Determination of Attainment, Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; Ohio; Redesignation of Belmont County to Attainment of the 8-Hour Ozone Standard

On June 20, 2006, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA), submitted a request to redesignate Belmont County (the Ohio portion of the Wheeling, West Virginia-Ohio (WV-OH) bi-state ozone nonattainment area) to attainment of the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). Additional information was also submitted on August 24, 2006 and December 4, 2006. In these submittals, Ohio EPA also requested EPA approval of an Ohio State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision containing a 12-year maintenance plan for the County. EPA is making a determination that the Wheeling (WV-OH) nonattainment area has attained the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. This determination is based on three years of complete, quality-assured ambient air quality monitoring data for the 2003-2005 ozone seasons that demonstrate that the 8-hour ozone NAAQS has been attained. Quality assured monitoring data for 2006 shows that the area continues to attain the standard. EPA is approving, as a SIP revision, the State's maintenance plan for Belmont County. As a result, Ohio has satisfied the criteria for redesignation of Belmont County to attainment and EPA is approving the requested redesignation. Further, EPA is approving, for purposes of transportation conformity, the motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for the year 2018 that are contained in 8-hour ozone maintenance plan.