Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; Kentucky; Redesignation of the Kentucky Portion of the Cincinnati-Hamilton 1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area to Attainment

EPA is taking final action to approve a request submitted on January 29, 2010, from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, through the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, Division for Air Quality (DAQ), to redesignate the Kentucky portion of the tri-state Cincinnati- Hamilton 8-hour ozone nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as "the Cincinnati-Hamilton Area") to attainment for the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). The Cincinnati- Hamilton Area is comprised of Boone, Campbell and Kenton Counties in Kentucky (hereafter also referred to as "Northern Kentucky"); Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton and Warren Counties in Ohio; and a portion of Dearborn County in Indiana. EPA's approval of the redesignation request is based on the determination that Northern Kentucky has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment set forth in the Clean Air Act (CAA), including the determination that the Cincinnati-Hamilton Area has attained the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. Additionally, EPA is approving a revision to the Kentucky State Implementation Plan (SIP) including the 1997 8-hour ozone maintenance plan for Northern Kentucky that contains the new 2015 and 2020 motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for nitrogen oxides (NO<INF>X</INF>) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) for Northern Kentucky. This action also approves the emissions inventory submitted with the maintenance plan. EPA has previously approved, in a separate rulemaking, similar redesignation requests submitted by the States of Ohio and Indiana for their portions of this 1997 8-hour ozone area.