Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Ohio; Redesignation of the Steubenville-Weirton Area to Attainment of the 1997 Annual Standard and the 2006 24-Hour Standard for Fine Particulate Matter

EPA is redesignating under the Clean Air Act (CAA) the Ohio portion of the Steubenville-Weirton area (Jefferson County, OH and Brooke and Hancock Counties, WV) to attainment for the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or standard) for fine particulate matter (PM<INF>2.5</INF>). On April 16, and May 31, 2012, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) submitted a request for EPA to redesignate the Steubenville-Weirton Ohio nonattainment area. EPA determined that the Steubenville-Weirton area has attained the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM<INF>2.5</INF> standard, and proposed to approve Ohio's request to redesignate the area on July 11, 2013. EPA's final rulemaking involves several related actions. EPA is approving, as a revision to the Ohio state implementation plan (SIP), the state's plan for maintaining the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS in the area through 2025. EPA is making a finding of insignificance for Ohio's motor vehicle emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO<INF>X</INF>) and direct PM<INF>2.5</INF> for the Steubenville-Weirton area for transportation conformity purposes. Therefore, as Ohio requested, EPA is redesignating the Ohio portion of the Steubenville-Weirton area to attainment for the 1997 PM<INF>2.5</INF> annual and 2006 24-hour standards.