Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; Georgia; Redesignation of the Atlanta 1997 8-Hour Ozone Moderate Nonattainment Area to Attainment

EPA is taking final action to approve a request submitted on April 4, 2012, from the State of Georgia, through the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD), to redesignate the Atlanta, Georgia, ozone nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as the "Atlanta Area," or "Area") to attainment for the 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The Atlanta Area consists of Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Spalding and Walton Counties in their entireties. EPA's approval of the redesignation request is based on the determination that Georgia has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment set forth in the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). Additionally, EPA is approving, as a revision to the Georgia State Implementation Plan (SIP) a maintenance plan for the 1997 8-hour ozone standard for the Atlanta Area, including new 2024 motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for nitrogen oxides (NO<INF>X</INF>) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). In this final notice, EPA also responds to comments received on EPA's February 4, 2013, proposed rulemaking.