Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Virginia; Removal of the Regulation for the National Low Emission Vehicle Program

EPA is taking direct final action to approve a revision to the Virginia State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revision removes Virginia's repealed regulation for the National Low Emission Vehicle (NLEV) program from the Virginia SIP. Virginia repealed its regulation in December 2011, because the NLEV program was superseded by more stringent Federal Tier 2 passenger car and light-duty truck standards, which were promulgated by EPA on February 10, 2000. The Federal Tier 2 vehicle standards, which were implemented on a phased-in basis between model years 2004 and 2006, marked the expiration of the NLEV program, per the framework established by the NLEV program at its inception. Therefore, EPA is approving this revision to remove Virginia's repealed NLEV regulation from the Virginia SIP, in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).