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Rule2024-29137

Findings of Failure To Attain and Reclassification of Areas in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin as Serious for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards

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Published

December 17, 2024

Effective

January 16, 2025

Issuing agencies

Environmental Protection Agency

Abstract

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is determining that the Allegan County, MI; Berrien County, MI; Chicago, IL-IN-WI; Cleveland, OH; Milwaukee, WI; Muskegon County, MI; Sheboygan County, WI; and Illinois portion of the St. Louis, MO-IL areas failed to attain the 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by the applicable attainment date. The effect of failing to attain by the applicable attainment date is that the areas will be reclassified by operation of law to "Serious" nonattainment for the 2015 ozone NAAQS on January 16, 2025, the effective date of this final rule. This action fulfills EPA's obligation under the Clean Air Act (CAA) to determine whether ozone nonattainment areas attained the NAAQS by the attainment date and to publish a document in the Federal Register identifying each area that is determined as having failed to attain and identifying the reclassification.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 242 (Tuesday, December 17, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 17, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 101901-101910]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-29137]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 81

[EPA-R05-OAR-2024-0546; FRL-12410-01-R5]

Findings of Failure To Attain and Reclassification of Areas in
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin as Serious for the
2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final determination.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is determining that
the Allegan County, MI; Berrien County, MI; Chicago, IL-IN-WI;
Cleveland, OH; Milwaukee, WI; Muskegon County, MI; Sheboygan County,
WI; and Illinois portion of the St. Louis, MO-IL areas failed to attain
the 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by the
applicable attainment date. The effect of failing to attain by the
applicable attainment date is that the areas will be reclassified by
operation of law to ``Serious'' nonattainment for the 2015 ozone NAAQS
on January 16, 2025, the effective date of this final rule. This action
fulfills EPA's obligation under the Clean Air Act (CAA) to determine
whether ozone nonattainment areas attained the NAAQS by the attainment
date and to publish a document in the Federal Register identifying each
area that is determined as having failed to attain and identifying the
reclassification.

DATES: This final rule is effective on January 16, 2025.

ADDRESSES: EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID
No. EPA-R05-OAR-2024-0546. All documents in the docket are listed on
the <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> website. Although listed in the index,
some information is not publicly available, i.e., Confidential Business
Information (CBI), Proprietary Business Information (PBI), or other
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other
material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the internet
and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly
available docket materials are available either through <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> or at the Environmental Protection Agency, Region
5, Air and Radiation Division, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago,
Illinois 60604. This facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. We recommend that
you telephone Eric Svingen, Environmental Engineer, at (312) 353-4489
before visiting the Region 5 office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Svingen, Air and Radiation
Division (AR-18J), Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West
Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 353-4489,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b4c7c2dddad3d1da9ad1c6ddd7f4d1c4d59ad3dbc2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2b585d42454c4e45054e5942486b4e5b4a054c445d">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Overview of Action

EPA is required to determine whether areas designated nonattainment
for an ozone NAAQS attained the standard by the applicable attainment
date, and to take certain steps for areas that failed to attain (see
CAA section 181(b)(2)). EPA's determination of attainment for the 2015
ozone NAAQS is based on a nonattainment area's design value (DV) as of
the attainment date.\1\
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\1\ A DV is a statistic used to compare data collected at an
ambient air quality monitoring site to the applicable NAAQS to
determine compliance with the standard. The data handling
conventions for calculating DVs for the 2015 ozone NAAQS are
specified in appendix U to 40 CFR part 50. The DV for the 2015 ozone
NAAQS is the 3-year average of the annual fourth highest daily
maximum 8-hour average ozone concentration. The DV is calculated for
each air quality monitor in an area, and the DV for an area is the
highest DV among the individual monitoring sites located in the
area.
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The 2015 ozone NAAQS is met at an EPA regulatory monitoring site
when the DV does not exceed 0.070 parts per million (ppm). For the
Moderate nonattainment areas for the 2015 ozone NAAQS addressed in this
action, the attainment date was August 3, 2024. Because the DV is based
on the three most recent, complete calendar years of data, attainment
must occur no later than December 31 of the year prior to the
attainment date (i.e., December 31, 2023, in the case of Moderate
nonattainment areas for the 2015 ozone NAAQS). As such, EPA's
determinations for each area are based upon the complete, quality-
assured, and certified ozone monitoring data from calendar years 2021,
2022, and 2023.
This action addresses eight areas in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin that were classified as Moderate for the
2015 ozone NAAQS as of the Moderate area attainment date of August 3,
2024. EPA is addressing the remaining areas, including the Missouri
portion of the St. Louis area, in separate actions. Table 1 provides a
summary of the DVs and the EPA's air quality-based determinations

[[Page 101902]]

for the eight Moderate areas addressed in this action.

Table 1--Summary of Nonattainment Areas in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin Classified as Moderate for the 2015 Ozone
NAAQS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2021-2023
Nonattainment area design value Attainment by the
(DV) (ppm) attainment date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allegan County, MI.......... 0.075 Failed to attain.
Berrien County, MI.......... 0.073 Failed to attain.
Chicago, IL-IN-WI........... 0.077 Failed to attain.
Cleveland, OH............... 0.073 Failed to attain.
Milwaukee, WI............... 0.074 Failed to attain.
Muskegon County, MI......... 0.077 Failed to attain.
Sheboygan County, WI........ 0.077 Failed to attain.
St. Louis, MO-IL............ 0.074 Failed to attain.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

EPA is finding that the eight Moderate areas in Table 1 did not
attain by their attainment dates, because their 2021-2023 DVs are
greater than 0.070 ppm. If EPA determines that a nonattainment area
classified as Moderate failed to attain by the attainment date, CAA
section 181(b)(2)(B) requires EPA to publish a determination in the
Federal Register, no later than 6 months following the attainment date,
identifying each such area and identifying the applicable
reclassification.
Under CAA section 181(b)(2)(A), the effect of this determination is
that these eight areas will be reclassified by operation of law as
Serious on the effective date of this final rule. The reclassified
areas will then be subject to the Serious area requirement to attain
the 2015 ozone NAAQS as expeditiously as practicable, but not later
than August 3, 2027.
Once reclassified as Serious, the relevant States must submit to
EPA the SIP revisions for these areas that satisfy the statutory and
regulatory requirements applicable to Serious areas established in CAA
section 182(c) and in the 2015 Ozone NAAQS SIP Requirements Rule (see
83 FR 62998, December 6, 2018). EPA is establishing deadlines for
submitting SIP revisions for these reclassified areas in a separate
action.

II. What is the background for this action?

On October 26, 2015, EPA issued its final action to revise the
NAAQS for ozone to establish a new 8-hour standard (see 80 FR 65452,
October 26, 2015). In that action, EPA promulgated identical tighter
primary and secondary ozone standards designed to protect public health
and welfare that specified an 8-hour ozone level of 0.070 ppm.
Specifically, the standards require that the 3-year average of the
annual fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone concentration
may not exceed 0.070 ppm.
Effective on August 3, 2018, EPA designated 52 areas throughout the
country as nonattainment for the 2015 ozone NAAQS (see 83 FR 25776,
June 4, 2018). In a separate action, EPA assigned classification
thresholds and attainment dates based on the severity of an area's
ozone problem, determined by the area's DV (see 83 FR 10376, May 8,
2018). EPA established the attainment date for Marginal, Moderate, and
Serious nonattainment areas as 3 years, 6 years, and 9 years,
respectively, from the effective date of the final designations. Thus,
the attainment date for Marginal nonattainment areas for the 2015 ozone
NAAQS was August 3, 2021, the attainment date for Moderate areas was
August 3, 2024, and the attainment date for Serious areas is August 3,
2027. On October 7, 2022 (87 FR 60897), EPA determined that 22 areas,
including the eight areas addressed in this action, did not attain the
standards by the Marginal attainment date, and these areas were
reclassified as Moderate by operation of law.

III. What is the statutory authority for this action?

The statutory authority for these determinations is provided by the
CAA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.). Relevant portions of the CAA
include, but are not necessarily limited to, sections 181 and 182.
CAA section 107(d) provides that when the EPA establishes or
revises a NAAQS, the agency must designate areas of the country as
nonattainment, attainment, or unclassifiable based on whether an area
is not meeting (or is contributing to air quality in a nearby area that
is not meeting) the NAAQS, meeting the NAAQS, or cannot be classified
as meeting or not meeting the NAAQS, respectively. Subpart 2 of part D
of title I of the CAA governs the classification, State planning, and
emissions control requirements for any areas designated as
nonattainment for a revised primary ozone NAAQS. In particular, CAA
section 181(a)(1) requires each area designated as nonattainment for a
revised ozone NAAQS to be classified at the same time as the area is
designated based on the extent of the ozone problem in the area (as
determined based on the area's DV). Classifications for ozone
nonattainment areas are ``Marginal,'' ``Moderate,'' ``Serious,''
``Severe,'' and ``Extreme,'' in order of stringency. CAA section 182
provides the specific attainment planning and additional requirements
that apply to each ozone nonattainment area based on its
classification.
Section 181(b)(2)(A) of the CAA requires that within 6 months
following the applicable attainment date, EPA shall determine whether
an ozone nonattainment area attained the ozone standard based on the
area's DV as of that date. Under CAA section 181(a)(5) as interpreted
by EPA in 40 CFR 51.1307, upon application by any State, EPA may grant
a 1-year extension to the attainment date when certain criteria are
met. One criterion for a first attainment date extension is that an
area's fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour value for the attainment
year must not exceed the level of the standard.
In the event an area fails to attain the ozone NAAQS by the
applicable attainment date and is not granted a 1-year attainment date
extension, CAA section 181(b)(2)(A) requires the EPA to make the
determination that an ozone nonattainment area failed to attain the
ozone standard by the applicable attainment date, and requires the area
to be reclassified by operation of law to the

[[Page 101903]]

higher of: (1) The next higher classification for the area, or (2) the
classification applicable to the area's DV as of the determination of
failure to attain.\2\ Section 181(b)(2)(B) of the CAA requires EPA to
publish the determination of failure to attain and accompanying
reclassification in the Federal Register no later than 6 months after
the attainment date, which in the case of the Moderate nonattainment
areas considered in this determination is February 3, 2025.
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\2\ All nonattainment areas named in this action that failed to
attain by the attainment date would be classified to the next higher
classification, Serious. None of the affected areas has a DV that
would otherwise place an area in a higher classification.
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Once an area is reclassified, each State that contains a
reclassified area is required to submit certain SIP revisions in
accordance with its more stringent classification. The SIP revisions
are intended to, among other things, demonstrate how the area will
attain the NAAQS as expeditiously as practicable, but no later than
August 3, 2027, the Serious area attainment date for the 2015 ozone
NAAQS. Per CAA section 182(i), a State with a reclassified ozone
nonattainment area must submit the applicable attainment plan
requirements ``according to the schedules prescribed in connection with
such requirements'' in CAA section 182(c) for Serious areas, but EPA
``may adjust applicable deadlines (other than attainment dates) to the
extent such adjustment is necessary or appropriate to assure
consistency among the required submissions.'' EPA is addressing the SIP
revision and implementation deadlines for newly reclassified Serious
areas, as well as the continued applicability of Moderate area
requirements that these areas may not yet have met, in a separate
rulemaking.

IV. How does EPA determine whether an area has attained the standard?

The level of the 2015 ozone NAAQS is 0.070 ppm.\3\ Under EPA
regulations at 40 CFR part 50, appendix U, the 2015 ozone NAAQS is
attained at a site when the 3-year average of the annual fourth highest
daily maximum 8-hour average ambient ozone concentration (i.e., DV)
does not exceed 0.070 ppm. When the DV does not exceed 0.070 ppm at
each ambient air quality monitoring site within the area, the area is
deemed to be attaining the ozone NAAQS. Each area's DV is determined by
the highest DV among monitors with valid DVs.\4\ The data handling
convention in appendix P dictates that concentrations shall be reported
in ``ppm'' to the third decimal place, with additional digits to the
right being truncated. Thus, a computed 3-year average ozone
concentration of 0.071 ppm is greater than 0.070 ppm and would exceed
the standard, but a computed 3-year average ozone concentration of
0.0709 ppm is truncated to 0.070 ppm and attains the 2015 ozone NAAQS.
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\3\ See 40 CFR 50.19.
\4\ According to appendix U to 40 CFR part 50, ambient
monitoring sites with a DV of 0.070 ppm or less must meet minimum
data completeness requirements in order to be considered valid.
These requirements are met for a 3-year period at a site if daily
maximum 8-hour average ozone concentrations are available for at
least 90% of the days within the ozone monitoring season, on
average, for the 3-year period, with a minimum of at least 75% of
the days within the ozone monitoring season in any one year. Ozone
monitoring seasons are defined for each State in appendix D to 40
CFR part 58. DVs greater than 0.070 ppm are considered to be valid
regardless of the data completeness.
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EPA's determination of attainment is based upon hourly ozone
concentration data for calendar years 2021, 2022 and 2023 that have
been collected and quality-assured in accordance with 40 CFR part 58
and reported to EPA's Air Quality System (AQS) database.\5\
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\5\ EPA maintains the AQS, a database that contains ambient air
pollution data collected by EPA, State, local, and tribal air
pollution control agencies. The AQS also contains meteorological
data, descriptive information about each monitoring station
(including its geographic location and its operator) and data
quality assurance/quality control information. The AQS data is used
to (1) assess air quality, (2) assist in attainment/non-attainment
designations, (3) evaluate SIPs for non-attainment areas, (4)
perform modeling for permit review analysis, and (5) prepare reports
for Congress as mandated by the CAA. Access is through the website
at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/aqs">https://www.epa.gov/aqs</a>.
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State and local monitoring network plans are subject to approval by
EPA on an annual basis and any interim modifications to those plans
must also be approved by EPA.\6\ The annual monitoring network plan
process is provided in 40 CFR 58.10 and the requirements governing
system modifications and monitor discontinuations are laid out in 40
CFR 58.14. Where State or local agencies seek to modify the ambient air
quality monitoring networks by discontinuing a monitor station, EPA may
approve such modifications subject to the criteria established in 40
CFR 58.14(c). EPA may not approve such discontinuation if doing so
would compromise data collection needed for implementation of a NAAQS.
If a monitor has been discontinued subject to 40 CFR 58.14 such that
the discontinuation results in insufficient data to calculate a valid
DV according to appendix U to 40 CFR part 50, EPA will determine the
applicable area's attainment status based on the remaining monitors in
the area.
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\6\ Annual monitoring network plans for each State are available
at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/amtic/state-monitoring-agency-annual-air-monitoring-plans-and-network-assessments">https://www.epa.gov/amtic/state-monitoring-agency-annual-air-monitoring-plans-and-network-assessments</a>.
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V. What is EPA's determination for the areas?

EPA is determining that the eight Moderate nonattainment areas
addressed in this action failed to attain the 2015 ozone NAAQS by the
attainment date of August 3, 2024. The eight areas are: Allegan County,
MI; Berrien County, MI; Chicago, IL-IN-WI; Cleveland, OH; Milwaukee,
WI; Muskegon County, MI; Sheboygan County, WI; and the Illinois portion
of the St. Louis, MO-IL area. As shown in Table 1, at least one monitor
in each of these areas had a 2021-2023 DV greater than 0.070 ppm. EPA
has further determined that these areas did not meet the requirement
under section 181(a)(5)(B) and 40 CFR 51.1307 necessary to grant a 1-
year extension of the attainment date, because at least one monitor in
each area had a 2023 fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour average that
was greater than 0.070 ppm. Table 2 through Table 9 show the annual
fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone concentration and
2021-2023 DV for each monitor in the eight areas.

[[Page 101904]]

Table 2--2021-2023 Fourth Highest Daily Maximum 8-Hour Average Ozone Concentrations and Design Values at all Monitors in the Allegan County, MI Area
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Fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone
concentration (ppm) 2021-2023
AQS Site ID County State --------------------------------------------------- design value
2021 2022 2023 (DV) (ppm)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
26-005-0003......................... Allegan............... Michigan.............. 0.078 0.073 0.075 0.075
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Table 3--2021-2023 Fourth Highest Daily Maximum 8-Hour Average Ozone Concentrations and Design Values at All Monitors in the Berrien County, MI Area
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone
concentration (ppm) 2021-2023
AQS Site ID County State --------------------------------------------------- design value
2021 2022 2023 (DV) (ppm)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
26-021-0014......................... Berrien............... Michigan.............. 0.069 0.074 0.078 0.073
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Table 4--2021-2023 Fourth Highest Daily Maximum 8-Hour Average Ozone Concentrations and Design Values at All Monitors in the Chicago, IL-IN-WI Area
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Fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour average
ozone concentration (ppm) 2021-2023
AQS Site ID County State ------------------------------------------------ design value
2021 2022 2023 (DV) (ppm)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17-031-0001.......................... Cook.................... Illinois............... 0.068 0.073 0.082 0.074
17-031-0032.......................... Cook.................... Illinois............... 0.077 0.072 0.083 0.077
17-031-0076.......................... Cook.................... Illinois............... 0.070 0.074 0.080 0.074
17-031-1003.......................... Cook.................... Illinois............... 0.068 0.070 0.073 0.070
17-031-1601.......................... Cook.................... Illinois............... 0.072 0.071 0.081 0.074
17-031-3103.......................... Cook.................... Illinois............... 0.060 0.062 0.081 0.067
17-031-4002.......................... Cook.................... Illinois............... 0.067 0.068 0.080 0.071
17-031-4007.......................... Cook.................... Illinois............... 0.069 0.070 0.083 0.074
17-031-4201.......................... Cook.................... Illinois............... 0.075 0.070 0.086 0.077
17-031-7002.......................... Cook.................... Illinois............... 0.078 0.071 0.081 0.076
17-043-6001.......................... DuPage.................. Illinois............... 0.069 0.068 0.082 0.073
17-089-0005.......................... Kane.................... Illinois............... 0.068 0.070 0.084 0.074
17-097-1007.......................... Lake.................... Illinois............... 0.077 0.070 0.081 0.076
17-111-0001.......................... McHenry................. Illinois............... 0.069 0.070 0.084 0.074
17-197-1011.......................... Will.................... Illinois............... 0.065 0.064 0.080 0.069
18-089-0022.......................... Lake.................... Indiana................ 0.070 0.071 0.076 0.072
18-089-2008.......................... Lake.................... Indiana................ 0.068 0.069 0.075 0.070
18-127-0024.......................... Porter.................. Indiana................ 0.072 0.073 0.077 0.074
18-127-0026.......................... Porter.................. Indiana................ 0.066 0.067 0.072 0.068
55-059-0019.......................... Kenosha................. Wisconsin.............. 0.079 0.070 0.084 0.077
55-059-0025.......................... Kenosha................. Wisconsin.............. 0.072 0.071 0.080 0.074
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Table 5--2021-2023 Fourth Highest Daily Maximum 8-Hour Average Ozone Concentrations and Design Values at All Monitors in the Cleveland, OH Area
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour average
ozone concentration (ppm) 2021-2023
AQS Site ID County State ------------------------------------------------ design value
2021 2022 2023 (DV) (ppm)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
39-035-0034.......................... Cuyahoga................ Ohio................... 0.070 0.073 0.071 0.071
39-035-0060.......................... Cuyahoga................ Ohio................... 0.059 0.061 0.065 0.061
39-035-0064.......................... Cuyahoga................ Ohio................... 0.069 0.065 0.075 0.069
39-035-5002.......................... Cuyahoga................ Ohio................... 0.068 0.065 0.073 0.068
39-055-0004.......................... Geauga.................. Ohio................... 0.067 0.064 0.066 0.065
39-085-0003.......................... Lake.................... Ohio................... 0.072 0.076 0.072 0.073
39-085-0007.......................... Lake.................... Ohio................... 0.063 0.062 0.073 0.066
39-093-0018.......................... Lorain.................. Ohio................... 0.059 0.063 0.064 0.062
39-103-0004.......................... Medina.................. Ohio................... 0.065 0.067 0.072 0.068
39-133-1001.......................... Portage................. Ohio................... 0.067 0.071 0.070 0.069
39-153-0026.......................... Summit.................. Ohio................... 0.066 0.069 0.071 0.068
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[[Page 101905]]

Table 6--2021-2023 Fourth Highest Daily Maximum 8-Hour Average Ozone Concentrations and Design Values at All Monitors in the Milwaukee, WI Area
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour average
ozone concentration (ppm) 2021-2023
AQS Site ID County State ------------------------------------------------ design value
2021 2022 2023 (DV) (ppm)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
55-0790010........................... Milwaukee............... Wisconsin.............. 0.066 0.065 0.068 0.066
55-079-0068.......................... Milwaukee............... Wisconsin.............. 0.071 0.070 0.076 0.072
55-079-0085.......................... Milwaukee............... Wisconsin.............. 0.072 0.074 0.076 0.074
55-089-0008.......................... Ozaukee................. Wisconsin.............. 0.072 0.072 0.077 0.073
55-089-0009.......................... Ozaukee................. Wisconsin.............. 0.073 0.071 0.077 0.073
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table 7--2021-2023 Fourth Highest Daily Maximum 8-Hour Average Ozone Concentrations and Design Values at All Monitors in the Muskegon County, MI Area
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone
concentration (ppm) 2021-2023
AQS Site ID County State --------------------------------------------------- design value
2021 2022 2023 (DV) (ppm)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
26-121-0039......................... Muskegon.............. Michigan.............. 0.075 0.082 0.075 0.077
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table 8--2021-2023 Fourth Highest Daily Maximum 8-Hour Average Ozone Concentrations and Design Values at All Monitors in the Sheboygan County, WI Area
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour average
ozone concentration (ppm) 2021-2023
AQS Site ID County State ------------------------------------------------ design value
2021 2022 2023 (DV) (ppm)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
55-117-0006.......................... Sheboygan............... Wisconsin.............. 0.073 0.077 0.082 0.077
55-117-0009.......................... Sheboygan............... Wisconsin.............. 0.066 0.071 0.074 0.070
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table 9--2021-2023 Fourth Highest Daily Maximum 8-Hour Average Ozone Concentrations and Design Values at All Monitors in the St. Louis, MO-IL Area
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour average
ozone concentration (ppm) 2021-2023
AQS Site ID County State ------------------------------------------------ design value
2021 2022 2023 (DV) (ppm)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17-119-0120.......................... Madison................. Illinois............... 0.070 0.076 0.078 0.074
17-119-0122.......................... Madison................. Illinois............... 0.070 0.067 0.078 0.071
17-1193007........................... Madison................. Illinois............... 0.070 0.072 0.077 0.073
17-163-0010.......................... St. Clair............... Illinois............... 0.070 0.066 0.067 0.077
29-099-0019.......................... Jefferson............... Missouri............... 0.073 0.067 0.078 0.072
29-183-1002.......................... St. Charles............. Missouri............... 0.067 0.071 0.080 0.072
29-183-1004.......................... St. Charles............. Missouri............... 0.065 0.067 0.073 0.068
29-510-0085.......................... St. Louis City.......... Missouri............... 0.068 0.068 0.077 0.071
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VI. What action is EPA taking?

Pursuant to CAA section 181(b)(2), EPA is determining that the
Allegan County, MI; Berrien County, MI; Chicago, IL-IN-WI; Cleveland,
OH; Milwaukee, WI; Muskegon County, MI; Sheboygan County, WI; and
Illinois portion of the St. Louis, MO-IL areas failed to attain the
2015 ozone NAAQS by the applicable attainment date of August 3, 2024.
Therefore, upon the effective date of this final action, these areas
will be reclassified, by operation of law, to Serious for the 2015
ozone NAAQS. Once reclassified as Serious, these areas will be required
to attain the standard ``as expeditiously as practicable'' but no later
than 9 years after the initial designation as nonattainment, which in
this case would be no later than August 3, 2027.
Section 553 of the APA, 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), provides that, when an
agency for good cause finds that notice and public procedures are
impracticable, unnecessary or contrary to the public interest, the
agency may issue a rule without providing notice and an opportunity for
public comment. EPA has determined that there is good cause for making
this final agency action without prior proposal and opportunity for
comment because our action to determine whether these areas have
attained the NAAQS by the attainment date is governed, per CAA section
181(b)(2)(A), solely by area design values as of that date. The area
design values relied upon in this determination are calculations based
on the certified air quality monitoring data governed by EPA's
regulations and

[[Page 101906]]

involve no judgment or discretion. Thus, notice and public procedures
are unnecessary to take this action. EPA finds that this constitutes
good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B).

VII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review, and Executive
Order 14094: Modernizing Regulatory Review

This action is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under the
terms of Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and is
therefore not subject to review under Executive Order 14094 (88 FR
21879, April 11, 2023).

B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)

This rule does not impose an information collection burden under
the provisions of the PRA of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This action
does not contain any information collection activities and serves only
to make final determinations that the Allegan County, MI; Berrien
County, MI; Chicago, IL-IN-WI; Cleveland, OH; Milwaukee, WI; Muskegon
County, MI; Sheboygan County, WI; and Illinois portion of the St.
Louis, MO-IL nonattainment areas failed to attain the 2015 ozone
standards by the August 3, 2024, attainment date where such areas will
be reclassified as Serious nonattainment for the 2015 ozone standards
by operation of law upon the effective date of the final
reclassification action.

C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)

I certify that this action will not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small entities under the RFA (5
U.S.C. 601 et seq.). This action will not impose any requirements on
small entities. The determination of failure to attain the 2015 ozone
standards (and resulting reclassifications), do not in and of
themselves create any new requirements beyond what is mandated by the
CAA. This final action would require the State to adopt and submit SIP
revisions to satisfy CAA requirements and would not itself directly
regulate any small entities.

D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)

This action does not contain any unfunded mandate as described in
UMRA, 2 U.S.C. 1531-1538 and does not significantly or uniquely affect
small governments. The action imposes no enforceable duty on any State,
local or Tribal governments or the private sector.

E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism

This action does not have federalism implications. It will not have
substantial direct effects on the States, on the relationship between
the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power
and responsibilities among the various levels of government. The
division of responsibility between the Federal government and the
States for purposes of implementing the NAAQS is established under the
CAA.

F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian
Tribal Governments

This action has Tribal implications. However, it will neither
impose substantial direct compliance costs on federally recognized
Tribal governments, nor preempt Tribal law.
EPA has identified one Tribal area within the nonattainment areas
covered by this rulemaking, that would be potentially affected by this
final action. Specifically, the boundaries of the Berrien County, MI
area contains the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.
EPA has concluded that the final rule may have Tribal implications
for this Tribe for the purposes of Executive Order 13175 but would not
impose substantial direct costs upon the Tribe, nor would it preempt
Tribal law. A Tribe that is part of an area that is reclassified from
Moderate to Serious nonattainment is not required to submit a Tribal
implementation plan revision to address new Moderate area requirements.
However, certain permitting requirements will change for stationary
sources seeking preconstruction permits in any nonattainment areas
newly reclassified as Serious, including on Tribal lands within these
nonattainment areas.
EPA has communicated or intends to communicate with the potentially
affected Tribe located within the boundaries of the nonattainment areas
addressed in this final action, including offering government-to-
government consultation, as appropriate.

G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental
Health and Safety Risks

EPA interprets Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997)
as applying to those regulatory actions that concern environmental
health or safety risks that EPA has reason to believe may
disproportionately affect children, per the definition of ``covered
regulatory action'' in section 2-202 of the Executive Order. This
action is not subject to Executive Order 13045 because it does not
establish an environmental standard intended to mitigate health or
safety risks.

H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect Energy
Supply, Distribution, or Use

This action is not subject to Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355,
May 22, 2001) because it is not a significant regulatory action under
Executive Order 12866.

I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA)

This rulemaking does not involve technical standards. Therefore,
EPA is not considering the use of any voluntary consensus standards.

J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address Environmental
Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations

Executive Order 12898 (Federal Actions To Address Environmental
Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, 59 FR 7629,
February 16, 1994) directs Federal agencies to identify and address
``disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental
effects'' of their actions on communities with environmental justice
(EJ) concerns to the greatest extent practicable and permitted by law.
Executive Order 14096 (Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to
Environmental Justice for All, 88 FR 25251, April 26, 2023) builds on
and supplements E.O. 12898 and defines EJ as, among other things, the
just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of
income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability
in agency decision-making and other Federal activities that affect
human health and the environment.
EPA did not perform an EJ analysis and did not consider EJ in this
action. Due to the nature of the action being taken here, this action
is expected to have a neutral to positive impact on the air quality of
the affected area. Consideration of EJ is not required as part of this
action, and there is no information in the record inconsistent with the
stated goal of E.O. 12898/14096 of achieving EJ for communities with EJ
concerns.

K. Congressional Review Act

This rule is exempt from the CRA because it is a rule of particular
applicability. The rule makes factual determinations for identified
entities (the Allegan County, MI; Berrien County, MI; Chicago, IL-IN-
WI;

[[Page 101907]]

Cleveland, OH; Milwaukee, WI; Muskegon County, MI; Sheboygan County,
WI; and Illinois portion of the St. Louis, MO-IL areas), based on facts
and circumstances specific to those entities. The determinations of
attainment and failure to attain the 2015 ozone NAAQS do not in
themselves create any new requirements beyond what is mandated by the
CAA.

L. Judicial Review

Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA, petitions for judicial review
of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for
the appropriate circuit by February 18, 2025. Filing a petition for
reconsideration by the Administrator of this action does not affect the
finality of this action for the purposes of judicial review nor does it
extend the time within which a petition for judicial review may be
filed, and shall not postpone the effectiveness of this action. This
action may not be challenged later in proceedings to enforce its
requirements. (See section 307(b)(2).)

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 81

Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure,
Air pollution control, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide,
Ozone, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Volatile organic
compounds.

Dated: December 6, 2024.
Debra Shore,
Regional Administrator, Region 5.

For the reasons stated in the preamble the Environmental Protection
Agency amends title 40 CFR part 81 as follows:

PART 81--DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES

0
1. The authority citation for part 81 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.

0
2. Section 81.314 is amended in the table for ``Illinois--2015 8-Hour
Ozone NAAQS [Primary and Secondary]'' by revising the entry for
``Chicago, IL-IN-WI'' to read as follows:

Sec. 81.314 Illinois.

* * * * *

Illinois--2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS
[Primary and Secondary]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Designation Classification
Designated area \1\ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date \2\ Type Date \2\ Type
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago, IL-IN-WI:.............. \3\ 7/14/2021 Nonattainment...... 1/16/2025 Serious.
Cook County.
DuPage County.
Grundy County (part):
Aux Sable Township and
Goose Lake Township.
Kane County.
Kendall County (part):
Oswego Township.
Lake County.
McHenry County.
Will County.

* * * * * * *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Includes any Indian country in each county or area, unless otherwise specified. EPA is not determining the
boundaries of any area of Indian country in this table, including any area of Indian country located in the
larger designation area. The inclusion of any Indian country in the designation area is not a determination
that the State has regulatory authority under the Clean Air Act for such Indian country.
\2\ This date is August 3, 2018, unless otherwise noted.
\3\ EPA revised the nonattainment boundary in response to a court decision, which did not vacate any
designations for the 2015 ozone NAAQS, but which remanded the designation for the identified county. Because
this additional area is part of a previously designated nonattainment area, the implementation dates for the
overall nonattainment area (e.g., the August 3, 2021 attainment date) remain unchanged regardless of this
later designation date.

* * * * *

0
3. Section 81.315 is amended in the table for ``Indiana--2015 8-Hour
Ozone NAAQS [Primary and Secondary]'' by revising the entry for
``Chicago, IL-IN-WI'' to read as follows:

Sec. 81.315 Indiana.

* * * * *

Indiana--2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS
[Primary and Secondary]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Designation Classification
Designated area \1\ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date \2\ Type Date \2\ Type
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago, IL-IN-WI:.............. \3\ 7/14/2021 Nonattainment...... 1/16/2025 Serious.
Lake County (part):
Calumet Township, Hobart
Township, North
Township, Ross
Township, and St. John
Township.
Porter County (part):

[[Page 101908]]

Center Township, Jackson
Township, Liberty
Township, Pine
Township, Portage
Township, Union
Township, Washington
Township, and
Westchester Township.

* * * * * * *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Includes any Indian country in each county or area, unless otherwise specified. EPA is not determining the
boundaries of any area of Indian country in this table, including any area of Indian country located in the
larger designation area. The inclusion of any Indian country in the designation area is not a determination
that the state has regulatory authority under the Clean Air Act for such Indian country.
\2\ This date is August 3, 2018, unless otherwise noted.
\3\ EPA revised the nonattainment boundary in response to a court decision, which did not vacate any
designations for the 2015 ozone NAAQS, but which remanded the designation for the identified county. Because
this additional area is part of a previously designated nonattainment area, the implementation dates for the
overall nonattainment area (e.g., the August 3, 2021 attainment date) remain unchanged regardless of this
later designation date.

* * * * *

0
4. Section 81.323 is amended in the table for ``Michigan--2015 8-Hour
Ozone NAAQS [Primary and Secondary]'' by revising the entries for
``Allegan County, MI'', ``Berrien County, MI'', and ``Muskegon County,
MI'' to read as follows:

Sec. 81.323 Michigan.

* * * * *

Michigan--2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS
[Primary and Secondary]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Designation Classification
Designated area \1\ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date \2\ Type Date \2\ Type
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allegan County, MI ................. Nonattainment.... 1/16/2025 Serious.
Allegan County (part):
Casco Township, Cheshire
Township, City of Douglas,
City of Holland, City of
Saugatuck, Clyde Township,
Fillmore Township, Ganges
Township, Heath Township,
Laketown Township, Lee
Township, Manilus
Township, Overisel
Township, Saugatuck
Township, and Valley
Township.
Berrien County, MI: ................. Nonattainment.... 1/16/2025 Serious.
Berrien County.

* * * * * * *
Muskegon County, MI ................. Nonattainment.... 1/16/2025 Serious.
Muskegon County (part):
Blue Lake Township, City of
Montague, City of
Muskegon, City of Muskegon
Heights, City of North
Muskegon, City of
Roosevelt Park, City of
Whitehall, Dalton
Township, (incl. Village
of Lakewood Club),
Fruitland Township,
Fruitport Township, (incl.
Village of Fruitport),
Laketon Township, Montague
Township, Muskegon
Township, Norton Shores
Township, White River
Township, and Whitehall
Township.

* * * * *

0
5. Section 81.336 is amended in the table for ``Ohio--2015 8-Hour Ozone
NAAQS [Primary and Secondary]'' by revising the entry for ``Cleveland,
OH'' to read as follows:

Sec. 81.336 Ohio.

* * * * *

[[Page 101909]]

Ohio--2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS
[Primary and Secondary]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Designation Classification
Designated area \1\ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date \2\ Type Date \2\ Type
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * * * * * *
Cleveland, OH ................. Nonattainment.... 1/16/2025 Serious.
Cuyahoga County.
Geauga County.
Lake County.
Lorain County.
Medina County.
Portage County.
Summit County.

* * * * *

0
6. Section 81.350 is amended in the table for ``Wisconsin--2015 8-Hour
Ozone NAAQS [Primary and Secondary]'' by revising the entries for
``Chicago IL-IN-WI'', ``Milwaukee, WI'', and ``Sheboygan County, WI''
to read as follows:

Sec. 81.350 Wisconsin.

* * * * *

Wisconsin--2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS
[Primary and Secondary]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Designation Classification
Designated area \1\ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date \2\ Type Date \2\ Type
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago, IL-IN-WI............... \5\ 7/14/2021 Nonattainment...... 1/16/2025 Serious.
Kenosha County (part):
The portion of Kenosha
County bounded by the
Lake Michigan shoreline
on the East, the
Kenosha County boundary
on the North, the
Kenosha County boundary
on the South, and the I-
94 corridor (including
the entire corridor) on
the West.

* * * * * * *
Milwaukee, WI................... \5\ 7/14/2021 Nonattainment...... 1/16/2025 Serious.
Milwaukee County.
Ozaukee County.
Racine County (part):
Inclusive and east of
the following roadways
going from the northern
county boundary to the
southern county
boundary: Highway 45 to
Washington Ave. to
South Beaumont Ave.
Washington County (part):
Inclusive and east of
the following roadways
going from the northern
county boundary to the
southern county
boundary: County H to N
Main St/Old US Hwy 45
to WI-60 Trunk E to WI-
164 S.
Waukesha County (part):
Going from the western
county boundary to the
southern county
boundary: Inclusive and
north of I-94 and
inclusive and east of
Highway 67.
Sheboygan County, WI............ \5\ 7/14/2021 Nonattainment...... 1/16/2025 Serious.
Sheboygan County (part):

[[Page 101910]]

Inclusive and east of
the following roadways
with the boundary
starting from north to
south: Union Road which
turns into County Road
Y which turns into
Highland Drive, to
Lower Road which turns
into Monroe Street, to
Broadway/Main Street to
Highway 32 which turns
into Giddings Avenue to
County Road W to County
Road KW.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Includes any Indian country in each county or area, unless otherwise specified. EPA is not determining the
boundaries of any area of Indian country in this table, including any area of Indian country located in the
larger designation area. The inclusion of any Indian country in the designation area is not a determination
that the State has regulatory authority under the Clean Air Act for such Indian country.
\2\ This date is August 3, 2018, unless otherwise noted.
\5\ EPA revised the nonattainment boundary in response to a court decision, which did not vacate any
designations for the 2015 ozone NAAQS, but which remanded the designation for the identified county. Because
this additional area is part of a previously designated nonattainment area, the associated implementation
dates for the overall nonattainment area (e.g., the August 3, 2021 attainment date) remain unchanged
regardless of this later designation date.

* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2024-29137 Filed 12-16-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

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