Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maryland; Metropolitan Washington, DC 1-Hour Ozone Attainment Plan, Lifting of Earlier Rules Resulting in Removal of Sanctions and Federal Implementation Clocks

EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Maryland. This SIP revision is Maryland's attainment plan for the Metropolitan Washington, DC severe 1-hour ozone nonattainment area (the Washington area). EPA previously disapproved in part a 1-hour ozone attainment plan for the Maryland portion of the Washington area and issued a protective finding. This approval lifts the protective finding. EPA is also now determining that Maryland has submitted all required elements of a severe-area 1-hour ozone attainment demonstration and is thus stopping the sanctions and FIP clocks that were started through a finding that the State of Maryland had failed to submit one of the required elements of a severe-area 1- hour attainment plan. The intended effect of this action is to approve Maryland's 1-hour ozone attainment plan for the Washington area and determine that Maryland now has a fully-approved 1-hour attainment plan and thus to turn off the sanctions and FIP clocks started based on a finding that one element of the plan was missing and to lift the protective finding that was issued when EPA disapproved Maryland's earlier plan in part. These final actions are being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).