Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; Alabama; Redesignation of the Birmingham, AL 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area to Attainment for Ozone

EPA is approving a request, submitted in draft on November 16, 2005, and in final on January 27, 2006, through the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), to redesignate the Birmingham 8- hour ozone nonattainment area (Birmingham area) to attainment for the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The Birmingham area is composed of two counties, Jefferson and Shelby. EPA's approval of the redesignation request is based on the determination that the Birmingham area and the State of Alabama have met the criteria for redesignation to attainment set forth in the Clean Air Act (CAA), including the determination that the Birmingham area has attained the 8-hour ozone standard. Additionally, EPA is approving an Alabama State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision containing a maintenance plan with a 2017 end year for the Birmingham area and approving the new Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets (MVEBs) for the year 2017 that are contained in the maintenance plan. This final rule also addresses comments made on EPA's proposed rulemaking for this action, previously published January 25, 2006 (71 FR 4077).