Air Quality Designations for the 2012 Primary Annual Fine Particle (PM2.5

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is establishing initial air quality designations for the 2012 primary annual fine particle (PM 2.5 ) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for the remaining undesignated areas in the state of Florida. When the EPA designated the majority of areas in the country for this NAAQS in December 2014 and March 2015, the EPA deferred initial area designations for certain areas, including all of the Florida, because the EPA could not determine using available data whether the areas were meeting or not meeting the NAAQS. In August 2016, the EPA designated most of the state of Florida (62 of 67 counties). Following the August 2016 designation action, two areas (five counties) in Florida remained undesignated. The EPA could not determine at that time whether the areas were meeting or not meeting the NAAQS. Florida has now submitted complete, quality-assured, and certified air quality monitoring data for the period 2015-2017 for the areas identified in this action. Based on these data, the EPA is designating the remaining five counties as unclassifiable/attainment for the 2012 primary annual PM 2.5  NAAQS.