Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0079-0874
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2005-11-08T05:00Z

RFG
8­
HOUR
INSERT
 
WHAT
IT
DOES
ORIGINAL
9
MANDATORY
RFG
AREAS
Under
the
CAA,
the
RFG
requirements
apply
in
certain
areas
of
the
country.
The
first
sentence
of
section
211(
k)(
10)(
D)
identifies
certain
covered
areas
by
reference
to
their
1980
population
and
their
1987­
1989
ozone
design
value.
The
nine
areas
that
meet
these
criteria
are
Los
Angeles,
San
Diego,
Hartford,
New
York,
Philadelphia,
Chicago,
Baltimore,
Houston,
and
Milwaukee.
It
is
clear
that
transition
to
the
8­
hour
NAAQS
does
not
change
the
historical
facts
that
define
these
areas.
In
addition,
all
of
these
areas
are
designated
as
nonattainment
areas
under
the
8­
hour
NAAQS.
°
Today's
rule
specifies
that
the
nine
original
RFG
mandatory
areas
must
continue
to
use
RFG
at
least
until
they
are
redesignated
to
attainment
for
the
8­
hour
standard.

BUMP­
UP
RFG
AREAS
Similarly,
the
second
sentence
of
section
211(
k)(
10)(
D)
identifies
areas
that
become
covered
areas
because
they
have
been
reclassified
as
a
severe
area
under
CAA
section
181(
b).
These
are
called
"
bump­
up"
areas.
To
date,
five
areas
have
been
reclassified
to
severe
for
the
1­
hour
NAAQS.
They
became
RFG
covered
areas
one
year
after
their
reclassification
­
Baton
Rouge,
Atlanta,
Sacramento,
San
Joaquin
Valley,
and
Washington,
DC­
which
was
already
an
opt­
in
area.

°
EPA
has
determined
that
areas
that
have
been
reclassified
as
severe
areas
under
section
181(
b)
of
the
Act
for
the
1­
hour
NAAQS,
and
which
were
not
redesignated
to
attainment
for
the
1­
hour
NAAQS
prior
to
its
revocation,
must
continue
to
use
RFG
at
least
until
they
are
redesignated
to
attainment
for
the
8­
hour
standard.
°
EPA
is
reserving
for
future
consideration
what
RFG
requirements
apply
to
areas
that
were
reclassified
as
severe
under
the
1­
hour
standard,
but
were
redesignated
to
attainment
for
that
standard
before
its
revocation.
At
this
time
the
only
such
area
that
has
been
redesignated
to
attainment
for
the
1­
hour
standard
is
Atlanta,
Georgia.

OPT­
IN
RFG
AREAS
Under
section
211(
k)(
6)
of
the
CAA,
certain
ozone
nonattainment
areas
may
opt­
in
to
the
RFG
program.
That
provision
limits
opt­
ins
to
areas
"
classified
under
subpart
2
of
part
D
of
title
I
as
a
marginal,
moderate,
serious,
or
severe
Area."
°
Finally,
EPA
clarifies
that
the
current
opt­
in
rules
will
remain
in
place
after
the
1­
hour
standard
is
revoked.
The
RFG
areas
that
opted
into
the
program
will
continue
to
be
RFG
areas
unless
they
opt­
out
pursuant
to
EPA's
opt­
out
regulations.
°
Likewise,
EPA's
current
rules
on
opting­
in
to
RFG
will
apply
in
the
same
manner
under
the
8­
hour
NAAQS
as
under
the
1­
hour
NAAQS
­
ie.,
8­
hour
nonattainment
areas
that
are
classified
as
marginal
or
above
under
Subpart
2
will
be
able
to
opt­
in
to
the
RFG
program.

WHEN
AN
RFG
MANDATORY
OR
BUMP­
UP
AREA
IS
REDESIGNATED
ATTAINMENT
FOR
THE
8­
HOUR
NAAQS
°
EPA
is
today
reserving
for
future
consideration
what
RFG
requirements,
if
any,
should
apply
to
the
nine
mandatory
areas
and
the
bump­
up
areas
covered
by
this
final
rule
when
they
are
redesignated
as
attainment
for
the
8­
hour
NAAQS.
°
As
noted
above,
EPA
is
not
deciding
at
this
time
what
RFG
requirements
apply
for
any
bump­
up
areas
that
are
redesignated
to
attainment
for
the
1­
hour
NAAQS
before
the
1­
hour
NAAQS
is
revoked.
At
this
time
the
only
such
area
that
has
been
redesignated
to
attainment
for
the
1­
hour
NAAQS
is
Atlanta,
Georgia.
That
issue
will
be
addressed
in
an
action
separate
from
this
final
rule.