Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; North Carolina; Redesignation of the Rocky Mount 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area to Attainment

On June 19, 2006, the State of North Carolina, through the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR), Division of Air Quality, submitted a final request: to redesignate the Rocky Mount 8-hour ozone nonattainment area to attainment for the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), and to approve a North Carolina State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision containing a maintenance plan for Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The Rocky Mount 8-hour ozone nonattainment area is comprised of two counties, Edgecombe and Nash. EPA is approving the 8-hour ozone redesignation request for the Rocky Mount 8-hour ozone nonattainment area. Additionally, EPA is approving the 8-hour ozone maintenance plan for Rocky Mount, North Carolina. This approval is based on EPA's determination that the State of North Carolina has demonstrated that the Rocky Mount area has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment specified in the Clean Air Act (CAA), including the determination that the entire Rocky Mount 8-hour ozone nonattainment area has attained the 8-hour ozone standard. In this action, EPA is also finding adequate and approving the 2008 and 2017 motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for nitrogen oxides (NO<INF>X</INF>) (for both Edgecombe and Nash counties) that are contained in the 8-hour ozone maintenance plan for the Rocky Mount nonattainment area. North Carolina has established subarea MVEBs at the county level so each county must consider its individual subarea MVEBs for the purposes of implementing transportation conformity. Further, in this action, EPA is finding adequate and approving the insignificance determination for volatile organic compounds' (VOCs) contribution from motor vehicle emissions to the 8-hour ozone pollution in the Rocky Mount, North Carolina area.