Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Ohio; Redesignation of the Ohio Portions of the Parkersburg-Marietta and Wheeling Areas to Attainment of the 1997 Annual Fine Particulate Matter Standard

EPA is taking several related actions under the Clean Air Act (CAA) affecting the state of Ohio and the Ohio portions of the Parkersburg-Marietta and Wheeling, West Virginia-Ohio areas for the 1997 annual fine particulate matter (PM<INF>2.5</INF>) national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS or standard). EPA is approving requests from the state of Ohio to redesignate the Ohio portions of the Parkersburg-Marietta and Wheeling areas to attainment of the 1997 annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> standard. EPA is approving, as a revision to the Ohio state implementation plan (SIP), the state's plans for maintaining the 1997 annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> standard in those areas through 2023. EPA is determining the insignificance of the motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for purposes of transportation conformity in those areas. EPA is approving the comprehensive inventories submitted by Ohio for the oxides of nitrogen (NO<INF>X</INF>), primary PM<INF>2.5</INF>, and sulfur dioxide (SO<INF>2</INF>), ammonia and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the Parkersburg-Marietta area (Washington County), and in the Wheeling area (Belmont County) as meeting the requirements of the CAA. Finally, EPA is determining that the areas continue to maintain the 1997 annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> standard based on certified 2009-2011 air quality data.