Clean Air Act Reclassification, San Joaquin Valley Nonattainment Area; Designation of East Kern County Nonattainment Area and Extension of Attainment Date; California; Ozone

EPA is taking final action to change the boundary for the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) serious ozone nonattainment area by separating out the eastern portion of Kern County into its own nonattainment area. EPA is extending the attainment deadline for the new East Kern County serious ozone nonattainment area from November 15, 1999 to November 15, 2001. EPA is taking final action to find that the SJV area did not attain the 1-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) by the November 15, 1999 Clean Air Act (CAA) deadline. As a result, the SJV ozone nonattainment area with its revised boundaries is reclassified by operation of law as a severe area. The State must submit by May 31, 2002, a severe area ozone nonattainment plan for the SJV (now excluding the East Kern County ozone nonattainment area) that provides for the attainment of the ozone NAAQS as expeditiously as practicable, but no later than November 15, 2005. This plan must meet the specific provisions of CAA section 182(d). EPA is taking final action to find that the approved serious area ozone State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the SJV has not been fully implemented. As a result of this finding, the State must adopt and implement the specified measures by November 15, 2002 or be subject to sanctions pursuant to sections 179(a) and (b) of the CAA. This finding and any potential sanctions do not apply to the newly established East Kern County ozone nonattainment area, where the SIP is being fully implemented.