### MEMORANDUM UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENC Y WASHING T ON , D

. C

. 20460

OCT 1 2 01 5



### SUBJECT: Impl ementi ng th e 20 I 5 Ozone Na ti ona l Ambient A ir Quality Standards 

### FROM: Janet G

. McCabe, Act in g Assis t ant**Ad mini** **st ator** **c-\~** 

### {._GJ.--- Office of Ai r and Rad ia ti o n 

### TO: Reg ional Administrators, Reg ions 1 -1 0 OFF I CE OF AIR AND RAD I AT I ON

Following the d ir ectives of the Clean A ir Ac t (CAA), o n October I, 20 I 5, A dmini s trat o r McCarthy signed a rulemaking act ion tha t r ev i ses th e c urre nt nationa l ambi ent a ir quality standa rd s (NJ\AQS) fo r ozone to a new, more protective level of0.070 parts per milli o n (70 parts per billion)

. T hese revised standards w ill improve the health and we ll -be in g of milli ons of Amer icans in the co min g years. They are bu il t on a foundation of sou nd h ea lth and ecosystem science. I am ' "' riling to you today t o le t yo u know abo ut the process go in g forward for delivering the protections affo r ded by th e revised s t a nd a rds. In doing so, I wa nt t o emp has ize th at we will wo rk wit h ou r state , local, fede ral and triba l partners to ca rry out the duties of ozo ne a ir q u a lit y management in a manner tha t maxi mi zes common se n se , nexibil ity a nd cost-effec ti ve ness w hil e ac hi ev in g im p roved public hea lth exped iti o u s l y and ab idin g by th e lega l requirements of th e CAA. T h e goal i s ac hi ev ing cleaner a ir , while recognizing th e many othe r act i v ities underway and the reso urce const ra int s that we a nd o ur coregulators face. This h as proved a successfu l partnership in th e past, a nd I am confi de nt it w ill cont inu e to be so in the future. In part icular, I note that a number of the o th e r c lea n air programs c urre nt ly underway will work to lowe r ozone leve l s national l y , suc h as Tier 3 ve hi c le sta nd a rd s, Mercury and A ir Toxics Standa r ds , measures to add r ess the 20 I0 s ul f ur dioxide NAAQS , the C lea n Powe r Plan and others. The attached document hi gh li g h ts many of the i ssues re lated to impl e me ntin g th e revised national ozone standa rd s , in c ludin g policy and t ec hni ca l aspects of impl e me nt at io n th at we a nticip ate facing in the coming yea rs . It ou tlin es act io n s that t he E P A w ill take and our expectat ion s of ou r a ir agency partners. P l

ease share thi s memo with ou r sta te . local and tribal partners wit hin your reg io n s . Attachment

Internet Address (URL) • t111p: flwww.e pa.gov Recycled/Recyclable • Pnnted with Vegetab l e Oil Based Inks on 100% Pos t consumer, Process Chlorine Free Recycled PaperAT T AC HM ENT Ho w A ir Age n c i es a nd t h e E P A W ill Move Fo r wa rd to Impl e m e n t t he 2 015 Oz on e Sta n dards Th i s document provides an outline of how th e EPA wil l work with s t ate, fede ra l a nd tribal a ir agenc ies to car ry o ut the dut ies of a ir qu a lit y management (AQM) for th e r ev i sed ozo ne sta ndard s in a manner that max imi zes common se n se, f l exib ilit y and cost-effec ti ve ness while abiding b y the le ga l requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA)

. It highlights m a n y of th e key i ss ues a nd activities re lated to impl ement in g the revised n a ti o n a l ozone sta nda rd s, includin g policy a nd t ec hni ca l aspec t s of impl eme ntati on that \ · Ve an ti c ip a te facing together in the coming yea r s . It out lin es co mmitm e nt s that the E PA w ill e nd eavo r to meet, a nd o ur ex p ec t at i o n s of our air agency partners w ith rega rd to so me of these i ss ues . rt is not intended t o be a co mprehe n s i ve co mmuni cat io n on impl e me ntin g the r ev i sed ozone s tandard s, nor does it co n st itut e new g uidan ce. A. Plan for Ensur in g Air Agenc i es and Em iss i ons Sou r ces H ave Time l y Gu id a n ce and Clear Rules to Follow T he CAA p l aces imp o rtant obligations for implementing th e ozo n e National Am bi e nt A ir Quality S tand ar d s (NAA Q S) on va riou s parties, b ut primary re spo n s ibi l ity for a dmini s t e r in g th e CAA to assure attainme nt of th e NAAQS fa ll s to the state and f ede ra l gove rnm e nt s .' T her e i s now a lo ng hi s to ry or managing ozo ne a ir quality und er the CAA, und e rpinn e d by a wealth of previously-issued EPA rules a nd guida nce. While portions of so me exist in g rul es an d g uidanc e nee d to be upd ated when the ozone NAAQS a rc rev i sed, much of it remains applicable to the r evised s t andards (e

. g., the rul e th at appl ies to nonattainment a r eas for impl ement in g the 2 008 NAAQS). The E P /\ i s comm itted to e n s ur i ng that a ir agencies ha ve adequate g uid a nc e, a nd nev, , rules where n ecessa ry. to ca rr y o ut CAA directives throug h the s t ate impl e me ntati o n plan (S IP ) process. We have identified ex i st in g rul es a nd g uid ance documents , and we are developing sc hed ul es for proposing and tinalizing seve ra l new gu id ance documents and rul emak in gs t o provide timely s upp o rt for implem e ntin g th e rev i sed ozone s t a nd ard s. We w ill sha re more spec ific inform a ti on regarding these act ions a nd d oc um e nt s, in c ludin g the timin g, in the coming mo nth s. To impl e me nt the r evise d ozo ne NAAQS , a ll states w ill nee d to r ev iew the i r ex i s tin g a ir quality management (A QM ) infra s tructure S t ate Implementation Plan (S IP ) f o r ozone tO e n s ure it i s appropriate and adequate

. The EPA's 20 1 3 gu id a nce on infras tructure S IP s titl ed, "Gu idanc e on Infra s tru ct ure S t ate Impl en1e nt atio n Pl an (S IP ) E lements under C l ean A ir Ac t Sect io n s I I O(a)( I) a nd I I O(a)(2), " s hou ld be a helpful gu id e f o r cond uc t in g a co m p r e he n sive r ev iew of th e sta t e's AQM infr as tructure. States were last required to rev iew their AQM infi· as tructur e S IP for ozo n e following the 2008 rev i s ion to the ozone s t andards

. Accordingly , we expect most states will not h ave to m ake sig nifi ca nt changes to ex i sti ng infrastruct ur e S IP s, a nd w ill s im ply need to subm it a ce rtifi cat ion that their ex i st in g S IP i s s uffi c i ent to meet applicab le CAA AQM requirements Lo r th e revised ozo ne sta ndard s. 2

1 States also have primary r eg ulatory jurisdiction in non -rese rvation areas of Ind ian coun try ( i .e., Ind ian a ll otments locat ed ou t side of reservations and dependent Indian communities) w ith in i t s geog r aphic boundaries un l ess the EPA or a tribe has demonstra t ed that a tribe has j ur isdic t ion over a particular area of non-reservat i on In dian cou ntr y wi thin th e sta te. See Oklahoma Department ojEn; , ironmental Quality v. F.PA, 740 F.3d 185 (D

. C. C ir. 2 0 14). For tribal a r eas of Ind ian country (i.e., •:eserva ti ons), tribes are gene r ally no t r equired to s ubmit lribal imp l emen t ation p l ans (T IP s), but arc enco uraged to reference th e E PA 's cu rr ent 2008 Ozone NAAQS S I P Req uirements Rul e (2008 ozone NAA.QS S RR ) (80 FR 1 2264, March 6, 20 15) and guida nce s hould th ey choose t o deve l op a T l P

. 1 Certifications are SIP submissions that must m eet the requirements of40 C FR part 50 appendix Y a n d undergo the SIP review process required und er CA. A. sec ti on I I O(k)

.For states with areas that arc des ignated nonallainmcn l. th ere are additional planning and control obligations that wi ll apply. The final 2008 Ozone AAQS S IP Requirements Rule (2008 ozone AAQS

RR) contains the EPA ·s latest rul es and g uidanc e for implementing the ozone standa rds und er the s t atutory provisions of'CAA part D, subpart 2. The EPA believes that th e overal l framework and policy app roach reflected in thi s rule provide an effect ive and ap propriate templat e lor the general app r oach sta tes wou ld follow in p la nnin g lor attainment of th e r ev ised ozone s tandard s. llow eve r , to assist with the implementation of the revised ozo n e sta nd ards, the EPA intends to develop and propose an additional ozone AAQ implementation rule that w ill address certain subjects. We also recognize the rules and gu id ance cannot anticipate every possible s ituation or innovation , and we continue to be committed to working one-on-one \.Vith air agencies to explore casc - speci ftc innovative o r untested approaches that have promise to fullill CAA requirements and achieve clean air raster and more coslciTectivcly. In particular lor areas whe r e states arc still active ly working toward atta ining the 2008 ozone AAQS, we encourage air agencies to look for and t ake advantage of potential p l anning and emissions con tro l efficiencies that may occ ur within the hori zo n for attain in g the 2015 s t a ndards. Formal allai nment plans for th e 20 15 sta ndard s are not anticipated to be due until 2020 o r 202 1 , but this timcframe would roughly co in cide with the next planning cycle for any c urr ent Moderate areas th at fail to attain by the 20 1 8 deadline for the 2008 ozone NAAQS. The EPA has made significant cftorts in recent yea r s to update guidance and rules that relate to A/\.Q implementation, so as not to have to update every document each time a AAQS is revised. Below i s a li s t or guidance and rule s th at are c urrent and app li cab le to the 2015 ozone NAAQS, followed by a li s t or updates to guidance and rule s that the EPA expec ts to comp l ete tor s tat es' u sc in 20 15 ozone NAAQS p lan nin g. Guidance and Rules That Remain Current and Appl icab le to the Revi sed NAAQS • Guidance on Infra s tructure State Implementation Pl an (SIP) Elements under Clean Air Act Sections ll O(a)( I ) and II O(a)(2)

- September 13 , 2013 (h ltp : ll l l'\l ' ' ll.epa.gov/ai rqualit y l urbanai r/ sipstatus l inji·astruclure.html) • Draft Modeling Guidance for Demonstrating Auainment of Air Quality Goals for Ozone, PM 2 

### s . and Re gional I laze - December 2014 and Gu id ance on the Usc or Models and Other Ana l yses for Demonstrating Attainment of Air Quality Goa l s for Ozone. PM 2 s . and Regional I l aze - April 2007 (hllp: llw llllli. epa.govhc ramOO 1 /

gu idan ce

_ sip. htm) • Draft E mi ss ions In ven tory Guidance f or Implementation or Ozone 

### I Particulate Matter] National Amb ient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and R eg ional Haze Re gula ti ons- Ap ril 20 14 (http :/l wlvlv3 .e pa.gov l ttn lch ie f/e idocs /eiRU icl / index.htm/) • Revisions to the General Confo rmi ty Regulations (75 FR 17254 , April 5, 20 I 0) and guidance (40 CF R part 93, s ubpart 

### 8 and 40 CFR part 51, s ubpart W) (hit p :ll l ll \11\11 3. epa.Kov /airq uality l gencoJ?f'orm l reKS. html) • Transpo rt ation Confo rmit y Rul e (77 FR 14979, March 14 , 20 1 2) and Guidance for Transportation Confo rmit y Implemen t at ion in Multi-Jur i sdictiona l Nonattainment and Maintenance Areas

- February 20 1 2 (40 CF R part 93, s ubpart A and 40 CP R part 5 1 , subpart T) (http :1/ wwwJ

. epa. KO v l otaq A t ateresourcesl transcon.f/index. htm) Expected Updates to Im plementation -R elated Gu idance and Rules and other Actions • Rulcmaking to establish nonattainmcnt classification thresholds, incorporate SIP due dates int o the EPA regulations, and update (as necessary) policy interpretations of CAA SI P requirement s (expected to closely f'o ll ow the 2008 O?.Onc AAQS S RR ) (see section A)
2• Rulemaking to revoke 2008 ozone NAAQS effective l year after initial area designations and plan for transit ioning from 2008 to 2015 standards (expected to closely fol low the 2008 Ozone NAAQS SRR) • Ana lysis of interstate ozone transport contr i butio n s for the 2015 NAAQS (expected t o include an ana lys i s s im il ar to the Not ice of D ata Avai lab ili ty (NO D A) for tra n spo rt cont ri but io n s fo r th e 200 8 NAAQS) (see section E) • Gu idance on meeting transportation conformity requirements for nonattai nm ent areas under the revised ozone NAAQS (expected to closely follow the transportation conformity guidance for the 2008 ozone NAAQS) (see section H) • Exceptional Events Rule revisions and guidance on exceptional events de m onstrations for wildfire events that may influence ozone concentrations (see section D) • Guidance or ru lemak i ng on the use of PSD permit screening tools and offsets in attainment areas (see section B) • Wh ite paper on background ozone and stakeho l der works h op (see section D) Based on the EPA ' s recent work with states to identify the types of guidance and rules that would facilitate NAAQS imp lementation and the schedule on which those materials are needed to assist state s in meeting required subm itta l dates, the EPA is developing schedules for these materials. The EPA will continue to priorit ize development of these material s with input from co -reg ul ators and o th e r stakeholders. B. Plan for Ensuring Major Source Permitting is Effective and Efficient Starting on the effect ive date of the rev i sed ozone NAAQS, the CAA r equ ires perm it a u tho ri ties to consider the rev i sed ozone standards when issuing preconstruction permits to new or mod i fied major emissions sources. Genera ll y , this means that a proposed source obtaining a prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) permit for construction in an o z one attainment area must show th at its emission s of ozone prec ur sors will not cause or contribute to a violat ion of the rev i sed standards. However, in the ftnal 2015 ozone NAAQS ru le the EPA finalized a grand fathering provision that allows so m e sources with PSD permit appl ications pending to apply the ozo n e standards that were in effect when certain mi lestones in the app l icatio n process were reached to sat i sfy certain P SD requi r e m e n ts
. Speci fi cally, this provision would app ly to app li cations for w hi ch the review ing a u thority has eit h e r formally determ i ned that the app li cation is comp lete on or before the signature date of the 2015 ozone NAAQS or has published a pub l ic notice of a draft permit or preliminary determination befo re the effect ive date of the 2015 ozone NAAQS. Although some sources may continue to focus on comp l iance with the prior ozone standards unde r the grandfathering p r ov i sion , all existing EPA-issued, permitting

- related rules and modeling guidelines applicable to ozone remain in effect until they are formally revised. I n addition , the EPA continues to recommend fo ll owing its existing permitting guidance pendi n g addit ional gu idance specific to ozone and the revised standards. We recognize that the owners and operators of emiss io n s sources need c larity a n d certainty about regulatory requirements , especia ll y when there are changes in air quality standards that may affect their construct ion and operations. In an effort to add clarity and certainty for preconstruction permitting generally , the EPA is planning some enhanceme n ts to exist ing rules and guidance and providing additional guidance to assist with applying P SD requirements to ozone generally , and with implementing specific aspects of the 2015 ozone NAAQS. For example , the EPA recently proposed a comprehensive update to the PSD permit modeling guide l ines in Appendix W of 40 CFR part 51 (80 FR 45340 , Ju ly 29, 2015). We intend to fina li ze the proposed act io n in 2016. In this proposed action, we 3took comment on in corpora tin g new recommendations fo r eva lu at in g s in g le-source o z one contributions , including th e approp ri ate u se of s in gle -s o urce modeling too l s. l wan t t o em ph asize, ho weve r , that until final cha n ges are made to Appendix W , the existing g uid el in es in Appen di x W remain applicable to ozo ne. Eve n if chan ges are made , we intend to provide a transi ti on pe ri od before any new guidelines become ef f ec ti ve. The re are a number of ex i s ting program tools that can be u sed to hel p fac i litate the permittin g proces s, and th e E PA cont i nues to work with stakeho ld ers on ot hers that w ill improve the permitting proce ss w hil e assuring attainment and protection of the ozone sta nd ard s. These include the us e of emission offset pro g rams and s i gnificant impact l evels (S l Ls) fo r ozone for P S D permitting. The existing " PSD offsets " t oo l co nt inu es to be available for p e rmit applicants an d reviewing au th o riti es to address ozone impact s fro m a proposed sourc e or modification , includin g in an area that i s not de s ig nated n o n atta inm e nt but where ambient monitorin g data s how s ozone concentrations that exceed the re vise d NAAQS. W e b e li e v e tha t S ILs and re lat ed "sc reening too l s" 3 are u sef ul in detennining the extent to which an amb ie nt impact ana l ys is must b e completed to m ake th e r e quire d d e m o n stration for th e app li cab le pollutant. W e in te nd to prov ide additional g uidan ce on these sc ree nin g tools in the near futu r e. Finally, in a r eas that are li ke l y to be designated n onat t ai nm e nt fo r the 2015 ozone NAA QS , state and local pennit authorities can help fac ilitate efficient nonattainm e nt NS R permitti n g b y establishing e mi ssio n s offset banks and re g istries. C. Plan fo r Ensurin g All Are a s A re App ropriate l y D esignat ed One of th e mo s t important near-term implem e ntation efforts i s co mpletin g the process for initially des ig natin g a ll a reas as to whether each area is meeting or not meetin g the 20 15 ozone NAA QS. B eca u se desig n ating areas i s typ ically a 2-year process ( and may eve n , in so me cases, be extended anot her yea r) , the final designations will be based in part on f uture a ir quality data ( i.e. , 2014

- 2016 data). Cu t Tent ai r qualit y data may not b e a reliabl e indic ato r of lik e ly nonattainment areas. Neve rthele ss, 2012-20 14 data indicate that many countie s w ith de s ig n va lu es above th e 2015 ozone standards have previous ly been designated nonattainment for ozone , which s u ggests that the re i s already widespread ex p e ri e nce with ozone non attainment plannin g . In ea rl y 20 1 6 , the E P A will i ss ue new guidance to facilitate the d es ig nation s process . We expect this guidance wi ll be s imil a r in concept and scope to th e designations gu id an ce i ss u ed for the 2 012 PM 2

. s NAAQS (see " Initi a l Area D es i g nations for the 2012 R ev i sed Prim ary Annual Fine Particle Nat io nal Ambient A ir Qua li ty Standard," Apri l 16 , 2013). It wi ll in c l ude a di sc ussion ofthe factors that the E P A plans t o consider in evaluating designation rec omme nd ations from states and tribes and in dete rminin g n o nattainm e nt area boun d aries. It wi ll also include information on esta blishing Rural Transport Areas under CAA sec t ion l82 ( h ) w here it i s appropriate to do so. Using th i s g uidance approach , the E P A has established a good track record of fm aliz ing designation s that are based o n sound technical assessment and poli cy judgme nt , and that h av e withstood a variety of legal cha ll e n ges .

3 For exa mpl e , in th e July 20 1 5 proposed update to App e ndix W , w e introd u ced a n ew demonstration tool for ozone precursors ref erre d to as Model Em i ss ion s Rates for Pre curso rs (MERPs). A M E RP would represent a level of emiss ions of prec ur sors th a t i s n o t expec ted to co ntribu te sign ificantl y to co n centra ti o n s of ozone. 4The s t a tutor y d ea dlin e for the EPA to lina lize ar ea des ig n ati o n s i s Oct o b e r I , 20 17. S t ate rec o mm e ndation s o n a rea des i g n ati o n s ar e clue October I , 20 1 6. De s i g n ati o ns comp l e ted b y October I

. 2017, wou ld , as noted above

. involve ozone uir qual it y data co ll ec ted during the mos t r ece nt 3-year period ( i .c., 20 14-20 1 6)

. Tn so m e loca tion s, th ese data m ay h ave bee n imp acte d by eve nt s that cou ld be determined to be exce ptional eve nt s . We r ecog ni z e th e im po rt anc e of tim e ly re v ie w a nd approv a l of a ny data exc lu s ion s requ es ted und e r th e Excep ti ona l Eve nt s Rul e . and will wo rk with sta t es to prioriti 7.c review 

# or any exceptional events demonstrations that \ Vo uld mat e rial ly impact an attai nment determination o r no nattainmcnt a r ea classification. Th e fin a l ozone AAQS rul e es t ab li s hes O c tobe r I, 2016, as t he deadlin e f o r s tat es to s ubmit excep ti o nal eve nt dem o n s tr ati o n s for even t s th at occurred in 2 014 a nd 20 15 , and Ma y 3 1 ,2 0 17, as th e d ead lin e lor events th at occur i n 20 1 6. D. Issues R ela ted to Background Ozone Back g r o und ozon e i s ozo ne a ri s in g from natura l eve nt s (e

. g . , s trato s ph e ri c intrusion s and w ildfires ) or non - United State s (U

. S

. ) anthr opoge nic so urces (e

. g .. ozo ne and ozo ne precursor em i ss io n s from Mexico. Ca nada o r o th e r int e rn at io nal loc at io n s). A numb e r or stake ho lders ha ve expresse d a concern that some location s in th e U .S. may v iolat e th e ozo ne s t a ndards du e to backg round ozo ne concentrations. We ant ic ipat e that th ere are o nl y a few loca ti o n s in the we s t e rn U.S. whe re leve l s in excess of70 ppb cou ld be due to th e ove rwh e lmin g influence o r backg ro und o7.o ne. The se are ge ne ra ll y hi g h e levat io n s ite s in

.th e western U.S. that arc imp ac ted by s tratosp he ric intru s io n s . s ite s imp ac t ed by lar ge - sca le wildf ire s , o r locations a l o ng th e U.S.-Mexican bo rd e r influenced b y**~cxican** emi ss io n s. U nd e r th e CAA , s t a tes a r e not res po n s ibl e l o r red uc in g em i ss ions f rom backgrou nd so urce s. W e int e nd to wo rk directly w ith res ponsibl e a ir mana ge rn cnt age nc ies in the se a r eas to e n su re th at a ll CA A provisions that wou ld provide regu lato ry r e lie f assoc iated w ith back g ro und ozone a rc recog ni zed. Howeve r , eve n if e levated l eve ls o f ozo ne arc innuenc e d by natural eve nt s or arc caused b y hum an act i v iti es o ut s id e the U.S., it i s c riti ca ll y important th at th e public is inf o rm e d abo ut whe th e r th e a ir i s health y to breathe. The CAA pro v id es for the exc lu sion o f emissions data sho\ov in g excecdances of the ozo ne s tand a rd s when s uch exceeda nces are caused b y ce rt a in natural eve nt s lik e s tratosp h e ric ozo ne intru s io n s and w il dfire s. We acknow l edge that th e CAA r eq uir es that th e re be demon s tr a ted ev id e nce of th ese except io na l events a nd a public r eview pr ocess in o rder to u se the exc lu s ion; these re qu ir e ments arc provided in th e Excep ti o nal Events Rul e (72 FR 12560

. Ma r c h 22. 2007). We f ull y expec t to work with s t ates to e n su re they a re a ble to exc lud e s uch data in locat ions where th ey are war r a nt ed

. An y e xceedance s of th e s t andard s th a t res ult f rom s tra to s ph e ri c ozo ne intru s io n events o r wi ldiire imp ac t s co uld be eva luat ed l o r exc lu s ion of ambi en t co n centrati o n da t a und e r th e Except ional Eve nt s Rul e. We a lready wo rk clo se l y with sta tes t o rev iew excep ti o nal eve nt s s ubmi ss io n s, and we a rc c urrentl y dev<:.lopi n g rev i s io n s t o the Excep ti o nal Even t s Rule to s implif y and expedi te th e process tor s t ates devel o ping technic a l demonstration s a nd 1or the EPA to app r ove exclu s io n s for th ese types of eve nt s. This proposa l , which we expect to i ss ue thi s**1ll ,**  ha s been we ll inf o rm ed by o ur di s c u ss ion s w ith s t ates and ot he r s t akeho l de rs a nd by o ur ex perien ce w ith past excep tional eve nt s s ubmitt a l s. We arc al s o developing ad diti onal g uid a nce for preparing except io nal eve nt s dem o n st rations t o r wildfire events that may innuence ozone co n ce ntrations. It i s o ur inten t to fin a li ze the rulem a king a nd wi ldtire eve nt g uid a n ce befo r e s t a t

es mu s t s ubmit reco mm e nd at io n s on a r ea de s i g n ati o n s a nd w e s t a nd ready t o work w ith s t a t es. as n eeded, in addre ss in g potenti a l exce ptional eve nt demon s tra tions pr ior to that lin a l rulemak in g.


### 5For areas impacted by int e rnati o nal sources. th e CAl\ conta in s pro vi s ion s in sec tion 1798 that ensure s t ates only need to address ma n-made sources within th e ir jurisdiction, and o nl y need to impose e mi 5s ion s con trols on loca l so urces to the extent the y are reasonably avai lable. We intend to ensure th a t s tates that may be impacted by internation al sou r ces, s u c h as California, A ri zo na , New Mexico and Texas, arc able to employ these provisions , where appl i cab l e , and we wi ll offer whatever technical ass i stance we can feasibly provide to the se sta t es and impacted communitie s . Durin g this latest review o r th e ozone AAQS th e re ha s been a good deal or di sc ussion about background ozone. To further e nsure that a ll intere s ted s takeholders ha ve a common understandin g or the nature or back gro und ozo ne and hov v it could be accounted for in implementin g the ozone standards , we are developing a white paper o n back g round ozone that we w ill make available soon for stakeholder r ev iew. We intend to hold a wo rk shop in the next few months to discuss the information in the white p aper and to further advance ou r collect i ve under s tanding of the technical and policy i ssues that may be invo lved with b ackg round ozo ne. We w ill evaluate the need for fu rth er g uid anc e or regulatory tool s to ad dress background ozo ne after receiving s tak e h o ld e r input and after conducting th e workshop. We emp ha size again that the E PA hcadqum1 e r s and re g iona l offices wi ll work with s tates to ensure they can s uccess fully invoke a ll o r th e CAA provisions th at arc legally and technically warranted for ensurin g background ozone do es no t res ult in ineffecti ve air quality management actions. In add ition , the EPA continues to work with other f e deral age nci es, our co unt e rparts in other countries. and the international co mmunity to improve our understanding of the so urc es and impacts of background ozo ne and to enab l e and motivate contro l of pollution so urc es in o th e r countries that affect the U.S. Working with th e Eu rop ea n Comm i ss ion in the context of the Co nv e ntion on Long-Range Transbo undar y Air Po ll ution , we arc leadin g an international scientific effo rt to improve the databa ses a nd modeling tool s that enable us to characterize the intercontinental tr ansport o f ozone and assess pote ntial control strategics. 4 We arc working with Mexico thro ugh th e Border 2020 Program , 5 with Canada under the US-Ca nada Air Qualit y Agrcemcnt, 6 and with China through ag reements on coope ration ' 'v ith their e n v ir on ment and sc ienc e mini s tric s 7 to impro ve air quality management and add re ss key sources in the se countries. And we arc wo rking through mul t il ate ral efforts, such as the G lobal Methane lniti a ti vcR and the Climate and C lean Ai r Coa lition to Reduc e Short Lived C lim ate Po llutants 9 to engage both gov cmments and th e private sec tor to achieve decrea s es in meth ane emi ss ion s whic h contribute to background ozone . U ltim ately , th ese efforts wi ll benetit a ir qua li ty in the United

tale s by decreasing international contributions to background air po lluti o n . E Plan.for Addressing Int ers tat e Ozone Transport The · ·G oo d l eighbm··· provision ofthe CAA, sec ti o n IIO (a)(2)( D )( i )(T), requires upwind states to deve lop SIPs that prohibit e mi ss ions of pollut ant s in amounts that will contribute s i g nificantl y to nonattainment, or interfer e with maintenance of , a 1\.AQS in another s tat e. These Good**Neighbor ~**  IP s are due within 3 years of promulgation of a ncv .' or revised NAAQS, meaning that transport SIP s for the 20 1 5 ozo ne NAAQS will be due by October 2018. If" the EPA finds that s tat es have not timely subm itt ed SIPs or the E PA disapprove s suc h a S IP , then the E P1 \ must promul ga te Federal I mp l ementation Pl ans

1 http : 11'11"\l '. htap.org l**~** hup : ·1 www2

. epa.glw l border2020 " http :// www . epa . gvv l airmarkets l progroms / us - cunada

.html 1 hilp :l/ www2

. epa .g ov l illl e maliunol-cooperul iOJI Ie

pa-clJI/alumll ion-china x https :l/ www. gloha/metlume

. org l 'J hllp :il wwwccacoalition. org / 

### 6(F!Ps) tha t eliminate the emissions that significantly contribute to nonattainmcnt and int erfere with maintena nce of the standards in downwind states. We bel ieve that the Good Ne ig hb or provision !or the 20 15 NAA Q S ca n be add re ssed in a tim e ly fash i on u s in g the f ra me work of th e C ross-Sta te A ir Polluti o n Rul e (CSA PR), espec ia ll y g iven th e r ecent co urt dec i s i o n s upholdin g th e rule. T he CSA PR framework in vo lves a 4-step p r ocess to a ddre ss th e · requirements of th e good ne i g hb o r provision: ( I ) iden tif y in g downwind r ecep to r s th at are expected to have prob lems atta inin g or maintaining clean a ir s tandards ( i. e., AAQS); (2) determining wh ich upwind states contribute to the se problems in amounts surficient to " lin k · ' them to the downwind air quality problems; (3) tor s tate s linked to downwind air quality problems , identifying upwind emissions that significa ntl y co ntri bute to nonattainmenl o r interfere w ith maint ena nce by qua ntif y in g upwind reductions in ozo ne precursor emissio n s and apport io nin g up w ind res p o n s ibilit y; and (4) for states that a rc round to ha ve e mi ss io n s th a t sig nificantl y co ntribut e t o nonattainment o r int e r fere with ma int e nan ce or th e NAAQS downv vin d , adop tin g S IP s o r P I Ps th at e limin a t e s uch em i ss i o n s . As a fi rst step in r ac ilit a tin g th e impl e m e nt ati on or the Good Ne ig hb or p rov i s io n for the 20 15 NAAQ the E PA int e nd s to provide timely information regarding steps I a nd 2 of the CSA PR framework. We expec t to conduct modelin g nece ssa ry to identif y projected nonattainment and maintenance receptor s and identify the upwind sta te s that con tri bute significantly to these receptor s. We would make such inrormatio n ava il able in fa ll 2016 through a ODA process (s imil ar to the one the EPA r ecent l y used in deve l op in g the tran s p o rt mode li ng fo r the 2008 ozone NAAQS) so that a ir agenc i es and ot he rs can help ass ure th a t the E P A i s u s in g th e best ava ilabl e inf or ma ti o n. F

in a ll y. in li g ht of ou r s h a r ed respo n s ibili ty to addre ss int e rs t a t

e tr a n spo rt , we int e nd to continue ongo in g d i sc u ss ions w ith eas tern states and t o undertake discuss io n s w ith western s t a t

es. These discussion s a rc necessa ry to make su r e we have a commo n understanding of the nature ol' int er-sta te ozone transport in each pan or the country and that we a re working together on appropriate so lu ti ons. F Addressing the Challenges in Cal[j'ornia Ca li l o rni a ha s uniqu e c ha ll e nges among the s t ates in add r ess in g ozo ne pollution. Air bas in s su rrou nded by m o unt a in s a nd a ge ne ra ll y war m cl im ate co mbin e t o make ma ny a r eas of th e s t a le co ndu cive to ozo ne for mat ion. In pa rti cu lar , th e South Coas t a ir basin in th e Los A nge l es a r ea and the San .J oa quin Valley in the central part of the sta te are the o nl y two areas in th e U.S. c lassi lied as "Ex tr eme' · nonattainment areas for the 1979. 1997 and 2008 ozo ne s t anda rd s. Alt hough ozone l evels have decreased by 30 percent in South Coast and nearly 20 percent in the San .Joaquin Va ll ey si nce 2000

.

outh Coast still has the highest 20 12-2014 8-hour ozo ne design val ue in the nation at I 02 pp b, and an J oaq uin has th e second hi g hest at 95 ppb. Through

. ep t embe r 29, 2015, South Coast had exceeded the 2008 ozone stan d ard s o n 81 days thi s yea r , the San .J oaq uin Valley o n 73 days. More than 25 milli on people in Ca lif o rni a b r ea th e a ir th a t does not mee t th e 20 08 ozo ne s t a ndard s. 1\i r pollutio n f ro m m ob il e so ur ces do min a t es the ozo ne precurso r em i ss ions in Ca li forn ia . With ports that bring in forty percent of' the nation's goods and agr icul tura l areas th at produce nea rl y ha l f or the nation·s produce. as well as a population of over 38 mi lli on. the s t ate is challenged by hi gh levels or

' Ox emissions from freight mo vement and from transportation genera ll y. Unde r section 209 or the CAA, Califo rni a has the authority to regulate mobile sou rces. Beginning in the 1970s, the state has used this autho rit y to se t stringen t emiss ions standards. In 2008, Ca lif o rni a began regu latin g in-u se trucks and buses to r e duc e e mi ssio n s rrom the legacy fleet , the on ly s u ch mandat o ry program in the co untr y. More 7rece n t ly, it a d o pt e d a vo lun ta r y low - NOx e mi ss io ns s t anda rd s f or h eavy- dut y e ng in es t o he lp e n g in e tec hno logy move towa rd eve n c lea ne r leve ls . In a d d it io n , th e s t ate h as f und e d in ce nti ve prog ra m s t o f u rthe r red uce e mi ss io n s fro m th e l egacy fl ee t a n d h as pur s ued num e r o u s adva nce d mo bil e so ur ce tec hno l og ies. S in ce 2008 , Ca li fo rni a has s p e nt nea rl y $3 billi o n in f undin g th e de mo n s tra ti o n a nd deploy me nt o r inn ova ti ve t ec hn o log ies s uc h as ze ro -e mi ss io n trucks and bu ses, hy brid -e lect ri c medi um and heavy-d ut y ve hi cles, a nd ze ro - e mi ss io n r r e ig ht e quipm e nt. T h e fe de ra l gove rnm e nt has prov ided mo re th a n $200 milli o n , l a rge ly thro u g h Di ese l E mi ss io ns R e du ct io n Act g rant s a nd th e De p a rtme nt of Agr ic ul tur e's E nv ir o nm e nta l Qu a lit y In ce nti ves Prog ram f und s . Even w ith th ese a gg ress ive reg ul ato ry and no n-reg ul at o ry prog ra m s to co ntrol mo bi l e - so urce e mi ss i o n s , a n d w it h the mos t s trin ge n t s t a ti o n a ry so ur ce e mi ss i o n s t a nd a rd s in th e U

. S

. , mos t o f ce ntra l and so ut he rn Ca li fo rni a i s li ke ly to b e des ig n ate d no natt a inm e nt fo r th e 2 0 I 5 ozo ne s t and a rd s. T h e So ut h Coas t A ir Q u a lit y Ma n age me nt Di stri c t es tim ates that it w ill n eed a r e du ct io n of a t leas t 85 p e rce nt in NOx e mi ss ions f ro m 20 12 leve l s t o att a in a s t a nd a rd of 70 ppb by 2037

. 1 0 W i th the imp le men t a ti o n of a ll t h e meas ur es c urre ntl y ado pted and pl a nn e d by 2032 1 1

, th e so ur ces con tri bu tin g th e m os t N O x e mi ss io n s in Ca li fo rni a's no n atta inm e nt areas w ill be heavy - d ut y di ese l tr u cks, s hi ps and co mm e rc ia l boa ts, off -r oad e quipm e nt , loco m ot ives, a irc raf t , ag ri c ultura l e n g in es , a nd passe nge r cars . Fo r Ca lif o rni a ' s ozo n e no n a tt a inm e nt a r eas to a tt a in th e 20 1 5 ozo n e s t anda rds, th e s t ate and the EPA have recog ni ze d th at tr an sfo rm ati o n a l c hange i s I ik e ly nee de d. Fo r exa mpl e, rece n t d i scuss io n s have foc u sed on a tr a ns iti o n to l a r

ge ly zero a nd n ea r- ze ro e mi ss io n s ve hi c le t ec hn o log ies as well as s ign i f i can t turn ove r o r th e l egacy n ee t o r ve hi c les. Ad diti o n a ll y , Ca li fo rni a i s und e rt ak in g a comp r e he n s i ve rev iew of its goo d s move me nt syste m w ith th e goa l t o r e lease a s u s t a in ab le fr e ig h t p la n i n .J uly 20 1 6

. T he sta t e i s a lso deve l o pin g atta inm e nt p lan s fo r the 20 0 8 ozo ne NAAQS , t o he s ubmi tted t o the E P A in 20 1 6

. Fo r th ese a nd o th e r re lat e d e ffo rt s, th e E PA w ill wo r k c lose l y w i th Ca li fo rni a , loca l a ir q u a li ty of fi c ia ls, nongove rnm e nta l o rga ni za ti o ns, o th e r fe de ra l age nc ies, a n d in te r es t ed co mm e r c ia l r ep rese n tat ives to ide nti fy bot h r eg ul atory a n d n o n - r

eg ul at o ry e mi ss io n co n tr o l so lu tio n s bes t des ig ne d to ach ieve red uct io n s in th e transpo rta ti o n secto r. Cl. iv fanaK inK Ozone Moni t oring Networks A so u nd a m b ie nt p o llu tio n mo nit o rin g prog r a m i s o ne of th e fo und ati o n s o f d e li ve rin g e n v ir o nm e nt a l p rotec ti on. Th e pu b li c co unt s on states and o th e r a ir age n c ies to esta bli s h a nd ope ra t e a ir qu a lit y monito rin g ne two r ks, a nd provide re li abl e , hi g h qu a lit y a ir qu a lity meas ur e me n t d at a. W e e n co ur age a ir agencies to e n s ure the ir ozo ne netwo rk s a re eflic ie nt and effec ti ve at de te rminin g publi c e x pos ure to ozo ne, a nd in f ull co mpli ance w ith ex i s tin g a ir mo nito rin g r eg ul at io n s . In rul es acco mp an y in g th e 20 1 5 revisio n to the ozo n e NAA Q S , we took three ac ti o n s re lat e d t o a ir mo nit o rin g . F ir s t , the mo ni to rin g season pe ri od fo r ozo ne mo ni to rs was ex te nd ed in 32 sta tes and th e Di stri c t of Co lu mbi a s t a rtin g in 2017

. A ll prev io u s l y a pp rove d ozo ne m o ni to rin g s ite wa ive r s a r e now r evo ke d , howeve r we e nco u rage air manageme n t age nc ies to wo rk w ith th e ir r espec ti ve E PA r eg io n a l office in cases w he re th ey be li eve ncvv wa i ve rs s ho ul d be g i ·a ntcd

. We have no t c hanged th e process o r reaso n s fo r gra ntin g seaso n al exemp ti o n s f o r co ll ect i ng mo n i t o rin g d ata in cases w he r e access o r o p e rati o n s of th e mo nit o r a re af'lected b y incle me nt weat h e r co nd i tio n s . As a re mind e r , we expect th at th e CAS T NE T mo ni to rs w i ll

10 Sou th Coas t Air Quality Ma n ageme nt Di s tri ct doc ument s: hffp :l/ www4. aqmd

. go v /

enews le tterprol uploadedima ge s / 00 000 I / Ce /i a

/ Fa ctSh ee t-20 16 %20A QM P

- v9.p dj; h tt

p :ll www. aqmd. gov l dues! deja ult-s u ur cel Agendas / aqmp ! advisOty4-item 3.pdf?sfvrsn = 2. 11 Th e yea r 2032 i s the attainmen t d ea d li ne u n der t he 2008 ozone N A AQS fo r Ca lifo rni a no n att ai nm en t a reas that are class i tied Extrem e for t hat s tanda r d

. 8continue to provide ozone air quality information that is comparable to the ozone NAAQS. The r ev i sed ozone monitoring seasons become eJfective at s tate and local air monitoring s t at ions or SLAMS ( including NCore stations) on .January I. 2017. Second. to impro ve implementation of the CA l \ · s requirement for "e nhanc ed ·· ozone monitoring. we modilied th e network requirem en t s for Ph otochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations ( PAMS ) to modernize and s treamline the ne twork. These revi s ion s were based on a 20 II evaluation of the network , alo ng with consultation with the EPA's ind ependent science advise rs (the Clean Air Sc ie ntifi c Advisory Committee) and an o r ganization of state air agencies. PAMS will now be required at exist in g N Co rc sites in large urban areas wi th a population of I ,000 .000 or more. This change will improve the geog raphi c distribution of PAM S sites, while reducing redundanc y in the existing network. In addition , monitoring agenc ies with Moderate (and above) nonattainment areas and states in the Ozone Transport Re gio n will now be required t o estab li sh E nhan ced Monitoring Plan s (EMPs). This process gives s tate s the Oexibility to detcnnine and co ll ect the additional data they need to better unders t and the ozone problems uniqu e to their area. tate s will need to co mply with the new PAMS monitoring at NCore s ite s by June I, 20 19

. States will need to sub mit EM Ps w ithin 2 years of designations or by October I, 20 19. whichever is later. The EPA intends to redistribute available P/\MS funding to suppo rt the new requirement s . Third, we es t ab li s h ed a new procedure f · or de term inin g daily maximum, 8

- hour average ozone co ncentration s to avoid " double counting" over l apping da il y maximum 8

- hour averages. Thi s procedure preve nt s the s itu at ion in which we count two exceedances of the A/\QS on 2 consecutive days based on overlapping 8-hour periods with up to 7 hours in common. The cr it er ia for determining whether a daily maximum 8-hour ave ra ge i s valid for the purpose or calculating a design value ha s been changed acco rdingly, so that 13 of 17 possible 8 -h our averages are now re quired instead or 18 of24. In addition, we have retain e d the r equ irement that daily maximum 8-hout· average va lu es greater than the level of" the AAQS will be considered valid regardle ss of data completeness. II. Other Impl ementation Is sues Co m m un i t y in volve m e n t. We believe it i s vitally important for s t ate and local air agenc ies to engage with their commun itie s as they plan to addre ss attainment and/or maintenance of the 2015 ozone sta ndards. Communities experiencing disproporti ona te impacts of a ir pollution may reasonably expect more stringent ozo ne standards to lead to improved a ir quality that meets the EPA's s tandards as soon as possible. To fully benefit from the opportunities the revised s tand a rd s present , these communities ' vo ices must be heard by the air age ncies responsible lor meetin g th e s tandard s. The EPA recomm ends that state and loca l air agenc i es t ake steps to ensure that minority popu lations, low-income communities. tribes and indi ge nous populations are involved meaningfully in the development and implem entation of regulations and programs to meet the 2015 ozone s tandards. The EPA ha s developed a g uidanc e document titled , .. Guidan ce on Co n s idering Env ironmental Justice during Devel op ment of Re g ul a t ory Actions.'· to assist its own s taff in considering and addressing env ironmental justice i ssues as it develops rul es. We recommend that state and local air agencies consider the app roac h es described in this document as the y undertake their planning act ivitie s around rhe 2015 ozone s tandard s . For example, the gu id ance include s spcc itie steps to mak e public involv ement meaningful and effective, idea s for using web-based tools for communicating with a va riety of commun itie s. and best practice s for engaging environme ntal justice communities in developing and implementing envi ronmental r egulat ions. All co mmunitie s deserve to breathe air that meets federal 9s t a nd a rd s. We a re co mmitt ed t o wo rkin g w ith s t a t

es as th ey e ngage th e ir mos t vuln e ra bl e co mmuni t ies towa rd a chie v in g thi s goa l. Opport unit y fo r M ulti

- p o llut a nt Pla nnin g . O zo n e p o lluti o n do es no t nee d to be a ddr esse d ind e pe nd e ntly from oth e r a ir pollution conc e rn s. E mi ss ion s affecting compli a nce with other crit e ri a p o llutant NAAQS a nd co ntributing to greenhou se g a ses may have sim i lar so urc es . We encoura ge a ir age nc ies to consid e r multi-p o llutant plannin g, as a mean s to en s ure e nv iro nm e nt a l protection and at th e sa me tim e t ake a d va nt age o f p o t e nti a l e ffi c ie n c ies , sy ne r g i

es , and prov id e mo re ce rt a int y t o the reg ul a ted co mmunit y. It i s poss i bl e to wo rk w ithin th e s t atut o r y require me nt s t o pl a n a nd impl e me nt in a mu lt i-p o llu ta nt fa s hi o n. Mos t rece n tl y, in th e prea mb l e fo r th e final C lea n Power Pl an , th e E PA no ted

· · ... the C lea n P owe r Pl a n prov id es an o pp o rtunit y l o r s t at es to co n s id e r s tr ateg ies fo r mee tin g fu tur e CAA p la nnin g o bli ga ti o n s as th ey d eve lo p th e ir pl an s und e r thi s rul e ma kin g. M ulti-pollutant s tr ateg ies th a t in c orpor ate crit e ri a p o llut a nt re ducti o n s ove r th e pl annin g hori z on s s p ec ifi c to p articular s t a t

es, j o intl y w ith s trate g ie s for r e du c in g C0 2 emi ss ion s fr o m aflected EGU s nee de d to me e t Cl e an Powe r Pl a n requirement s ov e r th e tim e hori z on o f thi s rul e, ma y accomp l ish g reat e r e nvironmental res ult s with l owe r lo ng -term cos t s.'' W e b e li eve that th e co in c id e nt pl a nnin g period s f o r th e C le a n Power Pl a n a nd th e 1 /\A QS f o r ozo ne , P M2 s a nd S 0 2 , a nd fo r th e R eg io n a l Haze prog ram , s ho uld e nco urage s t ates t o take a multi- po llut a nt a p proac h in a dd ress in g these reg ul a t o ry require men t s . Em issio n sf ro m Wildla n d Fires. W e und e r s t

a nd th at lir e i s a n un avo id ab l e occ urr e nce o n m an y type s of w ildl and , a nd th at c han g in g c lim ate c o nditi o n s w ill in c r ease th e occ urr e nce o r da mag in g w il d t ires unl e ss fu e l loa d s a re mana ge d by o th e r me an s includin g sc ie nce- ba s ed u s e or presc rib e d tir c . 1 2 • 1 3 • 14 E mi ss io n s fr o m lir es on wild l and , p a rti c ular l y large wi l dfire s, ca n impact concentrati o n s o f o z one and other ha rmful p o llut ant s, s uc h as PM 2 5 , b o th in th e l oca ti o n s with fire and downwind

. ln are a s where wi ld l i r

cs h a ve bee n preva le nt o r arc l ik e ly, we e nco urage a ir age ncie s to wo rk w ith sta t e, f e de ral a nd pri va t e l and ma n age rs o n pr o mo tin g presc ribed fir e and o th e r s trat eg ie s th a t m ay r ed uce wildfire emi ss io n s a nd th eir ef f ec t s o n ozo ne exceeda nces; we apprec iat e th at s u c h s tra t eg i es may have o th e r public sa f e ty , ec o log ical, a nd p r ope rt y p r o tect io n b e n e fit s as we l l. R ecog ni z in g th e im po rt ance of vari o u s fi re ma n age me nt s tr ateg ies, in th e pr o p ose d rev i s i o n s to th e Excep ti o n a l Eve nt s Rul e we int e nd t o e nco ur age a ir age nc ies t o re l y o n b urn man age rs · u se o f b as i c s m o ke man ag ement prac ti ce s 1 5 b y idcnti f y in g a set of g enerall y appli ca bl e pr ac tice s that wou ld b e e mplo ye d durin g presc rib e d fir es . Th e EPA and th e f e de r a l land mana ge me nt age nci es will support s t at e e nort s to educate th e publi c on the eco lo g ic a l ro l e o r fir e, and wi ldfire a nd pr esc rib e d fire c o ncept s . Wh e r e a pre s crib e d fir e pro g r a m has been d e ve lop e d an d i s b e in g impl e m e nt e d in a nd/ o r upwind o f a no n a u a inmcnt ar e a , th e E PA reco mmend s th a t a ir ag e nc ies acco un t l o r th e ex pec t e d pres crib e d fi re e mi ss io n s in the a tt a inm e nt and ma int e n a nce pl a nnin g proce s s. In th ose area s whe re presc rib ed tires a r e know n t o b e ca p abl e of ca u s in g occas i o nal ozo ne c xceedances, th e E PA wi l l co ntinu e t o wo rk wi th a ir age nc i es a n d s t ake ho lde rs to improve th e lo n g - te rm clTec tive ness of th e ex i s ti ng bas ic s moke ma n age m e nt pr ac ti ces a nd s moke ma n age me nt prog ram s .

1 ! T h e A dmini s tra tor ' s findin g o n th e adv e r se eff ec t s o f g r ee nh o u se gases includ ed th e o b se rv a t io n that wild !ires h ave i n crea se d , a nd th a t th e r e a r e p o t e nti a l se ri o u s ad ve r se imp ac t s fro m furth e r w ildfire occ urr e n ce. (74 FR 665 3 0 , D ece m be r 1 5 , 20 0 9. 11 Clim a t e**n~ e**  in th e U ni

t e d S tm es : B e n e fits of Gi uha t A c: ti o n, U. S

. E PA , E PA
- 4 30- R
- 1 5-00 I , Ju ne 20 1 5. A vai ! ab l e at It u

p : ww w 2

. ep a .guv lc: i ra . II Th e ati o nal Strate gy: Th e Final Pha se i n t he Dev e l o pm e nt o r th e ationa l Co h es ive Wildland Fi r e Management tr a t egy. R epo rt t o C ong r ess d eve lo p ed b y the U .S

. Department o f A g ri c ulture and th e U .S. D ep a rtmen t o f t he Int e r io r , April 2 0 1 4

. Av a ilable a t**tt ://** **www ..fo** **sts ndrung** **land~ rat** **egy es** **trar egy.**  sh r mf.**~** B as ic moke M a n age m e n t Prac t ices , Oc t o b e r 2 0 II , U

.. Fore s t Se r v i ce a n d Na tur a l R es ou r c es Co n se r va ti o n Se r vice, h t l

p :ll w w w. nr c s . u sda.g ov /

lnr e rn e ! I FSE

_

DOCUMENTS / si elprdh I O.f63 / l

.pdf. 

### 1 0Tran spor tation Plannin g. The CJ\A requires that transportation plans, tr ansportat ion improvement programs (TIPs) and projects must be consistent vlith, o r ''conform" to, attainme nt and maintenance of the o7.one NAAQS. The E PA int ends to issue an update to exist in g gu id ance for purposes of addressing issues that arc expected to arise in implementing the 2015 NAAQS in future nonattainment areas. The EPA issued a similar guidance update for the 2008 NAAQS. The guidance for the 2015 ozone NAAQS wi ll address transportation conformity requirements that app ly in ozone n onallainmcnt areas including: When wi ll confo rmit y apply for the 20 1 5 ozone NAAQS; Requirements for co mpl e tin g transportation plans a nd TI P conformity determinations in metropolitan areas; a nd Requirements for comp let in g conform it y determinations in rura l area s. For more details on topics tha t w ill be addressed in tr anspo rtati on conform it y guidance for the 20 1 5 ozone NAAQS please refer to the current g uid ance lor the 2008 ozone NAAQS, w hi ch i s available at: http: llwww.epa.gov l otaql \·tateresources l tram·coJ?fl2008na(l(ts.htm. With the except io n of i ssues unique to the 20 1 5 ozone NAAQS (such as implementation dates), we expect the new g uid a nce to be very similar to the guidance for the 2008 NAAQS. The CAA a l so requires ce rta in areas to implement veh icl e inspection and maintenance ( l / M) programs. T h ese areas are limited to ozo ne nonatlainment areas that have been class ifi ed as Moderate or worse and meel CAA-specified pqpulation thresholds (200,000 based upon the 1 990 U

. S

. Cens u s for Moderate nonattainment areas, and 200,000 based upon the 1980 U.S

. Census for Serious or worse n onatta i nment areas)

. In addition, any Metropo li tan Statist i ca l Area with in the Ozone T r anspo rt Region w ith a 1990 populat ion of 100,000 or more i s a l so requi red to implement 1/M , regardless of attainment status. While it i s too soon to knovl, we expect few if any areas not a lready implementing veh icl e IIM programs will need to do so as a result ofbeing initially designated a nd c lass ifi ed nonattainment for the 2015 ozone standa rd s. Fo r those a r eas that may eventually be required to impl e ment liM as a result or missing their initial attai nm e nt deadl in e un de r the 2015 s t andards, a great deal of flexibil it y and many implementation opt ions ex ist that were not ava il able during the l ast per iod during wh ich new 1 / M programs we re required. Th i s implementation ll ex i bility is the result of numerous rev i s ions to the orig in al TIM rule as well as techno logical advances such as the use of on board diagnostics on most inuse vehicles. Oz on e Advance Pro g ram. Fina ll y, we a l so wa nt to remind s tat es, trib es , and communi ti es about the EPA's Ozo ne Advance program, which encou rages exped iti o u s emiss ion reductions in ozone attainment areas to help these a reas continue to meet the ozone NJ\AQS. While the program to date has focused on helping attainment a r eas co ntinu e to meet the 2008 NAAQS, we now plan to re-focus the program toward co ntinu ed atta inm ent of the 20 1 5 NAAQS. Ea rl y reductions of the pollutants th at form ozone can be achieved by any area w i thout participating in Ozone Advance , however the program may be of interest to areas that would like to work more collabo ratively w ith the EPA when planning and im plementing measures to reduce ozone. Areas wi th air q u a lit y that current l y does n ot meet the 2015 NAAQS can participate in Advance until f in al nonattainment area designations (expec ted in fall 20 17), and for as l ong as the area is c lassified as Marginal (and therefore is not subject t o planning requirements). Ozone Advance participants have vo lunt ari l y opted to und ertake a var iety of emiss ion r educing measures, including diesel reductions, co n gestion mitigation, neet management, a l ternat i ve fue l s , point IIand a r ea sou r ce r ed u ct i o n s, and e n e r gy effic i e n cy improve m e nt s. Th ey a r e a lso tak in g ste p s t o b u il d pub l ic awa r e n ess abo ut t h e co nn ec ti o n s b etwee n a ir qu a lit y a nd h ea lt h a nd act i o n s in d i v i d u a l s can take to i mp r ove a ir q u a li ty l oca ll y . F urth e r in fo rm a ti o n is ava il a bl e a t ht 1 p :ll www. epa.gov l ozoneadva n ce / pa r t icipan t s. h tm l.

12