land grant boundary to 

the Los Angeles-Kern County 

boundary.

Orange County Nonattainment [insert date 30 days 

after publication in

Federal Register]

Serious.

Riverside County (part) Nonattainment [insert date 30 days 

after publication in

Federal Register]

Serious.

That portion of Riverside County 

which lies to the west of a line 

described as follows: Beginning 

at the Riverside-San Diego County 

boundary and running north along 

the range line common to Range 4 

East and Range 3 East, San 

Bernardino Base and Meridian; 

then east along the Township line 

common to Township 8 South and 

Township 7 South; then north 

along the range line common to 

Range 5 East and Range 4 East; 

then west along the Township line 

common to Township 6 South and 

Township 7 South to the southwest 

Nonattainment [insert date 30 days 

after publication in

Federal Register]

Serious.
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accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version. 

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corner of Section 34, Township 6 

South, Range 4 East; then north 

along the west boundaries of 

Sections 34, 27, 22, 15, 10, and 

3, Township 6 South, Range 4 

East; then west along the 

Township line common to Township 

5 South and Township 6 South; 

then north along the range line 

common to Range 4 East and Range 

3 East; then west along the south 

boundaries of Sections 13, 14, 

15, 16, 17, and 18, Township 5

South, Range 3 East; then north 

along the range line common to 

Range 2 East and Range 3 East; to 

the Riverside-San Bernardino 

County Line (excluding the lands 

of the Santa Rosa Band of 

Cahuilla Mission Indians).

That part of the lands of the 

Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla 

Mission Indians which is excluded 

from the Riverside County (part) 

nonattainment area

Nonattainment [insert date 30 days 

after publication in

Federal Register]

Serious.

San Bernardino County (part) Nonattainment [insert date 30 days 

after publication in

Federal Register]

Serious.

That portion of San Bernardino 

County which lies south and west 

of a line described as follows: 

Beginning at the San BernardinoRiverside County boundary and 

Nonattainment [insert date 30 days 

after publication in

Federal Register]

Serious.
This document is a prepublication version signed by EPA Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld on December 22, 2015. We have taken steps to ensure the 

accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version. 

41

running north along the range 

line common to Range 3 East and 

Range 2 East, San Bernardino Base 

and Meridian; then west along the 

Township line common to Township 

3 North and Township 2 North to 

the San Bernardino-Los Angeles 

County boundary.

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