Opinion ID: 213650
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Air Quality Standards and State Implementation Plans

Text: The general statutory background concerning air quality standards and SIPs is common to many cases: The Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 7401-7671 (Act), establishes a comprehensive program for controlling and improving the United States' air quality through state and federal regulation. The Act requires the EPA to establish national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for air pollutants that the EPA determines may reasonably be expected to endanger public health or welfare. 42 U.S.C. §§ 7408, 7409. The states are responsible for ensuring that their air quality meets the NAAQS. Id. § 7407(a). The states are divided into air quality control regions, and each region is designated as being either in attainment or nonattainment, or as unclassifiable with respect to each of the NAAQS. Id. § 7407(d). The attainment deadlines and control measures applicable within each region vary, depending on the pollutant and the severity of the region's pollution problem. See id. §§ 7502, 7509, 7511-7514a. Under the Act, a state must develop a SIP that provides for the attainment, maintenance, and enforcement of the NAAQS in each region within the state. Id. § 7410(a). Section 7410 sets forth the general requirements for all SIPs, which include enforceable emission limitations and other control measures to meet the requirements of the Act; enforcement programs; and assurances that the state has adequate personnel, funding, and authority to carry out the SIP. Every SIP or SIP revision must be adopted by the state after reasonable notice and hearing, and each must be submitted to the EPA for approval. Id. § 7410(a)(1). The EPA may fully approve, partially approve and partially disapprove, conditionally approve, or fully disapprove a SIP. Id. § 7410(k)(3) & (4). Latino Issues Forum v. EPA, 558 F.3d 936, 938 (9th Cir.2009). For areas designated nonattainment, the Act requires that a SIP meet certain specifications. 42 U.S.C. § 7502(c). Relevant here, the SIP must provide for attainment of the NAAQS by the attainment deadline, id. § 7502(c)(1), and it also must provide, in the interim years, for reasonable further progress toward the goal of attainment. Id. § 7502(c)(2). The term `reasonable further progress' means such annual incremental reductions in emissions of the relevant air pollutant as are required by this part or may reasonably be required by the Administrator for the purpose of ensuring attainment of the applicable [NAAQS] by the applicable date. Id. § 7501(1). In the part of the SIP known as the control strategy implementation plan revision, the state must describe specific strategies for controlling the emissions of and reducing ambient levels of pollutants in order to satisfy [statutory] requirements for demonstrations of reasonable further progress and attainment. 40 C.F.R. § 93.101. Additionally, the state must allocate allowable emissions for each year between motor vehicles and all other sources (e.g., factories and power plants). Id. The state's budget of emissions from motor vehicles for a given year is known as the motor vehicle emissions budget. Id. Motor vehicle emissions budget is that portion of the total allowable emissions defined in the submitted or approved control strategy implementation plan revision or maintenance plan for a certain date for the purpose of meeting reasonable further progress milestones or demonstrating attainment or maintenance of the NAAQS.... Id.