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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