Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Virginia; Removal of the Regulation for the National Low Emission Vehicle Program

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EPA proposes to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Virginia that serves to remove from the SIP Virginia's repealed regulation for the National Low Emission Vehicle (NLEV) program. Virginia repealed its regulation in December 2011, because the Virginia NLEV program regulation had by then expired and was superseded by more stringent federal Tier 2 passenger car and light-duty truck standards, which were promulgated by EPA on February 10, 2000. More stringent federal Tier 2 vehicle emission standards were implemented, on a phased-in basis, between model years 2004 and 2006, taking the place of the NLEV program. In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the Commonwealth's SIP submittal as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial submittal and anticipates no adverse comments. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If no adverse comments are received in response to this action, no further activity is contemplated. If EPA receives adverse comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments received