Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designations of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; North Carolina and South Carolina; Charlotte; Determination of Attainment by Applicable Attainment Date for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standards

EPA is determining that the bi-state Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, North Carolina-South Carolina, 1997 8-hour ozone nonattainment Area (hereafter referred to as "the bi-state Charlotte Area" or "the Area") has attained the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) by its applicable attainment date of June 15, 2011. The determination of attainment was made by EPA on November 15, 2011, and was based on quality-assured and certified monitoring data for the 2008-2010 monitoring period. The bi-state Charlotte Area is comprised of Cabarrus, Gaston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Union and a portion of Iredell (Davidson and Coddle Creek Townships) Counties in North Carolina; and a portion of York County in South Carolina. In this action EPA is determining to find that the above-identified Area attained the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS by its applicable attainment date. EPA is finalizing this action because it is consistent with the Clean Air Act (CAA) and its implementing regulations. Additionally, in this action EPA is clarifying an inadvertent citation error in the proposed approval for this action.