Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Alabama; Infrastructure Requirements for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve in part and disapprove in part, the August 20, 2012, State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission, provided by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) for inclusion into the Alabama SIP. This final rulemaking pertains to the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act) infrastructure requirements for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). The CAA requires that each state adopt and submit a SIP for the implementation, maintenance and enforcement of each NAAQS promulgated by EPA, which is commonly referred to as an ``infrastructure'' SIP submission. ADEM certified that the Alabama SIP contains provisions that ensure the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS is implemented, enforced, and maintained in Alabama. With the exception of provisions pertaining to prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) permitting, interstate transport, and visibility protection requirements for which EPA is taking no action in this rulemaking, and provisions respecting state boards for which EPA is taking action to disapprove, EPA is taking final action to approve Alabama's infrastructure SIP submission provided to EPA on August 20, 2012, as satisfying the required infrastructure elements for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS.