[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 224 (Friday, November 20, 1998)] [Proposed Rules] [Page 64437] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-29821] [[Page 64437]] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 81 [AZ-001-BU FRL-6183-8] Clean Air Act Reclassification; Arizona-Phoenix Nonattainment Area; Ozone; Extension of Plan Submittal Deadline
Agency
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Action
Proposed rule.
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Summary
On November 6, 1997, EPA published a rule announcing our finding that the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area had failed to attain the 1-hour national ambient air quality standard for ozone as required by the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act). This finding resulted in the area being reclassified by operation of law from a ``moderate'' to a ``serious'' ozone nonattainment area. In the rule, we also set a deadline of December 8, 1998 for Arizona to submit the revisions to its implementation plan that are needed to meet the Act's requirements for serious ozone nonattainment areas. Here, we are proposing a short extension of that deadline to March 22, 1999.
Dates
Comments may be submitted in writing until December 7, 1998.
Addresses
Please address any comments you may have on this document to Frances Wicher at the address listed below. We have placed information related to this proposed action into a docket. You may look at the docket during normal business hours at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, Office of Air Planning, 17th floor, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94105. We have also placed a copy of this document in the air programs section of our website at www.epa.gov/region09/air.
For Further Information Contact
Frances Wicher, Office of Air Planning (AIR-2), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94105. (415) 744-1248 or wicher.frances@epamail.epa.gov.
Supplementary Information
Background
What is Being Proposed in This Action?
EPA is proposing to extend by three and one-half months, until March 22, 1999, the date by which the State of Arizona must submit the revisions to the Phoenix metropolitan area's state implementation plan (SIP) that are needed to meet the Clean Air Act's requirements for serious ozone nonattainment areas. The current submittal date is December 8, 1998. We have discussed the reasons for this submittal date extension in a direct final rule which you can find in the Rules Section of this Federal Register. We are extending the submittal deadline for the Phoenix-area serious ozone plan in a direct final rule without first proposing the rule and providing an opportunity for public comment. We are finalizing this rule directly because we believe this is noncontroversial and do not expect to receive unfavorable comments on it. If we do not receive unfavorable comments, we will take no further action on this proposed rule. If we do receive unfavorable comments, then we will withdraw the final rule and inform the public that the rule will not take effect. We will then address all public comments in a later final rule. Since there will not be a second comment period on this action, any member of the public who wants to comment on it should do so at this time.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Date Signed: October 24, 1998. Felicia Marcus, Regional Administrator, Region IX. [FR Doc. 98-29821 Filed 11-19-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-P