EP U50/2
76.501-4
GUIDELINE SERIES
OAQPS NO. 3.0-004
August 17, 1976
DE-DESIGNATION OF AIR QUALITY MAINTENANCE
AREAS
(Memo)
2UC
US. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
SUBJECT: De-desi gnati on of Air Quality Maintenance Areas DATE 1 7 AUG
FROM- / B.J. Steigerwald, Director
/<3-$ffice of Air Quality Planning ana Standards
V
Director, Air and Hazardous Materials Division, Regions I, III-X
Director, Environmental Programs Divisions Region II
In response to requests from several Regional Offices, the
following guidance is being supplied on procedures for de-designating
air quality maintenance areas (AQMAs).
De-designation of an area identified and listed as an AQMA in
40 CFR 52 is a revision to the SIP and should be handled as a rule-
making action. As such, these actions should follow the procedures
for SIP revisions as set forth in the Guideline, "Revisions to State
Implementation Plans—Procedures for Approval/Disapproval Actions,"
OAQPS No. 1.2-005A, Revised, October, 1975.
AQMAs should only be de-designated if the analysis required by 40
CFR 51, Subpart D shows that a maintenance plan is not necessary. Accord-
ingly, the Regional Office must prepare a technical support document
containing that AQMA analysis, which shows that the AQMA maintains
all standards for the pollutants for which it was designated
over the time period established pursuant to 40 CFR 51.42. (This period
must be at least 20 years from the date of AQMA identification. The
Regional Administrator may, however, modify the period to be no less than
10 years, but in doing so, he must follow the procedures of 40 CFR 51.63,
which include publication of the modification in the Federal Register.)
EPA is required, as part of its rulemaking procedures, to (1) pro-
cess the changes in the Federal Register and make the documented support
for these actions avai1able to the pub!ic, (2) allow a minimum of 30
days for public comments, (3) corisider comments received from the public,
and (4) address those comments In the final promulgation of the action
in the Federal Register removing tne area from the AQMA list. Adminls-
trati ve~ gui dancefor tFese tasks is given in the guideline previously
mentioned. Should the State not hold public hearings as required by
Section 110(a)(3)(A) of the Clean Air Act and 40 CFR 51, then the
Regional Office will have to provide an opportunity for such hearings
as required under Section 110(c)(l) of the Act.
EPA Form 1320-6 (Rev. 6-72)
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As an interim policy, it is appropriate to process de-designations
as "special actions" until sufficient experience is developed and an
adequate precedent has been established.
If there are any questions concerning this guidance memorandum or
the referenced OAQPS Guideline, please refer them to the Control Programs
Development Division, Standards Implementation Branch, attention of
Joseph Sableski (FTS 629-5437).
cc: R. Rhoads
D. Tyler
J. Sableski
D. Borchers
E. Tuerk
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