Approval and Promulgation of State Implementation Plans (SIP) for the State of Alabama-Call for 1-Hour Attainment Demonstration for the Birmingham, Alabama Marginal Ozone Nonattainment Area

EPA is issuing a State Implementation Plan (SIP) call to require the State of Alabama to submit a 1-hour ozone attainment SIP for the Birmingham marginal nonattainment area within six months of the effective date of this final SIP call. EPA is issuing this SIP call because we find, in light of the Birmingham area's continued nonattainment for ozone, that the Alabama SIP is substantially inadequate to attain the 1-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). In light of this finding, section 110(k)(5) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) authorizes EPA to require Alabama to submit a 1- hour ozone attainment plan for the Birmingham area to correct this inadequacy. If the State of Alabama fails to submit an attainment SIP in response to this SIP call, EPA will issue a finding that the State failed to submit a required SIP pursuant to section 179(a) of the CAA. The finding would start the clocks for mandatory sanctions and development of a federal implementation plan (FIP).