Petition for Reconsideration and Withdrawal of Findings of Significant Contribution and Rulemaking for Georgia for Purposes of Reducing Ozone Interstate Transport

In this action, EPA is amending a final rule it issued under Section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) related to the transport of nitrogen oxides (NO<INF>X</INF>). On April 21, 2004, we issued a final rule (Phase II NO<INF>X</INF> SIP Call Rule) that required the State of Georgia (Georgia) to submit revisions to its State Implementation Plan (SIP) to include provisions that prohibit specified amounts of NO<INF>X</INF> emissions--one of the precursors to ozone (smog) pollution--for the purposes of reducing NO<INF>X</INF> and ozone transport across State boundaries in the eastern half of the United States. This rule became effective on June 21, 2004. Subsequently, the Georgia Coalition for Sound Environmental Policy (GCSEP or Petitioners) filed a Petition for Reconsideration requesting that EPA reconsider the applicability of the NO<INF>X</INF> SIP Call Rule to Georgia. In response to this Petition, and based upon review of additional available information, EPA proposed to remove Georgia from the NO<INF>X</INF> SIP Call Rule. (June 8, 2007). Specifically, EPA proposed to rescind the applicability of the requirements of the Phase II NO<INF>X</INF> SIP Call Rule to Georgia, only. Six parties commented on the proposed rule. No requests were made to hold a public hearing. After considering these comments, EPA is issuing a final rule as proposed.