Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; California; San Joaquin Valley, South Coast Air Basin, Coachella Valley, and Sacramento Metro 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Areas; Reclassification

Under the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act"), EPA is granting requests by the State of California to reclassify the following four areas designated as nonattainment for the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS): The San Joaquin Valley area from "serious" to "extreme," the South Coast Air Basin area from "severe-17" to "extreme," and the Coachella Valley and Sacramento Metro areas from "serious" to "severe-15." In connection with the reclassifications, EPA is setting a deadline of no later than 12 months from the effective date of reclassification for submittal of revisions to the Sacramento Metro area portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP) to meet the additional new source review (NSR) requirements for "severe-15" 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas. EPA is deferring the setting of a submittal deadline for certain fee rules under section 185 of the CAA. A number of Indian tribes have Indian country located within the boundaries of the affected areas. The State of California is not approved to administer any CAA programs in Indian country, and the relevant Indian tribes have not applied for eligibility to administer programs under the CAA for their areas. In these circumstances, EPA implements relevant reclassification provisions of the CAA in these Indian country areas and is reclassifying these areas, except Indian country pertaining to the Morongo Band of Mission Indians ("Morongo Tribe") and the Pechanga Band of Luise[ntilde]o Mission Indians ("Pechanga Tribe"), in keeping with the classifications of nonattainment areas within which they are located. EPA is deferring the reclassification of Indian country pertaining to the Morongo and Pechanga Tribes pending EPA's final decisions on their previously-submitted boundary change requests. In connection with this final action, EPA notified the affected tribal leaders and consulted with interested tribes.