Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Connecticut; Infrastructure State Implementation Plan Requirements

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve elements of State Implementation Plan (SIP) submissions from Connecticut regarding the infrastructure requirements of Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) for the 2008 lead (Pb), 2008 8-hr ozone, 2010 nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), and 2010 sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). EPA is also proposing to convert conditional approvals for several infrastructure requirements for the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS and for the 1997 and 2006 fine particle (PM 2.5 ) NAAQS to full approval under the CAA. Furthermore, we are proposing to newly conditionally approve elements of Connecticut's infrastructure requirements of the Clean Air Act regarding prevention of significant deterioration requirements to treat nitrogen oxides as a precursor to ozone and to establish a minor source baseline date for PM 2.5  emissions. Lastly, EPA is proposing to approve three statutes submitted by Connecticut in support of their demonstration that the infrastructure requirements of the CAA have been met. The infrastructure requirements are designed to ensure that the structural components of each state's air quality management program are adequate to meet the state's responsibilities under the CAA.