Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; California; San Joaquin Valley; Reclassification as Serious Nonattainment for the 2006 PM2.5

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to reclassify the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) Moderate nonattainment area, including areas of Indian country within it, as a Serious nonattainment area for the 2006 PM2.5 national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), based on the EPA's determination that the area cannot practicably attain these NAAQS by the applicable attainment date of December 31, 2015. As a consequence of this reclassification, California must submit, no later than 18 months from the effective date of this reclassification, a Serious area attainment plan including a demonstration that the plan provides for attainment of the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 standards in the SJV area as expeditiously as practicable and no later than December 31, 2019. The State must also submit, no later than 12 months after the effective date of this reclassification, nonattainment new source review (NNSR) SIP revisions to implement the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS in the SJV area, to the extent those requirements have not previously been met.