Determination of Nonattainment as of November 15, 1999, and Reclassification of the Metropolitan Washington, DC Ozone Nonattainment Area; District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia

EPA is taking final action to issue a determination that the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. serious ozone nonattainment area (hereinafter referred to as the Washington area) did not attain the 1- hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) by the November 15, 1999 Clean Air Act (CAA) deadline for serious ozone nonattainment areas. As a result, the Washington area is reclassified by operation of law as a severe ozone nonattainment area on the effective date of this rule. The District of Columbia, the State of Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia each must submit by March 1, 2004, a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision for the Washington area that meets the severe area ozone nonattainment area requirements of CAA section 182(d). Finally, EPA is adjusting the dates by which the area must achieve a nine (9) percent reduction in ozone precursor emissions to meet the 2002 rate-of-progress (ROP) requirement and adjusting contingency measure requirements as this relates to the 2002 ROP milestone. In an Order entered on December 18, 2002, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia directed EPA to publish a final action in the Federal Register determining whether the Washington area had attained the applicable ozone standard under the CAA and any reclassification of the area required as a result of this determination. This final determination and this notice are in direct response to and comply with the Court's order.