Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; State of New York

On November 23, 1999, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) submitted a request to EPA to redesignate the New York portion of the New York--Northern New Jersey-- Long Island Carbon Monoxide (CO) nonattainment area from nonattainment to attainment of the National Ambient Quality Standard (NAAQS) for CO. By this action, EPA is approving the NYSDEC's request to redesignate the New York portion of the New York--Northern New Jersey--Long Island CO nonattainment area to attainment of the NAAQS for CO. EPA is approving the New York request because it meets the redesignation requirements set forth in the Clean Air Act (CAA). In addition, EPA is approving New York's CO maintenance plan because it provides for continued attainment of the CO NAAQS. EPA is also approving the New York CO attainment demonstration that was submitted by NYSDEC on November 15, 1992. This action provides for full approval of the New York State Implementation Plan (SIP) for CO. The intended effect of this action is to approve a plan that demonstrates that the CO standard has been attained and will continue to be attained. In a related matter, EPA is approving New York's March 22, 2000 submittal of the Downtown Brooklyn Master Plan component of the CO attainment demonstration. This removes several transportation control measures from the SIP that have been demonstrated as no longer necessary to attain and maintain the NAAQS for CO. Finally, EPA is using today's action as an opportunity to establish a Carbon Monoxide section in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Subpart for the New York SIP. This is an administrative change designed to make the CFR more clear to the reader.