Deferral of Effective Date of Nonattainment Designations for 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Early Action Compact Areas

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The EPA is proposing to defer the effective date of air quality designations for certain areas of the country that do not meet the 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). Early Action Compact (compact) areas have agreed to reduce ground-level ozone pollution earlier than the Clean Air Act (CAA) requires. By April 15, 2004, EPA will designate all areas for the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. The EPA is proposing that, when it promulgates the designations in April 2004, EPA will issue the first of three deferrals of the effective date of the designation for any compact area that is designated nonattainment and continues to meet all compact milestones. In this proposal, EPA is proposing to defer until September 30, 2005, the effective date of the 8-hour ozone nonattainment designation for specific areas. The EPA believes this program provides an incentive for early planning, early implementation, and early reductions of emissions leading to expeditious attainment and maintenance of the 8-hour ozone standard. In addition, these compact agreements give local areas the flexibility to develop their own approach to meeting the 8-hour ozone standard, provided the communities control