Clean Air Act Full Approval of the Title V Operating Permit Program for Antelope Valley Air Pollution Control District in California

EPA is taking direct final action to fully approve the operating permit program submitted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) on behalf of Antelope Valley Air Pollution Control District (Antelope Valley APCD or the District). The operating permit program was submitted in response to the directive in the 1990 Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments that permitting authorities develop, and submit to EPA, programs for issuing operating permits to all major stationary sources and to certain other sources within the permitting authority's jurisdiction. EPA granted final interim approval to the District's operating permit program on December 19, 2000 (65 FR 79314). Of the three deficiencies noted by EPA, two were corrected by Antelope Valley APCD in a timely manner. The third deficiency was resolved on September 22, 2003, when the Governor of California signed SB 700, revising State law by removing the agricultural permitting exemption. Though interim approval of the District's operating permit program expired on January 21, 2003, and EPA consequently implemented a federal operating permit program for Antelope Valley APCD, all three deficiencies are now resolved. Therefore, EPA is approving the District's operating permit program.