Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Atlanta, GA; Notice of Completeness Determination for the Purpose of Stopping Sanctions Clock

EPA is now giving notice of an action that EPA has already taken to find a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision complete and stop the sanctions clocks associated with the Atlanta, Georgia, 1997 fine particulate matter (PM<INF>2.5</INF>) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as the "Atlanta Area"). Pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA) and its implementing regulations, EPA has made an affirmative determination of completeness for the attainment demonstration, reasonably available control measures and reasonably available control technology, annual emissions reductions to ensure reasonable further progress, and contingency measures (hereafter referred to as "nonattainment area submittals") submitted by the State of Georgia for the Atlanta Area. On September 3, 2010, a letter announcing this determination was sent to the Governor of Georgia, effectively stopping the sanctions clocks started on November 27, 2009, by "a finding of failure to submit" the 1997 PM<INF>2.5</INF> nonattainment submittals for the Atlanta Area. Today's notice is simply an announcement of a determination that EPA has already made.