EPA Proposes to Approve Revisions to Florida's State Implementation Plan.

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 7, 2000

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it has proposed to approve revisions to the Florida State Implementation Plan (SIP), the State's plan under the Clean Air Act (CCA) to ensure that air quality standards are maintained. The proposal consists of revisions to the ozone air quality plan for Jacksonville (Duval County) and Southeast Florida (Broward, Dade, and Palm Beach Counties) areas that maintain air quality levels below the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for the Motor Vehicle Inspection Program (MVIP). Both areas have achieved and continue to maintain all air quality standards. The proposal will be published in the Federal Register with a 30-day comment period.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection submitted the State's revision to the SIP that involved a recalculation of the emissions estimates for motor vehicles for the areas, eliminating the credit for the MVIP. Under the Clean Air Act, states may revise their emissions estimates contained in the maintenance plans at any time, provided that the revised emissions budgets will not adversely affect attainment and maintenance of the ozone standards.

In its revision, Florida demonstrates that the area can maintain the one-hour ozone standards without the MVIP. EPA has reviewed the State's modeling analyses and finds that the State has made the necessary demonstration that the MVIP is not necessary to maintain the one-hour ozone standards.

Upon final EPA approval, these new revisions are to be used by the local metropolitan planning organizations and transportation authorities to assure that transportation plans, programs, and projects are consistent with, and conform to, the long-term maintenance of the standards in the Jacksonville and Southeast Florida areas. EPA will continue to work in partnership with the state of Florida to ensure the greatest possible protection of public health from air pollution for Floridians and their environment.

The CAA requires EPA to establish an air quality standard for each pollutant for which air quality criteria have been issued. To date six pollutants, including ozone, have been identified with standards established to protect the public health and welfare. The Act requires states to develop plans to attain and maintain the standards for ten-year intervals. Additionally, the Act provides states flexibility to determine where they obtain the necessary emission reductions needed for the attainment and maintenance of air quality standards.