79186 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 188 / Friday, September 27, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

NPRM—has decreased steadily from 

2016 to the present. 

III. Withdrawal of the Finding and 

NPRM 

For the reasons set forth above and 

taking into account the Government of 

Latvia’s significant efforts to reform its 

AML/CFT regime, FinCEN is satisfied 

that ABLV no longer poses a money 

laundering threat to the U.S. financial 

system. Therefore, FinCEN hereby 

withdraws its finding that ABLV is of 

primary money laundering concern and 

the related NPRM published on 

February 16, 2018, seeking to impose 

special measure five regarding ABLV. 

Andrea M. Gacki, 

Director, Financial Crimes Enforcement 

Network. 

[FR Doc. 2024–22299 Filed 9–26–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4810–02–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

40 CFR Part 52 

[EPA–R01–OAR–2024–0193; FRL–12285– 

01–R1] 

Air Plan Approval; Connecticut; State 

Implementation Plan Revisions 

Required by the 2015 Ozone NAAQS 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve 

State Implementation Plan (SIP) 

revisions submitted by the State of 

Connecticut for the 2015 ozone National 

Ambient Air Quality Standard 

(NAAQS). These revisions (1) certify the 

adequacy of the SIP to satisfy the 

nonattainment new source review 

(NNSR) permitting requirements of the 

Clean Air Act (CAA) for the 

reclassification of the Greater 

Connecticut area to moderate 

nonattainment for the 2015 ozone 

NAAQS, and (2) certify the emission 

statement program satisfies the 

requirements of CAA section 

182(a)(3)(B) for the initial 

nonattainment designations and the 

reclassification to moderate 

nonattainment for the 2015 ozone 

NAAQS. This action is being taken in 

accordance with the CAA. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before October 28, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, 

identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R01– 

OAR–2024–0193 at https://

www.regulations.gov, or via email to 

creilson.john@epa.gov. For comments 

submitted at Regulations.gov, follow the 

online instructions for submitting 

comments. Once submitted, comments 

cannot be edited or removed from 

Regulations.gov. For either manner of 

submission, the EPA may publish any 

comment received to its public docket. 

Do not submit electronically any 

information you consider to be 

Confidential Business Information (CBI) 

or other information whose disclosure is 

restricted by statute. Multimedia 

submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be 

accompanied by a written comment. 

The written comment is considered the 

official comment and should include 

discussion of all points you wish to 

make. The EPA will generally not 

consider comments or comment 

contents located outside of the primary 

submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or 

other file sharing system). For 

additional submission methods, please 

contact the person identified in the FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section. 

For the full EPA public comment policy, 

information about CBI or multimedia 

submissions, and general guidance on 

making effective comments, please visit 

https://www.epa.gov/dockets/ 

commenting-epa-dockets. Publicly 

available docket materials are available 

at https://www.regulations.gov or at the 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

EPA Region 1 Regional Office, Air and 

Radiation Division, 5 Post Office 

Square—Suite 100, Boston, MA. EPA 

requests that, if possible, you contact 

the person listed in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section to 

schedule your inspection. The Regional 

Office’s official hours of business are 

Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 

4:30 p.m., excluding legal holidays and 

facility closures due to COVID–19. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob 

McConnell, Air Quality Branch, U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, EPA 

New England Regional Office, 5 Post 

Office Square, Suite 100 (Mail code 5– 

MI), Boston, MA 02109–3912, telephone 

number (617) 918–1046, email: 

mcconnell.robert@epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Throughout this document whenever 

‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean 

EPA. 

Table of Contents 

I. Background 

a. NNSR Certification 

b. Emission Statement Certification 

II. Summary and Evaluation of Connecticut’s 

SIP Revisions 

a. NNSR Certification 

b. Emission Statement Certification 

III. Proposed Action 

IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews 

I. Background 

On May 22, 2023, the Connecticut 

Department of Energy and 

Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) 

submitted three revisions to its State 

Implementation Plan (SIP). We are 

proposing action on two of these 

revisions in this notice as described 

below. 

a. NNSR Certification 

The first SIP revision certifies the 

adequacy of the SIP to satisfy the NNSR 

permitting requirements of the CAA for 

the reclassification of the Greater 

Connecticut area to moderate 

nonattainment for the 2015 ozone 

NAAQS. 

Effective November 7, 2022, the EPA 

reclassified the Greater Connecticut 

nonattainment area to moderate 

nonattainment for the 2015 ozone 

NAAQS (see 87 FR 60897). Although CT 

DEEP had previously submitted and 

EPA had approved a NNSR certification 

for the 2015 ozone NAAQS initial 

classification of marginal nonattainment 

for the Greater Connecticut 

nonattainment area (see 87 FR 38284, 

July 28, 2022), EPA’s reclassification 

requires that the state recertify the 

adequacy of its NNSR program under 

the moderate nonattainment area 

requirements. With one exception, 

explained in more detail below, EPA 

retained the NNSR requirements for its 

implementation of the 2015 ozone 

NAAQS. 

The minimum SIP requirements for 

NNSR permitting programs for the 2015 

ozone NAAQS are codified in 40 CFR 

51.165. These NNSR program 

requirements include those promulgated 

in the ‘‘Phase 2 Rule’’ implementing the 

1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS (See 70 FR 

71612, November 29, 2005) and the 

2008 ozone implementation rule. 

Additionally, although the 2015 ozone 

implementation rule included a 

provision to explicitly allow for interpollutant trading for meeting the 

emissions offset requirement for ozone, 

this provision was subsequently vacated 

by Sierra Club v. Environmental 

Protection Agency, 21 F.4th 815 (D.C. 

Cir. 2021). Under the Phase 2 Rule, the 

SIP for each ozone nonattainment area 

must contain NNSR provisions that: set 

major source thresholds for nitrogen 

oxides (NOX) and volatile organic 

compounds (VOCs) pursuant to 40 CFR 

51.165(a)(1)(iv)(A)(1)(i) through (iv) and 

(a)(1)(iv)(A)(2); classify physical 

changes at a major source if the change 

would constitute a major source by itself 

pursuant to 40 CFR 

51.165(a)(1)(iv)(A)(3); consider any 

significant net emissions increase of 


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NOX as a significant net emissions 

increase for ozone pursuant to 40 CFR 

51.165(a)(1)(v)(E); consider increases of 

VOC emissions in extreme ozone 

nonattainment areas as significant net 

emissions increases and major 

modifications for ozone pursuant to 40 

CFR 51.165(a)(1)(v)(F); set significant 

emissions rates for VOCs and NOX as 

ozone precursors pursuant to 40 CFR 

51.165(a)(1)(x)(A) through (C) and (E); 

contain provisions for emissions 

reductions credits pursuant to 40 CFR 

51.165(a)(3)(ii)(C)(1) and (2); provide 

that the requirements applicable to 

VOCs also apply to NOX pursuant to 40 

CFR 51.165(a)(8); and set offset ratios for 

VOCs and NOX pursuant to 40 CFR 

51.165(a)(9)(i) through (iii) (renumbered 

as (a)(9)(ii) through (iv) under the 2008 

ozone implementation rule). 

Additionally, pursuant to the 2008 

ozone implementation rule, areas 

designated as nonattainment for that 

standard that also remain nonattainment 

for the 1997 ozone standard must satisfy 

the anti-backsliding requirements of 40 

CFR 51.1105. 

b. Emission Statement Certification 

The second SIP revision certifies that 

Connecticut’s emission statement 

program satisfies the requirements of 

CAA section 182(a)(3)(B) for the initial 

nonattainment designations and the 

reclassification to moderate 

nonattainment for the 2015 ozone 

NAAQS. 

CAA Section 182(a)(3)(B) applies to 

stationary sources that emit NOX or 

VOCs in an ozone nonattainment area. 

The owner of each stationary source that 

emits NOX or VOCs must provide a 

statement each year of its NOX and VOC 

emissions, and the statement must be 

certified as to accuracy. For stationary 

sources in categories for which the state 

provides an emissions inventory to the 

EPA, the state may waive the emission 

statement requirement for sources with 

actual emissions of NOX or VOCs below 

25 tons per year. 

The entire State of Connecticut was 

designated as nonattainment for ozone 

for the 1-hour, 1979 ozone NAAQS and 

each subsequent ozone NAAQS, 

including the 2015 ozone NAAQS. 

Beginning with its initial emission 

statement program SIP filing on January 

12, 1993 (approved on January 10, 1995; 

60 FR 2524), Connecticut administered 

its emission statement program under 

the record keeping and reporting 

requirements of section 22a–174–4 of 

the Regulations of Connecticut State 

Agencies (RCSA). RCSA section 22a– 

174–4 was repealed effective October 

28, 2022, and replaced with RCSA 

section 22a–174–4a. RCSA section 22a– 

174–4a retains the elements necessary to 

administer the emission statement 

program in RCSA section 22a–174– 

4a(b)(1). On November 17, 2022, 

Connecticut submitted RCSA section 

22a–174–4a (Source monitoring, record 

keeping and reporting) to EPA as a SIP 

revision to replace RCSA section 22a– 

174–4. This revision was approved into 

the SIP by final rule published July 8, 

2024 (89 FR 55888), and associated 

correction notice published July 23, 

2024 (89 FR 59620). 

II. Summary and Evaluation of 

Connecticut’s SIP Revisions 

a. NNSR Certification 

Connecticut’s longstanding SIPapproved NNSR program, established in 

RCSA sections 22a–174–1 (definitions) 

and 22a–174–3a (applicability and 

substantive requirements), applies to the 

construction and modification of 

stationary sources, including major 

stationary sources in nonattainment 

areas. In Connecticut’s May 22, 2023, 

SIP revision, the State certifies that the 

version of RCSA Sections 22a–174–1 

and 22a–174–3a in the current SIP meet 

the federal NNSR requirements for the 

Greater Connecticut ozone 

nonattainment area. EPA has, however, 

revised the Connecticut SIP twice since 

Connecticut’s May 2023 certification: on 

October 5, 2023 (see 88 FR 60591) and 

November 15, 2023 (see 89 FR 9771). 

The October 5, 2023, revisions address, 

among other things, finalizing the 

incorporation by reference of the 

provisions regulating NSR permitting, 

updating the CT DEEP’s NSR procedural 

requirements, and adding to substantive 

review criteria for CT DEEP’s minor 

NSR permitting process. The November 

15, 2023, SIP revision approved 

Connecticut’s revised definition of 

‘‘severe non-attainment area for ozone,’’ 

contained in RCSA 22a–174–1 as 

amended by the State of Connecticut on 

November 13, 2023, expanding the more 

stringent severe nonattainment area to 

include all of Middlesex and New 

Haven counties. These changes do not 

impact the certification criteria in 40 

CFR 51.165 as it relates to the NNSR 

program in the Greater Connecticut 

nonattainment area and thus we find it 

appropriate to propose approval of the 

certification despite the subsequent 

rulemaking changes. In Connecticut’s 

certification, the State provides a sideby-side comparison demonstrating the 

State’s rules are at least as stringent as 

EPA’s nonattainment new source review 

permitting program requirements. 

Connecticut’s SIP-approved NNSR 

regulation contains the NNSR 

requirements applicable to serious and 

severe nonattainment areas. The term 

‘‘Serious nonattainment area for ozone’’ 

is defined to include ‘‘all towns within 

the State of Connecticut, except those 

towns located in the severe nonattainment area for ozone.’’ This is the 

portion of the State that was historically 

part of the serious Greater Connecticut 

nonattainment area designated for the 

one-hour ozone NAAQS, however it no 

longer includes all of Middlesex and 

New Haven counties, as those areas are 

now part of the severe nonattainment 

area. The SIP’s definition of ‘‘Major 

stationary source’’ then uses these terms 

to define the NOX and VOC emission 

thresholds when determining if a source 

is major for ozone. The SIP’s major 

stationary source threshold for NOX and 

VOCs in a ‘‘Severe nonattainment area 

for ozone’’ is 25 tons per year. The SIP’s 

major stationary source threshold for 

NOX and VOCs in a ‘‘Serious 

nonattainment area for ozone’’ is 50 tons 

per year. These thresholds for NOX and 

VOCs are consistent with EPA 

regulations and with CAA major source 

thresholds for ozone nonattainment 

areas. 

Connecticut’s NNSR SIP also properly 

addresses the thresholds for NOX and 

VOCs, as precursors to ozone, within 

the definition of ‘‘Major modification’’ 

for an existing major source by 

establishing the threshold for either of 

these ozone precursors at 25 tons per 

year in severe nonattainment areas and 

50 tons per year in serious 

nonattainment areas. These thresholds 

for a major modification are consistent 

with EPA regulations. Lastly, since 

Connecticut’s NNSR SIP retains its 

previously approved major source 

thresholds, the State’s SIP meets the 

anti-backsliding requirements. 

b. Emission Statement Certification 

As described above, Connecticut 

currently implements its emissions 

statement program under RCSA section 

22a–174–4a. This regulation contains 

the elements necessary to administer the 

emission statement program in RCSA 

section 22a–174–4a(b)(1). On November 

17, 2022, Connecticut submitted RCSA 

section 22a–174–4a (Source monitoring, 

record keeping and reporting) to EPA as 

a SIP revision to replace RCSA section 

22a–174–4. This revision was approved 

into the SIP by final rule published July 

8, 2024 (89 FR 55888), and associated 

correction notice published July 23, 

2024 (89 FR 59620). 

Connecticut’s emission statement 

program supports development of the 

state’s emissions inventory of ozone 

precursors, and requires, consistent 


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79188 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 188 / Friday, September 27, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

1The AERR is found at 40 CFR part 51, subpart 

A. 

with the Air Emissions Reporting Rule 1

(AERR), submittal of annual emissions 

statements from sources with actual 

emissions of VOC or NOX greater than 

25 tons per year. Such statements are 

also required from the owners of all 

combustion turbines under the 

authority, historically, of RCSA section 

22a–174–4(d), and future statements 

will be required under the authority of 

RCSA section 22a–174–4a(b)(1). In 

addition, emission statements, certified 

as to accuracy, of actual NOX and VOC 

emissions are required annually from 

owners and operators of facilities 

operating under RCSA section 22a–174– 

33a or section 22a–174–33b. 

In addition, other sources that may 

have actual emissions of NOX or VOCs 

in amounts of at least 25 tons per year 

are identified through information 

submitted under CT DEEP’s minor NSR 

permit program authorized by RCSA 

section 22a–174–3a. Minor NSR permits 

are required for any source with 

potential emissions greater than 15 tons 

per year. Each permit requires 

monitoring, record keeping, and 

reporting. Should the facility have 

potential emissions of NOX or VOCs 

equal to or greater than 25 tons per year 

per pollutant, the permit requires the 

facility owner to monitor NOX or VOC 

emissions, as applicable, and calculate 

annual emissions. If the actual annual 

emissions of NOX or VOCs are equal to 

or greater than 25 tons per year, the 

facility owner must submit an annual 

emission statement to the CT DEEP 

Commissioner. 

At any other time that CT DEEP 

becomes aware of a source for which the 

owner is not submitting an annual 

emission statement but that may emit 

actual emissions greater than or equal to 

25 tons per year of NOX or VOCs, CT 

DEEP requires an annual emission 

statement from the owner under the 

authority of RCSA section 22a–174– 

4a(b)(1). 

III. Proposed Action 

EPA is proposing approval of portions 

of Connecticut’s May 23, 2023, SIP 

submittal. Specifically, we are 

proposing approval of the portion of 

that submittal that addresses the NNSR 

requirements for the 2015 ozone 

NAAQS for the Greater Connecticut 

nonattainment area, finding the 

applicable NNSR provisions of 

Connecticut’s regulations satisfy the 

requirements of 40 CFR 51.165 and 

CAA’s anti–backsliding requirements 

implemented at 40 CFR 51.1105. 

Additionally, we are also proposing to 

approve Connecticut’s May 23, 2023, 

SIP revision request addressing 

certification that Connecticut’s emission 

statement program satisfies the 

requirements of CAA section 

182(a)(3)(B) for the initial 

nonattainment designations and the 

reclassification to moderate 

nonattainment for the 2015 ozone 

NAAQS. 

EPA is soliciting public comments on 

the issues discussed in this notice or on 

other relevant matters. These comments 

will be considered before taking final 

action. Interested parties may 

participate in the Federal rulemaking 

procedure by submitting written 

comments to the EPA New England 

Regional Office listed in the ADDRESSES

section of this Federal Register. 

IV. Statutory and Executive Order 

Reviews 

Under the Clean Air Act, the 

Administrator is required to approve a 

SIP submission that complies with the 

provisions of the Act and applicable 

Federal regulations. See 42 U.S.C. 

7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a). Thus, in 

reviewing SIP submissions, EPA’s role 

is to approve state choices, provided 

that they meet the criteria of the Clean 

Air Act. Accordingly, this proposed 

action merely approves state law as 

meeting Federal requirements and does 

not impose additional requirements 

beyond those imposed by state law. For 

that reason, this proposed action: 

• Is not a significant regulatory action 

subject to review by the Office of 

Management and Budget under 

Executive Orders12866 (58 FR 51735, 

October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR 3821, 

January 21, 2011); 

• Does not impose an information 

collection burden under the provisions 

of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.); 

• Is certified as not having a 

significant economic impact on a 

substantial number of small entities 

under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 

U.S.C. 601 et seq.); 

• Does not contain any unfunded 

mandate or significantly or uniquely 

affect small governments, as described 

in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 

of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–4); 

• Does not have federalism 

implications as specified in Executive 

Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 

1999); 

• Is not an economically significant 

regulatory action based on health or 

safety risks subject to Executive Order 

13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997); 

• Is not a significant regulatory action 

subject to Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 

28355, May 22, 2001); and 

• Is not subject to requirements of 

Section 12(d) of the National 

Technology Transfer and Advancement 

Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) because 

application of those requirements would 

be inconsistent with the Clean Air Act. 

In addition, the SIP is not approved 

to apply on any Indian reservation land 

or in any other area where EPA or an 

Indian tribe has demonstrated that a 

tribe has jurisdiction. In those areas of 

Indian country, the rule does not have 

tribal implications and will not impose 

substantial direct costs on tribal 

governments or preempt tribal law as 

specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 

FR 67249, November 9, 2000). 

Executive Order 12898 (Federal 

Actions To Address Environmental 

Justice in Minority Populations and 

Low-Income Populations, 59 FR 7629, 

February 16, 1994) directs Federal 

agencies to identify and address 

‘‘disproportionately high and adverse 

human health or environmental effects’’ 

of their actions on communities with 

environmental justice (EJ) concerns to 

the greatest extent practicable and 

permitted by law. EPA defines EJ as 

‘‘the fair treatment and meaningful 

involvement of all people regardless of 

race, color, national origin, or income 

with respect to the development, 

implementation, and enforcement of 

environmental laws, regulations, and 

policies.’’ EPA further defines the term 

fair treatment to mean that ‘‘no group of 

people should bear a disproportionate 

burden of environmental harms and 

risks, including those resulting from the 

negative environmental consequences of 

industrial, governmental, and 

commercial operations or programs and 

policies.’’ 

Connecticut DEEP did not evaluate 

environmental justice considerations as 

part of its SIP submittal; the CAA and 

applicable implementing regulations 

neither prohibit nor require such an 

evaluation. EPA did not perform an EJ 

analysis and did not consider EJ in this 

action. Due to the nature of the action 

being taken here, this action is expected 

to have a neutral or positive impact on 

the air quality of the affected area. 

Consideration of EJ is not required as 

part of this action, and there is no 

information in the record inconsistent 

with the stated goal of E.O. 12898 of 

achieving environmental justice for 

communities with EJ concerns. 

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 

Environmental protection, Air 

pollution control, Incorporation by 

reference, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, 

Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements, Volatile organic 

compounds. 


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Dated: September 23, 2024. 

David Cash, 

Regional Administrator, EPA Region 1. 

[FR Doc. 2024–22115 Filed 9–26–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

40 CFR Part 52 

[EPA–R01–OAR–2024–0117; FRL–12283– 

01–R1] 

Air Plan Approval; Connecticut; New 

Haven and Fairfield Counties Second 

10-Year Limited Maintenance Plan for 

the 2006 24-Hour PM2.5 Standard 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve, 

under the Clean Air Act (CAA), the 

limited maintenance plan (LMP) for the 

2006 PM2.5 national ambient air quality 

standard (NAAQS) for New Haven and 

Fairfield Counties, which comprise the 

Connecticut portion of the New York-N. 

New Jersey-Long Island (NY-NJ-CT) 

2006 PM2.5 NAAQS maintenance area. 

This LMP was submitted on May 9, 

2023, and supplemented on February 

21, 2024, by the Connecticut 

Department of Energy and 

Environmental Protection (CT DEEP). 

The plan addresses the second 10-year 

maintenance period for particulate 

matter with an aerodynamic diameter 

less than or equal to a nominal 2.5 

micrometers, known as PM2.5. EPA is 

proposing approval of Connecticut’s 

LMP submission because it provides for 

the maintenance of the 2006 24-hour 

PM2.5 NAAQS through the end of the 

second 10-year portion of the 

maintenance period. In addition, EPA is 

initiating the process to find the 

Connecticut PM2.5 LMP adequate for 

transportation conformity purposes. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before October 28, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, 

identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R01– 

OAR–2024–0117 at https://

www.regulations.gov, or via email to 

martinelli.ayla@gmail.com. For 

comments submitted at Regulations.gov, 

follow the online instructions for 

submitting comments. Once submitted, 

comments cannot be edited or removed 

from Regulations.gov. For either manner 

of submission, the EPA may publish any 

comment received to its public docket. 

Do not submit electronically any 

information you consider to be 

Confidential Business Information (CBI) 

or other information whose disclosure is 

restricted by statute. Multimedia 

submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be 

accompanied by a written comment. 

The written comment is considered the 

official comment and should include 

discussion of all points you wish to 

make. The EPA will generally not 

consider comments or comment 

contents located outside of the primary 

submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or 

other file sharing system). For 

additional submission methods, please 

contact the person identified in the FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section. 

For the full EPA public comment policy, 

information about CBI or multimedia 

submissions, and general guidance on 

making effective comments, please visit 

https://www.epa.gov/dockets/ 

commenting-epa-dockets. Publicly 

available docket materials are available 

at https://www.regulations.gov or at the 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

EPA Region 1 Regional Office, Air and 

Radiation Division, 5 Post Office 

Square—Suite 100, Boston, MA. EPA 

requests that, if possible, you contact 

the contact listed in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section to 

schedule your inspection. The Regional 

Office’s official hours of business are 

Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 

4:30 p.m., excluding legal holidays and 

facility closures due to COVID–19. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ayla 

Martinelli, Air Quality Branch, U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, EPA 

Region 1, 5 Post Office Square—Suite 

100, (Mail code 5–MI), Boston, MA 

02109–3912, tel. (617) 918–1057, email 

martinelli.ayla@epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Throughout this document whenever 

‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean 

EPA. 

Table of Contents 

I. Background and Purpose 

A. The PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality 

Standards (NAAQS) 

B. Regulatory Actions in New Haven and 

Fairfield Counties 

II. The Limited Maintenance Plan Option 

A. Demonstration of Maintenance Using 

the Limited Maintenance Plan Option 

B. Transportation Conformity Under 

Limited Maintenance Plan Option 

C. General Conformity Under Limited 

Maintenance Plan Option 

III. EPA’s Analysis of the State’s Submittal 

A. Demonstration of Qualification for the 

Limited Maintenance Plan Option 

B. Attainment Inventory 

C. Air Quality Monitoring Network 

D. Verification of Continued Attainment 

E. Contingency Provisions 

IV. Proposed Action 

V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews 

I. Background and Purpose 

A. The PM2.5 National Ambient Air 

Quality Standards (NAAQS) 

EPA has established NAAQS for 

particulate matter with an aerodynamic 

diameter less than or equal to 2.5 

micrometers, known as PM2.5, to protect 

human health and the environment. In 

1997, EPA established the first PM2.5

standards based on significant scientific 

evidence and health studies 

demonstrating the serious health effects 

associated with exposure to PM2.5. EPA 

set an annual standard of 15.0 

micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m3) and 

a 24-hour (or daily) standard of 65 mg/ 

m3. In 2006, EPA strengthened the 24- 

hour PM2.5 NAAQS by revising it to 

35 mg/m3 and retained the level of the 

annual PM2.5 standard at 15.0 mg/m3. 

Subsequently, in 2012, EPA established 

an annual primary PM2.5 NAAQS at 

12.0 mg/m3 and retained the 2006 24- 

hour PM2.5 NAAQS at 35 mg/m3. In early 

2024, EPA strengthened the level of the 

annual primary PM2.5 standard to 9.0 mg/ 

m3 and retained the 2006 24-hour PM2.5

NAAQS at 35 mg/m3. 

B. Regulatory Actions in New Haven 

and Fairfield Counties 

Hereafter, ‘‘New Haven-Fairfield’’ 

means the Connecticut portion of the 

NY-NJ-CT maintenance area which is 

comprised of New Haven and Fairfield 

Counties. EPA promulgated the 

designations for New Haven-Fairfield as 

a PM2.5 nonattainment area for the 1997 

annual PM2.5 NAAQS on January 5, 

2005 (70 FR 944) and the 2006 24-hour 

PM2.5 NAAQS (74 FR 58688) on 

November 13, 2009, due to measured 

violations of the standards. These 

designations became effective on April 

5, 2005, and December 14, 2009, 

respectively. On June 22, 2012, CT 

DEEP submitted a request to EPA to 

redesignate the New Haven- Fairfield 

nonattainment area to attainment of 

both the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour 

PM2.5 NAAQS. This submittal included 

a maintenance plan to provide for 

maintenance of the PM2.5 NAAQS in the 

area for 10 years. EPA redesignated New 

Haven-Fairfield to attainment for the 

1997 and 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS on 

October 24, 2013 (78 FR 58467) and 

approved the associated maintenance 

plan into the Connecticut State 

Implementation Plan (SIP). The purpose 

of CT DEEP’s May 9, 2023 

(supplemented on February 21, 2024) 

LMP submission is to fulfill the second 

10-year planning requirement of CAA 

section 175A(b), thus ensuring PM2.5

NAAQS compliance through the end of 

the maintenance period. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1