Denial of Request for Attainment Date Extension, Finding of Failure To Attain, and Reclassification of an Area in Utah as Moderate for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is denying a request by the State of Utah and the Ute Indian Tribe for an extension of the attainment date for the Uinta Basin, Utah Marginal nonattainment area under the 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). In addition, we are determining that the area did not attain the standard by the applicable attainment date, and accordingly that the area will be reclassified by operation of law to "Moderate" nonattainment for the 2015 ozone NAAQS on the effective date of this final rule. With respect to the Uinta Basin area, this action fulfills the EPA's obligation under the Clean Air Act (CAA) to determine whether ozone nonattainment areas attained the NAAQS by the Marginal area attainment date and to publish a document in the Federal Register identifying each area that is determined as having failed to attain and identifying the reclassification.