Determination of Attainment of Ozone Standard, St. Louis Area; Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans, and Redesignation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes, State of Missouri

EPA is determining that the St. Louis ozone nonattainment area (St. Louis area) has attained the 1-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The St. Louis ozone nonattainment area includes the counties of Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles, and St. Louis as well as St. Louis City in Missouri and the counties of Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair in Illinois. This determination is based on three years of complete, quality-assured ambient air quality monitoring data for the 2000 through 2002 ozone seasons that demonstrate that the 1-hour ozone NAAQS has been attained in the area. EPA is also determining that certain ozone attainment demonstration requirements, along with certain other related requirements of part D of title I of the Clean Air Act (CAA), are not applicable to the St. Louis area. EPA is also approving a request from the state of Missouri, submitted on December 6, 2002, to redesignate the St. Louis area to attainment of the 1-hour ozone NAAQS. In approving this request EPA is also approving the state's plan for maintaining the 1-hour ozone NAAQS through 2014, as a revision to the Missouri State Implementation Plan (SIP). EPA is also finding adequate and approving the state's 2014 Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets (MVEBs) for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxide compounds (NO<INF>X</INF>) in the submitted maintenance plan for transportation conformity purposes. Refer also to a separate rule published today regarding similar approvals for the state of Illinois.