Approval and Promulgation of Extension of Temporary Section 182(f) and Section 182(b) Exemption to the Nitrogen Oxides (NOINFx) Control Requirements for the Houston/Galveston and Beaumont/Port Arthur Ozone Nonattainment Areas; Texas

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The EPA proposes to extend the temporary exemption from the NO x control requirements of sections 182(f) and 182(b) of the Clean Air Act (the Act) for the Houston/Galveston (HGA) and Beaumont/ Port Arthur (BPA) ozone nonattainment areas. The State of Texas submitted a petition to EPA requesting the extension to permit additional time to complete Urban Airshed Modeling (UAM). A temporary NO x exemption was granted by EPA because preliminary photochemical grid modeling shows that reductions in NO x would be detrimental to attaining the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone in these areas. Approval of the petition will extend the temporary exemption from the NO x requirements for NO x Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT), New Source Review (NSR), Vehicle Inspection/ Maintenance (I/M), and conformity by one year to December 31, 1997, and the implementation date for NO x RACT by two years to May 31, 1999.