Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans: Florida; Approval of Section 110(a)(1) Maintenance Plan for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standards for the Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, and Southeast Florida Areas

EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the Florida State Implementation Plan (SIP) concerning the maintenance plans addressing the 1997 8-hour ozone standards for the Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, and Southeast Florida 1997 8-hour ozone attainment areas in Florida, hereafter referred to as the "Jacksonville Area," "Tampa Bay Area," and "Southeast Florida Area," respectively. The Jacksonville Area is comprised of Duval County; the Tampa Bay Area comprises Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties; and the Southeast Florida Area comprises Broward, Dade, and Palm Beach Counties. These maintenance plans were submitted to EPA on July 2, 2009, by the State of Florida, through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), and ensure the continued attainment of the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) through the year 2014 in the Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, and Southeast Florida Areas. EPA is approving the SIP revisions pursuant to section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). These maintenance plans meet all the statutory and regulatory requirements, and are consistent with EPA's guidance. On March 12, 2008, EPA issued revised ozone standards. On September 16, 2009, EPA announced it would reconsider the 2008 NAAQS for ozone and proposed a new schedule for designations for the reconsidered standards. EPA published a proposed rulemaking on January 19, 2010, for reconsideration of the 2008 NAAQS, and expects to finalize the reconsidered NAAQS by August 2010. The current action, however, is being taken to address requirements under the 1997 8-hour ozone standards. Requirements for the Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, and Southeast Florida Areas under the 2010 reconsidered ozone standards will be addressed in the future.