Determination of Attainment by the Attainment Date, Clean Data Determination, and Approval of Base Year Emissions Inventory for the Imperial County, California Nonattainment Area for the 2012 Annual Fine Particulate Matter NAAQS

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is determining that the Imperial County, California fine particulate matter (PM<INF>2.5</INF>) nonattainment area ("Imperial PM<INF>2.5</INF> nonattainment area") attained the 2012 annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or "standard") by its December 31, 2021 "Moderate" area attainment date. This determination is based upon ambient air quality monitoring data from 2019 through 2021. We are also making a clean data determination (CDD) based on our determination that preliminary air quality monitoring data from 2022 indicate the Imperial PM<INF>2.5</INF> nonattainment area continues to attain the 2012 annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS. As a result of this CDD, certain Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements that apply to the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District (ICAPCD or "District") are suspended for so long as the area continues to meet the 2012 annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS. The area remains nonattainment for the 2012 annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS until the area is redesignated to attainment. The EPA is also approving a revision to California's state implementation plan (SIP) consisting of the 2012 base year emissions inventory for the Imperial PM<INF>2.5</INF> nonattainment area, submitted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB or "State") on July 18, 2018.