Determinations of Attainment by the Attainment Date, Extensions of the Attainment Date, and Reclassification of Several Areas for the 2008 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action on three separate and independent types of determinations for each of the 36 areas that are currently classified as ``Marginal'' for the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). First, the EPA is determining that 17 areas attained the 2008 ozone NAAQS by the applicable attainment date of July 20, 2015, based on complete, quality-assured and certified ozone monitoring data for 2012-2014. Second, the EPA is granting 1-year attainment date extensions for eight areas on the basis that the requirements for such extensions under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the EPA's implementing regulations have been met. Third, the EPA is determining that 11 areas failed to attain the 2008 ozone NAAQS by the applicable attainment date of July 20, 2015, and thus are reclassified by operation of law as ``Moderate'' for the 2008 ozone NAAQS. States containing any or any portion of these new Moderate areas must submit State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions that meet the statutory and regulatory requirements that apply to 2008 ozone nonattainment areas classified as Moderate by January 1, 2017.