Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia; Post 1996 Rate-of-Progress Plans, One-Hour Ozone Attainment Demonstrations and Attainment Date Extension for the Metropolitan Washington D.C. Ozone Nonattainment Area

The EPA is approving the State Implementation Plans (SIPs) consisting of the Post-1996 rate-of-progress (ROP) plans with transportation control measures and the one-hour ozone attainment demonstrations for the Metropolitan Washington D.C. serious nonattainment area (the Washington area) submitted by the District of Columbia's Department of Health (DoH), Maryland's Department of the Environment (MDE) and by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ). EPA is also approving the request to extend the attainment date to November 15, 2005. The Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act) requires EPA to establish national air quality standards (NAAQS) for certain widespread pollutants that cause or contribute to air pollution for the purposes of the one-hour ozone NAAQS. The Post-1996 ROP plans and the one-hour ozone attainment demonstrations will result in significant emission reductions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of nitrogen (NO<INF>X</INF>) in the Washington area. The intended effect of this action is to approve these SIP revisions as meeting the requirements of the Act.