Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Virginia; Removal of Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) Trading Programs

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Virginia. The submitted revision requests EPA remove from the Virginia SIP regulations from the Virginia Administrative Code that established EPA-administered trading programs under the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), one of which also included requirements to address nitrogen oxide (NOX) reductions required under the NOX SIP Call. The EPA-administered trading programs under CAIR were discontinued on December 31, 2014 upon the implementation of the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), which was promulgated by EPA to replace CAIR. CSAPR established federal implementation plans (FIPs) for 23 states, including Virginia. The SIP submittal seeks removal from the Virginia SIP of Virginia regulations that implemented the CAIR annual NOX, ozone season NOX, and sulfur dioxide (SO2) trading programs (as CSAPR has replaced CAIR). EPA is approving the SIP revision in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).